ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we argue that integrating literature in social studies can help teachers make time for social studies in meaningful ways, even when the focus of most elementary classrooms is reading and math. We discuss how integrating children’s literature can help when teaching difficult social studies topics and can help teachers connect the past to the present. In the highlighted lesson, students use children’s literature to complete an inquiry about the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), specifically the right to “favourable conditions of work.” After exploring the rights guaranteed to individuals in the UDHR, students work in groups to explore books about various labor movements throughout US history. Finally, students learn more about recent labor movements and compare the current and historic movements.
