The recent uproar over a Colorado school board’s efforts to infuse the AP U.S. History framework with ideologically motivated revisions highlights the importance of keeping inquiry as the focus of the history classroom.

The recent Supreme Court term was marked by historic rulings, and the upcoming term also promises to address many contentious cases.

After the British torched the Capitol and its library in 1814, Congress purchased Thomas Jefferson’s renowned book collection. The featured letter by Jefferson, written at the conclusion of the transfer, can serve as an introduction to the global context of the War of 1812.

When students took on the role of junior detectives using an augmented reality application, they gained a close up look at the impact of segregated schooling in their own Virginia community.

In the article “Inspiring Americans: Creating a Community of Engaged Citizens” (pp. 12–16), the authors suggest that children can study biographies of less-known citizens that are diverse in many ways. In this Pullout, we offer an extension activity that brings the topic close to home and school.

Teachers across the nation and world are experimenting with inquiry-driven pedagogy like Project Based Learning to improve student learning. Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. PBL is an effective and enjoyable way to learn and allows deeper content and skill development that is needed for success in college, career and civic life.

The study of famous Americans has been a long-accepted approach in teaching elementary students about the history of the United States. The first grade unit we describe here, Inspiring Americans, supports the four dimensions of the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework,

Pre-service teachers in a social studies methods course designed to address issues of inequity and privilege, engaged elementary students in a ten-week inquiry project. Based on this project, this article shares insights about the processes involved in enacting justice-focused pedagogy.