This practical book addresses the consistent questions that were posed by secondary social studies teachers during professional learning sessions. In particular, it examines ways to break through the inclination and perception expressed by many teachers that "my kids cannot do that." Drawing on 22 years as a high school history teacher, 7 years as a state level curriculum specialist, and extensive work with in-service teachers across the country, the author provides research-based guidance for engaging students in investigating the past. Lesh examines ways to develop effective questions that guide historical inquires, how to utilize discussion in the classroom, and how to align assessment to inquiry. He also shows teachers how to incorporate difficult histories within an inquiry framework. Each chapter uses a specific lesson, framed by student work, to illuminate approaches in real classroom scenarios. Topics include The Pullman Strike of 1894, the Marcus Garvey question, Dust Bowl Migrants, Mao and Communist China, the LGBTQ+ fight for rights, and multiple lessons from World War I. This follow-up to the author's book "Why Won't You Just Tell Us the Answer?" fills in gaps and expands tools and classroom examples to assist today's teachers. Book Features: Offers ways to promote teacher growth as it pertains to historical thinking. Demonstrates how to align investigating the past with the needs of reluctant readers and students with special needs. Provides lesson materials and instructional guidance. Addresses how to teach difficult subjects, such as LGBTQ+ history. Aligns historical literacy with inquiry-based instruction.

COVID-19 offers a unique opportunity to transform the K-12 social studies curriculum, but history suggests that changes to the formal curriculum will not come easily or automatically. This book was conceived in the space between the dismantling of our old way of life and the anticipation of what comes next. The authors in this volume-leading voices in social studies education-make the case that COVID-19 has exposed deficiencies in much of the traditional narrative found in textbooks and state curriculum standards, and they offer guidance for how educators can use the pandemic to pursue a more justice-oriented, critical examination of contemporary society. Divided into two sections, this volume first focuses on how elementary and secondary educators might teach about the pandemic, both as a contentious public issue and as a recent historical event. The second section asks teachers to reconsider many long-standing aspects of social studies teaching and learning, from content and instructional approaches to testing.Book Features: Guidance on how to teach about the COVID-19 crisis as a recent, controversial historical event. Examples of teaching approaches and classroom projects that align with the C3 Framework. Lessons about COVID-19 for use in K-12 classrooms, as well as chapters on the history of pandemics and on how teachers can help students cope with death and grief. A critical examination of the idea of American exceptionalism, the role of race and class in U.S. society, and fundamental practices within social studies education.

This practical book addresses the consistent questions that were posed by secondary social studies teachers during professional learning sessions. In particular, it examines ways to break through the inclination and perception expressed by many teachers that "my kids cannot do that." Drawing on 22 years as a high school history teacher, 7 years as a state level curriculum specialist, and extensive work with in-service teachers across the country, the author provides research-based guidance for engaging students in investigating the past. Lesh examines ways to develop effective questions that guide historical inquires, how to utilize discussion in the classroom, and how to align assessment to inquiry. He also shows teachers how to incorporate difficult histories within an inquiry framework. Each chapter uses a specific lesson, framed by student work, to illuminate approaches in real classroom scenarios. Topics include The Pullman Strike of 1894, the Marcus Garvey question, Dust Bowl Migrants, Mao and Communist China, the LGBTQ+ fight for rights, and multiple lessons from World War I. This follow-up to the author's book "Why Won't You Just Tell Us the Answer?" fills in gaps and expands tools and classroom examples to assist today's teachers. Book Features: Offers ways to promote teacher growth as it pertains to historical thinking. Demonstrates how to align investigating the past with the needs of reluctant readers and students with special needs. Provides lesson materials and instructional guidance. Addresses how to teach difficult subjects, such as LGBTQ+ history. Aligns historical literacy with inquiry-based instruction.

