Introduction

The Social Studies in Action video library and professional development guide bring to life the National Council for the Social Studies standards. Blending content and methodology, the series documents 24 teachers and their students in K-12 classrooms across the country actively exploring the social studies.

Here are some examples of what you'll see:

• In San Francisco, first graders create a model city and tackle the city's problems.
• In Seattle, fourth graders studying stereotypes encourage publishers to include the Negro league in baseball history books.
• In Brookline, Massachusetts, 12th graders draw on theories from Plato, Hobbes, and Marx to debate individual rights versus societal needs.

Lively, provocative, and educationally sound, these lessons are designed to inspire thoughtful conversations and reflections.