The 2009 award winners include books about a pioneer of Native American rights, the challenges faced by migrant families, the Jim Crow era, and the involvement of children in the civil rights movement.

This year’s Carter G. Woodson book picks include stories about Black heroes of the Old West, groundbreaking journalist Ethel Payne, and William Still, the “Father of the Underground Railroad.” 

The latest Septima Clark Book Award recipients shine a light on the stories of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet; Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress; and numerous female athletes who shattered stereotypes.

Creating photoblogs in the social studies classroom builds on students’ interest in using images to convey messages while teaching important media literacy skills.

Even without in-person field trips, photographs stored online can stimulate enriching investigations of historic places.

The one-page blueprint known as the Inquiry Design Model helps teachers outline essential elements of inquiry-based instruction and enables them to plan inquiry experiences for students.

Teachers and students can bring history to life by donning period clothing or carrying objects common in past eras to engage students and enhance classroom presentations.

When teachers create lessons that include historical sources, it’s important to pay attention to source choice and source attribution. 

By merging disciplinary inquiry and critical inquiry, the C3 Framework has helped teachers engage students in developing deep content knowledge about issues relevant to their lives.

Activities such as the Shays' Rebellion investigation outlined in this article enable students to develop inquiry and literacy practices as they integrate critical reading, historical thinking, and argument writing.