Learning about world religions (as opposed to teaching religious beliefs) as part of social studies can provide a space for students and teachers to have conversations about religious diversity in a respectful, balanced manner. In this article, the authors discuss reading stories and discussing religious diversity as a vehicle to open conversations about religion and diversity, and use the book Lailah’s Lunchbox to provide an example of content and questions teachers can use in their classroom. 

For a pre-kindergarten (preK) class, designing a 3-D map of a newly constructed playground offered authentic opportunities to participate, deliberate, and solve an authentic problem. Responding to the compelling question—“How do we build community spaces that are welcoming to, representative of, and sustaining for all community members?”—the class was able to reimagine the purpose of a neighborhood park with the help of scaffolded inquiry. Through active deliberation (e.g., voting what items to include in the park) and participation (e.g., surveying classmates and families about what they…

Even without in-person field trips, photographs stored online can stimulate enriching investigations of historic places.

The 2008 award winners describe racial barriers in sports and military institutions, the immigrant experience, and the stories of selected female blues and jazz singers.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, we collaborated with the 6th grade social studies teacher at the i3 Academy in Birmingham, Alabama to thematically teach African Americans’ struggles for civil rights. To accomplish this, we selected trade books to highlight key individuals and groups of people who influenced the fight for civil rights from Reconstruction through the 1960s. For this newsletter, we are highlighting a one-week project exploring the Birmingham Children’s Crusade. This one-week project used the picture book Let the Children March (Clark-Robinson & Morrison, 2018). For the…

Papers of Ulysses S. Grant Now Online  In October 2017, The Library of Congress put the papers of Ulysses S. Grant online for the first time in their original format at https://www.loc.gov/collections/ulysses-s-grant-papers/about-this-colle…. The Library holds a treasure trove of documents from the Civil War commander and 18th president of the United States, including personal correspondence, “headquarters records” created during the Civil War and the original handwritten manuscript of Grant’s memoir— regarded as one of the best in history—among other items. The collection totals…

Picture books are a great way for students to investigate diverse perspectives in history and build literacy skills. Join us for practical ideas about using inquiry, critical thinking, and diverse books in your classroom. With special guest Melissa Marks (Professor of Education, University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg) All Times Eastern Join NCSS and inquirED to explore how building background knowledge through social studies improves literacy outcomes and gives students the deep understanding they need to participate in civic life. Building Background Knowledge: Literacy, Democracy…