Social Studies and the Young Learner

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Social Studies for the Young Learner
Volume 21, Number 2
November/December 2008

Oh, how the wonders of learning come alive as students discover social studies! This issue of Social Studies and the Young Learner provides innovative approaches to how elementary educators have kept students at the center of the learning processes and social studies front and center in elementary education. We note that six of our authors in this issue are classroom teachers, so the emphasis is on practical activities that have been done with specific ages of students.

Oh, the things you’ll create! In the article “Reflecting on the Great Black Migration with a Class Newspaper” by Angela Hines, a curriculum is built around a student writing project that has a historical theme.

In “Artifacts Bring Grover Cleveland’s Presidency to Life for First Graders,” Carol Macken describes how children begin to construct an understanding of the past with objects that they can see, touch, and talk about.

Oh, the words that we speak! This article provides strategies for including elements of a students’ native language in social studies—“Social Studies for All: ESOL Strategies for the Elementary Classroom,” by Bárbara C. Cruz and Stephen J. Thornton.

Oh, the things you can use! Children can learn a basic definition of “economics” and apply it to new situations. Jeff L. Whittingham describes how he integrates economics with history utilizing a chart in the Pullout “Economics Is for Everyone: A FETCHing Graphic Organizer.”

In an article by Sandra B. Oldendorf and Annie Calloway, “Connecting Children to a Bigger World: Reading Newspapers in the Second Grade,” students explore contemporary written words and phototgraphs to learn about events and issues big and small.

Using what is available in one’s own community, both human and material resources, is the backdrop to “A Century of Veterans: Researching History Through Our Local Cemetery” by Lindsey B. Downey.

Oh, to see where we are! By holding students and social studies at the center, educators can develop quality social studies curriculum. “Designing Classroom Spaces to Maximize Social Studies Learning” by Carolyn O’Mahony and Suzanne Siegel describes the classroom environment in which students have numerous opportunities to experience social studies.

The article, “How a Primary Teacher Protects the Coherence of Her Social Studies Lessons” by Janet Alleman, Jere Brophy, and Barbara Knighton is an example of how to establish tight and dynamic social studies instruction.
Finally, since technology has given us a smaller world in many ways, Kathy R. Fox brings learning about children’s issues such as poverty to students’ attention in hopeful and appropriate ways in “Online Resources for Developing an Awareness of Poverty.”

The many discoveries made by students in elementary social studies continues to amaze me. As we focus on our students, we too will learn—and in turn become better teachers for our students.

Invite

Write About Your Classroom Lesson

Having your article considered for publication can be an informative and rewarding professional experience. We especially encourage classroom teachers to write up their work and submit a paper.

If you are an enthusiastic elementary teacher with great ideas that you have put to use in the classroom, here is an opportunity to share your work. Your paper could even be published in Social Studies and the Young Learner.

Do any of these themes spark your interest? (Issue dates and deadlines are listed below each theme.)

Planning for a New Year
September/October 2009
Submit by May 1, 2009

What is good social studies?
Powerful learning in social studies
Who said? Socialization of the social studies
teacher
I am still learning: Professional development
Help! Planning, pacing, and social studies

Contact editor Linda Bennett (ssyl@missouri.edu) with your ideas.

Immigration and Citizenship in the Early Grades
November/December 2009
Submit by July 1, 2009
Contact co-editors Tim Keiper (tim.keiper@wwu.edu) and
Jesus Garcia (jesus.garcia@unlv.edu) as soon as possible with your ideas.

A nation of immigrants and a changing
neighborhood
Promoting citizenship in a culturally diverse
classroom
Citizenship lessons that impact the community

Economics and Sustainability
January/February 2010 and
Submit by August 1, 2010

The Federal Reserve for Elementary Educators
Money Matters
The WHY in Economics
Entrepreneurship and Creativity
Global Concerns, Wants & Needs

Contact co-editors Linda Bennett (ssyl@missouri.edu) and
Paul Nagel (nagelp@nsula.edu) with your ideas. (“Economics and Sustainability” is also the theme of the Best Practices session at the 2009 NCSS Annual Conference in Atlanta.)

Count Me In! The United States Census
March/April 2010
Submit by October 1, 2009

Each Person Counts
April 1, 2010 is Census Day
Basic Statistics in Social Studies
Analysis and Tough Decisions

Contact co-editors Linda Bennett (ssyl@missouri.edu) with your ideas.

The "guide" and "tips" tabs above, can help you get started on your way to being a published author.

