Social Studies Research and Practice: Volume 7 Issue 2

A Gender Analysis of NCSS Notable Trade Books for the Intermediate Grades

Kay A. Chick, Stacey Corle

This study provides a gender analysis of National Council for the Social Studies Notable Trade book selections suitable for the intermediate grades from the years 2006-2008. The…

Teacher Candidate Attitude Changes After Experiencing an Arts-Integrated Unit on Africa

Audrey C. Rule, Sarah E. Montgomery, Denise A. Tallakson, Mary K. Stichter, Allison Barness, Katie M. Decker

This study of 65 elementary school teacher candidates enrolled in social studies methods classes examined attitudes toward currently contentious curriculum issues before and after…

Thinking Beyond Field Trips: An Analysis of Museums and Social Studies Learners

Kristy A. Brugar

This study describes and explains the ways in which three urban cultural institutions/museums provide opportunities to students for learning in the social studies. Through…

Ways of Being a Social Studies Teacher: What are Prospective Teachers Thinking?

Alicia R. Crowe, Todd S. Hawley, Elizabeth W. Brooks

In this study we explored prospective social studies teachers’ memories of their middle and high school social studies teachers. Our goal was to determine what lessons, if any…

In Defense of the Social Studies: Social Studies Programs in STEM Education

Brad M. Maguth

Understanding social studies programs at science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) schools is becoming increasingly important as the number of STEM schools grows…

Original Political Cartoon Methodology and Adaptations

J. H. Bickford III

This paper is grounded on the premise that effective educators base lessons on rich and intriguing content which is relevant to students’ lives, implement the content using…

Artful Rights: Using Images to Teach the First Amendment

Karon N. LeCompte, Michelle Bauml

We present an instructional strategy in which children utilize critical thinking skills to interpret images related to social studies concepts. To illustrate, we focus on teaching…

“If We Were Truly Brave…” Dueling in Digital Spaces

Mark Pearcy, Michael Dotson

“Affairs of honor,” which were contests between gentlemen of the 18th and 19th centuries, often ended with physical violence in the form of dueling. Such was the case in the…

NCSS Notable Trade Book Lesson Plan Our Grandparents: A Global Album written by Maya Ajmera, Sheila Kindade, and Cynthia Pon With a forward by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Cynthia Szymanski Sunal, Dennis W. Sunal

This multi-day lesson involves pre-kindergarten - grade 3 students in exploring the similarities found in grandchild-grandparent relationships across the world’s cultures. It…

Notable Trade Book Lesson Plan Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down Written by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Lara Willox

Steel Town By Jonah Winter

Jill M. Gradwell, Jonathan Amidon, Danielle LaJudice, Mary Westlake-Douds

This lesson uses Steel Town to explore the making of steel and life in a steel mill town during the Great Depression. Moving through four centers, students explore resources such…