ABSTRACT
According to the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS, 2017), excellent social studies instruction in the elementary grades is characterized by five main qualities. These include making lessons meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging, and active. Meaningful lessons help children relate to the content personally; they build on children’s natural interests. Integrative lessons connect disciplinary knowledge and skills across social studies (e.g., geography, history, economics, civics) and other content areas (e.g., language arts). Challenging, active lessons are those that are robust and intellectually stimulating—not merely a series of fun activities. Lessons that allow children to make decisions and learn about democratic principles are value-based.
