The disappointing results of the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Civics and U.S. History have further fueled the call for consistent, high-quality social studies instruction. The response by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) highlighted the imperative for early grades, claiming "the lack of a solid…

The power of democracy is its adaptability to a changing world. We can envision and work toward a society that is more just than the present. History education is more relevant now than ever. We offer ideas and strategies that can transform the history classroom into a space for understanding the past with the explicit purpose of learning from the…

In the elementary years, social studies is an essential subject, critical to young learners' academic success and well-being. The success of our democracy depends on equitable access to this vital learning for all students. Social studies must be taught in every classroom starting in PreK so learners can develop into civically knowledgeable,…

Embracing the call to reimagine education, the authors discuss "restorying"--a speculative form of storytelling--to advance insurgent pedagogies and LGBTQ+ wisdom within social studies education, particularly within anti-LGBTQ+ elementary contexts. In this article, the authors first define "restorying" and detail how it…

In this piece, the author outlines ways in which elementary educators can integrate local history across the curriculum and engage elementary students. She argues that this approach is a powerful opportunity to engage students' interests and excitement. Exploration into local history is an instructional experience that demands a variety of…

Inquiry is the essence of social studies, and inquiry "looping" in social studies curricula means offering students opportunities to engage in inquiry in regular intervals and in a coherent fashion within and across grade levels. This can benefit the youngest students since they are filled with hope and want to make a difference in the…

In this article, the authors share how a third-grade teacher supported students in crafting and researching their own inquiry questions using a process known as the Question Formulation Technique to scaffold students' development of supporting questions. Hughes and Heckart provide the reader with suggestions and resources for supporting…

In this article, the authors look beyond focusing primarily on Martin Luther King Jr. to Bayard Rustin, his work in the civil rights movement, his friendship with MLK, and his legacy. Kindergarten curriculum withholds stories of LGBTQ+ individuals, often justified with statements like "it isn't developmentally appropriate" or…

In a highly technological society, teachers need to help students grow as technoskeptical citizens who can think deeply about technologies to consider their collateral, unintended, and disproportionate effects on society. This article presents a technoskeptical Inquiry Design Model (IDM) lesson where upper elementary students critically inquire…

In this article, the author examines how the New York State Social Studies Resource Toolkit supports argument discourse in social studies and then explores a primary teacher's curricular and instructional decisions regarding the development of children's argumentation skills. The study provides insights into how teachers can involve some of our…

In this piece, the authors unpack a heuristic developed by the Great First Eight curriculum for helping young children to recognize and act on injustice. First, they explain the rationale behind the heuristic, known as ReAD, and the inspiration behind its creation. They then detail a series of seven practical principles that can help to…

When teaching the Civil Rights Movement in elementary classrooms, heroic figures such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. tend to dominate the curricular landscape. While it is essential for students to learn about their contributions and struggles, it is equally important to frame the broader injustices they were combating. In this article,…

The authors argue that with the continued marginalization of social studies in the elementary classroom, integration has become a popular and effective method for the inclusion of social studies content in the daily curriculum. Using controversial issues, they highlight a model for this integration with a focus on children's literature.

In an effort to establish and expand abilities related to perspective, three elementary education professors collaborated with a trio of local fifth-grade teachers to develop and teach a lesson on the topic. In this article, the authors begin with the description and sequencing of the lesson, continue with an explanation of book categories and…

There are notable historical figures commonly taught in social studies curriculums across the country, often without much controversy. Because they are seen as "elemental" to many World and U.S. histories, they mostly remain in standardized curriculum while recent censorship of content concerning race, gender, and sexuality has…