Reading and writing are critical components of the social studies curriculum in today's P-12 schools. Students are challenged to use literacy skills in social studies classes on a daily basis. The following texts are resources for teacher candidates who will teach social studies in P-12 classrooms:

Brophy, J., & Alleman, J. (2007). Powerful social studies for elementary students. Thomson Wadsworth: Belmont, CA.

Chapter 8: How Can I Structure Classroom Discourse to Help Students Develop Social Studies Understanding?

Chapter 10: What Are Some Other Strategies for Teaching Social Studies?

Chapter 11: What is the Role of Curriculum Integration?

Grant, S., & Vansledright, B. (2006). Elementary social studies: Constructing a powerful approach to teaching and learning. Houghton Mifflin: Boston, MA.

Chapter 5: Teachers and Teaching: Choosing Strategies, Curriculum Materials, and Assessment Techniques

Krey, D. (1998). Children’s literature in social studies: Teaching to the standards. National Council for the Social Studies: Washington, DC.

Parker, W. (2001). Social studies in elementary education.  Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

            Chapter 12: The Literacy-Social Studies Connection

Savage, T., & Armstrong, D. (2008). Effective teaching in elementary social studies.  Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall:  Upper Saddle River, NJ.

            Chapter 9: Social Studies for Limited English-Proficient Learners

            Chapter 11: Interdisciplinary Dimensions

Stockland, J. (2003). Activities for elementary social studies.  Waveland Press: Long Grove, IL.

Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (2003). Social studies alive! Engaging diverse learners in the elementary classroom. Palo Alto, CA.* 

Note: All strategies have a writing component, but Strategy 6 is “Writing for Understanding.”

Turner, T. (2004). Essentials of elementary social studies. Allyn and Bacon: Boston, MA.*

Chapter 6: Reading, Writing, and Technology Skills: Tools for Social Studies Learning

Wallace, M. (2006).  Social studies: All day, every day in the early childhood classroom. Thomson: Delmar, CA.

            Chapter 6: Children’s Literature in Social Studies Instruction

 

*Most activities have literacy connections.