Activating the Primary Social Studies Classroom

In this educational era of increasing emphasis on student performance, there is a definite shortage of high-interest resources through which teachers can effectively address the ten standards identified by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Teachers need ideas for simple, low-cost activities, which they can do with their students to allow social studies learning to occur in an interesting, engaging manner. Now there is a resource designed with hands-on learning opportunities that are aligned with the NCSS standards. Included in this sourcebook are:*Assessment rubrics *Student and professional technology resources *Descriptions of various instructional models*An appendix containing background information to facilitate the users' understanding of certain activities *A glossary of specialty terms and concepts usedEach activity, which addresses multiple standards, can be used for enrichment or to accommodate students with various needs. The activities feature:*Recommendations for interesting children's literature *Links to web sites related to each activity*Suggestions for adaptations or extensions to effectively meet the needs of specific studentsWill be of interest to pre-service and in-service elementary teachers who want to enliven their classrooms with student involvement and interest in social studies topics.