Teaching Social Studies

This short introduction provides the historical background for Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum as well as some detail about the pope himself. It also provides a paragraph-by-paragraph summary of the document to better understand the teaching. This is ideal for students of the document and those studying Catholic social teaching.

Arrested? For teaching? John Scopes’s crime riveted the world, and crowds flocked to the trial of the man who dared to tell students about a forbidden topic—evolution. The year was 1925, and discussing Darwin’s theory of evolution was illegal in Tennessee classrooms. Lawyers wanted to challenge the law, and businessmen smelled opportunity. But no one imagined the firestorm the Scopes Trial would ignite—or the media circus that would follow.

A suburban Boston school unwittingly started a firestorm of controversy over a sixth-grade field trip. The class was visiting a mosque to learn about world religions when a handful of boys, unnoticed by their teachers, joined the line of worshippers and acted out the motions of the Muslim call to prayer. A video of the prayer went viral with the title "Wellesley, Massachusetts Public School Students Learn to Pray to Allah". Charges flew that the school exposed the children to Muslims who intended to convert American schoolchildren.

Recognized as a master yachak, don Alberto Taxo was a celebrated spiritual elder, shaman, and healer of the pre-Inca Atik (Kichwa) people from the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. He shared ancient Andean shamanic wisdom and practices in the United States for more than 20 years—his personal quest to fulfill the Andean prophecy that the Eagle and the Condor will fly together in the same sky in harmony.

To succeed in science and tech fields today, girls don't have to change who they are. A girl who combines her natural talents, interests, and dreams with STEM skills has a greater shot at a career she loves and a salary she deserves. The authors present compelling research in a conversational, accessible style and provide specific advice and takeaways for each stage of schooling from elementary school through college, followed by comprehensive STEM resources.

Are you ready to break down conflict and build consensus on polarizing topics? Ideally, education equips students to care about the world and helps them shape their futures. In an era that has become incredibly polarized, we can help our students learn how to come together despite differences. Michelle Blanchet and Brian Deters show how all educators can equip our youth with skills to become active and engaged citizens. A one-off course on civics is not enough. Preventing Polarization offers basic strategies that every teacher can use. You will create experiences to help students break down...