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.

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…

Teaching About the U.S. Capitol Siege the Day After it HappenedSamantha Mandeville Teaching the Civil War in 2020–21Deirdre O’Connor Epidemics and Pandemics as Social Phenomena: Pivotal Moments in History that Altered SocietyEric B. Claravall

Are discussions about Black Lives Matters making their way into your classroom? Do you want to bring up topics in the news like immigration, COVID-19, and the 2020 election, but are not sure how? Between overheard conversations and social media feeds, young people are regularly exposed to news featuring controversial issues that involve bias, hate, and social justice. They want to be part of the conversation and we should encourage their engagement. Are you concerned that these discussions will backfire and deteriorate into arguments, discord, and less understanding? Anti Defamation League’s…

  Guest Editors: Ben A. Smith and J. Jesse Palmer A History of NCSS: 75 Years of Service Development of a written history of National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) began in 1992 with an examination of NCSS archival materials held in the Milbank Memorial Library, Special Collections, at Teachers College, Columbia University. We want to thank David M. Ment, Head of Special Collections, and Bette Weneck, Manuscript Curator, both with the Milbank Library, for their valuable help during this project.We also wish to thank those responsible for the collection of audio tapes held by Texas…

A look back at former President Trump’s tremendous control over the work of experts and independent agencies can launch an engaging constitutional lesson about Article Two of the Constitution and executive power. 

Students who studied events such as Louisiana’s 1873 Colfax Massacre, North Carolina’s 1898 Wilmington coup, and Florida’s 1920 Ocoee Massacre were well prepared for interpreting events like the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The time is now to advocate for social studies because our democracy depends on it. The NCSS Advocacy Toolkit offers the guidance and tactics to do just that. 

Letter regarding Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? from the October 2020 issue and responses by the article's authors.