Welcome to the Elementary Social Studies page of the NSCSS web site!
We hope to make it easier for elementary teachers to access valuable social studies resources. (Some of these resources may also be posted on other resource pages if they are designed for K-12 education.)
We hope to make it easier for elementary teachers to access valuable social studies resources. (Some of these resources may also be posted on other resource pages if they are designed for K-12 education.)
Elementary Professional Development Opportunities
Table of Contents
- Using Inquiry to Prepare Students for College, Career, and Civic Life: Elementary Grades
- Introduction: What is the Source of Inquiry? An Introduction to Social Studies Methods
- Perspectives of the Primary Source Creator, Selector, and Learner
- Models of Instruction: Varying Teaching to Support Learners During Inquiry
- Why Do We Celebrate the 19th Amendment as the Moment When Women Were Granted the Right to Vote?
- How Do We Teach Elementary Students to Think Like Historians?
- For Whom Should America’s Gates Be Open? An Inquiry About Chinese Immigration in the 1800s & Angel Island
- Can Symbols Tell Stories?
- Is Food a Political Weapon? Using Inquiry to Explore the History of African American Farmers
- How Can Reading Historical Fiction and Nonfiction Books Encourage the Use of Primary Sources?
- What Does a U.S. Citizen “Look” Like? What Does It Mean to Be Loyal to Your Country? Civics Inquiries About Japanese American Incarceration
- What Does It Mean to Be a Good Citizen?
- Who’s Responsible for the Food on My Plate?
NEBRASKA STUDIES
A Virtual Learning & Physical Activity ChallengeWalk to Unlock Nebraska invites students and teachers to combine exercise and learning through a fun, competitive virtual platform that rewards physical activity with fascinating historical, geographical, and agriculture information about our state.
The program provides checkpoints along routes across the state for youth (and their teachers!) to virtually visit while tracking physical activity time, steps and/or miles. Walk to Unlock Nebraska was created with idea of combining academic enrichment and physical activity:
The program provides checkpoints along routes across the state for youth (and their teachers!) to virtually visit while tracking physical activity time, steps and/or miles. Walk to Unlock Nebraska was created with idea of combining academic enrichment and physical activity:
- This learning experience is targeted for students in kindergarten through eighth grade
- Multiple lesson topics include science, social studies, math, language arts, nutrition and more
- Integrated curricular ideas are included to be used as tools for learning both in the classroom and at home
- Virtual field trips are available to enhance the journey
It's here! Fourth grade teachers: If you did not receive a classroom set of the Student Atlas of Nebraska (3rd Edition) for you and each of your students, please contact your ESU.
**If you'd like a digital copy, download the Atlas here.
**If you'd like a digital copy, download the Atlas here.
**Download the Teacher's Guide and accompanying lesson plans here.**
The Atlas, Teacher's Guide, and lessons will also be available at https://neimpact.org/ and https://www.geonebraska.com/nebraska-atlas.html soon!
The new Nebraska State Social Studies Standards reflect an instructional shift towards inquiry. For elementary teachers who would like help with the inquiry process for young learners, you might view this resource. Georgia has developed a new resource to help elementary teachers.
The URL is https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/Everyday-Inquiry-in-Elementary-School-Social-Studies.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
The URL is https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/Everyday-Inquiry-in-Elementary-School-Social-Studies.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Zev Harman
Account Executive
Studies Weekly
[email protected]
Account Executive
Studies Weekly
[email protected]
- 100% standards coverage
- Inquiry-driven curriculum paired with ELA crossover
- Unique community and local callouts
- Guiding questions, learning objectives, and complete lesson plans
Editor's Note: This is not a free resource. It is for your information only.
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This version of the Nebraska "Giganto" Map (floor map) has been updated to reflect the new Congressional districts in Nebraska. If you'd like to borrow one of the floor maps, click on the image below for lesson plans and information.
FREE Resources for Fourth Grade Nebraska Studies
from the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation!
Available for elementary Nebraska studies!
Join two children as they visit the State Capitol and learn about the role of state senators in Nebraska's unicameral legislature. The story emphasizes the characteristics needed in leadership including perseverance that the willingness to work together.
Author Amanda McGill Johnson is a former Nebraska State Senator. She visited with many touring classrooms across the state. She is active in community service, and is the director of a nonprofit agency in Omaha. She and her husband live in Omaha with their two children.
