Africa is the cradle of civilization, yet its rich history and culture is undertaught--especially in elementary P-5 classrooms. In this article, we share Adinkra symbols from West Africa which can be used for interdisciplinary instruction and classroom management. We offer Adinkra symbols as an organizing theme for teaching in the spirit of not…

World history curriculum continues to be plagued by Eurocentric narratives and perspectives eliminating local and community agency in Caribbean history. Textbooks and curriculum standards exclude much of Caribbean history and marginalize the influence and contributions of the African Diaspora. Oftentimes, Caribbean achievements are attributed to…

This article describes the design of a social studies unit about the Johnstown Flood of 1889 with a particular emphasis on how specific unit resources engaged middle school students in learning about the geographical and historical context of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. We also report on how the resources supported the teaching and learning of the…

As the Latin@ population continues to grow in the United States, it is imperative that social studies teachers are aware of the rich history and sociocultural complexities of Latin@ identity. In particular, there is a large population of Latin@s of African descent throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America. However, Afro-Latin@s…

This article presents detailed instructional plans for a two-day, high school-level lesson on wealth distribution in society. The terms "income" and "wealth" are defined and compared, and the significance of studying wealth is discussed. Resources for the lesson are identified, and a pedagogical mode is outlined in relation to…

In this article, the author investigates the controversial curricular and instructional aspects of teaching about Islam in social studies courses. Specifically, the author discusses pedagogically sound approaches to teaching about "jihad" and "Shari'ah" law, two of the most important and controversial concepts in Islam that often generate intense…

Collecting, utilizing, and displaying old or antique items will give elementary children some firsthand experience of how people in the past lived, what they worked with, and the progress of their industrial development. Using brainstorming, interviews with senior citizens, resource people, and classroom demonstrations are suggested techniques.…

Describes procedures for bringing persons of other cultures into the classroom. Teacher, student, and cultural informant responsibilities are listed and a diagram of a model for a successful intercultural experience is provided. (KC)

A conceptual approach for teaching conservation so that it relates directly to the pressing resource issues confronting our modern urban-industrial society. (MB)

A social studies unit on the Depression years is outlined to illustrate the importance of human resources in education. Oral history gathered by students gives relevance to study of the past and establishes cultural continuity. This approach to learning is suggested for study of other historical periods. (SM)

A time capsule, a sketch of events during the pre-Revolutionary War period of 1771-1776, a list of leading characters and a bibliography are offered as the basis for a re-enactment, role playing, simulation, and in-depth studies. (KM)

The potential value of historical archaeology for reconstructing the social history of the United States is outlined and the usefulness and practicality of archaeology as a teaching method is stressed. (JB)