Situated at the intersection of race and civics, this volume discusses how communities of color interpret and enact civics both within and beyond the classroom. Chapters focus on historical and contemporary topics ranging from issues facing Asian immigrant communities to the Black Lives Matter at School curriculum. Civic Engagement in Communities of Color will help classroom teachers, teacher candidates, and teacher educators identify where white-washed civics curricula fail students of color and begin to understand how marginalized communities conceive and enact civics without the deficit lens. It will also help education researchers understand the various frameworks that communities of color use to approach civics and civic education. Chapter authors include established and emerging civic education scholars, including Leilani Sabzalian, ArCasia James-Gallaway, Jesús Tirado, and Brittany Jones. Book Features: Reimagines civics teaching and learning in communities of color, expanding current frameworks for what civic education is and can be. Disrupts the idea that civics is a singular notion that should only be viewed through one specific lens. Provides specific examples showing how racially marginalized people have created their own civic spaces. Includes chapters on Black, Indigenous, Arab, Immigrant, South Asian American, and Southeast Asian American communities. Contributors: Annaly Babb-Guerra, Carla-Ann Brown, Aviv Cohen, Tommy Ender, Sabryna Groves, ArCasia James-Gallaway, Denisha Jones, Erica Kelly, Sarah Mathews, Timothy Monreal, Aline Muff, Natasha C. Murray-Everett, Tiffany Mitchell Patterson, Ritu Rakrishnan, Leilani Sabzalian, Crystal Simmons, Jesús Tirado, Van Anh Tran, Shianne Walker, Elizabeth Yeager Washington, Rasheeda West, Asif Wilson

Along with the infamous "Reviewer 2," journal editors are a leading cause of angst among scholars. When editors are bad at their jobs, careers are damaged, reputations of journals suffer, and the overall scholarship within a field is weakened. Yet, despite their importance to the practice of academia, most editors do not receive any formal training on the editing process. Even well-published authors face a steep learning curve when navigating all of the moving parts of a scholarly journal and providing quality feedback to authors. This book is intended to be a guide for scholarly journal editors. It walks current and prospective editors through the various steps of the editing process, including establishing an editorial vision, creating editorial teams/boards, interpreting reviewers' comments and writing decision letters, and publicizing published articles and improving journal metrics. A secondary goal of the book is to provide authors with a peek inside the process of journal editing. By better understanding the decisions that editors make, authors can make more informed choices about which journals they should submit their work, as well as improve their chances for publication.

Along with the infamous "Reviewer 2," journal editors are a leading cause of angst among scholars. When editors are bad at their jobs, careers are damaged, reputations of journals suffer, and the overall scholarship within a field is weakened. Yet, despite their importance to the practice of academia, most editors do not receive any formal training on the editing process. Even well-published authors face a steep learning curve when navigating all of the moving parts of a scholarly journal and providing quality feedback to authors. This book is intended to be a guide for scholarly journal editors. It walks current and prospective editors through the various steps of the editing process, including establishing an editorial vision, creating editorial teams/boards, interpreting reviewers' comments and writing decision letters, and publicizing published articles and improving journal metrics. A secondary goal of the book is to provide authors with a peek inside the process of journal editing. By better understanding the decisions that editors make, authors can make more informed choices about which journals they should submit their work, as well as improve their chances for publication.

Situated at the intersection of race and civics, this volume discusses how communities of color interpret and enact civics both within and beyond the classroom. Chapters focus on historical and contemporary topics ranging from issues facing Asian immigrant communities to the Black Lives Matter at School curriculum. Civic Engagement in Communities of Color will help classroom teachers, teacher candidates, and teacher educators identify where white-washed civics curricula fail students of color and begin to understand how marginalized communities conceive and enact civics without the deficit lens. It will also help education researchers understand the various frameworks that communities of color use to approach civics and civic education. Chapter authors include established and emerging civic education scholars, including Leilani Sabzalian, ArCasia James-Gallaway, Jesús Tirado, and Brittany Jones. Book Features: Reimagines civics teaching and learning in communities of color, expanding current frameworks for what civic education is and can be. Disrupts the idea that civics is a singular notion that should only be viewed through one specific lens. Provides specific examples showing how racially marginalized people have created their own civic spaces. Includes chapters on Black, Indigenous, Arab, Immigrant, South Asian American, and Southeast Asian American communities. Contributors: Annaly Babb-Guerra, Carla-Ann Brown, Aviv Cohen, Tommy Ender, Sabryna Groves, ArCasia James-Gallaway, Denisha Jones, Erica Kelly, Sarah Mathews, Timothy Monreal, Aline Muff, Natasha C. Murray-Everett, Tiffany Mitchell Patterson, Ritu Rakrishnan, Leilani Sabzalian, Crystal Simmons, Jesús Tirado, Van Anh Tran, Shianne Walker, Elizabeth Yeager Washington, Rasheeda West, Asif Wilson