Read the article about the book and author from the Omaha World-Herald
The book is currently available from Amazon.com
OR Francie and Finch Bookshop in Lincoln
OR The Bookworm in Omaha
Join two children as they visit the State Capitol and learn about the role of state senators in Nebraska's unicameral legislature. The story emphasizes the characteristics needed in leadership including perseverance that the willingness to work together.
Author Amanda McGill Johnson is a former Nebraska State Senator. She visited with many touring classrooms across the state. She is active in community service, and is the director of a nonprofit agency in Omaha. She and her husband live in Omaha with their two children.
Read the article about the book and author from the Omaha World-Herald
The book is currently available from Amazon.com
OR Francie and Finch Bookshop in Lincoln
OR The Bookworm in Omaha
GEOGRAPHY (Not specific to Nebraska)
Looking for more ways to ignite your spirit of exploration from the comfort of home? We’ve curated collections of engaging and easy-to-implement resources, including low- and no-tech options, for K–12 students to Learn at Home. The resources explore citizen science, geography, photography, mapping and much more.
Geography for Kids
Geography for Kids is a resource that highlights geographic thinking and basic geographic concepts for young kids. You can view the website here.
HISTORY (Including Nebraska History)
Links and learning activities tied to humanities councils in the states and territories are included in our Investigating Local History Teacher’s Guide. This includes resources for using the NEH funded Clio website and app that teaches about local history, culture, and geography.
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*****Click on the headings above or below to link to the descriptions of the workshops or request form.*****
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Durham Museum Digital Learning Opportunities
The Durham Museum’s digital learning program offers unique opportunities for learners of all ages. Taught by educators, these engaging and interactive classes follow National and State Social Studies Standards and are filled with primary sources featuring artifacts, videos, and photographs along with pre- and post-visit activities. Each session lasts 30 minutes (time can be made flexible; Virtual Vault opportunities are approximately 15 minutes). Each session should be booked at least two weeks in advance.
ALL ABOARD (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Hop aboard our passengers cars, steam engine and caboose for an authentic look at train travel and how it shaped our country! This class includes an authentic 1950’s video that will show students what it was really like to travel during this incredible time in history.
BUILDING OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 4-8)
You may think you know everything there is to know about this important advancement in transportation, but we are here to give you a top five list of little known facts! Hear about successes, blunders and the characters involved in the 6-year project that helped to shape the west! Artifacts and photos help this session bring the Transcontinental Railroad to life!
EARLY OMAHA (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-5)
Ever wonder how Omaha got its roots? Learn about William D. Brown, Native American life and the struggles families faced in the early years of the city. Explore what it took for families like the Creighton’s and Dodge’s to establish the city’s first fire department, police unit and a public-school system.
HISTORIC SCHOOLROOM (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Step back to the 1890’s and see how different it was to attend a one-room school! Explore daily life from this time period through artifacts, stories, and reciting real lessons students did in their classroom. Who will be the spelling bee champion or have the best penmanship? Students will also compare their visit to what they experience in classrooms today.
NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-8)
Explore the life of the Plains Indians tribes. Enter the Durham Museum’s tipi and earth lodge to interact with Native American artifacts and meet Scout, our resident buffalo. Learn how the Native Americans used the resources around them throughout the centuries.
NEIGHBORHOOD STORE (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Bring your shopping list along as we take a trip back to the time of streetcars and neighborhood grocery stores. Visit the museum’s Buffett Grocery Store exhibit and discover the fun of shopping for penny candy. Also learn how small grocery stories played an integral role in Omaha communities.
OMAHA’S WORLD’S FAIR (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
What do Paris, Chicago, and London have in common with Omaha, Nebraska? They all hosted huge expositions many years ago that brought millions of visitors and put their cities “on the map”. Join us for a tour of a model, photographs, and artifacts from the Trans-Mississippi & International Exposition (a.k.a. Omaha’s “World’s Fair”).
OMAHA HOMES AND FAMILIES (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Learn how people from all over the world lived as they came to Omaha to start a new life. From Omaha’s important immigration history to the homes they lived in, see how life changed for residents throughout Omaha’s past.
