As this post “goes to press,” we stand poised at a threshold. The 2020 Presidential Election is nigh. Each election is a tipping point, and this one is no exception. In a year rife with strange days, the possibility of… Read More ›
history
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Oscar’s American Dream by Barry Wittenstein and Kristen & Kevin Howdeshell
Usually, I write about historically based narrative nonfiction picture books. There was a book that didn’t fit into that category that I saw recently. However, I knew it would fit perfectly into a primary source-focused learning experience with some of… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Lisa Anchin
Historically based picture books, while often having some type of connection to our own lives, may not always seem timely. That certainly wasn’t the case with Linda Elovitz Marshall’s new book, The Polio Pioneer. The book explores Dr. Salk’s life… Read More ›
Integrating Constitution Day into Your School’s Curriculum
What interesting times we are living in. Teaching and learning within a set of unprecedented challenges that includes: a pandemic that keeps students at home most, if not all, of the school day learning from online courses, Zoom meetings, and… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Interview with Mara Rockliff, Author of Jefferson Measures a Moose
There are some fascinating historically based picture books that focus on a largely unknown moment of a well-known person’s life. The best of those highlights an aspect of that person’s character that helps the reader look at that individual differently… Read More ›
If You Want to Promote Equality and Justice, Advocate for K-12 Social Studies
As I write this blog post, the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has led to eight days of protests across the United States as demonstrators demand police reform as well as justice for Mr. Floyd…. Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes
Occasionally there is a picture book that I know will work well with a certain format of primary sources before I even open it. That was the case with Jennifer Thermes book Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island. There… Read More ›
If You Give a Librarian a Costume…
At our elementary school, we do a lot of dressing up in costumes. As someone who attends Ren Faires, Fairy Festivals, and Comic Cons in full costume, I love it. Even better is when I come up with a lesson… Read More ›
Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day?
Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day? Does your state, city, or school celebrate Columbus Day, or do you celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day? Many students have learned a poem that starts off, “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” It goes… Read More ›
An Opportunity to Get Teens Excited about Historical Fiction
Author Ruta Sepetys has a new book, her fourth, coming out on Oct. 1. Set in Spain during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, The Fountains of Silence is a heart-wrenching story of love, war, and secrets. It’s a title… Read More ›