In this article, we utilize resources mainly provided by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate along with other primary and secondary sources to discuss a unit plan for students to research voting rights issues in modern American society. First, a brief historical overview of voting rights issues in the United States is…

In the elementary years, social studies is an essential subject, critical to young learners' academic success and well-being. The success of our democracy depends on equitable access to this vital learning for all students. Social studies must be taught in every classroom starting in PreK so learners can develop into civically knowledgeable,…

The Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies represent the work of the Social Studies Standards Review Committee. This committee included K-12 teachers, administrators, college faculty, and representatives of educational and community organizations. Beginning in 2020, the Social Studies Standards Review Committee reviewed the 2011…

In the 21st century, the idea that students should have opportunities to develop powerful knowledge has been influential in educational research. Social realism as an educational philosophy, and a focus on knowledge derived from academic disciplines, have been advanced as an alternative to social constructivism and traditionalism as a basis for…

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework continues the long tradition of inquiry-based learning in the social studies by merging disciplinary and critical inquiry approaches. Using the Inquiry Design Model (IDM), an instructional design tool, teachers guide students through a series of formative tasks to address supporting questions. By…

A key goal of higher education is to graduate citizens who are actively engaged in the process of democracy. Yet, it is a challenge to build a curriculum with this in mind. Herein, we describe a multi-year process of creating and supporting a movement to centralize undergraduates' civic identity development across the curriculum. The result is a…

This article discusses a partnership with two different civic education organizations to study three different student-centered discussion designs. In one study, the authors worked with the Close Up Foundation. Close Up is a non-profit that annually brings 20,000 high school and middle school students from all 50 states and U.S. territories to…

This project centered Indigenous history, culture, and sovereignty while also teaching about scientific principles connected to plants, agriculture, and gardening--key ideas the authors and professors hoped their preservice teachers (PSTs) would be able to use with the young learners in their future classrooms. The purpose of this work is for PSTs…

In this paper, we discuss the design and development of an eBook titled "Building Democracy for All: Interactive Explorations of Government and Civic Life," which serves as an open educational resource for the eighth-grade Massachusetts social studies curriculum standards. This design case offers an example of an interactive,…

Civics education is a hot topic, as evidence shows that American young people appear to be losing faith in democracy itself. State education leaders must sort through fervent disputes on what students ought to learn and make good decisions on standards, assessment and accountability, as well as incentives for districts' selection of quality…

As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) becomes increasingly integrated into K-12 education, it holds significant potential to enhance social studies instruction through personalized learning, inquiry-based exploration, and interactive simulations. However, the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) and GenAI in social…

A newspaper article about the availability of guns in Chicago, presented at a mathematics education conference in that city in 1998, is linked to a tragic shooting near that city in 2022. The article was used in Australia for many years in research with teachers and students to assess statistical literacy in relation to sampling, until ethics…

Education plays a central role in preparing young people to engage thoughtfully in civic and community issues and to wrestle with complex dilemmas in the public domain. As a democracy, our system of governance offers multiple pathways through which people living in the country can influence how civic issues and dilemmas are addressed.…

Use the 6-step instructional approach and examples in this article to bring civics learning and understanding to your elementary students.

This article discusses service-learning as a teaching strategy that can enhance and improve learning outcomes for students in developmental education, increase civic engagement, and aid in student persistence and completion.