Two early childhood researchers from a local public university, have been visiting Mrs. Ball’s kindergarten classroom in a small, rural elementary school in the Midwest to read books and discuss characters’ identities. In this article, the authors share stories of how they laid the foundation for these conversations and others like it through intentional pedagogical considerations starting at the beginning of the school year.

In this article, the authors highlight four children’s picture books that can be used to discuss gender diversity with young children in social studies.

Pauli Murray was an activist, legal scholar, author, and she was also queer. Her impact on the civil rights and women’s rights movements cannot be overstated. The authors present the reader with the potential for elementary teachers to disrupt and “unmute” curricular silencing by shifting focus to Pauli Murray’s story and work in the civil rights movement.  In this C3 inquiry, students explore ways Pauli “pushed for the promise” of America, revealing a more diverse citizenry within the social studies curriculum.

Why You Must Advocate for Social Studies Advocacy is the lifeblood of political change. It consists of purposeful efforts to change policies that already exist or are proposed. As a social studies educator or professional you are in a unique position to advocate for social studies. You have the best understanding of social studies and its importance for developing students on their path towards college, career, and civic life. Collectively, you and your colleagues are empowered to communicate with local legislators and congressional leaders throughout the United States. Guiding Questions…

The below Advocacy Toolkit is an educational resource and planning tool of the National Council for the Social Studies created and developed for non-profit educational and research purposes with the objective of advocating for social studies education. The Toolkit can be freely used for these non-profit purposes. The Toolkit includes links to materials that may be copyrighted, and the Toolkit makes fair use of these materials for educational purposes. Those who wish to use any of these materials for purposes that go beyond fair use should obtain permission from the copyright ownerWant…