Research Guides: TEDU 591: Social Studies Education in the Elementary School: Current Events Resources

Articles by Teachers

Social Studies and the Young Learner
(v. 22, 2009-present). Practical tips for K-6 social studies teachers on all aspects of social studies instruction. Each issue usually has a handout or pullout for class activities. NOTE: The January/February 2017 issue is focused on current events.

Find It Virginia
Collection of databases available from your Virginia public library. Login is by public library card number. Two resources applicable to this class: Kids InfoBits and National Geographic Kids.
Kids InfoBits
Magazine, newspaper, and reference content intended for K-5 students. Organized by topics and color-coded for content level.
National Geographic Kids
Videos, pictures, and full-text of the magazine from 2009 to the present.

Scholastic News Magazines
Print and online magazines tailored to grade level. The magazines for Grades 1 and 2 cover a variety of non-fiction topics, while those for Grades 3, 4, and 5-6 are focused on current events.
News for Your Classroom
Selected free articles and videos from past issues of Scholastic magazines.
Time for Kids
Articles written for children. Quite a few free resources. Grade-level specific versions require a subscription.

Current Events and News

KidsPost
News, activities and more from The Washington Post
National Geographic Kids
Articles and other resources mostly on cultural, geographic, environmental issues.
TweenTribune
Free K-12 daily news site from the Smithsonian. Teachers can set up an account to reach more resources.
Ready Kids
From FEMA. Aim is to teach children ages 8-12 about emergencies and readiness.
Ready Ninos
Ready Kids site in Spanish
Dogo News
A small collection of articles that can be sorted by grade level. Additional features are available via subscription.
Youngzine | World News
Bills itself as "news + more for the young." Articles usually have a short video (1:30 to 3:30 minutes). Most suitable for upper elementary and middle school students.

General Social Studies

iCivics
Games, lessons, and other resources aimed at promoting civic knowledge, civic engagement, and citizenship skills. Register for a free account to access resources for teachers. [Site founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor]
USA.gov - Resources for Teachers
Find lesson plans focused on various aspects of how the United States government works.

National Geographic Education
Includes ideas, activities, lessons, reference and mapping resources.
PBS Learning Media
Searchable database of a variety of materials for teachers. Search by grade, subject (e.g., social studies), type of media. Free registration required to access all areas of the site.
National Archives | Educator Resources
Ideas for teaching with documents. Explore Special Topics & Tools for primary sources and photographs. Might be good for national holidays, anniversary events.
C-SPAN Classroom
Requires a free membership to access any resources. Designed for middle and high schools, but may provide ideas for elementary school teachers.
The Learning Networks - New York Times
Designed for 6-12, but may be a good teacher resource for earlier grades.
PBS Newshour Extra
Designed for 7-12, but like C-SPAN Classroom and The Learning Networks may provide ideas for lower grades.
CNN 10
Replacement of CNN Student News (as of January 2017). 10-minute broadcast of news highlights. Aimed at middle and high school students, but may provide ideas for elementary school students.