When you ask an elementary student what their favorite subject in school is, they often reply with “recess” or “lunch.”. Elementary students usually don’t consider social studies to be their favorite subject in school (trust me, when I was that age I did NOT like social studies). As I am now studying for my Bachelor's in History and Education, I’m more aware of how difficult social studies is to learn and understand at a young age. Social studies textbooks are often written at a more difficult reading level than students can understand (never mind that they are filled with just plain facts). Many students get bored and don’t stay engaged when learning about history.
Picture books give elementary students the chance to understand and engage with historical events. It’s important for young children to understand the world we live in and the historical events that have led us to where we are now. For teachers, picture books make it easier for students to think critically about the historical information taught in the curriculum. It’s crucial to note that females are often overlooked in social studies. Social studies picture books can help us to expand outside of a focus on only male figures.
The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson is a perfect example of a female activist picture book that is easy to understand for students in young grade levels. This picture book tells the story of Audrey Faye Hendricks who was a nine-year-old Civil Rights activist. This book will help young students to understand the problems/events that led to the Civil Rights Movement, and the role that children had in the movement. Students will relate to Audrey as an activist because they are around her age, too.
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard brings together social studies and food. Indigenous peoples’ culture and historical struggle against discrimination are often not taught in elementary school. This book explores those concepts through the experience of making and eating fry bread, touching upon cultural, historical, and present-day aspects of Indigenous Peoples. The back matter includes so much historical information… a note to the adult reader - consider reading that part first.
I am Anne Frank (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer is a picture book for children ranging from 5 to 8 years old. This book discusses the Holocaust and introduces Anne Frank and her role during World War II. Discussing Anne Frank and the Holocaust early on in school is important because, when children understand the oppression of Jewish people then, they are better able to think critically about anti-semitism today. This book will leave gaps for parents/teachers to go deeper into discussion about the topic of Anne Frank, the Holocaust, and World War II.
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