Elementary teachers can help nurture the next generation of citizen-activists with two books that explore examples of young people engaging in civic action.

Direct civic engagement enables students to learn through citizenship rather than simply about citizenship and empowers them to take effective action in the future.

—Ronald W. EvansThe author places contemporary controversies about the social studies curriculum in a historical context. 322

Prepared by the Staff of Social EducationLeading NCSS members reveal the effects of No Child Left Behind on their schools and their classroom teaching.296

By investigating statistics collected by censuses, students can obtain a deeper understanding of historical events and cultural milestones like the Battle of Gettysburg, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, or landing a man on the moon.

By examining the evolving rights and procedures of the Boston Massacre trials students will understand the importance of “judicial precedent” in early American legal and political experience.

If high school history courses are meant to introduce students to the paradoxes and debates of American history, then they should study the 1619 Project. 

In this article, the author examines how the New York State Social Studies Resource Toolkit  supports argument discourse in social studies and then explores a primary teacher’s curricular and instructional decisions regarding the development of children’s argumentation skills. The study provides insights into how teachers can involve some of our youngest students in authentic, inquiry-based social studies learning that fosters argument discourse.

—Mark C. Schug and M. Scott NiederjohnThe change in leadership at the Federal Reserve, after more than 18 years, provides an opportune moment for students to study the Fed s historical development, the causes of the Great Depression, and the tools used by the central bank to avoid an economic crisis.69