The authors argue that the narrowing of the K-12 curriculum in the past twenty years has changed the relationship between K-12 schoolteachers and the community. Using an ecological perspective as the theoretical lens, the article describes these changes as well as an effort by an economic development organization in Indiana to help rebuild those…

Social studies promotes civic competence by equipping students with the knowledge, values, beliefs, attitudes, and skills needed in a democratic society (Allen & Stevens, 1998; National Council for the Social Studies [NCSS], 1994). However, the multidisciplinary characteristics of civic issues entail an integrated curriculum covering different…

This practical resource emphasizes the special contribution that visual art, drama, music, and dance can make to student literacy and understanding of content-area reading assignments. Focusing on those areas where students tend to struggle, this book helps K-5 teachers provide an age-appropriate curriculum that is accessible to an increasingly…

Federal law requires that, at a minimum, states assess high school students at least once in English language arts/literacy (ELA), mathematics, and science; these results are used for school accountability. With states' recent transitions to new assessments and accountability systems, Achieve wanted to know more about how these varied assessments,…

Within the field of critical education studies, scholars argue that social studies curriculum should address colonialism. This article presents a single case study of an eighth grade social studies teacher, and how vestiges of colonialism were evident in his classroom. While class lessons and discussions offered opportunities to engage and…

Globally-minded teachers often beget globally-minded students. The same relationship seems to hold true for multiculturalism; teachers who are committed to multiculturalism often nudge students toward the same commitment. Global citizenship and multicultural education share a strong bond. Yet, in the field of social studies teacher preparation,…

The value of the liberal arts and humanities has increasingly been called into question on multiple fronts. Attempts to bridge the practical and liberal arts through forms of civic professionalism have been gaining traction in larger spheres of influence. This article outlines the results of a deliberative civic engagement forum (n = 42) that…

Museum field trips can be effective learning experiences for students, both in terms of connecting social studies content to museum discoveries and in equipping students to put life and academic skills into practice. At a museum, students can test their ability to think critically, use evidence to support claims, and partake in self-directed…

Social studies teachers are asked to do the seemingly impossible: cover a broad array of content during the school year while also instilling critical reading and writing skills and developing a broadly defined civic identity. How can they effectively prepare to meet these ambitious goals? In this guide, I argue for the place of personalized…

This paper offers the philosophy for children Hawai'i (p4cHI) approach to deliberative pedagogy as a promising practice for colleges of education that are looking to provide pre-service social studies teachers with strategies for employing a deliberative pedagogy in the K-12 setting. A brief overview of the history of p4cHI and the connection…

Research Findings: A social validity measure was used to examine 56 bilingual preschool teachers' perceptions and acceptability of an interactive shared book reading vocabulary intervention implemented in English with Spanish-speaking preschool children (N = 334) in a dual language program model. Social validity outcomes indicated that bilingual…

Literature in this field of English language learners (ELLs) in US public schools indicates that the needs of these adolescent ELLs are not being met due to a lack of language support and inaccessibility to content. This research examined the enactment of a curriculum with preservice teachers designed to address the specific needs of adolescent…

The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes in which problems were encountered in terms of achievement and reveal these problems experienced in social studies instruction based on elementary school teachers' views. The study was designed in accordance with the mixed research method. A questionnaire was firstly administered to the…

Because race is treated as a controversial issue within K-12 social studies classrooms, teachers report avoiding the topic. Some consider it too sensitive or complex for their students; others don't want to say the wrong thing; still others fear being labeled a "racist." The authors argue that one of the reasons why social studies…

Classroom discussion and deliberation have been widely touted in the research literature as a centerpiece of high quality civic education. Empirical studies, however, of such processes are relatively few. In a public policy deliberation on immigration conducted in three Midwestern high schools during the academic year 2015-16, the authors found…