According to Piaget, all higher-order thinking skills have their bases in activities involving concrete manipulation and observation. The third edition of this highly regarded collection of social studies activities continues to be based on the premise that children learn best through experiences and activities—learning by doing. It features new activities for each social studies category (geography, history, anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, and interdisciplinary). Three important new additions to the key elements of the easy-to-follow activity format make it easier for instructors to meet standards-based curriculum requirements: A detailed treatment of National Council of Social Studies standards addressed; specific multiple intelligences addressed (also reinforced by a multiple intelligences section in the back of the book); and useful Web site(s) for group/individual research (URLs for sites that will expand or enrich the learning experience for the activity). By engaging pupils in meaningful, worthwhile social studies activities, instructors can emphasize the processes of learning rather than the products, resulting in a richly rewarding experience for pupils and teacher alike.

This resource volume for prospective social studies teachers thoroughly presents over one hundred activities that are wide-ranging & can be adapted for many grade levels.

Based on the principle that the fundamental purpose of the social studies should be the development of reflective, competent, and concerned global citizens, "Social Studies for Elementary School Classrooms" matches solid social studies teaching aids with examples of applications in real K-6 classrooms. Chapter topics include selecting a social studies scope and sequence; planning for social studies instruction; engaging students in learning through small groups, questions, role-playing, and simulations; aiding children in developing and applying concepts, generalizations, and hypotheses; aiding students in developing effective citizenship competencies; aiding students in developing and acting on social concern; preparing students to live in a global and culturally diverse world; comprehending, communicating, and remembering subject matter; harnessing technology to the social studies curriculum; adapting social studies instruction to individual needs; and evaluating and assessing student learning. For elementary school teachers of social studies.

"Randi Stone has assembled an exciting collection of teaching methods to benefit all learners. The book brings together an esteemed group of teachers who are to be congratulated for sparking interest in a subject that is too often taught solely from a textbook." —Heather E. Robinson, Fifth-Grade Teacher Desert Canyon Elementary School, Scottsdale, AZ Adopt or adapt these exemplary social studies strategies from the nation′s best teachers! Randi Stone transports readers into the lively classrooms of award-winning teachers in this collection of outstanding methods for teaching social studies to diverse elementary, middle, and high school learners. Like its companion volumes for teaching writing, mathematics, and science, Best Practices for Teaching Social Studies presents firsthand accounts from educators offering fresh ideas and inquiry-based techniques to build student confidence, increase academic achievement, and develop critical thinking skills. Highlights include master teachers′ tips on how to: Organize and produce oral history projects Use technology to explore diversity Teach the art of geography and the geography of art Put the "social" back into social studies, and more! Beginning and experienced teachers alike will discover an abundance of creative teaching practices to strengthen the social studies curriculum.

Making Connections in Elementary and Middle School Social Studies, Second Edition is the best text for teaching primary school teachers how to integrate social studies into other content areas. This book is a comprehensive, reader-friendly text that demonstrates how personal connections can be incorporated into social studies education while meeting the National Council for the Social Studiese(tm) thematic, pedagogical, and disciplinary standards. Praised for its eoewealth of strategies that go beyond social studies teaching,e including classroom strategies, pedagogical techniques, activities and lesson plan ideas, this book examines a variety of methods both novice and experienced teachers alike can use to integrate social studies into other content areas.

Organized around four commonplaces of education—learners and learning, subject matter, teachers and teaching, and classroom environment—Elementary Social Studies provides a rich and ambitious framework to help social studies teachers achieve powerful teaching and learning results. By blending the theoretical and the practical, the authors deeply probe the basic elements of quality instruction—planning, implementation, and assessment—always with the goal of creating and supporting students who are motivated, engaged, and thoughtful. Book features and updates to the third edition include: • New chapter on classroom assessment that outlines and compares existing assessment strategies, contextualizes them within the framework of state standards, and articulates a constructivist approach that moves away from traditional high-stakes testing towards more meaningful ways of evaluating student learning • New chapter that highlights and explains key elements of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, and shows how the incorporation of critical ELA instruction into the social studies curriculum can foster more ambitious teaching and learning • Real-classroom narratives that introduce each chapter and provide in-depth access to teaching and learning contexts • Practical curriculum and resource suggestions for the social studies classroom • End-of-chapter summaries and annotated teaching resources