best social studies websites for elementary students

I regularly delivered workshops on social justice topics, and I learned a few important lessons along the way.

Some Advice for Teaching Social JusticeĪs an undergraduate, I served as a student counselor for three years and a resident assistant (RA) for one. If you choose to address some or all of these issues in your classroom, the next section offers some tips for doing it effectively. For others, social justice was a driving force in why they became teachers, and they weave it into whatever content they are teaching. We put ourselves in a vulnerable position by exploring issues that are seen as more controversial than others (a topic I will get into in the next section), and some teachers prefer to completely steer clear of those kinds of complications. In other content areas, teachers disagree over whether social justice has a place. In history and social studies class, social justice teaching is a natural fit. The National Curriculum Standards for the Social Studies includes Civic Ideals and Practices as one of its 10 Themes of Social Studies, and this includes an emphasis on learning how to get involved in influencing public policy. If you teach social studies, you’ll have no trouble finding direct curricular links to social justice. The National Association of Social Workers defines social justice as “the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities.” To study social justice is to learn about the problems that dramatically impact quality of life for certain populations, and how people have worked to solve those problems. What is social justice, and how does it fit into the curriculum? I want my students to participate in society in an active, productive way.Īnd maybe: I want my students to change the world.īut how many of us know how to make that happen, really? Can we explicitly teach students how to change the world? If this question has been whispering in the back of your mind, the resources in this collection will help. Ask teachers to describe the impact they hope to have on their students, and most will eventually say something along these lines: I want my students to grow into responsible citizens.

Best social studies websites for elementary students