Curriculum Laboratory Social Studies Teaching Resources

For further assistance in using any of the resources in the Lab, please ask at the Curriculum Lab Information Services Desk

Define your topic, and check basic sources. Social studies is a broad term which integrates history, geography, economics, political science, social sciences, behavioral sciences and humanities.  Therefore, when searching for Social Studies teaching resources, there is no single area of the Curriculum Laboratory, or in the University Library, which holds all the pertinent resources.

For example, information on Canada is dispersed throughout the Curriculum Laboratory collection:

• 305.8  Multiculturalism in Canada
• 306.85  Canadian families
• 320.471  Canadian politics and government
• 330.971  Canadian economics
• 349.71  Canadian law
• 360s  Social problems & services in Canada
• 917.1  Geography of Canada
• 971s  History of Canada

You may want to use a big dictionary like Webster's Third International Dictionary (CURLB Info Desk 423 Web), or a general encyclopedia like The World Book Encyclopedia (031 Wor), to generate a list of terms.  If the topic is Canadian in scope, it may be useful to consult a Canadian dictionary like The Canadian Oxford Dictionary (423 Can), or The Canadian Encyclopedia, either in the adult edition (971.003 Can), or the junior edition (971.003 Jun). You can also use The World Book Online at the Online Reference Centre at the LearnAlberta.ca web site.

In Social Studies, you will often need to use atlases, such as the standard Canadian Oxford School Atlas (8th ed.) (912 Can Gr.7-12), and The Living Atlas (912 Car Gr.1-6). Outline maps can be found in the following resources: Canada and the World : an Atlas Resource (2nd ed.) (912.71 Mat Gr.7-12 v.1-2) especially in the back of the teacher's guide (v.2) and Maps on File (912 Map v.1-2) and Historical Maps on File (911 His v.1-2).

Get relevant Alberta curriculum publications.  In Alberta schools, the new Social Studies curriculum has two or three topics per grade from grades EC-9, and 1 key issue for grades 10-12. The new Social Studies curriculum for grades EC-12 was gradually implemented, starting in 2005, and completed in 2009.

The primary curriculum resources for Social Studies are the programs of studies for Elementary, Junior High and Senior High which are found in the general program of studies, located at "375 General Alta." followed by the respective grade levels.  These publications cover what must be taught in Alberta schools. The new Social Studies programs of studies for grades 6, 9 and 12, are housed in a binder on the shelf behind the Curriculum Laboratory Information Services Desk titled Social Studies, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (Info Desk 375 SocSci Alta. Gr.EC-12 Ref.). The newly implemented Social Studies program of studies for grades 6, 9, and 12 can also be found online at Alberta Education, or at the LearnAlberta.ca web site.

The other core curriculum resource (aka the Social Studies Online Guide to Implementation) for all grades is now totally imbedded within the Social Studies Program of Studies on the LearnAlberta.ca web site. It is only available online at LearnAlberta.ca, accessed by using the current Faculty of Education's username and password, and can no longer be found as a separate entity. Once you have signed into LearnAlberta.ca, follow these steps:

• Click on the tab "Find Resources by: Programs of Study."
• Choose the language in which you wish to view the document.
• Under "Core Programs," select "Social Studies."
• On the right-hand side of the page, click on the desired Social Studies Program of Studies. Besides the regular Social Studies curriculum for grades EC-12, there is also a distinct curriculum for Social Studies in the Knowledge and Employability program for Grades 8-9, and 10-11.

There are Social Studies teaching units for grades 7-12 that are published by Elk Island Public Schools, or Strathcona County Board of Education, which are based on the old Alberta Social Studies curriculum, and shelved at 300.7 Soc. Although these units are not on the "Recommended" list from Alberta Education, and cover the old Social Studies curriculum, some parts of these units are still quite useful because the new topics are similar to those in the old curriculum. Just make sure that all the Social Studies objectives found in the new Programs of Studies are satisfied.

There are a number of documents which provide testing material, including Alberta achievement tests and diploma examinations:

• The Key : Social 9, Study Guide (375 SocSci Alta.Gr.9). The "Key" is published by Castle Rock Research Corporation, and examines all the major concepts taught in that particular grade, plus includes some sample final exams and complete solutions for all questions. There are other Social Studies keys for grades 10-12.
• Social Studies 30 : Grade 12 Diploma Examination (375 SocSci Alta. Gr.12). There are samples of Alberta Education diploma examinations for Social Studies 30 for the last 5 years. However, we do not have the most recent exams, since these are kept secure by Alberta Education for actual use in the schools in current and upcoming years.
• Social Studies 33 : Grade 12 Diploma Examination (375 SocSci Alta. Gr.12). There are sample of Alberta Education diploma examinations for Social Studies 33 for the last 5 years. However, we do not have the most recent exams, since these are kept secure by Alberta Education for actual use in the schools in current and upcoming years.

