In this article, the authors examine one approach to teaching hard history using an Inquiry Design Model (IDM) curricular loop. A curricular loop allows students to build a deeper understanding of a complex idea and develop a greater facility with the tools of inquiry over a course of study by regularly engaging in an inquiry. The curricular loop…

Shifting to an inquiry-based practice can be challenging. How should teachers get started? How many times should teachers plan for inquiry? What do teachers do when students struggle with inquiry? How long does it take for students to buy in to the inquiry process? These kinds of questions, and the concerns that underlie them, can create an…

This article examines three examples of inquiry-based curricular loops, each of which focuses on a particular social studies concept. The article begins with a civics teacher (Andrew Danner) who uses a series of structured inquiries highlighting the concept of power as it relates to the three branches of government and the role of citizens in a…

When projects are the spine of a course, they are systematically sequenced one after the other, and they do the heavy lifting of the course. They teach its core content and skills. The author has been testing this model of course design for several years, aiming for experiential learning that is tied to deep rather than superficial learning of…

When the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards project began, there really was nowhere else to go but up. The project was up against great odds--a dearth of funding, a history of incivility amongst the disciplines within social studies, a knack for ending up in media battles over what should be taught in…

The building of historical thinking skills has historically been a lonely endeavor for AP U.S. history teachers. Many often generate their own pedagogy, perhaps modified from an AP workshop or generally gleaned from released exam essay questions. However, as currently scheduled, in 2014, the AP U.S. history exam will undergo a redesign that will…

In this article, the author talks about the updated National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards that are directed toward those meaningful units and engaging lessons. The revised standards set guiding questions and provide strategies and "Snapshots of Practice" which can be used to combine extensive use of content with suggestions for…

Going back to the late 1800s, this article characterizes the various attempts which have been made to establish a social studies scope and sequence for public schools in the United States. The article concludes by listing six categories of individuals who will continue to try to change the prevailing scope and sequence model. (JDH)

Items representing the conceptual and theoretical basis of MACOS and applied studies in the classroom offer a representative sample of accessible materials. (Author/KM)

An ad hoc committee of National Council for the Social Studies members conducted a study to determine significant content for social studies education and the grade levels in which it should be taught. The findings are listed by subject matter, concepts, and grade level. (AM)

This article provides a brief history of the development of the 1984 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) scope and sequence document and introduces the series of articles in this issue. (JDH)

MACOS illustrates the rationale and operations of the new social studies by emphasizing the processes of learning and by the social interactive nature of learning experiences. (Author)

What the National Council for the Social Studies'"Social Studies Scope and Sequence" needs to be effective is discussed. A conceptual structure based on the idea of human system is needed if students are to process all the information included in the scope and sequence. (RM)

Teachers who have tried problem-based historical inquiry have often found its demands overwhelming. Both teachers and students need a support structure to assist them with the inquiry process. The Persistent Issues in History (PIH) Network seeks to nurture and support a national community of teachers who engage their students in problem-based…

Developments of alternative schools are reviwed, emphasizing differences in five types of public school options and the similarities of these types in respect to their social education programs. (Author/KM)