Teaching controversial social issues can be a daunting, and oftentimes terrifying, prospect for social studies teachers. In many ways, this fear is warranted given the politically polarized nature of American society in the 21st century. However, effective social studies instruction requires that students begin to grapple with difficult issues in tolerant ways. The chapters in this book, many of which are written by leading scholars within the field of social studies education, cover a range of 21st century social issues, including politically volatile issues such as gun control, marriage equality, the Black Lives Matter movement, and immigration. This book offers both a theoretical justification for engaging students with controversial social issues and practical suggestions for how to successfully implement discussions of these types of issues in K-12 classroom settings.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 dramatically changed many aspects of American society, and the ramifications of that horrific event are still impacting the domestic and foreign policies of the United States. Yet, fifteen years after 9/11-an event that was predicted to change the scope of public education in the United States-we find that the social studies curriculum remains virtually the same as before the attacks. For a discipline charged with developing informed citizens prepared to enter a global economy, such curricular stagnation makes little sense. This book, which contains chapters from many leading scholars within the field of social studies education, both assesses the ways in which the social studies curriculum has failed to live up to the promises of progressive citizenship education made in the wake of the attacks and offers practical advice for teachers who wish to encourage a critical understanding of the post-9/11 global society in which their students live.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 dramatically changed many aspects of American society, and the ramifications of that horrific event are still impacting the domestic and foreign policies of the United States. Yet, fifteen years after 9/11-an event that was predicted to change the scope of public education in the United States-we find that the social studies curriculum remains virtually the same as before the attacks. For a discipline charged with developing informed citizens prepared to enter a global economy, such curricular stagnation makes little sense. This book, which contains chapters from many leading scholars within the field of social studies education, both assesses the ways in which the social studies curriculum has failed to live up to the promises of progressive citizenship education made in the wake of the attacks and offers practical advice for teachers who wish to encourage a critical understanding of the post-9/11 global society in which their students live.

As online learning continues to become more prominent in K-12 education, it will be important that teachers are knowledgeable about both the potential of online learning and the challenges associated with moving curricula online. This book, written by a former secondary online teacher who now teaches online instructional methods to practicing K-12 teachers, addresses those challenges and offers practical, research-based approaches to creating successful online learning experiences. Both novice and experienced K-12 teachers will benefit from the author s strategies for creating engaging, learner-centered instruction in an online format. This book is unique from other practitioner-oriented books on online learning in that it focuses exclusively on adolescents experiences with online instruction.

As online learning continues to become more prominent in K-12 education, it will be important that teachers are knowledgeable about both the potential of online learning and the challenges associated with moving curricula online. This book, written by a former secondary online teacher who now teaches online instructional methods to practicing K-12 teachers, addresses those challenges and offers practical, research-based approaches to creating successful online learning experiences. Both novice and experienced K-12 teachers will benefit from the author's strategies for creating engaging, learner-centered instruction in an online format. This book is unique from other practitioner-oriented books on online learning in that it focuses exclusively on adolescents' experiences with online instruction.

