Stone Elementary’s Authentic Approach to Social Science Instruction

Ms. Jamie Perry is teaching social science for the first time during a presidential election year, and she says that her seventh- and eighth-grade students at Stone Scholastic Academy fixated on something that she wasn’t expecting: the ages of the two candidates. 

At 77 and 74 years old, both candidates are much older than many of her students’ grandparents, which prompted discussion about what the age should be for a presidential candidate. Her students identified 45 to 55 as an ideal range that balances experience and relatability. 

Beyond that, talking about the election hasn’t always been easy. With remote learning blurring the lines between school and home like never before, she notes that her students have shown some reluctance to talk about the election’s key issues—from the pandemic to immigration to voting laws. 

With the rise of social media, Stone teacher Ms. Mariam Saba believes that her sixth-grade students are also dealing with an onslaught of political information in the form of advertisements and other campaign materials. While she’s used their observations as the jumping off point to talk about the Graduated Income Tax Amendment in Illinois and other relevant issues, she’s also taught her students about identifying media bias and working with different types of sources. 

Even though she teachers World History, every Friday she focuses on current events. She uses a variety of texts—from CNN 10 to TED-Ed to Time Magazine articles—as the core of an inquiry-based model where students have the agency to find the answers to their questions and then share what they’ve learned in a group discussion. 

“When my students are analyzing different texts, I always preface their work with questions like ‘how do we identify media bias?’ and ‘how can we formulate our own opinions?’” said Ms. Saba. “I also want them to remember that they shouldn’t be looking at one source as the only source on a particular topic.” 

In line with the district’s priorities for social science instruction and civic life, students are then expected to synthesize what they’ve uncovered to demonstrate their knowledge and form an argument on a relevant topic. Their culminating writing assignment will require them to make a case for either keeping or abolishing the electoral college. 

With the election just a few days away, both teachers say their classrooms are often simply a place for students to talk about how the election is making them feel. They plan to keep it that way, especially on the day after the election. The district’s election guidance includes recommendations for social-emotional learning and creating supportive classroom environments regarding the election.  

“My students know the impacts of what is going on around them, and sometimes I feel as if they think they’re in the center of this whirlwind,” said Ms. Perry. “They’re dealing with fatigue, isolation, and other social-emotional issues that go beyond what we can see through their screens.” 

Ms. Perry believes that these complicated emotions are a testament to how knowledgeable her students are about the realities and stakes of the election. They know that people in other parts of the country feel very differently about certain issues than they do. They know the pandemic has been devastating. And they know the battleground states to pay attention to on election night. 

Because of this, she’s been deliberate about pushing her instruction beyond the limits of only being for entertainment or to help her students memorize concepts; instead, her approach is meant to illuminate the power of the democratic process. 

“When students realize their voice has power in their community, it’s a lightbulb moment for them,” said Ms. Perry. “I want them to understand that elections are powerful and they can participate in them right now by being informed.” 

Like many teachers, she’s leading a mock election, but hers goes further than simply being an illustration—the winning candidates will have the opportunity to meet with school administration and staff to discuss ways to improve remote learning based on themes that they develop with the help of their peers.