Social Studies Research and Practice: Volume 10 Issue 2

How Elementary Teachers Imagine Social Studies in an Age of Teacher Assessments

Patricia L. Marshall, Ashley L. Jacot, Angelita F. Gamble

Teacher assessments are becoming increasingly popular in public school improvement plans. These assessments may inadvertently diminish the amount of time and attention teachers…

How Should We Remember the Alamo? Critical Analyses of Four Graphic Histories

Marianne Snow, Margaret Robbins

This article examines, elementary leveled graphic history, a genre of literature relatively untouched by research. Due to graphic nonfiction’s growing popularity in the realm of…

Strategically Organic: One U.S. History Teacher’s Experience With Class Discussion

Caroline C. Sullivan, Audrey Schewe, Emily Juckett, Heather Stevens

Effective discussion is inextricably linked to democracy. Social studies curriculum and instruction should engage students in practicing democratic skills and habits of mind. This…

A Teacher’s Perceptions of Teaching With Expeditions in a Tested History Course

Lorrei DiCamillo

This qualitative case study investigated an interdisciplinary expedition in an urban high school (based on the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound model). The author wanted to…

The Jigsaw Revisited: Common Core Social Studies and English Language Arts Integration

Scott L. Roberts, Betsy VanDeusen-MacLeod

In order to comply with the new Common Core standards, it is imperative teachers, particularly those at the elementary levels, incorporate English/Language Arts (ELA) in their…

Using the Power of Music to Support Students’ Understanding of Fascism

Anthony Pellegrino, Joseph L. Adragna, Kristien Zenkov

Music has been an integral part of humanity’s culture for millennia. Like many other artifacts of culture, songs have: expressed a range of feelings, informed listeners of…

Media Literacy: Analyzing Political Commercials

Lance E. Mason

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) has called for the development of a media literacy framework that goes beyond content analysis into investigating media forms…

Chasing Theme Number Nine: Five Practical Strategies for Making Global Connections

Aaron P. Johnson

This article explores practical avenues for making global connections within the social studies classroom. Drawing from my classroom experiences and utilizing the basic principles…

Tripping on the Core: Utilizing Field Trips to Enhance the Common Core

Joshua L. Kenna, William B. Russell III

The goal of this article is to expand on the use of field trips in social studies education, particularly in the Common Core era. Meshing the goals of the Common Core Standards…

Historical Thinking, Reading, and Writing about the World’s Newest Nation, South Sudan

John H. Bickford III, Molly Sigler Bickford

State and national education initiatives have significantly increased expectations of students’ non-fiction reading and writing. These initiatives provide the space for potential…

Inclusive Historical Narratives: Lessons from Mary Ritter Beard and Carter G. Woodson

Sarah Bair

This article examines the work of Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) and Mary Ritter Beard (1876-1958), two early 20th century historians and educators who dedicated their professional…

Teaching for Sustainability in a Social Studies Methods Course: Opportunities and Challenges

Lisa Brown Buchanan, Elizabeth O. Crawford

The teaching of environmental sustainability was explored in five sections of an elementary social studies methods course with pre-service teachers. Using surveys and structured…