ON THE TRAIL WITH LEWIS AND CLARK (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-5)
Join the expedition! Learn about Meriwether Lewis & William Clark’s journey through the untamed Louisiana Purchase. Explore the Corps of Discovery’s three important goals as they experienced the land that is now Nebraska and beyond.
PIONEER LIFE (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Visit our log cabin and experience the life of a Great Plains pioneer. Students will take part in a “choose your adventure” session where they will have to make the tough choices the pioneers had to make as they prepared to travel west and build a new life!
UNION STATION – OMAHA’S ART DECO GEM (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-8)
Experience Omaha’s Union Station, a world-renowned example of Art Deco Architecture and one of the newly crowned National Historic Landmarks. Built in 1931, Union Station’s style represents the power, strength and masculinity of the railroad industry it housed. This session will allow students to explore the history of the building as well as the intricate details that make up this specific architectural style, complete with a “visit” from some special guests who would have traveled through the station throughout its history.
VIRTUAL VAULT:
The Durham Museum’s Virtual Vault is a unique opportunity to see behind-the-scenes while learning about a topic that your class is studying! These 15-minute experiences are perfect as an introduction to many topics in your classroom and take students into the vault to view artifacts about the following topics:
For more information on our Digital Learning opportunities, contact:
[email protected] | 402.444.5027
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Durham Museum Digital Learning Opportunities
The Durham Museum’s digital learning program offers unique opportunities for learners of all ages. Taught by educators, these engaging and interactive classes follow National and State Social Studies Standards and are filled with primary sources featuring artifacts, videos, and photographs along with pre- and post-visit activities. Each session lasts 30 minutes (time can be made flexible; Virtual Vault opportunities are approximately 15 minutes). Each session should be booked at least two weeks in advance.
ALL ABOARD (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Hop aboard our passengers cars, steam engine and caboose for an authentic look at train travel and how it shaped our country! This class includes an authentic 1950’s video that will show students what it was really like to travel during this incredible time in history.
BUILDING OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 4-8)
You may think you know everything there is to know about this important advancement in transportation, but we are here to give you a top five list of little known facts! Hear about successes, blunders and the characters involved in the 6-year project that helped to shape the west! Artifacts and photos help this session bring the Transcontinental Railroad to life!
EARLY OMAHA (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-5)
Ever wonder how Omaha got its roots? Learn about William D. Brown, Native American life and the struggles families faced in the early years of the city. Explore what it took for families like the Creighton’s and Dodge’s to establish the city’s first fire department, police unit and a public-school system.
HISTORIC SCHOOLROOM (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Step back to the 1890’s and see how different it was to attend a one-room school! Explore daily life from this time period through artifacts, stories, and reciting real lessons students did in their classroom. Who will be the spelling bee champion or have the best penmanship? Students will also compare their visit to what they experience in classrooms today.
NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-8)
Explore the life of the Plains Indians tribes. Enter the Durham Museum’s tipi and earth lodge to interact with Native American artifacts and meet Scout, our resident buffalo. Learn how the Native Americans used the resources around them throughout the centuries.
NEIGHBORHOOD STORE (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Bring your shopping list along as we take a trip back to the time of streetcars and neighborhood grocery stores. Visit the museum’s Buffett Grocery Store exhibit and discover the fun of shopping for penny candy. Also learn how small grocery stories played an integral role in Omaha communities.
OMAHA’S WORLD’S FAIR (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
What do Paris, Chicago, and London have in common with Omaha, Nebraska? They all hosted huge expositions many years ago that brought millions of visitors and put their cities “on the map”. Join us for a tour of a model, photographs, and artifacts from the Trans-Mississippi & International Exposition (a.k.a. Omaha’s “World’s Fair”).
OMAHA HOMES AND FAMILIES (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Learn how people from all over the world lived as they came to Omaha to start a new life. From Omaha’s important immigration history to the homes they lived in, see how life changed for residents throughout Omaha’s past.
ON THE TRAIL WITH LEWIS AND CLARK (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-5)
Join the expedition! Learn about Meriwether Lewis & William Clark’s journey through the untamed Louisiana Purchase. Explore the Corps of Discovery’s three important goals as they experienced the land that is now Nebraska and beyond.
PIONEER LIFE (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES K-5)
Visit our log cabin and experience the life of a Great Plains pioneer. Students will take part in a “choose your adventure” session where they will have to make the tough choices the pioneers had to make as they prepared to travel west and build a new life!
