This article outlines a project-based learning approach developed by one of the authors, a veteran Seattle teacher, for a high school government course.

From maps, graphs, and tables to photographs and political cartoons, social studies is replete with potentially rich visual images for students to analyze. Yet, elementary students often struggle to understand the information within such graphics. In this article, we first provide an overview of some commonly used graphics, and then suggest a way to approach an upper elementary lesson that incorporates the use of a graphical analysis strategy aligned with the C3 Framework to help prepare students to be effective, critical consumers and producers of such visuals.

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. 

Writing is a bridge between the disciplines, offering a way to include social studies content in various lessons. In addition, writing serves as a way for students to process informational text, as they read content, reflect on it, and restate it in various ways‚Äî such as in a poem, a faux historical letter, or a caption under an illustration. In this article, the authors discuss in detail four types of formula poetry that easily connect with social studies content. Each formula helps students at various grade levels to write a basic poem. We discuss the structure for each type of poetry,…

Initially intended as an approach to curriculum development, the Inquiry Design Model also offers social studies educators a systematic approach to assessment.

Three key discussion options offer social studies teachers a choice of approaches for navigating controversial issues in the classroom.

An inquiry-based approach to tackling hard history such as the one outlined in this article helps mitigate the instructional challenges presented by our current political climate.

In today’s “datafied” society, social studies teachers must provide instruction in data literacy to ensure that students become informed, competent citizens.