What happens when three primary-grade teachers, whose schools are located in Tennessee, Texas, and Michigan, decide to teach a unit of instruction focusing upon the same cultural universal (the human need for shelter) at the same time? How do the teachers use the Internet to share with each other their geographically and socio-economically diverse…

Children living in a democratic society deserve rich and powerful citizenship lessons. These lessons are of particular importance for children of low socio-economic and culturally diverse backgrounds whose families may feel disenfranchised from citizenship participation because of their education levels, language capabilities or cultural…

As a teacher of fourth and fifth grade students, this author wanted to teach her students to assume the responsibility of civic activism for the public good, but found that students at this age do not always understand that they can make important civic contributions or that one child can make a difference. To illustrate these concepts and…

It is no secret that language arts and math are the dominant features of the elementary curriculum. This is especially the case in Kindergarten through third grades. In many states, the thrust of the curriculum in the primary grades is on learning to read. After that, it is thought that students will then be able to read to learn. With that…

Guiding students through a dramatic exploration of an historical event can elicit strong emotional reactions that can deepen student understanding and interest in the subject matter. This article describes an integrated third grade lesson plan that focuses on Henry Hudson's voyages in the early 1600s. The students take on the roles of Hudson's…

The combination of students, local history, researching, and problem-based learning creates a powerful opportunity for learning to all involved. This article provides one example of how an elementary teacher and a teacher educator have used local resources and problem-based learning to teach a fourth grade unit about human communities and the…

Providing options in perspective helps children understand that history and the social sciences are made up of many different sources and points of view. By incorporating multiple perspectives, teachers provide rich opportunities for children to think like historians, and to use their critical thinking skills in solving the puzzle of how history…

The population of American schools has continually become more diverse over time and so too have the needs of the students as well as the responsibilities of teachers. One must include in this multicultural amalgam those who have learning disabilities (LD). Arguably, nowhere else in society are disabilities so openly recognized and acknowledged as…

Most teachers and administrators have witnessed children using a derogatory reference to a group of people as a put down. Put downs usually reference non-mainstream groups who are different in ethnicity, gender, religion, ability, sexual orientation, class, or appearance. Hurtful name calling is but one example of how children express prejudiced…

Children are exposed to a wide variety of images related to New York City through various media outlets. They may have seen glimpses of Manhattan by watching movies such as Spiderman or Stuart Little or by taking in annual television events such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration. Additionally,…

Social studies is about preparing our children to be active participants in the social, economic and political worlds of adults in the future. It is also about making children aware that they can influence the choices that people around them make and that their current decisions have consequences too. Their responsiveness to issues that are…

For a generation, national legislation has moved "vigorously" to compel schools to place students with disabilities in the "least restrictive environment." For students with mild disabilities, this placement usually means including them in general education classrooms and teaching them according to the general curriculum. Over the same period,…

If one were to search for classroom strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs), it would not take much time to find many different types of activities that are all useful with ELLs. Additionally, if one were to search for social studies strategies to use with native English speakers, he or she would have little difficulty in finding a variety…

Character education has been a hot topic in the past decade in American public schools. Although many states and schools have initiated character education programs, politicians, educators, social workers, and the public are still arguing whether character education should be conducted in schools and how it should be conducted. China, as a country…

Social studies, particularly in the elementary grades, has been pushed to the back burner in schools. Time is the biggest nemesis. Increased attention to math and language arts under the federal No Child Left Behind law is squeezing out social studies. Many states have standards in social studies so teachers are expected to cover the topic, but…