Social Studies and the Young Learner January/February 2021
Social Studies and the Young Learner January/February 2021
Volume:33
Num:3
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Editor's Notes
Editor's Notes January/February 2021 SSYL
In the first article in this issue, a professor-teacher team of authors, Karen L. B. Burgard, Caroline O’Quinn, Michael L. Boucher, Jr., Natasha Pinnix, Cynthia Trejo, and Charnae Dickson offers, “Using Photographs to Create Culturally Relevant Classrooms: People of San Antonio, Texas, in the 1930s.” The authors outline how educatorscan utilize historic photos to provide students with a deeper understanding of the past. When students do not see their heritage and culture represented in images, the development of their historical understanding can be incomplete or fragmented. Historical understanding can be enhanced, however, when students “see themselves” in the primary sources presented to them.
The second article, “Jane Goodall and Social Studies: Children’s Literature and Questions to Explore Her Inspiring Life’s Work” by David Campos, focuses on children’s literature by and about Jane Goodall. Readers are provided with recom- mended titles; examples for how to address social studies skills and concepts using her biography; and compelling and supporting questions that can drive students to investigate her work. The associated Pullout, by the same author, consists of a brief elementary-level biography, “The Inspiring Jane Goodall,” and follow-up activities and questions for further study.
The next two articles represent a special section of this issue which are provided by the NCSS Editorial staff. In the first, a presenter at the 2020 NCSS Online Conference, Ilham Nasser, recommends “Picture Books that Bring Arab Voices and Middle East and North African Culture to K-6 Classrooms.” Nasser writes that the annotated list of nine books is not comprehensive, but “provides a good collec- tion of high quality, unbiased, and non-stereotypical portrayals of Arabs. It is also a collection that brings the native voices of the MENA region to elementary readers.”
In the second of these articles, “A Centennial Birthday Gift: Resources for Teaching and Celebrating Women’s Right to Vote,” NCSS Editorial Staff describe online teaching materials provided by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission for the Nineteenth Amendment, including an online version of a giant mural created by British visual artist Helen Marshall and exhibited in Washington, DC, in 2020.
In the final piece in this issue, “Teaching Difficult Knowledge of the Korean War through International Children’s Literature,” Sohyun An posits that children’s litera- ture can present difficult knowledge about wars in a child-friendly way. She shares transnational children’s literature and a sample lesson to teach about the Korean War in a more critical and complete manner than is usually provided to students.
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Using Photographs to Create Culturally Relevant Classrooms: People of San Antonio, Texas, in the 1930s
It is difficult to overstate the power of visual images, particularly historical primary source photos, to provide a window into the past. Here, the authors outline how educators can utilize historic photos to provide students with a deeper understanding of the past. When students do not see their heritage and culture represented in images, the development of their historical understanding can be incomplete or fragmented. Historical understanding can be enhanced, however, when students “see themselves” in the primary sources presented to them.
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Jane Goodall and Social Studies: Children’s Literature and Questions to Explore Her Inspiring Life’s Work
This article focuses on children’s literature by and about Jane Goodall. Readers are provided with recommended titles; examples for how to address social studies skills and concepts using her biography; and compelling and supporting questions that can drive students to investigate her work. The associated pullout, by the same author, consists of a brief elementary-level biography, “The Inspiring Jane Goodall,” and follow-up activities and questions for further study.
OPEN ACCESS
Picture Books that Bring Arab Voices and Middle East and North African Culture to K-6 Classrooms
An annotated list of children's books that are high quality, unbiased, and non-stereotypical portrayals of Arabs. It is also a collection that brings the native voices of the MENA region to elementary readers
OPEN ACCESS
A Centennial Birthday Gift: Resources for Teaching and Celebrating Women’s Right to Vote
An overview of teaching materials provided by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission for the Nineteenth Amendment, including an online version of a giant mural created by British visual artist Helen Marshall and exhibited in Washington, DC, in 2020.
OPEN ACCESS
Teaching Difficult Knowledge of the Korean War through International Children’s Literature
This article posits that children’s literature can present difficult knowledge about wars in a child-friendly way. The author shares transnational children’s literature and a sample lesson to teach about the Korean War in a more critical and complete manner than is usually provided to students
