How do we teach about war? How can social studies teachers empower students to understand how wars are started, how they are fought, and how they are ended? Films about war are featured in nearly all social studies classrooms across the US, with practically every American teenager watching at least one 'historical' film during their time in middle and high school. Without the mandatory class viewing, most of these movies would not have been seen by them otherwise. Film is the medium throug...

Critical Perspectives on Teaching in the Southern United States presents provocative insights into education in the Southern United States, from the perspective of educators. This book foregrounds the Southern United States’ unique sociopolitical, sociohistorical, and sociocultural contexts which directly influence knowledge and classroom pedagogies. Contributors use critical frameworks that coalesce around methods including: self-reflection, social justice, and culturally responsive/relev...

The importance of social studies assessment is beyond question. The National Council of the Social Studies’ C3 Framework recognizes the importance of high-quality assessments—its major objective, a “deep understanding of the sociocultural world,” has as its underpinning the idea that students must be able to investigate the world, and that teachers much be able to assess their understanding of it. However, there is a comparative dearth of research that focuses on effective social studies a...