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How can school districts lay a solid foundation for social studies instruction while making sure students stay actively engaged? That’s the question district leaders from Florida and Illinois tackled during the edLeader Panel “Building Capacity in Social Studies Classrooms: Strategies for Strengthening Instruction, Collaboration, and Engagement.”

If you’re a teacher, especially in K-5, then you know social studies gets the short shift in class time, often taking the backseat to math and ELA. “We used to [say] social studies happened when kids were arriving and when they were walking out to the bus stop,” said Marie Rodgers, Supervisor, K-5, Hillsborough County Public Schools (FL). She was describing the sentiment that most teachers experience: little or no protected time for social studies.

One of the most prominent challenges leaders face when advocating for the subject is getting teachers and leaders to embrace the importance of social studies time. The panelists shared their best solutions and practical strategies for strengthening instruction and motivating students. They include:

1. Shifting Mindsets

Rodgers recommends leaning on evidence to help administrators and educators understand the value of social studies and its role in building literacy. “57% of the words kids need to be successful in grades 3–5 come from social studies,” she said, referring to Robert Marzano’s research.

Saeed Ghafoor, Coordinator of Elementary Curriculum, Valley View School District 365U (IL), also recommended “mapping out the entire curriculum based on science and social studies standards, and building out all units from that.” It protects the instruction time spent on social studies and incorporates “all those important ELA skills and standards that students need to know by the end of the year,” he said.

2. Preparing Educators

“Not all teachers have social studies backgrounds,” said Deanna Morrow, former teacher and current Senior Account Manager at Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (TCI).

Social studies is unique because it can be challenging for educators to narrow their instructional focus. The standards often shift with current events and cover broad periods of history, making it hard to pin down. Training teachers is essential. The practical approaches the district leaders mentioned include:

Hybrid, In Person, Or Videos—Yes, Please!

Both leaders highly recommended offering professional development in different models, allowing flexibility for teachers to learn at their own pace. Ghafoor found both in-person and online training work well, especially allowing multiple days to cover a lesson. “The extra days help build confidence since teachers have time to get through each component and don’t have to rush through,” he said.

Ghafoor also provides video overviews of each unit with quick synopses of the materials needed, including the hands-on materials teachers shouldn’t skip. It creates a basic framework “each teacher is consistent on,” he said.

Mini But Powerful PDs

“One of the most successful models is turnkey training sessions, 20- to 30-minute mini PD sessions,” said Rodgers. The district creates trainer scripts and slide decks with videos of specific classroom demonstration strategies. Site-based social studies contacts deliver mini trainings in small groups and informal settings. It helps give teachers “what they need when they need it,” she said.

Stand in Students’ Shoes

“One of the most effective things we’ve done,” said Ghafoor, “was letting teachers experience full lessons from the student perspective. That’s something very powerful for our teachers.” It’s a complete, hands-on lesson experience where teachers reflect on how it could be better for students, what other planning they can do as teachers, and practice teaching the lesson.

3. Keeping Inquiry-Based Front and Center

“We have built all of our units around a compelling question,” said Rodgers. Supporting questions that students answer at the end of every 30-minute lesson helps build competence and ensures students build skills toward a culminating project. She said that when coupled with visual discovery, students can observe, generate questions, make observations, and read to confirm conclusions.

Listen to the full edLeader Panel for strategies on high-quality materials, collaboration, and more. Whether you’re looking to revamp your curriculum or spark more meaningful classroom discussions, you’ll gain a roadmap for making social studies a must-teach.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Building Capacity in Social Studies Classrooms: Strategies for Strengthening Instruction, Collaboration, and Engagement, sponsored by Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (TCI).

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Join the Community

K-12 Social Studies and Civics: Educating Tomorrow’s Citizens is a free professional learning community that provides K-12 educators with a place to collaborate on helping their students become informed and active citizens in a democracy.

TCI is a K-12 education company founded by teachers, for teachers. We are committed to creating engaging and effective social studies and science programs that bring learning to life. With a focus on active learning and differentiated instruction, we empower educators with the tools and support they need to inspire students and drive meaningful learning experiences.

Article by Suzanne Bell, based on this edLeader Panel