Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Social Studies Opinion

Teaching Social Studies Isn’t for the Faint of Heart

By Larry Ferlazzo — July 20, 2022 4 min read
Messed up puzzle pieces of an American flag on a dark blue background
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During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is Teaching Social Studies.

You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

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1. Teaching About Slavery in the United States? Start With Honesty

Strategies have to include teachers acknowledging what they don’t know and recognizing they have to convey some ugly truths. Read more.

2. Strategies for Using Art in Math, English, Science, and History

Employing art to explore geometric patterns and to scaffold essay writing are among the ways educators can use art in their classes. Read more.

3. Introducing Primary Sources to Students

Five educators share strategies for introducing primary sources to students, including English-language learners. Read more.

4. Eight Ways to Teach With Primary Sources

Four educators share ways they use primary sources with students, including a strategy called “Zoom,” and I don’t mean the meeting platform. Read more.

5. ‘Standing Up for What Is Right': Teaching in the Aftermath of the Presidential Election

Four teachers explain how they are handling this year’s—2020—presidential election in their classrooms. Read more.

6. Post-Election Teaching Strategies

Four teachers share suggestions for lessons following the 2020 election, including focusing on local issues and practicing media literacy. Read more.

7. Readers Respond: Should Politics Be Kept Out of the Classroom?

Many readers share their responses to the question of politics in the classroom, ranging from the importance of separating it from “partisanship” to stating that “teaching is political.” Read more.

8. ‘Keeping Politics Out of the Classroom Is Like Keeping the Water Out of Rain’

Four educators consider how to explore politics in the classroom, including by incorporating multiple perspectives and ensuring all student voices are heard. Read more.

9. Politics Belongs in the Classroom

Four educators discuss the importance of bringing politics into the classroom, including to help students develop skills in discourse and information literacy. Read more.

10. ‘Classrooms Are Political’

Four educators push back against the admonition to “keep politics out of the classroom” by, among other things, explaining that schools are part of a broader political system. Read more.

More Q&A posts about teaching social studies:


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The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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