Looking at the effects of globalization from numerous perspectives: economic, spatial, cultural, and environmental, it has become abundantly clear that today's students must possess geographic knowledge and associated skills to be prepared for civic life and informed decision-making. However, the current state of geographic proficiency among U.S.…

When the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) program releases its reports on student achievement in various subjects, the data are added to the NAEP Data Explorer (NDE) website. The NDE has been shown to support reflective educational practices in the social studies. Working with assessment data can stimulate ideas for how teachers…

This article contains a representative listing of fictional children's literature titles, which relate to selected geographic concepts. Texts in the picture books were examined based on their geographical concepts. Within the scope of the research, 82 picture storybooks selected through the criterion sampling method were analyzed via content…

Elementary social studies resources have faced criticism for well over 30 years. Text that is too complex (Beck et al., 1989; Beck & McKeown, 1991), contains questionable content (Chu, 2017; Wade, 2012), and is boring to students (Kelley, 2021; Schug, 1982) and teachers (Zhao & Hoge, 2010). More recent studies have found that teachers are…

This study introduces a learning activity that was designed based on two student-centered approaches to education: inquiry-based learning and multi-disciplinary education. Twenty-four second grade students participated in the study. The activity integrates geography, English, and technology and offers students opportunities for inquiry-based…

This article explores the intricate connections between identity and place in early childhood education with refugee and immigrant children and their families, by focusing on the work of five early childhood settings. The article foregrounds the development of an online resource, that provides illustrative examples from the early childhood…

This paper focuses on the reflection on the relationship between values and methodological principles of Outdoor Education and spatial and geographical education perspectives, especially in pre-school and primary school, which relates to the age between 3 and 10 years. Outdoor Education is an educational practice that is already rooted in the…

For early childhood educators, social studies help young children learn what it means to be contributing, productive members of their family, as well as of their classroom, school, neighborhood, community, and the world. In PreK-grade 3 classrooms, children learn about rules--at home, in school, and in the community. While the need for social…

This Education Sector Analysis is conducted in the context of potential stability resulting in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan; and the unforeseen impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis evaluates both the accomplishments and the challenges within the education sector in South Sudan,…

A typical social studies lesson for elementary students often includes the memorization of facts and dates, but lacks the inquiry-based instruction that could promote purposeful engagement with historical sources. In this social studies learning experience, framed in the tenets of transcaring and the C3 Framework, students actively and…

The primary role of NTC (Nikola Tesla Center) is to use new discoveries in the field of neurology in classrooms and in everyday life. This learning program consists of various activities and games for children. This experimental research was carried out in one government primary school in Canakkale, Turkey. 27 students from the third grade (17…

Despite the strong relationship between geography and education policy, educational research tends to draw from other fields of inquiry such as economics, political science, and history. This special topics collection centers the usefulness of geography and place in educational policy research. The introduction explains the rationale for the…

What parent doesn't hope to give their children "the world," and at the earliest possible age start their journey in becoming responsible global citizens? Through play, children as young as 3 years old can assume active roles in learning important cultural-historical concepts. At home, parents can provide cultural information and…

Before the words are spoken, a bright light shines from the eyes of second grade teacher Mr. Aguilar. "I do not teach poetry," he says, "poetic language is everywhere. It is a kind of movement, a wind." While poetry is typically characterized by its flexible form and accessibility, for Mr. Aguilar, now in his tenth year of…

In this article, Kathryn Roberts & Kristy Brugar discuss their assessment of third-, fourth- and fifth-grade children's understandings of the types of maps commonly found in their social studies text and trade books, and the knowledge and misconceptions it revealed. They then discuss how teachers might begin to address those issues with…