Everyday Economics: Used Clothing Markets to Teach Circular and Underground Economics
Reading Time: 4 minutes Thrift stores and vintage clothing shopping has grown in popularity amongst younger consumers. In 2022, the global used and resale apparel market was estimated to be worth 177 billion dollars and, by 2027, is expected to reaching a value of 351 billion dollars. As the largest clothing market in the world, […]
Using Conversational Video to Support Oral History Projects
Reading Time: 6 minutes Before the pandemic, I thought I was a pretty good teacher. I worked hard at rotating reading, writing, speaking, and listening assignments throughout my social studies courses so that students would learn how to improve their skills and learn content simultaneously. I was particularly proud of the speaking assignments my students […]
The History of Election Day in the United States
Reading Time: 4 minutes In the United States, Election Day has a rich history dating back to the founding of the nation. In the early days, when the United States was enacting its legal framework, the development of the Constitution played a significant role in determining how and when early presidential elections might occur. Overtime, […]
Weaving Women into Ancient Economic History
Reading Time: 5 minutes Women’s roles are often overlooked when teaching about the economy of the ancient world. For example, Mediterranean economy lessons focus on shipping and sea trade in food, metals, pottery, early written records of trade, and luxury goods. However, these individuals, sailors, metal workers, farmers, scribes, were men. Wealthy women occasionally appear […]
Three Activities to Support Interdisciplinary Learning in Your Social Studies Curriculum
Reading Time: 7 minutes Interdisciplinary learning, also known as cross-disciplinary learning, is an educational approach that integrates concepts, methods, and content from multiple academic disciplines or fields of study. Instead of focusing on one specific subject area in isolation, interdisciplinary learning encourages the exploration of connections between different disciplines to foster a more comprehensive and […]
Setting Expectations: A First-Year Teacher’s Journey in Classroom Management
Reading Time: 5 minutes Picture it—fall semester 2008—a new social studies teacher prepares for a year of developing young students into knowledgeable and civic-minded members of society. With the first few chapters of Harry and Mary Wong’s “The First Days of School” fresh on her mind, bags of classroom décor and materials in hand, and […]
Leverage Fiction Stories to Search for Truth in your Social Studies Curriculum
Reading Time: 4 minutes We are accustomed to referring to fiction as “fake” and nonfiction as “real.” Fiction lives in the English class, and the facts live in social studies, science, and math. However, as we are seeing in both real life and our evolving understanding of literacy, the line between fiction and nonfiction often […]
Incorporate Cultural Holidays and Celebrations into Your Social Studies Curriculum
Reading Time: 8 minutes As a former student who attended multiculturally diverse schools, celebrating the holidays and celebrations of my peers from different cultures made school all the more memorable. Cultural celebrations are an important part of human history and occur throughout the world. Social studies teachers can use these diverse cultural commemorations to teach […]
The Power of Deep Connections: Insights from “Partnering” by Jean Oelwang
Reading Time: 4 minutes Partnerships are ubiquitous in our lives, yet we often take them for granted rather than interrogating them to discover how to make them richer, more effective, and ultimately more meaningful. They affect our personal lives as we engage with family and romantic partners; our professional lives as we work with colleagues, […]
Implement Debate into Your Secondary Social Studies Classroom
Reading Time: 4 minutes As a multidisciplinary subject, social studies classrooms are home to many different topics, from the most gruesome historical conflicts to the most basic principles of government and economics. All of these concepts are worthy of classroom discussions, and with discussion, comes debate. Educators and students alike experience people debating topics all […]