UNION STATION – OMAHA’S ART DECO GEM (RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 2-8)
Experience Omaha’s Union Station, a world-renowned example of Art Deco Architecture and one of the newly crowned National Historic Landmarks. Built in 1931, Union Station’s style represents the power, strength and masculinity of the railroad industry it housed. This session will allow students to explore the history of the building as well as the intricate details that make up this specific architectural style, complete with a “visit” from some special guests who would have traveled through the station throughout its history.
VIRTUAL VAULT:
The Durham Museum’s Virtual Vault is a unique opportunity to see behind-the-scenes while learning about a topic that your class is studying! These 15-minute experiences are perfect as an introduction to many topics in your classroom and take students into the vault to view artifacts about the following topics:
- WWII Trunk
- Money Matters
- Exploring Maps
- Unique Nebraska
- Retro Tech
For more information on our Digital Learning opportunities, contact:
[email protected] | 402.444.5027
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Please note that the Primary Source Sets Toolkit is not specific to Iowa. It can be used with any primary sources.
Through a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program, the State Historical Society of Iowa developed Primary Source Sets to help
educators meet the Iowa history standards within the Iowa Core in Social Studies. These Primary Source Sets address national and international history as well as Iowa’s history within each set.
Primary Source Toolkit
Are you new to using primary sources or unsure of how to use primary sources with your students? Download the Primary Source Set Toolkit to learn how primary sources can bring history to life. The toolkit has information for teaching students of all ages, kindergarten through 12th grade and older. This toolkit can be used with Primary Source Sets or any primary source you bring to the classroom.
educators meet the Iowa history standards within the Iowa Core in Social Studies. These Primary Source Sets address national and international history as well as Iowa’s history within each set.
Primary Source Toolkit
Are you new to using primary sources or unsure of how to use primary sources with your students? Download the Primary Source Set Toolkit to learn how primary sources can bring history to life. The toolkit has information for teaching students of all ages, kindergarten through 12th grade and older. This toolkit can be used with Primary Source Sets or any primary source you bring to the classroom.
CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT (Including voting in Nebraska)
The Nebraska State Bar Foundation is offering a new Civics Education program, Kids Voting- Nebraska ABC. In Nebraska, 63% of the eligible voting population turned out to vote in 2016, which is above the national average, but the Foundation hopes to improve that number by starting with our kids.
Kids Voting offers nonpartisan lessons, resources, educational tools and hands-on activities.
Kids Voting is adaptable for in-person learning, distance learning or homeschooling.
The objectives of this educational program are to create lifelong voting habits in children, to increase family communication about citizenship and increase voter turnout.
The five key components are:
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Kids Voting offers nonpartisan lessons, resources, educational tools and hands-on activities.
Kids Voting is adaptable for in-person learning, distance learning or homeschooling.
The objectives of this educational program are to create lifelong voting habits in children, to increase family communication about citizenship and increase voter turnout.
The five key components are:
- Curricula for K-12 students
- Mock election processes by paper ballots or electronic voting
- Activities to involve families
- Educator support and resources
- Research on impact and effectiveness
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Why Do I Have to Be Responsible? (Grade K)
Are All Rules Good Rules? (Grade K)
Why Should I Be a Global Citizen? (Grade 1)
Do We Have to Have Rules? (Grade 2)
How Can I Make a Change in My Community? (Grades K-2, 3-5)
Are All Rules Good Rules? (Grade K)
Why Should I Be a Global Citizen? (Grade 1)
Do We Have to Have Rules? (Grade 2)
How Can I Make a Change in My Community? (Grades K-2, 3-5)
ECONOMICS
Nebraska NEST Financial Scholars
"The Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office offers three interactive, web-based educational programs that bring critical financial literacy to Nebraska students and their families. Powered by EverFi, Inc., these programs are all offered at no cost to schools or taxpayers."
treasurer.nebraska.gov/financial-literacy/
treasurer.nebraska.gov/financial-literacy/vault/Vault-One-Pager2015.pdf (Elementary Grades 4-6)
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"The Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office offers three interactive, web-based educational programs that bring critical financial literacy to Nebraska students and their families. Powered by EverFi, Inc., these programs are all offered at no cost to schools or taxpayers."
treasurer.nebraska.gov/financial-literacy/
treasurer.nebraska.gov/financial-literacy/vault/Vault-One-Pager2015.pdf (Elementary Grades 4-6)
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FREE LESSON PLANS!
