A close look at the history of African American voting rights can launch a lively classroom discussion about present-day democratic struggles.

Examining the featured nineteenth- and early twentieth-century documents from women to Congress regarding voting rights can launch a fascinating classroom lesson on women’s suffrage and the First Amendment right to petition.

Investigating with students how women suffragists used images and symbols to influence public opinion can spark an engaging lesson on the Nineteenth Amendment.

This 2020 issue of Social Education, marking the centennial anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, seeks to broaden understanding of the suffrage story in several ways: by considering the strategies and tactics used by the suffragists to foment their agitation; by acknowledging the ways in which further work was needed to secure voting and other rights for all women; by acknowledging the need for women in positions of political leadership and for stories about their accomplishments; and by placing the U.S. women’s suffrage story within the context of the larger struggle for women’s rights…

The featured telegraph to President Abraham Lincoln from a gas-filled balloon, along with accompanying photographs, can launch a fascinating lesson on the Civil War and nineteenth-century technology. 

Comparing questions from the 1920 Census and the 2020 Census can be a great jumping off point into a lesson on the importance of a national count and how Census questions reflect the prior decade.

Examining statistical atlases from the nineteenth century offers students a unique opportunity to practice geographic thinking and data literacy skills.

Inviting students to ponder the meaning of secure elections can launch an important discussion about public trust in election results.

This inquiry, which explores the current debate on what should be done with Confederate monuments, engages students in historical, geographic and civic skills.

The books that appear in this annotated list were evaluated and selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). NCSS and CBC have cooperated on this annual bibliography since 1972. Books selected for this bibliography were published in 2020 and were written for children in grades K-12. The Book Review Committee looks for books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme…