This practical methods text takes an interdisciplinary approach to teaching social studies and considers how social studies can be taught effectively by linking to other content areas. The fourth edition has been reorganized and revised to provide thorough, broad based coverage of the key content areas within elementary and middle school social studies, including History, Geography, Economics, and Civic Education. It also emphasizes bilingual and multicultural content for each specific content area, and features the experiences and valuable insights of classroom teachers and college faculty members. Excellent technology resources for social studies instruction are included in each chapter. The text content is also linked to the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) teaching standards by offering NCSS-linked lesson plans within each chapter.