This project addressed the marginalization of social studies’ instructional time at the elementary level by introducing and providing frameworks for elementary educators to create and teach integrated inquiry-based social studies lessons that highlight primary sources, historical thinking skills, and social and emotional skills. As research has consistently demonstrated, social studies receives the least amount of instructional time in the Elementary classroom. The ultimate goal of this project was to empower educators seeking to incorporate the social studies via integrated, interdisciplinary instruction. The following lesson plans are the products produced by participants who completed the workshops. For more information about this project, contact Dr. Alex Butler (asbutle @ bgsu.edu).
It’s “Elementary, dear Watson:” Building Source-Based Inquiries for the K-5 Classroom is sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Midwest Region Program, located at Illinois State University. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS Midwest Region does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.