This lesson describes a geohistorical unit in which the students demonstrate their understanding of significant events in American history. The purpose of the lesson is for students to understand that the rapid population growth of the United States was made possible by the removal of Native Americans. In the first part of the lesson, students use…

The objects that represent our material culture--street signs, mascots, symbols etched into stone or printed on stationery--are silent bearers of history: the past tattooed on the present. The meanings given to those objects may change from one social or culture group to another. One seemingly innocent and overlooked example in this vein is the…

The authors have had numerous opportunities to work with elementary teachers and students, but few of those experiences have been as rewarding as the We Are Wyoming project. During the 2014-2015 school year, they traveled to thirty-six fourth-grade classrooms all over the state teaching the We Are Wyoming project. The unit was a two-day integrated…

This article describes a lesson plan that encouraged the usage of digital tools to enhance inquiry as a key tool in teaching elementary social studies. The lesson revolved around a field trip to the home of Civil War Governor Oliver P. Morton (Centerville, Indiana). The active, investigative, and questioning nature of inquiry in social studies…