For the last 2 decades, the field of social studies education has seen an increase in research on the use of discussions as an essential instructional technique. This book examines the importance of using quality dialogue as a tool to help students understand complex issues in social studies classrooms. The author provides a collection of well-known, evidence-based discussion techniques as well as classroom examples showing the methods in use. While the benefits of using discussion as an instructional method is widely considered a best practice of civic learning, actual high-quality discussions are rare and notoriously difficult to facilitate. Making Classroom Discussions Work is designed to guide teacher educators and classroom teachers in facilitating equitable and productive discussions that will boost learning and democratic engagement.Book Features: Emphasizes the rationale for using discussion in social studies teaching. Collects strategies that have been proposed in disparate journal articles and books in one convenient volume. Presents research-based challenges and supports for conducting and assessing discussions in the social studies. Includes methods and tips to help teachers make discussions more equitable in their classrooms.

Despite limitations and challenges, teaching about difficult histories is an essential aspect of social studies courses and units across grade levels. This practical resource highlights stories of K-12 practitioners who have critically examined and reflected on their experiences with planning and teaching histories identified as difficult. Featuring the voices of teacher educators, classroom teachers, and museum educators, these stories provide readers with rare examples of how to plan for, teach, and reflect on difficult histories. The book is divided into four main sections: Centering Difficult History Content, Centering Teacher and Student Identities, Centering Local and Contemporary Contexts, and Centering Teacher Decision-making. Key topics include teaching about genocide, slavery, immigration, war, racial violence, and terrorism. This dynamic book highlights the practitioner's perspective to reveal how teachers can and do think critically about their motivations and the methods they use to engage students in rigorous, complex, and appropriate studies of the past. Book Features: Expanded notions of what difficult histories can be and how they can be approached pedagogically. Thoughtful pictures of practice of some of the most complex histories to teach. Stories of K-12 teachers and museum educators with the research of leading scholars in social studies education. Examples from a wide range of educational contexts in the United States and other countries. Resources useful to teachers and teacher educators.

COVID-19 offers a unique opportunity to transform the K–12 social studies curriculum, but history suggests that changes to the formal curriculum will not come easily or automatically. This book was conceived in the space between the dismantling of our old way of life and the anticipation of what comes next. The authors in this volume—leading voices in social studies education—make the case that COVID-19 has exposed deficiencies in much of the traditional narrative found in textbooks and state curriculum standards, and they offer guidance for how educators can use the pandemic to pursue a more justice-oriented, critical examination of contemporary society. Divided into two sections, this volume first focuses on how elementary and secondary educators might teach about the pandemic, both as a contentious public issue and as a recent historical event. The second section asks teachers to reconsider many long-standing aspects of social studies teaching and learning, from content and instructional approaches to testing.Book Features: Guidance on how to teach about the COVID-19 crisis as a recent, controversial historical event. Examples of teaching approaches and classroom projects that align with the C3 Framework. Lessons about COVID-19 for use in K–12 classrooms, as well as chapters on the history of pandemics and on how teachers can help students cope with death and grief. A critical examination of the idea of American exceptionalism, the role of race and class in U.S. society, and fundamental practices within social studies education.

Despite limitations and challenges, teaching about difficult histories is an essential aspect of social studies courses and units across grade levels. This practical resource highlights stories of K-12 practitioners who have critically examined and reflected on their experiences with planning and teaching histories identified as difficult. Featuring the voices of teacher educators, classroom teachers, and museum educators, these stories provide readers with rare examples of how to plan for, teach, and reflect on difficult histories. The book is divided into four main sections: Centering Difficult History Content, Centering Teacher and Student Identities, Centering Local and Contemporary Contexts, and Centering Teacher Decision-making. Key topics include teaching about genocide, slavery, immigration, war, racial violence, and terrorism. This dynamic book highlights the practitioner's perspective to reveal how teachers can and do think critically about their motivations and the methods they use to engage students in rigorous, complex, and appropriate studies of the past. Book Features: Expanded notions of what difficult histories can be and how they can be approached pedagogically. Thoughtful pictures of practice of some of the most complex histories to teach. Stories of K-12 teachers and museum educators with the research of leading scholars in social studies education. Examples from a wide range of educational contexts in the United States and other countries. Resources useful to teachers and teacher educators.

