This article describes the month-long social studies unit on mindfulness that the kindergarten teacher co-taught in her classroom with Sarah, an elementary social studies professor, and Maya, then a teacher candidate. After exploring the intersections between mindfulness and social studies education, examples of activities and resources from the…

Social studies instruction in upper elementary school (Grades 3-5) is important for building foundational content knowledge to equip students for the secondary school curriculum. Due to numerous school initiatives and demands on the time of teachers, social studies instruction can play second fiddle to reading and mathematics instruction, which…

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;…

With the national push towards inclusion, more students with disabilities are being placed in general education settings. Furthermore, when placed, more students with disabilities are entering social studies classrooms than any other content area. Classroom teachers are being asked to "reach and teach" all students, often with little support.…

Offers a rationale for social studies and home economics teachers to collaborate to promote global awareness and citizenship. Identifies principles common to the two disciplines. Explains how teachers of the two subjects can work together to explore various aspects of a given issue. Includes a sample lesson plan. (SG)

Describes a geography lesson that computer and social studies teachers present together to teach elementary and secondary school students about computers and help them place the technology in a social context. (MBR)

Describes an approach used by the Wayland, Massachusetts, middle school to organizing students into instructional teams. Explains that each instructional team is organized into a "house" named after a significant individual around whom the curriculum and theme for field trips is designed. Highlights the Rachel Carson House activities of…

This report, using qualitative methodology, investigates the collaborative teaching and learning of a university educator and an elementary educator, and the learning of eight fifth graders from their social studies class. The report analyzes the extent to which these co-teachers implicitly modeled collaboration for the students and the ways in…

A bilingual education program for deaf children (ages 13-16) in American Sign Language (ASL) and English is described. Using a team-teaching approach, a deaf teacher taught social studies using ASL while a hearing teacher taught language arts using Signed English and speech. Follow-up activities are summarized and a teaching unit outlined. (VW)

Describes the development and implementation of interdisciplinary four world studies courses at Queens College (City University of New York). Discusses the planning process in which teaching teams from the social sciences and humanities developed course content and objectives. States that the courses were designed to be part of the undergraduate…

One of the most important functions of a teacher is to help students make important connections between the subject matters they study. Too often, the different curricular subjects, such as social studies, language arts, math, and science, are presented to students in a vacuum. Accordingly, many students leave school without ever noticing the…

Offers strategies for teaching eighth grade Georgia geography in accordance with the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum mandate of 1988. Describes the value of combining teachers from the earth sciences, mathematics, and language arts. Gives an example of team teaching at work, including student activities and answer key. (RW)

Contends that teaching multicultural courses in social studies often occurs without a complete understanding of the key concept of culture. Asserts that anthropology can provide this understanding because it is interdisciplinary and comparative. Provides four examples of anthropological models to guide multicultural education. (CFR)

Contends that the typical classroom environment is one in which the teacher has full ownership of the curriculum, the rules, student assessment, and other classroom attributes. Recommends student involvement in choosing appropriate curriculum and assessment approaches. (CFR)

Discusses a revised secondary social studies methods course for college students based on a teaching exchange between public school teachers and professional educators. Describes areas covered such as teaching strategies, boundaries of the disciplines, international perspective, cooperative learning, research-based strategies, and critical…