Category: Social Studies

Why We Need to Invite Politics into Classrooms

It’s daunting to invite politics into the classroom. But when we do it right, students can learn to engage meaningfully with people who see the world very differently. Kent Lenci has tips to help the conversations thrive, including developing media literacy and supporting SEL.

Community Service in Social Studies Class

Jennifer Ingold believes the best way to engage her students in American history is by showing them how much they can learn about their past and future from exploring their own community. Learn about her methods, check out her slides and read about several student projects.

Was Helen Keller Real? Engaging Kids in History

Helen Keller was real, despite what some TikTok’ers posted in 2021. Help history students uncover and affirm actual history using gaming techniques to spur engagement. Rochelle Melander shares how she has tweaked research to include questing with allies, power-ups and more.

When Elections Bring Controversy to Class

How might you bring the 2020 presidential election into your fall classes? Learn how Emily DeRiso transformed her 4th grade social studies curriculum into a successful election immersion experience in 2016, setting clear boundaries in support of participatory democracy.