The Social Studies curriculum for any other province or territory in Canada can be found by following the links at the end of the What are Curriculum Publications? handout.  Historical Social Studies curriculum for any province or territory in Canada, or any state in the United States can be found on microfiche, is located in the Curriculum Laboratory's satellite collections.

Find basic and support resources recommended by Alberta Education.

The Curriculum Laboratory orders most resources which have been approved for use in the classroom by Alberta Education. We order these items from the Learning Resources Centre (LRC). To find out what resources are recommended by Alberta Education:

• Go to the Curriculum Laboratory main webpage.
• Click on the link "Alberta Education Authorized Resources Database."
• You can select your "Curriculum Area," and "Grade Level."  The resulting long list of resources will include items such as student textbooks, teacher's manuals, student workbooks, blackline masters, test banks, other books, CD-ROMs, DVDs, distance education resources, etc.


• If you only want to find out which resources are considered the basic textbooks for that grade and subject, do the same search as above, except choose "Student Basic " from the "Authorization Status" menu.

Social Studies Textbooks

Search the Library Catalogue.  For subject searches, start with "Subject Heading" (Library of Congress) Search, and  browse the subject headings and "related subjects" which come up on the screen.  Start with the major topic first, remembering to always limit your search to the Location U of L- Curriculum Laboratory.  If you are having trouble finding appropriate resources, use some of the terms brainstormed in step #1.

If you are looking for information and resources on multiculturalism, there are two handouts on the Curriculum Laboratory web site which provide good starting points:  Searching for Multicultural Library Materials for Students and  Recommended Books for Promoting Multiculturalism .   The following books contains bibliographies on aspects of multiculturalism:

• Contemporary Books Reflecting Canada's Cultural Diversity (971.004 Str)
• Across Cultures : a Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children (305.8 Eas) -- multiculturalism around the world
• Cultural Journeys : Multicultural Literature For Children and Young Adults (305.8 Gat), and
• Kaleidoscope : a Multicultural Booklist For Grades K-8 (3rd ed.) (016.3058 Kal)

With First Nations also being an important part of Canadian society, the following four bibliographical resources recommends books written by and about First Nations:

• Native Americans in Children's Literature (MAINC PS 173 I6 S76 1995),
• Roots and Branches : a Resource of Native American Literature : Themes, Lessons and Bibliographies (808.897 Sus)
• Through Indian Eyes : the Native Experience in Books For Children (970.1 Sla). This book also compiles a list of criteria by which books about First Nations should be evaluated, and
• Aboriginal Collection Online is a resource published by Edmonton Public Schools. (an online database available to Education students on the Digital Resource Subscriptions web page).

It can be very useful to integrate children's and young adult literature on the topic currently being taught in the Social Studies classroom.  You can find relevant fiction on a specific topic by typing into the Library Catalogue the topic PLUS the word "fiction" behind it. For example, World War 1939-1945 fiction will retrieve fictionalized accounts about World War II. 

You might also want to consult some of the print bibliographical tools for literature, which will provide a listing of books on specific topics.  Cultural Connections : Using Literature to Explore World Cultures With Children (306 Job) is a bibliography of books which enhances students' understanding of the literature and cultures of the world. Two of the best Canadian bibliographical resources are the Edmonton Public Schools' Children's Literature Arrangements (011.62 Hus Gr.EC-6), Literature Connections (011.62 Lit Gr.7-12), or Literature Arrangements (an online database available to Education students on the Digital Resource Subscriptions web page).

If you are unhappy with the results of an author, title, or subject search, broaden your search using Keyword Search.

It searches the author, title, subject and notes fields of an item record.  You might want to use some of the terms brainstormed in step #1.

Browse the shelves. (If you only want to search for materials in the Curriculum Lab, click on the Limit this search button and then change the location from ANY to U of L -Curriculum Lab.):

Curriculum Lab hints and helps:  Since resources for Social Studies topics can be widely scattered throughout the Curriculum Laboratory, depending on what aspect you want to emphasize, the best way to find them is by searching the Library Catalogue.  Especially for Social Studies topics, there are some very valuable resources in some of the other collections in the Curriculum Laboratory.  If you have determined a call number under which most of the relevant resources can be found, remember to take that same call number to look in the other collections for:
• kits in Oversize
• pamphlets, maps, unit plans (grades 1-11, but not all topics), etc. in the Vertical File
• maps, flags and charts in the HangUps
• pictures, charts, maps and posters in the Picture File

There are several audiovisual resources (in print and on the shelf behind the Curriculum Laboratory Information Services Desk) or online:

