Inviting students to ponder the meaning of secure elections can launch an important discussion about public trust in election results.

Listen to an exclusive interview with the sister and brother team of Claire and Ralph Nader! These two longtime civic leaders and advocates for social, economic, and legal justice talk with James Damico, Professor of Curriculum & Instruction at Indiana University, about Claire’s recent book, You Are Your Own Best Teacher! Sparking the Curiosity, Imagination, and Intellect of Tweens. In this video, Claire and Ralph cover a range of topics and questions, including: Learning about your body The Commons How to wage peace What does it mean to be smart? Historical…

“The Fresh Market: Connecting Content, Children, Families, and the Community,” outlines the “fresh market project” and lays out an argument for a cross-curricular approach to teach social studies in a preschool classroom. The authors outline a process in which teachers met weekly to think of ways to embed content in science, technology, reading, engineering, art, math, and social studies in an effective and engaging manner. Their narrative highlights the power of interdisciplinary work with young children, with an emphasis on social studies as the connecting thread.

The Supreme Court closed out its 2000 term in June after issuing seventy-nine opinions and agreeing to take up more questions of interest to students and educators alike. Among the issues already slated for review after the 2001 term opens on October 1 are cases that could decide the future of affirmative action, the death penalty, and on-line pornography. Looking Back Last term was contentious for the justices, and not just because of the December decision in Bush v. Gore, No. 00-949—the case that effectively decided the 2000 presidential election. It determined both that the Florida…

The recently launched Educating for American Democracy (EAD) Roadmap reflects an awareness of how institutions, including our legal system, have shaped and defined multiple narratives of the American story.  Almost every EAD theme has a legal connection to the law, providing an effective means for student engagement. The author demonstrates how each theme might be incorporated within classrooms using a legal perspective. 

Examining the Supreme Court’s reversal on abortion rights can foster important classroom discussions on the principle of stare decisis and on judicial activism.