Elementary Social Studies: Constructing a Powerful Approach to Teaching and Learning

The fully updated fifth edition of Elementary Social Studies provides a rich and ambitious framework to help social studies teachers achieve powerful teaching and learning results. Organized around four commonplaces of education--learners and learning, subject matter, teachers and teaching, and classroom environment--and deeply rooted in inquiry-based teaching and learning, this book deeply probes the basic elements of quality instruction--planning, implementation, and assessment--always with the goal of creating and supporting students who are motivated, engaged, and thoughtful.

Book features and updates to the fifth edition include:
- New guidance on tackling controversial issues in the social studies classroom.
- Fully revised chapter on creating a genuine learning community, which now addresses socio-emotional learning and family involvement in the classroom.
- New perspectives on the importance of teaching for social justice.
- Increased attention to the C3 Framework for state social studies standards.
- Chapters on using the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) to understand inquiry-based teaching and learning and to develop IDM inquiries.
- Real-classroom narratives that introduce chapters and provide in-depth access to teaching and learning contexts.
- Practical curriculum and resource suggestions for the social studies classroom.
- End-of-chapter summaries and annotated teaching resources.

By blending the theoretical and the practical, this book is essential reading for pre-service and in-service social studies teachers.