Click on the lesson title to view. (Some of these lessons have moved to a new page. Use the search bar to find the title when redirected.)
· Every Penny Counts (gr. K-2)
· ABCs of Saving (gr. K–2; 3–5)
· A Perfect Pet (gr. K–2; 3–5)
· Big Banks, Piggy Banks (gr. K-2; 3-5)
· Cowboy Bob Builds a Community (gr. 3-5)
· Inventive Incentive (gr. 3–5)
· Money Comes and Goes (gr. 3–5)
· Goods and Services: Some are Private, Some are Not (gr. 3-5; 6-8)
· Setting Goals (gr. 6–8)
· The Price of Gasoline: What's Behind It? (gr. 6-8)
· Effects of the Recession (gr. 6–8)
· Be an Energy Saver (gr. 6-8; 9-12)
· To Buy or Not to Buy (gr. 6–8; 9–12)
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WHY WE SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR ELEMENTARY SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION
"Public schools have historically served as important institutions that play a critical role in developing students' civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Over the past few decades, however, school systems have increasingly sidelined students' civic development as one of their central priorities. State policies have also emphasized improving student achievement in such core subjects as reading, math, and science, often leaving out social studies.
This report presents findings from a literature review and nationally representative surveys of teachers and principals conducted via the RAND Corporation's American Educator Panels to understand the state of infrastructure to support elementary social studies instruction during the 2021–2022 school year. By infrastructure, the authors mean the policies in place at the state, district, and school levels that, when combined, create an environment to support teachers' instructional practices and, therefore, student learning. The authors also find that the infrastructure to support elementary social studies instruction is often missing or inadequate. State standards vary in quality, there is less assessment and accountability, teachers receive less professional development and feedback from principals, and also less guidance around curriculum materials. Importantly, the lack of infrastructure for social studies instruction is in sharp contrast to that provided for other core subject areas and has important consequences for how teachers approach this subject.
These findings imply that improvements to social studies instruction and student learning require comprehensive supports, much more than piecemeal efforts, at all levels in schools across the United States."
Read the Key Findings and Recommendations at
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-17.html?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=252285324&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9XKb9XQ3llSCk6kqvyqaTWiRR2BXQV-0WFjCPKt7JmuWTLOeCo0NTm-hW2hrNVudgxgwIfxKb3es7F1Yhk7NtNnv5u_w&utm_content=2&utm_source=hs_email
or DOWNLOAD the entire study at the link above.
This report presents findings from a literature review and nationally representative surveys of teachers and principals conducted via the RAND Corporation's American Educator Panels to understand the state of infrastructure to support elementary social studies instruction during the 2021–2022 school year. By infrastructure, the authors mean the policies in place at the state, district, and school levels that, when combined, create an environment to support teachers' instructional practices and, therefore, student learning. The authors also find that the infrastructure to support elementary social studies instruction is often missing or inadequate. State standards vary in quality, there is less assessment and accountability, teachers receive less professional development and feedback from principals, and also less guidance around curriculum materials. Importantly, the lack of infrastructure for social studies instruction is in sharp contrast to that provided for other core subject areas and has important consequences for how teachers approach this subject.
These findings imply that improvements to social studies instruction and student learning require comprehensive supports, much more than piecemeal efforts, at all levels in schools across the United States."
Read the Key Findings and Recommendations at
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-17.html?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=252285324&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9XKb9XQ3llSCk6kqvyqaTWiRR2BXQV-0WFjCPKt7JmuWTLOeCo0NTm-hW2hrNVudgxgwIfxKb3es7F1Yhk7NtNnv5u_w&utm_content=2&utm_source=hs_email
or DOWNLOAD the entire study at the link above.
Use this link to view the webinar (approx. 1 hour). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nf3qZ2kDd0&feature=youtu.be ******************************************************************
Nell K. Duke, professor in literacy, language, and culture at the University of Michigan, calls for more instructional time for science and social studies education at the elementary level. Watch this presentation as she explains why she supports 45 minutes of science AND social studies instruction every day!
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***Click on the image above to read the complete article.***
Advocate for elementary social studies!
Advocate for elementary social studies!
