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

by S.G. Grant, Bruce A. VanSledright, Anne-Lise Halvorsen

Overview

Organized around four commonplaces of education—learners and learning, subject matter, teachers and teaching, and classroom environment—Elementary Social Studies provides a rich and ambitious framework to help social studies teachers achieve powerful teaching and learning results. By blending the theoretical and the practical, the authors deeply probe 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 fourth edition include:

• Two new chapters on using the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) to understand inquiry-based teaching and learning and to develop IDM inquiries.

• Revised chapter on ideas and questions.

• Revised chapter on literacy to more fully incorporate media literacy and digital citizenship.

• Real-classroom narratives 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032765730
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/20/2025
Edition description:	5th ed.
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

S.G. Grant is Professor of Social Studies Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Bruce A. VanSledright is Professor Emeritus of History/Social Studies Education in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Table of Contents

Part 1 The Commonplaces of Education: A Framework for Powerful Social Studies Teaching; 1 Creating a Framework for the Social Studies Classroom; 2 Learners and Learning: Understanding What Students Know and How They Come to Know It; 3 Subject Matter: A Threads Approach; 4 Teachers and Teaching: Working with Ideas and Questions; 5 Teachers and Teaching: Choosing Strategies, Curriculum Materials, and Influences on Teaching; 6 Teachers and Teaching: Assessment; 7 The Classroom Environment: Creating a Genuine Community; 8 Social Studies and Literacy; Part 2 Putting the Commonplaces into Action; 9 Purposes, Goals, and Objectives for Teaching and Learning; 10 The Inquiry Design Model; 11 Constructing Curriculum Inquiries; 12 Becoming a Reflective Social Studies Teacher; Appendix: Content Resources from Children’s Literature

Editorial Reviews

I have been using this textbook for many years and have always appreciated the subtle and sophisticated ways that the authors bridge practice and theory. This latest edition continues and expands on this approach by adding new chapters that situate social studies teaching and learning within the context of state mandated standards and assessments. Both critical and practical, this textbook is a powerful tool.”— Lisa Eaker, PhD, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, University of Maryland, College Park

“In this third edition, Grant & VanSledright incorporate critical new chapters bringing together assessment and standards that influence social studies instruction. An extremely helpful book for pre-service and in-service teachers, the authors guide educators through approaches to teaching social studies with numerous practical classroom examples. Earlier editions always helped my graduate students to really understand and grasp the concept of teaching with big ideas, in ways that opened new doors for envisioning engaging and thoughtful subject matter instruction, and this new edition provides even more ideas and perspectives on teaching and learning!”—Virginia J. Goatley, PhD, Department of Reading, University at Albany, SUNY

From the Publisher