This post is written by Joe Schmidt and Glenn Wiebe authors of The Social Studies FIELD Guide.
Joe is the founder of Joe Schmidt Social Studies LLC where he provides support and professional development to educators and districts across Maine and the country. He is also a co-author of the 2022 book Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities.
Glenn is president of History Tech Consulting, providing professional learning opportunities, curriculum coaching, and assessment support for teachers, schools, and districts across the Midwest and the country. He authors the History Tech blog, an Edublog finalist and member of the EdTech Must Read list. Glenn has also published articles for the National Social Studies Leaders Association, the Teaching History and Fractus Learning websites, and has written numerous discipline specific curricula.
Connect with Joe and Glenn and grab tons of free resources on their companion website socialstudiesfieldguide.com.
Is your social studies class stuck in the "read-the-textbook-and-regurgitate-facts" rut? Do you feel like your students are more focused on surviving your class than engaging with the content? The authors of the Social Studies FIELD Guide have been there and understand the day-in and day-out battle connecting students with historical content and contemporary issues. They developed The Social Studies Field Guide to help you make intentional instructional choices that will transform your classroom into a dynamic learning environment where evidence, inquiry, and tech tools are the focus.
But this isn't about asking you to throw everything out and start over. It's about ditching the ineffective practices that never really worked and embracing research-backed strategies that put students at the center of their learning.
The heart of the FIELD Guide, focusing on evidence, student inquiry, and the use of appropriate tech tools, is both practical and immediately applicable.
F
F is for Foundational Evidence: Go Beyond the Textbook
The textbook shouldn't be the only voice in the room. Instead, students need to dig into primary sources, first-person accounts, and authentic resources. This could mean anything from historical documents to guest speakers, community connections, or even social media posts.
We need to act as curators and facilitators of powerful evidence. Our job is to select resources that will challenge students to think critically and develop their own interpretations through deliberate analysis.
Don't be afraid to tinker with those sources! We need to adapt and modify the evidence we use to make it accessible to all our learners. This should mean limiting length, revising sentence structures, and adjusting word choices.
And here's a pro tip: use primary sources to challenge the textbook. Have students question the narratives they find in secondary sources.
Free Resources: Chapter 2 of The Social Studies Field Guide is all about Foundational Evidence. Dive in deeper and grab some free resources at socialstudiesfieldguide.com/chapter-2.
I
I is for Inquiry: Unleash Student Curiosity
Direct instruction and lectures are out. Compelling questions are in. Instead of force-feeding information and expecting students to make sense of it, let's spark curiosity by asking thought-provoking questions that inspire deeper learning.
Moving away from questions that have a single, simple answer to questions that are relevant, open-ended, and "un-Googleable" will push students to go beyond simple surface-level learning and to construct their own understanding.
Our role shifts from being in front of the room to walking alongside our students during their learning. We’re not the only source of knowledge anymore; instead, facilitate learning and encourage students to develop their own questions using methods like the Question Formulation Technique (QFT).
Free Resources: Chapter 3 of The Social Studies Field Guide is all about Inquiry. Dive in deeper and grab some free resources at socialstudiesfieldguide.com/chapter-3.
E
E is for EdTech: Power Up Learning
It's time to move beyond the "tech for tech's sake" approach and embrace purposeful technology integration. This means using tech tools that enhance learning, not distract from it.
Our use of technology should focus on increasing access to information, promoting collaboration, and deepening student engagement.
Artificial Intelligence tools are powerful and useful, but let’s be thoughtful about how we integrate them into lesson designs. AI can help teachers generate questions, create parent communication, and find resources. But always remember that we want to outsource the work to AI, not the human element.
The tech landscape is always changing, so it is important to be flexible and willing to adapt. The focus should always be on learning, not the tool.
Free Resources: Chapter 4 of The Social Studies Field Guide is all about Ed Tech. Dive in deeper and grab some free resources at socialstudiesfieldguide.com/chapter-4.
LD
LD is for Learning Design: Connect the Pieces
We often see teachers using evidence or inquiry or tech tools in isolation. However, the FIELD Guide is all about connecting foundational evidence, inquiry, and EdTech into a cohesive learning design that can increase their effectiveness.
This connection should focus on clear learning goals that are aligned to your local and state standards.
Always consider your learners and design your instruction with their backgrounds and experiences in mind, making sure that learning is accessible to all students.
Free Resources: Chapter 5 of The Social Studies Field Guide is all about Learning Design. Dive in deeper and grab some free resources at socialstudiesfieldguide.com/chapter-5.
This is About More Than Just "Covering Content"
The FIELD Guide is more than just a set of strategies. It’s a call to action for teachers who are ready to create engaged and informed citizens able to think critically about the past and present. It's about empowering your students to not just learn about the world but to actively shape it.
This approach values your role as a teacher. You are not just a deliverer of facts, but a facilitator of inquiry and a champion for learning. The Guide provides practical tools and resources to help you implement meaningful changes that empower you and your students. The goal is to make things easier for you, not more complicated.
So . . . are you ready to ditch the lecture and dig into learning? The Social Studies FIELD Guide is a perfect first step to reshaping your instruction. Take a look, try some ideas, adapt them to fit, and transform your classroom bore to blast!
