Teaching Geography and Culture Through Origin Stories and Myths

When I ask students to read in my social studies classes, I always assign a customized reading guide created especially for the assigned text.

What are some best practices in social studies that teachers can apply to the classroom this upcoming school year?

There is a direct relationship between culture and folktales.

May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which is a time to celebrate the specific achievements made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout history.

Social studies encompasses several dynamics that affect daily student learning.

Cowboys are found in many countries around the world.

While their urban counterparts were restricted to more traditional female roles in the late 1800’s, women of the American West were roping and riding broncs.

Dime-store novels and Wild West television shows helped construct the stereotypical images of the “white” cowboy and the red-skinned Indian “savages.

The cowboy is viewed as an American icon: rugged rider of the range; champion of the good.