In this article, the author considers the use of Asian American digital archives as sources of critical inquiry for the elementary social studies classroom.It includes a brief overview of early South Asian American history, focusing on Punjabi and Bengali migrations, then orients educators to two note-worthy community archives, the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) and the Pioneering Punjabis Digital Archive. A sample lesson on Bhagat Singh Thind, a South Asian pioneer who challenged exclusionary citizenship laws in the twentieth century, is provided. 

The realities of COVID-19 have clearly revealed the myth of the model minority, a stereotype in which Asian Americans are seen as successful and high achieving in contrast to other Communities of Color. An ever-present, but sometimes seemingly dormant, anti- Asian racism in the United States is reflective of patterns in U.S. immigration history. Yet, neither is often taught in PK-12 education. In this article, the authors briefly outline the history of two major policies in Asian American immigration history and share an inquiry designed to help students explore the institutionalized racism…

NSSLA (previously NSSSA, National Social Studies Supervisors Association) promotes the common interest of social studies supervisors in instruction, curriculum materials, research, teacher training, and social action. Based on the belief that interaction between teachers and students is the most vital element of an education system, NSSLA encourages and assists in the development of social studies instruction. It extends its services and assistance to supervisors at state and local levels in their efforts to initiate similar organizations. NSSLA conducts its…

The National Social Studies Leaders Association (NSSLA) promotes the common interest of social studies supervisors and leaders in instruction, curriculum, research, teacher training, and social action. One of our purposes is to encourage and assist in the development of sound supervisory practices that lead to the improvement of social studies instruction. NSSLA is open to all members of NCSS who have supervisory and leadership responsibilities for social studies curriculum and instructional programs in Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve. This includes individuals with…

Social studies educators have organized themselves into formal subgroups of NCSS, such as local school district social studies leaders, state social studies specialists, international educators, and college and university faculty members. Each Associated Group has its own membership dues, which are in addition to NCSS membership. Associated groups often choose to use our free membership forum and messaging system, NCSS Commons, for official communications. Learn more about the various groups by clicking on their titles below. To join an Associated Group, please contact Member Services at…

This article models the integration of social studies and language arts commonly used in elementary classrooms by using a text that incorporates straightforward social studies content in the context of the daily experiences of a Chinese family in the U.S. The authors illustrate how to use the award-winning novel, Front Desk by Kelly Yang, with young learners in grades 4–6 to examine the myriad of experiences with class, race, language, and exploitation that immigrants from China to the United States often encounter.

In this article, the authors share how children’s literature can be used to center the contributions of Asian Americans to the ongoing work of civil rights activism while disrupting harmful/racist stereotypes about Asian Americans.

Since the mainstream U.S. history curriculum often excludes Asian Americans’ struggles and resilience, many educators in the United States struggle to teach this subject. In particular, few studies explore how elementary social studies teachers use culturally relevant pedagogy to help Asian American students analyze and critique anti-Asian violence. This article addresses the gap.

We must move beyond the “conqueror narratives” of our teaching because the struggles and resistance of colonized peoples are part of our national story.