Let's Find Out! Social Studies Skills

History is traditionally concerned with written sources of information. But what about the accounts, stories, and beliefs that have never been recorded? The tales of everyday people, servants, minorities, women, and others who lack money or prestige can be told through oral histories. Learn about the efforts made by oral historians in this vivid, timely, fully illustrated volume. By the end, readers will have enough of a grasp of the subject that they can arrange their own interviews and act to preserve what might otherwise be histories lost to time.

In today's vast world of information overload, students need help finding the best and most reliable sources available. This student-friendly book teaches young readers about secondary sources and where to find them. They will learn how to interpret and apply the information they find. Students will meet the C3 Social Studies Framework standards as they build their skills in finding and using evidence to support learning and writing. With sidebar features highlighting key terms and concepts, this book is accessible to young scholars who are ready to dive into nonfiction reading.

What is the difference between a circle graph and a line graph? How do we use charts and tables to organize information? Informational literacy includes more than just reading text. This book helps readers with the vital skill of reading and interpreting graphical data, and presents the various types of charts and graphs at an elemental level. Visual examples illustrate the concepts and enhance learning about infographics. Real-world examples help readers connect with the material. This text is cross-curricular, applying mathematical skills in a social studies context.

Understanding primary sources helps young people become critical thinkers. After learning about the many different types of primary sources, such as diaries, speeches, oral histories, video clips, photographs, newspaper articles, artifacts, and political cartoons, students will understand that they are able to draw their own conclusions about the content in a historical source. They will become aware of the biases and limitations of voices from and about the past. Photographs feature multiple primary sources, while sidebars encourage readers to engage with the text.

Even in a new digital era, where directions are available online at the drop of a hat, students still need to develop the skills to understand, read, and utilize the maps all around them. With this book, young readers can enjoy an informative, lively, and fun-filled resource that introduces them to maps, imparts crucial skills, develops their spatial thinking, and stirs their imaginations. Essential vocabulary, thought-provoking questions, and timely supplementary materials round out this must-have book that will inspire a lifelong appreciation and love for maps.

The importance of archaeological artifacts is explored in this fascinating book, full of real-life examples and photographs of objects and buildings that have been discovered. Readers will learn how artifacts of previous cultures, both near and far, help us learn more about the lives of people who lived before us, and help us understand ourselves better, too. Difficult words are explained in vocabulary boxes, and readers are encouraged to use their imaginations to dig deeper into the ideas presented in the main text, learning skills that can be applied in the classroom and beyond.