Introducing Primary and Secondary Sources in the Elementary Classroom

When I began teaching personal financial literacy, I learned quickly that my student’s perceptions, interpretations, and beliefs about money were very different from my own.

Take a moment to think about all the ways we engage students inside and out of the classroom.

Many of us think back to grade school and remember story time fondly.

  In an era where it seems that every day comes with a “breaking news” headline, and where there is increasing scrutiny regarding what we talk about in our classes, it may seem like a challenge not worth accepting to work current events and controversial topics into our lessons.

As a geography teacher, I often started the year with a lesson about how to lie with maps.

The diffusion of writing systems or materials was often determined by religion, politics, or economics.

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

In the primary grades, maps are useful tools to help the young reader put stories into perspective and develop a sense of place.

Writing has become an integral part of the social studies curriculum.