A study of select campaign posters, cartoons, and ads teaches students to critically analyze messages from media sources and to understand the role media have played throughout the history of American elections.

The devices, apps, and websites that are so intertwined in our students’ lives offer enriching opportunities for social studies inquiries into the ethics of technology.

Investigating heritage symbols in the classroom can ignite constructive discussions on the kinds of values a statue communicated at the time of its creation.

Social media services such as Twitter can be used to promote engaging, student-centered activities that facilitate a deeper understanding of content.

Encouraging students to investigate competing perspectives on societal issues helps them deepen the skills of working through disagreements.

When we recognize our own biases and encourage young people to do the same, we help students understand that there is a continuum of options between not trusting anybody and blindly trusting selected experts.

Jenni Gallagher, Jenni Conrad

International films are valuable tools for sparking meaningful debate on important human rights issues.

This guided inquiry walks teachers through the steps to help students understand a societal problem, assess possible actions, and move to civic action.

The facts and statistics outlined in this article can help launch an engaging classroom discussion about myths that pertain to refugees in the United States.