Elementary Social Studies: Constructing a Powerful Approach to Teaching and Learning

The fully updated fifth edition of Elementary Social Studies provides a rich and ambitious framework to help social studies teachers achieve powerful teaching and learning results. Organized around four commonplaces of education―learners and learning, subject matter, teachers and teaching, and classroom environment―and deeply rooted in inquiry-based teaching and learning, this book deeply probes 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 fifth edition include:
• New guidance on tackling controversial issues in the social studies classroom.
• Fully revised chapter on creating a genuine learning community, which now addresses socio-emotional learning and family involvement in the classroom.
• New perspectives on the importance of teaching for social justice.
• Increased attention to the C3 Framework for state social studies standards.
• Chapters on using the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) to understand inquiry-based teaching and learning and to develop IDM inquiries.
• Real-classroom narratives that introduce chapters 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.

By blending the theoretical and the practical, this book is essential reading for pre-service and in-service social studies teachers.

S.G. Grant is Professor Emeritus of Social Studies Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership at Binghamton University, State University of New York, USA.

Bruce A. VanSledright is Professor Emeritus of History/Social Studies Education in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA.

Anne-Lise Halvorsen is Professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, USA.