Discussions about immigration and refugee resettlement can be challenging to navigate. America's immigration system is highly complex, and confusion about who is allowed to enter the United States, and how, can lead to the spread of misinformation. It is also a highly salient topic that students are likely to encounter frequently in their daily…

Many U.S. politicians have criticized the trade relations between the United States and countries like Canada, Mexico, and China. They argue that more is imported into the United States from these countries than is exported to these countries from the United States. Political action is needed, they claim. This article is designed to help educators…

Reflecting on the mediascape since the 2016 elections, it's tempting to think that "fake news" is strictly a twenty-first century phenomenon--designed by webmasters as clickbait for shadowy networks seeking power and profit. This article will explore some ways in which teachers can use the analytical tools of news literacy to unearth the…

This article provides a contemporary look at Black history and discusses Black history mandates. The author provides insight into the purpose of this special issue. The article discusses how this special issue on teaching Black history serves several purposes: (1) providing lesson plans and recommended resources for teachers; (2) combining theory…

If there is one thing that teenagers like to talk about when it comes to the law, it's who does and does not have the right to search their "stuff." And in the world of "stuff," there is nothing more important to average American teenagers than their cell phones. So when, in the waning days of its 2013-2014 term, the U.S.…

This lesson prompts students to explore the ways that individuals, groups, communities, and nations define who belongs and who does not. The outlined activities examine what it means to belong by introducing the idea of a "universe of obligation," the term sociologist Helen Fein coined to describe the circle of individuals and groups…

The Industrial Revolution is the subject of one of the high school inquiries of the New York State Toolkit. Social Education presents the following excerpts from the inquiry as an example of a typical Toolkit lesson. The supporting questions include: (1) Where did people move to and from during the Industrial Revolution?; (2) How did daily life…

Technological innovations and inventions are changing society and world culture so fast that it's often difficult to keep up. This article provides many web sites that will provide classroom teachers or even full social studies departments with information and lesson plans to integrate the importance of inventions and technology into their…

Introducing students to continental currency may well encourage their interest in the economic context of the Constitution and their understanding of a wide range of economic concepts. This brief article describes a lesson to familiarize students with continental currency and its relationship to Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution and the…

One of the most persistent and controversial issues facing the global community is climate change. With the creation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the global community established some common ground on how to address this issue. However, the last several climate summits have failed…

2015 marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. For Americans, this iconic document is a formative element of our own legal and political heritage. This "Lessons on the Law" column offers an overview of the "Great Charter," why it is significant, and what students and teachers should know about it. The article also highlights…

Social studies teachers have the principal responsibility for developing competent citizens who can reason together about the challenges of democratic life. Always complicated, informed reflective citizenship is even more difficult in an age of exploding information, often from sources whose credibility has not been subject to editorial review.…

Every iconic document owes a debt to a document that came before it, just as its creators were influenced by the thinkers and writers who came before them. The Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights were revolutionary works, and have become powerful symbols of democracy worldwide. Behind them stands an even older…

Amador Valley High School, in Pleasanton, California, uses two unique approaches to teaching Advanced Placement Government and Politics. AP Government consists of six units: Constitutional Underpinnings; Political Behavior and Political Beliefs; Mass Media, Interest Groups, and Political Parties; Institutions of Government; Civil Liberties and…

In the era of smartphones and 24-hour news networks, the State of the Union address is a major event. All national media outlets--in print, on television, on the Internet--report on the address, some almost exclusively in the days leading up to and after the speech. In this article, considering their experiences teaching about the address, and…