One of the major contemporary topics in education is teaching issues of race in K-12 social studies classrooms. Over the last several years, at least 35 states have passed or proposed legislation to prohibit or restrict conversations about race in K-12 schools. Most supporters of this legislation argue that teachers are indoctrinating students and…

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 complexities of the civil rights movement are rarely presented in elementary social studies. Year after year, students repeat the same decontextualized "I Have a Dream" crafts and assignments, tasks that do little to help students understand the country's history of racism or the racial dynamics of today. Instead of perpetuating the…

International children's picture books provide windows and mirrors for children and allow them to consider issues of fairness, justice, equity, diversity, and the common good as they build their nascent citizenship skills. One powerful pedagogy that supports the use of rich curriculum and thoughtful discussions is critical literacy, a subset of…

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…

The authors show how elementary-school age students and teachers can use picture books, young adult literature, and poetry to uncover and explore the hidden histories and untold stories of Elizabeth Jennings, Ida B. Wells, Jackie Robinson, Sarah Keys Evans, and Claudette Colvin, among others, and their protests for African Americans' right to ride…

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…

Tina M. Ellsworth and Toni Gates center their article around stories of Black joy, agency, and resistance of Black Kansas Citians. Ellsworth and Gates' collaboration demonstrates how educators can effectively construct partnerships between schools and grassroots organizations. The authors of this piece will guide educators in ways to find local…

This article details how a team of fourth-grade teachers in Rockingham County, Virginia used the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) to deepen student understanding of Barbara Johns and the Moton Student Strike's fight for racial justice in Virginia and to reframe their overall approach to Black history in general. Although Rockingham County Schools are…

This article offers examples of K--6 classroom texts as vehicles for teaching the Black Historical Consciousness principles as encouragement for teaching Black histories long beyond Black History Month. The framework for Black Historical Consciousness (BHC), which outlines eight principles that provide support for teaching through Black lives and…

Social studies in general, and Black history in particular, are marginalized at the elementary level. The ways Black history has been taught are problematic, focusing on either celebrating civil rights heroes or lamenting the oppressive treatment of Black people, thus flattening the rich and varied histories of Black people. An almost singular…

Some barriers to teaching Black history in elementary classrooms include inadequate teacher preparation and the misguided view that elementary students are too young to learn the unvarnished truth about America's historical injustices. Legislative efforts to prevent teachers from discussing race-related topics labeled "divisive"…

In the realm of education, the concept of self-reflection has many implications for educators. While Jarvais Jackson will focus on educators who are classroom teachers in this article, similar implications apply to educators who serve other roles in schools and communities. Understanding oneself, including biases and epistemological stances,…

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…

In this article, the author describes how an "I do, we do, you do" scaffolded approach for explicit instruction can be utilized to teach map skills to students in kindergarten through grade 2. She argues that classroom teachers who are familiar with explicit instruction may frequently use the model for reading and math instruction while…