Social Studies

State of the American student: Here are 2 perspectives

There is some good news but more not-so-good news in a pair of wide-ranging reports on how students across the U.S. are faring academically and civically this fall.

This is a high stakes election. These educators have hope

Kyla Johnson-Trammel, superintendent of Oakland Unified School District, didn’t hesitate when asked about what gives her hope for the future: “It’s our kids."

4 ways to use the election to teach durable skills

As a former teacher, I see the election as a once-every-four-years opportunity to teach students essential durable skills such as critical thinking, research and digital literacy.

State of the American student: Here are 2 big perspectives

There is some good news but more not-so-good news in a pair of wide-ranging reports on how students across the U.S. are faring academically and civically this fall.

Deeper learning: How tech brought this Holocaust survivor to back life

Middle schoolers at the Brigantine Public School District had a chat with Edward Mosberg, a Holocaust survivor who died nearly two years ago. It was a learning experience they say they'll never forget.

“Talking Out of School”: Why media literacy now matters so much

Can school district leaders afford not to make media literacy a pillar of their instructional programs? Teaching the subject effectively is key to graduating students who are productive citizens, Superintendent Shari Camhi, says on District Administration's latest podcast.

Teaching civics has never been more important. Our republic depends on it

Today’s high school and college students will be the generation tasked with making serious decisions about the direction and fate of the country.

Superintendent’s Playbook: How to make more progress with interventions

"It forces collaboration between social studies, math, English and science teachers," explains Superintendent John Dignan of Wayne-Westland Community Schools, about embedding interventions into core instruction. "They're working together and our kids are getting the medicine they need—it's not just about remediation, it's about acceleration."

Second state opts out of popular AP African American Studies class

Arkansas teachers were told just 48 hours before the start of the 2023-24 school year that students would not get credit for the newly-created AP African American Studies, a course that is in high demand elsewhere. 

Head scratcher? Florida blocks AP Psychology over LGBTQ+ content

State education officials have told superintendents that college-level AP Psychology can only be taught if content covering sexual orientation and gender identity is excluded. 

New low: Florida’s revised Black history standards consider ‘the benefits of slavery’

Slavery was beneficial because the people enslaved acquired skills—that's something Florida's middle school students will learn under new African American history standards.

Latest PTA survey reveals how parents are feeling after the 2022-23 school year

In an era when the phrase "parents' rights" blurs many K12 lines, superintendents and their teams can gather insights from the National PTA's polling of the less vocal majority.

Why was this superintendent fired by her board during social studies clash?

With students and teachers protesting Tuesday over the narrowing of a social studies curriculum, the Temecula Valley Unified School District's board fired its superintendent, Jodi McClay.

8th-graders are failing to grasp how democracy works, report card shows

First-ever decline in civics scores raises alarms about students' ability become "full participants in American democracy,” say Nation's Report Card officials.

How the accelerating pace of school book bans is swallowing up new topics

Censorship targets are expanding from racism and LGBTQ topics to abuse, health and well-being and grief, PEN America warns, PEN America warns.

Why social studies instruction may not be coming to the rescue

Those hoping that more rigorous social studies instruction in K12 will heal some of the nation's political divisions may be discouraged by what researchers have found in U.S. elementary schools.

Black children come from genius: How to teach Black history joyfully

Five approaches to teaching Black history that unearth our children’s joy by considering their happiness, wellness, beauty, and advocacy.

AP African American Studies course shrinks in scope after outcry

Many Black scholars associated with critical race theory, the queer experience, and Black feminism have been removed—along with Black Lives Matter—from the official curriculum, The New York Times reported.

If ChatGPT were a high school student, how would it perform? Let’s find out

Out of curiosity, we asked the chatbot to perform several tasks that your average high school student might be given in the subjects of history, writing and math. Needless to say, it outdid itself.

How teaching climate change can be ideal for student engagement

It's hands-on, multidisciplinary and has real-world impacts: Teaching climate change appears to tick all the boxes for effective instruction.

How student-focused instruction is working wonders for these districts

Allowing students to schedule their own days, grouping them by achievement rather than grade level, and offering them "real life" experiences—such as running an in-school store—are turning out to be extremely successful.

Teachers rank the 10 main reasons to teach civics and citizenship

Preparing students for future political engagement ranked last when teachers were asked why civics and citizenship education is necessary; critical and independent thinking top the list.

3 ways an honest history education can heal a fractured country

When done right, American history instruction creates independent thinkers and respectful debaters.

Are K-12 education politics cooling off?

There are signs that some of the fury that has boiled up around education politics is beginning to ebb as most schools leave masks and other COVID safety precautions behind.

Research backs these 8 strategies for building reading skills in young students

Developing reading comprehension skills in the early grades has been long seen as one of the keys–if not the key–to students' future academic success. What has not been as clear are the best ways to build that capacity.

K-12 culture wars: Republican-led states continue battle against critical race theory

As the Florida measure critics call the "Don't Say Gay" bill awaits final approval, a new curriculum transparency law requires schools to list library books and reading materials.

Why new LGBTQ restrictions could undo 10 years of improving climate for studentsl

Recent limits on teaching LGBTQ topics and student activities fly in the face of years of growing inclusion and affirmation by educators, schools, and yes, even state lawmakers.

How high achievers could pay the price for restrictions on teaching about race

State lawmakers scrambling to restrict the teaching about race and racism, LGBTQ issues and other topics risk seeing their schools lose advanced placement classes.

7 age-appropriate ideas for helping students grasp the war in Ukraine

Educators across the U.S. are looking for ways to help students understand Russia's invasion of Ukraine and process their fears of escalating violence. Several organizations have already developed lesson plans.

How do our teachers feel about attacks on critical race theory? Scared.

The uproar over critical race theory is doing real damage to teachers and administrators who are now feeling under siege and at risk.

How should schools teach about racism that’s happening right now?

While most people say schools should teach about slavery, only a slim majority believe students should learn about its lingering impacts and contemporary racism.

Moms for Liberty is offering a $500 bounty for catching any teacher promoting CRT

The first person who reports the teaching of critical race theory in a New Hampshire classroom can now claim a $500 "reward" from the local chapter of a group called Moms for Liberty.

10 reasons why discussing race in class improves outcomes for all students

Children become aware of race and can experience positive and negative emotions about their ethnic groups even before they start school, a report says.

2 groups of parents sue feds for cracking down on school board harassment

New lawsuit claims that Biden Administration overstepped authority in warning of a crackdown on threats made against educators and school boards over critical race theory, sex ed and other issues.

Oklahoma is first state to be sued over its ban on critical race theory

Multiracial group of students and educators say the state's anti-critical race theory law "severely restricts" classroom discussions about race and gender.