Social Studies
Recent Newsletter Articles
Vote “Yes” for Effective ABE Social Studies Instruction
A recent newsletter from the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies noted that “every election is the most important one because voting is our common power as citizens in a democratic society.” This powerful statement reminds us of the importance of not limiting lessons and discussions about voting, the electoral process, and civic participation in our classrooms. Yes, the countdown to election day 2024 is fast approaching, but do not stop the dialogue after November 5th! Read More
Everyone Wins When Discussing the Electoral Process
Many recent education-related articles have noted that teachers are reluctant to discuss this year’s election. While there are a variety of reasons for this hesitancy, educators should never be afraid to limit election and/or civics-related instruction in their respective ABE classrooms at all levels. Read More
Natz 101: A Guide to the U.S. Naturalization Process
The U.S. naturalization process can be complex, but with adequate preparation and the right resources, aspiring citizens can successfully navigate this important journey. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently held a webinar focusing on the naturalization process and how educators can support individuals applying for U.S. citizenship. Read More
Election Resources We Can All Agree On!
At times, it may seem like we are in an endless cycle of political campaigns in America. While this may be the new reality, it is more important than ever to ensure that the topics of voting and elections are incorporated into our ABE classroom planning and instruction throughout the entire school year. By doing so, our students will become more informed members of society! Read More
Information/Media Literacy: More Important Than Ever!
Don't believe everything you read! Information is coming at our students at a very rapid pace from many different sources. With that in mind, it is more important than ever to give them the strategies and tools to effectively analyze and evaluate all of this data. Read More
The Past is a Blast! Incorporating Social Studies Content into Your HSE Classroom
ABE HSE teachers know the challenge of incorporating four subject areas into their instructional delivery. While there are many ways to blend subject-area disciplines together, one consideration is to incorporate social studies content into reading, writing, speaking/listening, and language instruction. Fortunately, there are plenty of classroom-ready resources that will achieve this blending of content and literacy skills. Read More
Don’t Forget Social Studies… GED, HiSET and Resources for Everyone!
Whether you are teaching in a high school equivalency, basic skills, or ESL classroom, don't forget to check out the ATLAS Social Studies & Civics online resource library for ready-to-use lessons, activities, and ideas for your classroom/context. As we know, social studies content is critical for our adult learners far beyond that GED or HiSET exam! Read More
CILIA-T Curriculum Project: Developing Our Digital Skills Roadmap
How can adult educators of ELLs incorporate digital skill-building into instruction, while keeping it content-rich, targeted toward language learning, and aligned to standards? The CILIA-T project team takes you through their decision-making process on how to integrate digital learning throughout their free, civics-focused curriculum for English language learners (a work in progress!). Read More
Bringing Financial Literacy into the ABE Classroom
Financial literacy is too often overlooked. People of all stripes may have a level of financial literacy that hinders their ability to function day to day, much less build life plans or get ahead. Our primary constituency here at the International Institute of Minnesota ─ new Minnesotans who were born outside the country ─ are especially vulnerable. Read More
Teaching Citizenship? We’ve Got Resources for You!
From our annual citizenship webinar, to support materials for the 100 questions and lessons on voting for after citizenship is achieved, Literacy Minnesota has lots of resources to help teachers and volunteers to support learners in reaching this life-changing goal. Read More