• Southern Alberta Learning Resource Centre Catalogue (Info Desk 011.37 Sou 2005/06 Ref.) which lists videorecordings that can be loaned by teachers in Southern Alberta, and through the school when student teachers are on practicum in Southern Alberta.
• National Film Board of Canada Resource Catalogue (Info Desk 011.37 Nat 2007/08 Ref.) which lists videorecordings and DVDs which can be purchased from the National Film Board of Canada, but cannot be loaned from there. Once you have a title or two, search them in the online Library Catalogue to see whether they are available at the University of Lethbridge, or perhaps they may be available from the Lethbridge Public Library, or from a school (when you are there on practicum).
• Discovery Education Streaming Digital Multimedia Clips -- Licensed for Faculty of Education students and staff, this site provides downloadable digital video clips for teaching across the curriculum. It includes tutorial clips for using this product in the classroom.
• COAC (Alberta Video Co-acquisition Consortium) -- Licensed for Faculty of Education students and staff, this is a database of 270+ streamed video programs available to all schools who are a members of COAC. To browse the titles you can access through many of the schools in Alberta, select "search video library" from the menu on the left. Click the "search" button without entering any search parameters.
• LearnAlberta.ca -- Provides quality digital learning and teaching resources correlated to Alberta Education's kindergarten to Grade 12 programs of study, including curriculum documents and teaching materials formerly found in the online Guides to Implementation. Go to the tab "Find resources by: Search" and limit the search by media format, then further narrow the search by grade, subject, language, or other criteria. The site includes the Online Reference Centre, a source of digital databases, encyclopedias, newspapers for students, as well as excellent literature resources for social studies.

Check the Education Indexes/Databases on the Library Home Page. For a more comprehensive list of journal indexes, you can select "Journal Indexes By Subject", and select "Social sciences," "Humanities," or a specific discipline within Social sciences (e.g. History, Economics, Geography).

• For a list of general education journal indexes, which can be used to search for articles on teaching social studies or social sciences, select "Education" under "Journal Indexes by Subject."

• CPI.Q (Canadian Periodicals Index). Is a comprehensive list of Canadian and international journals, magazines, selected sections of the Globe and Mail, Canadian biographies, and other reference content, all with a Canadian focus.  e.g. "bullying" or "Blackfoot Indians."

• Canadian Newsstand provides full-text to over 190 Canadian news sources.  Includes articles, columns, features, editorials, obituaries, and letters to the editor. Excellent for finding the latest news and/or current events.  e.g. "economy" and "alberta."

• E-STAT.  An interactive learning tool designed by Statistics Canada for the education community.  Provides statistics on a variety of topics, including the Canadian Census (recent and historical). 

• The Curriculum Laboratory's Teacher's Sites lists many of the main Internet sites used by teachers, such as Alberta Education, LRC Resources Catalogues, and some comprehensive education sites containing educational issues and lesson plans, technology sites for teachers, etc.
• The Curriculum Laboratory's Great Sites for Educators contains useful links such as Digital Resource Subscriptions (LearnAlberta.ca, Discovery Education Streaming Digital Multimedia Clips, COAC), Digital Reference resources, Kid's Sites, Lesson Plans, and links for Specific School Subjects (e.g. Social Studies).
• ERIC Digests provide short reports which give you an overview of any educational topic.
• Search the Alberta Heritage site for information about Alberta's past and present.  Provides information about the archives, heritage organizations, historic sites, interpretive centres and museums that preserve and interpret our heritage.  As well, discover the happenings and events in and around the province.
• Search the CBC web site for comprehensive and current news, entertainment, sports and business. But it is not only a source of current information. The CBC Digital Archives site provides more than 7 decades of radio and television programming, including a vast array of live news broadcasts, interviews, and documentaries. The Curriculum Laboratory also has a number of videos titled CBC-TV News in Review (070.195 CBC) which are mostly programs from the CBC program "The Journal." We have the complete video collection of those programs from Sept. 1990 to May 1994, plus some other specific (and more recent) months. The video programs are accompanied by a resource guide, which provides background information to the specific programs, plus other relevant information on those topics.

• Many resources are available to Social Studies teachers from outside sources, when educational use is specified.  You can obtain valuable information from:
• Travel and Tourism departments
• Museums (ie. Galt Museum)
• Foreign embassies
• Government departments (municipal, provincial, federal)
• local Chamber of Commerce
• resource people in the community, and
• Free material catalogues (search in the Library Catalogue under subject "free material--catalogs")
  • Educators guide to free social studies materials (900.16 Edu Ref. 2002-03)
  • Elementary teachers guide to free curriculum materials (372.0294 Ele Ref. 2002-03)

• Make use of Inter-library loan.
• Use the public library, or other libraries.