Sincerely yours,
Linda Bennett, Ed.D.
Social Studies and the Young Learner, Editor
Associate Professor, Social Studies Education
Department of Learning, Teaching, & Curriculum
University of Missouri-Columbia

Guide

Guidelines for Contributors to SSYL

The goal of Social Studies and the Young Learner is to a) capture and enthuse elementary teachers across the country; and b) provide relevant and useful information about the teaching of social studies to elementary students. The editor especially encourages submission of manuscripts authored by K-5 classroom teachers themselves, or co-authored by professors and classroom teachers.

E-Mailing
E-mail your manuscript directly to the editor, Dr. Linda Bennett, at ssyl@missouri.edu, and expect an acknowledgement of receipt within a week. Manuscripts submitted for a particular theme issue are due four months prior to publication. Final decisions are usually made within one year.

Formatting
The first page should contain the title, word count, and contact information for all authors: name, title, position, complete mailing address, e-mail, phone, and fax. Identify the lead and/or corresponding author. The authors' names should appear only on this page for purposes of blind peer review.
Include a statement that the manuscript has not been submitted or published elsewhere. The second page should begin with the title and start the main text. With regard to citation notes, follow The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993) as closely as possible (not APA style). See examples of notes in the journal.
Margins: 1 inch top and bottom and 1.25 inch sides
Font: 12-point, Times New Roman
Length: Double Space, 1000 - 3000 words

Images and Examples
Follow up your e-mailed submission by mailing photocopies of examples of student work and learning, if possible—writing, photos of projects, art, or other media. Submit tables, graphics, photos, etc. as separate files by e-mail, not embedded in the text. If the manuscript is accepted, we will request high-resolution image files or glossy prints. Please set your digital camera at high resolution. Authors must obtain parental permission allowing publication of photos of students, as well as permission for the reprint of copyrighted materials used in a lesson.

Peer Review
SSYL is peer reviewed. If a manuscript is considered for publication, the author must be willing to work with the editor on revisions. SSYL is published by the National Council for the Social Studies.

Reprints
Authors of published manuscripts receive up to 50 complimentary copies of the journal in which the article appears, courtesy of NCSS. Authors are not paid for contributions.

Please feel free to contact the editor by e-mail if you have a question at any time.

Linda Bennett
ssyl@missouri.edu
Social Studies and the Young Learner, Editor
Associate Professor, Elementary Social Studies Education
303 Townsend Hall
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO, 65211-2400 USA

Tips

Tips for Authors for SSYL

Who May Submit an Article?
Anybody may submit an article to Social Studies and the Young Learner. The editors especially look for manuscripts co-authored by classroom teachers and professors, or authored by K-5 classroom teachers alone.

What are Good Topics?
Articles in Social Studies and the Young Learner show how social studies (history, geography, civics, economics, anthropology, etc.) is taught in the pre-K-6 classroom. The lead article often provides background on the theme for that issue. A children's literature piece describes how to use quality books in the classroom. A pullout usually includes a lesson with handouts.

See the “Invite” tab to see themes of upcoming issues of SSYL (but you may also write on a topic that does not fit a theme).

How Will My Paper Be Judged?

This checklist shows the features that editors and reviewers will be watching for. Read your own paper against this checklist.

I have described the basic setting (grade level, time to prepare and teach, materials and resources needed)
The social studies content is strong (students learn history, civics, geography, economics, or anthropology, etc.) See the themes I-X in Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
I have included examples of classroom experience (what students said, how they responded, and pedagogical pitfalls that arose and how to avoid them)
I have included examples of young students' work (writing, art, quotes, photos of students in action)
Other teachers could use these ideas and methods (Can this lesson or activity be applied to other classrooms, in other states, with a low budget, and with a reasonable commitment of time and materials?)
There is a clear assessment of student learning. (How is student learning measured at end of the lesson? Are discussion questions or test questions included?)
I have linked the subject matter in my paper to state and national content standards and to the required curriculum of my school for this grade level.
I have avoided using the passive voice.
Right: The teacher corrects and grades the papers. Wrong: Papers are corrected and graded by the teacher.
I have used Chicago style for notes. (Do NOT use Endnote or Reference Manager programs.)
Right: Using a globe enhances student understanding of the concept.3
The notes section at the end cites Smith's paper: 3. Joe Smith, Teaching First Grade (New York: Happy Publishers, 1998), 24.
I kept my reading audience in mind. (Will classroom teachers, who are the primary audience of SSYL, eagerly read this from start to finish? Will they find it useful to their actual practice?)

Proofreading?
Ask a colleague to read your paper and check it for grammar, organization, and writing style.

Who, When, and How?
Be sure to follow the basic advice found at the “Guide” tab to Social Studies and the Young Learner when you format text, type references, shoot photographs, write a cover letter, and submit your manuscript.

Other Questions?
Feel free to contact me at ssyl@missouri.edu if you have any further questions. Thank you for your time, effort, and expertise. —Linda Bennett, Editor