For the last 2 decades, the field of social studies education has seen an increase in research on the use of discussions as an essential instructional technique. This book examines the importance of using quality dialogue as a tool to help students understand complex issues in social studies classrooms. The author provides a collection of well-known, evidence-based discussion techniques as well as classroom examples showing the methods in use. While the benefits of using discussion as an instructional method is widely considered a best practice of civic learning, actual high-quality discussions are rare and notoriously difficult to facilitate. Making Classroom Discussions Work is designed to guide teacher educators and classroom teachers in facilitating equitable and productive discussions that will boost learning and democratic engagement.Book Features: Emphasizes the rationale for using discussion in social studies teaching. Collects strategies that have been proposed in disparate journal articles and books in one convenient volume. Presents research-based challenges and supports for conducting and assessing discussions in the social studies. Includes methods and tips to help teachers make discussions more equitable in their classrooms.

Learn how to enact justice-oriented pedagogy and foster students' critical engagement in today's history classroom. Over the past 2 decades, various scholars have rightfully argued that we need to teach students to "think like a historian" or "think like a democratic citizen." In this book, the authors advocate for cultivating activist thinking in the history classroom. Teachers can use Teaching History for Justice to show students how activism was used in the past to seek justice, how past social movements connect to the present, and how democratic tools can be used to change society. The first section examines the theoretical and research foundation for "thinking like an activist" and outlines three related pedagogical concepts: social inquiry, critical multiculturalism, and transformative democratic citizenship. The second section presents vignettes based on the authors' studies of elementary, middle, and high school history teachers who engage in justice-oriented teaching practices.Book Features: Outlines key components of justice-oriented history pedagogy for the history and social studies K–12 classroom. Advocates for students to develop "thinking like an activist" in their approach to studying the past. Contains research-based vignettes of four imagined teachers, providing examples of what teaching history for justice can look like in practice. Includes descriptions of typical units of study in the discipline of history and how they can be reimagined to help students learn about movements and social change.

Learn how to enact justice-oriented pedagogy and foster students' critical engagement in today's history classroom. Over the past 2 decades, various scholars have rightfully argued that we need to teach students to "think like a historian" or "think like a democratic citizen." In this book, the authors advocate for cultivating activist thinking in the history classroom. Teachers can use Teaching History for Justice to show students how activism was used in the past to seek justice, how past social movements connect to the present, and how democratic tools can be used to change society. The first section examines the theoretical and research foundation for "thinking like an activist" and outlines three related pedagogical concepts: social inquiry, critical multiculturalism, and transformative democratic citizenship. The second section presents vignettes based on the authors' studies of elementary, middle, and high school history teachers who engage in justice-oriented teaching practices.Book Features: Outlines key components of justice-oriented history pedagogy for the history and social studies K-12 classroom. Advocates for students to develop "thinking like an activist" in their approach to studying the past. Contains research-based vignettes of four imagined teachers, providing examples of what teaching history for justice can look like in practice. Includes descriptions of typical units of study in the discipline of history and how they can be reimagined to help students learn about movements and social change.

Since the 2016 presidential election, the term fake news has become part of the national discourse. In this book, leading civic education scholars unpack why fake news is effective and show K-12 educators how they can teach their students to be critical consumers of the political media they encounter.

Teaching controversial social issues can be a daunting, and oftentimes terrifying, prospect for social studies teachers. In many ways, this fear is warranted given the politically polarized nature of American society in the 21st century. However, effective social studies instruction requires that students begin to grapple with difficult issues in tolerant ways. The chapters in this book, many of which are written by leading scholars within the field of social studies education, cover a range of 21st century social issues, including politically volatile issues such as gun control, marriage equality, the Black Lives Matter movement, and immigration. This book offers both a theoretical justification for engaging students with controversial social issues and practical suggestions for how to successfully implement discussions of these types of issues in K-12 classroom settings.

Since the 2016 presidential election, the term fake news has become part of the national discourse. In this book, leading civic education scholars unpack why fake news is effective and show K-12 educators how they can teach their students to be critical consumers of the political media they encounter.