Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades: A Constructivist Approach (4th Edition)

Building on the success of previous editions, Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades discusses flexible strategies for teaching today's diverse learner, the structure of the knowledge to be learned, how to help students reconstruct present ideas, and how to translate theory and recent research into lesson plans and units.

Packed with activities, up-to-date technology, teaching strategies, and a constructivist approach, this text demonstrates how to use developmentally appropriate strategies to help students construct important social studies ideas and skills.

With a strong focus on the civic ideas and values needed for students growing up in the 21^st century, Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades: A Constructivist Approach includes model lessons, best practices in teaching, and the latest on the constructivist approach, and demonstrates how to help diverse students construct important social studies concepts and skills.

Not only will this text guide you to teach social studies within a constructivist framework, but it also models that framework of guided inquiry in the organization of each chapter. Every chapter begins with an exploratory activity that challenges students to remember and reflect on their prior knowledge on the chapter's topic, moves into the more teacher-guided phase where students find explanations and activities that develop their understanding and social studies pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and ends in an expansion phase in which students must apply the main ideas of the chapter to other school and life contexts.

New to this Edition

• NEW! Updated Exploratory activities at the beginning of each chapter and Expansion section at the end of each chapter.
• NEW! A focus on 21^st century skills throughout the chapters shows how these contribute to building social studies learning needed by today’s students.
• NEW! A chapter on concepts and generalizations stresses how concepts are developed and can be related to construct generalizations across K-8. (Ch. 4).
• NEW! Inclusion of reflection by students and teachers as an important inquiry and assessment skill is examined in Chapter 3 and throughout the book.
• NEW! Examples woven throughout the chapters illustrate active involvement of diverse students in authentic social studies learning.
• NEW! A clearerfocus on both individual development and students’ development as a community member in Chapter 9 and throughout the text.
• NEW! Learning Cycle Lesson Plans and exercises illustrate combining instructional strategies with important content from multiple social science/humanities disciplines to promote social studies learning. 
• NEW! The chapter on assessment has been moved later in the text expanding upon the focus on assessment throughout the text, and formative assessment and summative evaluation receive expanded focus in learning cycle lesson plans. (Ch. 14).
• NEW! A focus on incorporating technology is woven throughout the chapters and matched to appropriate social studies content.