Approaching the encounter between Europe and the Americas as an intellectual rather than a physical discovery enables students to go beyond memorization to gain an understanding of Medieval and Renaissance ways of acquiring knowledge.

South Dakota’s teachers will face difficult challenges of implementation, pedagogy, and content when their state’s new, politically influenced, social studies standards go into effect in 2024. 

These four documentary films can engage students in historical thinking, expand their capacity for empathy, and hone discussion and writing skills.

Inviting students to examine upcoming Supreme Court cases that consider a citizen’s right to own private property can springboard into an engaging lesson on the Fifth Amendment and the rule of law.  

The strategies in this article can help students recognize and analyze the wide array of effects that technologies have on our society.

The 50th anniversary of Earth Day offers an excellent opportunity for teaching about environmental legislation and fostering action-oriented engagement in climate issues.

When teachers incorporate writing regularly in the social studies classroom, students not only become better prepared for reading and writing assessments, but gain a deeper comprehension of social studies content.

Blurring the boundaries between disciplines can yield notable results, as was demonstrated when an eighth-grade class approached history through literary activities.

—Lauren RobinsonThousands of federal workers play key roles in safeguarding our nation’s security. Yet, when some of those workers speak up about government errors or corruption, the consequences they suffer can be dire. 318

—Phillip J. VanFossen and Lisa C. Herman-EllisonStudents tend to be more engaged while working on web-based lessons than worksheets or textbooks. Websites such as EconEdLink can help teachers advance economic education.156