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

“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.

Integrating elements of psychology into traditional studies of economics helps students discover genuine solutions to real world problems.