This book uses the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, as a touchstone for the importance and value of including place-based education in the social studies curriculum. Whitlock scrutinizes this local environmental issue to not only drive critical inquiry in the classroom, but also to show how the curriculum can propel valuable social change in the…

New research points to the future of education as online, student-centered, collaborative, and community-based--all largely absent from today's educational landscape. This timely guide shows middle, high school, and college students how to undertake research to address challenges in their curriculum and communities. The approach is deliberately…

In "History and Imagination," elementary school social studies teachers will learn how to help their students break down the walls of their schools, more personally engage with history, and define democratic citizenship. By collaborating together in meaningful investigations into the past and reenacting history, students will become…

The recently-released "College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards" proposes an "inquiry arc" organized around developing questions and planning inquiries, applying disciplinary concepts and tools, evaluating sources and using evidence, and communicating conclusions and taking informed…

Every teacher knows the challenge of trying to engage reluctant readers and struggling writers--students whose typical response to a writing prompt is a few sentence fragments scribbled on a sheet of paper followed by an elaborate shrug of the shoulders. The best way to engage less confident readers and writers is to give them something powerful…

The Belize Education Project seeks to empower Belizean children and teachers by providing professional development for teachers, and books, school supplies and scholarships for students. According to the authors, involving their U.S. students not only helps sustain the initiative, it allows their students to make lasting connections with teachers…

Creating a story quilt is a powerful and alternative way for students to demonstrate understanding of social studies content. This article describes the use of story quilts in elementary school classrooms at three different grade levels (1st, 3rd, and 5th). In each unit of study, the teacher devoted, on average, three to four weeks to guiding…

This volume will be a valuable resource to instructors who teach in the fields of teacher education, social studies, educational leadership, social work, social, cultural and philosophical foundations of education, sociology, political science, and global studies as well as their students. Due to the volume's international focus, the authors also…

Poverty most likely will always be a concern in the United States, particularly in at-risk populations of the public schools. Many students in poverty enter public schools behind in academic and social skills due to a lack of quality early learning experiences. Regular education teachers work diligently to catch these children up in vital skills;…

This booklet presents a guide for primary students studying a community. Students are to become aware of the many aspects of their community which make it unique. A variety of educational experiences are included with ideas for group lessons, group projects, individual projects, learning centers, and worksheets. All activities are open-ended so…

This resource booklet is to assist agencies and schools in creating service-learning opportunities for youth to enhance and build upon the classroom education. The document includes sections on: (1) "Youth Serving Communities"; (2) "What is Service Learning?"; (3) "A Win-Win Opportunity"; (4) "Agency Concerns about Service Learning"; (5) "What…

This handbook is to assist agencies and schools in developing coalitions for Youth Engaged in Service, to build better citizens and healthier communities. Seven examples of the community building process are presented to demonstrate what others have tried. Highlighted communities include: (1) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; (2) New York, New York; (3)…

This handbook accompanies a videotape that shows teenagers stressing community involvement, motivation, and rewards of community action. The booklet is to assist agencies and schools in developing coalitions for youth engaged in community service, to help build better citizens and healthier communities. The booklet is divided into: (1)…

This handbook accompanies a videotape which shows teenagers stressing community involvement, motivation and the rewards of community action. The booklet is to assist agencies and schools in developing coalitions for youth engaged in community service, to help build better citizens and healthier communities. The booklet is divided into: (1)…

This handbook accompanies a videotape that shows teenagers stressing community involvement, motivation, and the rewards of community action. The booklet is to assist agencies and schools in developing coalitions for youth engaged in community service, to help build better citizens and healthier communities. The booklet is divided into: (1)…