The Educating for American Democracy initiative introduces an inquiry framework, or roadmap, organized around themes and questions to advance excellence in civic and history education. 

The Home Front during the Civil War: Embattled Lives and Endurance in Ohio Stephen M. Charter Using Graphic Novels to Promote Social Studies Literacy Jeremiah Clabough and Kenneth T. Carano

Learning the early history of U.S. government is often confusing for middle school students. In this article, the author describes the use of the book We the People and the President to give seventh-grade students a deeper understanding of government

Dialectical Discussion: A Method at the Heart of Our Democratic ProcessJames Massey Breaking News! Ten Tips for How to Make Current Events Work for YouSean McBrady Not Yet Fully Illuminated: African American History and Washington, D.C. Book Review by Dawn Chitty

Researching Our School’s History Amy Trenkle Our School as Living History Candyce Sweda A Trash-Free Lunch Experiment Alison Davis-Holland, Sue Annis, and Steven S. Lapham Bears in the Air Facing the Future

Lookout Point: Teaching About Religion John Hergesheimer Dancing the Circle: An Introduction to Powwows Karen D. Harvey World Religions and Personal Tolerance Sofia Udner My Name is Osama Sharifa Alkhateeb and Steven S. Lapham Powerful Creatures: Native American Animal Myths Steven S. Lapham

American Revolution:Three Lesson Plans for Critical Thinking Stephanie Wasta Working to Improve Our Community: Students as Citizens and Town Planners Ted Mitchell Poems for Two Voices: An Interdisciplinary Activity Leslie Perfect Ricklin The Back Page: “Skin the Snake” A Colonial Children's Game

Dramatic Narratives: Capturing the Human Side of World War II Anita Perna Bohn and Penny Britton Kolloff Ernie Pyle:The Foot Soldier’s Reporter Sandra B. Oldendorf Teenage Witnesses to the Holocaust (Book Review) Tom Kolbe The Back Page: Censorship in Times of War

From Château Fort to Renaissance Palace Jennifer Rothwell Overcoming the Odds: An Easy Interdisciplinary Activity Tedd Levy In From the Cold: People with Disablities in Juvenile Literature Jane Manaster Asia In the Classroom Mary Hammond Bernson

An increasing number of U.S. states use the inquiry-based C3 Framework when developing new social studies standards, ensuring that more students have the opportunity to engage in ambitious social studies learning.