Developing disciplinary literacy is an emerging priority for secondary teachers as they prepare students for college, career, and civic life. One way to develop and assess disciplinary literacy in history is through source-based argument writing (SBAW) with multiple sources. SBAW requires students to synthesize information across texts and use…

This qualitative case study explored an eighth-grade social studies classroom where the teacher uses StudyCasts as an instructional strategy with his students. Teacher-led StudyCasts were utilized as a way for his students to remember content for upcoming tests. Additionally, his students created their own StudyCasts in the classroom to review…

This article draws on current research in the areas of storytelling and social studies to present a practical, culturally responsive storytelling model for Grades 7-9 social studies teachers to use to better engage English Language Learners (ELLs). Integrating the proven effectiveness of storytelling from a scientific and social perspective, with…

Dominant approaches to teaching social studies often marginalize bilingual and bicultural students. This is particularly troubling because the explicit goal of the social studies is to cultivate civic participation. Educational inequalities are thus tied to political inequalities. In light of this, this article shares a narrative case study of the…

The purpose of this qualitative, single case study is to investigate how teacher-created curricula addresses key Native American events in early U.S. history and to determine if such curricula provided students with accurate representations of Native American content. To do this, we used discourse analysis to consider the meanings of words and…

In response to the widening academic achievement gap between Native American students and other students in the United States, a culturally responsive approach was used in a Native American social studies class with positive results. Eighth-grade Oglala Lakota students in an American History classroom experienced a unit infused with lessons that…

This case study investigated how two 8th-grade teachers planned for, delivered, and reflected on their teaching of the 2016 Presidential Election. Data sources included classroom observations, teacher interviews, and lesson plans. Despite integrating student-centered lessons about the election with social and political events in US History from…

The purpose of this article is to empower those interested in teaching students powerful and engaging social studies. Through the lens of Supreme Court simulations, this article provides educators with a viable, classroom-tested lesson plan to bring Problem-Based Learning into their classrooms. The specific aim of the lesson is to provide students…

The author analyzes pedagogical exercises related to Native Americans in thirteen U.S. history textbooks currently used in grades three, four, five, eight, and eleven. The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which U.S. history textbooks offer, or fail to offer, opportunities for students to engage in and develop higher-order…

The central focus of social studies education is to help develop effective citizens in a democratic society, and one of the components of effective citizenship is the development of critical thinking skills (Mallen 2005; National Council for the Social Studies 1991; Parker 1999). One aspect of critical thinking is the ability to look at…

The author describes teaching eighth-grade students about the civil rights movement. Teachers used photographs of students in the 1950s as a central theme of their unit about the U.S. civil rights movement. Using these photographs as a learning tool inspired the students to be engaged in history. At the end of the unit, students were able to…

Described is a unit of study entitled "Where Would I Like To Live?" that develops student insight into geographic relationships among the physical, cultural, and imaginary worlds. It is intended for use in an eighth-grade world geography course. (RM)

One way to stimulate student interest in world geography is to use a future time as a springboard to the past. This approach looks backwards and focuses upon available evidence for the existence of recently discovered lands. A unit is described. (RM)

Discusses "Project Business," a middle school program designed by Junior Achievement. Explains that in the program a business consultant comes to the school one period a week to speak to students. Describes learning activities that include field trips, economic games, job interview demonstrations, and an essay contest. (DK)

Describes a seventh and eighth grade social studies unit on the Civil War that incorporates language arts. The unit addresses the four levels of perspective development. Aims to provide students with a better understanding of the Civil War and develop students' personal perspectives. (CMK)