Visualizing Elementary Education Social Studies Binder Ready

An excellent resource for social studies teachers, this book will help them learn about and reflect on their responsibilities in our society. It focuses on classroom-based experiences and real-world contexts. The teaching methods discussed are also closely associated to social studies subject matter so they can be integrated into the actual classroom. Each chapter also examines how social studies is situated within the larger elementary curriculum to demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the instruction.

An excellent resource for social studies teachers, this book will help them learn about and reflect on their responsibilities in our society. It focuses on classroom-based experiences and real-world contexts. The teaching methods discussed are also closely associated to social studies subject matter so they can be integrated into the actual classroom. Each chapter also examines how social studies is situated within the larger elementary curriculum to demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the instruction.

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 text offers a teacher and student-friendly collection of lessons and activities that help educators use picture books to engage younger students in meaningful social studies activities and bring this critical subject back in elementary schools. In order for today's children to succeed as adults, they need a solid foundation of life skills inculcated at a young age. Social studies is key to building this critical knowledge, yet less attention is being paid to social studies in elementary schools as this subject becomes more essential. The authors of this text have a solution: use picture books as dual-purpose texts that fulfill more than just language arts needs, and take the time dedicated to those lessons to simultaneously teach social studies. Each chapter of this text is organized around one of the National Council for the Social Studies' Ten Thematic Strands, covering diverse and engaging topics ranging from community and individuality to science and technology. This book serves as a vital resource for classroom teachers, methods professors, staff developers, and curriculum writers who prioritize keeping social studies a part of the elementary school curriculum.