Opening Doors to Social Studies With Children's Literature

---

Created by:

Students in ELED 405, Teaching Social Studies

Department of Elementary Education

Utah State University

Spring, 1997

Contact Person: Deborah A. Byrnes (byrnes@cc.usu.edu)

---

Topics, Book Titles, and Curriculum Authors

Project Information on Unit

---

List of Themes, Books Titles, and Curriculum Authors

Theme	Book Titles	Grade Level	Curriculum Author
Africa Savannah	Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain, Greedy Zebra	1-2	Kristin Wright
Ancient Egypt	Tutankhamen's Gift	6	Annette B. Watson
Caribbean Island People	Isla	2	Jennie Moser
Civil War	Our Incredible Civil War	3-6	Scott Schaley
Deserts	Roadrunner	1-2	Katie Edwards
	The Three Little Javelinas	2	Jennifer Kirk
	The Desert Alphabet Book	1-2	Myndee Moulton
	Alejandro's Gift	1-3	Tina Rusk
Differences	Tacky the Penguin, Be Good to Eddie Lee	1-2	Jenn J. Poulson
Economics	Alexander, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday	4	Andrea Fife
	Annie and the Old One	4-5	Monica Jensen
Families	Something From Nothing, The Patchwork Quilt	K	Stacee Phillips
	Tanya's Reunion	1	Angie Fenton
	Grandpa's Song	K	Beth Hathaway
	All Kinds of Families	1	Cheryse Hooste
	A Country Far Away	K-2	Melissa Mills Williams
	Flight, Lindbergh	4-5	Michele B. Bowden
Friendships & Elderly	Wilford Gordon McDonald Partridge	1-2	Rebecca Palazzolo
The Great Depression	Uncle Jed's Barbershop	4-5	Maranda B. Anderson
Growth and Change	Racing the Sun	4-5	Kristin E. Gibson
	The Secret Garden	4-5	Jennifer Wray
Immigration	Who Belongs Here? An American Story	5-6	Amy Price
Middle Ages	Knights in Shining Armor, Castle in the Attic	5-6	Jennifer Hadlock
Natural Resources	The Lorax, And Still the Turtle Watched	3	Taralee Alleman
Perspectives	Grandpa's Mountain	5	Vanica L. Crane
Pilgrims	Three Young Pilgrims	5	AnnMichelle L. Brower
Pioneers	Going West, Going to Zion, Warm As Wool	2	Tanalee Chlarson
Plains	Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain	1-2	Sandy Curtis
	Buffalo Woman, Growing Up Masai, Naya Nuki: Girl who Ran	1-3	Sean Mabey
Prairies	Prairies	1-2	Jennifer Rees
Racism	Mississippi Bridge	5	JoAnn DeLange
Revolutionary War	Samuel's Choice	5	Stephanie Davis
	Katie's Trunk	3	Jamie L. Gardner
	Katie's Trunk	5	Emily A. Hill
School & Neighborhood	The Rag Coat	1-2	Kimberley Buehler
Seminoles	To Walk the Sky Path	4-5	Jessica M. Law
World War II	Letters From Rifka	4-5	Rachelle Adair
	The Bracelet	5	Amy Dent
	A Pocket Full of Seeds	4-5	Jan Farmer
	The Big Lie	4-5	Angela Groberg
	The Bracelet	2	Ivy Jones
	Twenty and Ten	4-5	Kristi Kirby
	Under the Blood-Red Sun	4-5	Lynette B. Reeder
	Number the Stars	4-5	Jennifer Simpson

Project Information

Teacher education students completed these mini-units as part of a Utah State University course entitled, "Teaching Social Studies." Each student selected a book that could be used to introduce or teach a social studies theme. Then each student:

• summarized the book.
• identified how the book could be used to further students knowledge in the social studies.
• recorded specific examples of objectives from the Utah Social Studies Core that could be addressed with this book.
• provided examples of lessons using a range of teaching strategies.

 

keywords: @lessonplans @socst