ABSTRACT
The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards and the Framework for 21st Century Learning provide teachers with the necessary structures to develop meaningful lessons using emerging technologies in the social studies classroom. The C3 Framework encourages a student-centered approach to teaching and learning in the middle and secondary social studies classroom. Middle and secondary students can use emerging technologies to participate. The C3 Framework and Framework for 21st Century Learning can be used as the underpinnings that drive the virtual laboratory. The virtual laboratory of democracy can feature the intellectual contributions of middle and secondary students by featuring their discourse and the products that they produce with technology. Geographic information system (GIS) software can be used in the middle and secondary social studies classroom to engage students in critical thinking about the subject matter that they are investigating. Gaming and online simulations are being used more frequently in middle and secondary social studies classrooms.
