Using NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books in K-12 Classrooms

About the journal

Social Studies Research and Practice (SSRP) is a quality peer-reviewed, electronic journal. Research and practice manuscripts in the journal address education issues in the social sciences and humanities disciplines (e.g. history, geography, civics, economics) as well as interdisciplinary perspectives.

Areas of interest

The journal aims to address education from preschool through university studies in the social sciences and humanities by:

• Providing forums for the online dissemination of research
• Disseminating ideas that enhance the practical aspects of instruction
• Furthering knowledge and understanding of powerful innovative research and practice
• Fostering debate about the implementation of research into education

About the special issue

This Special Issue of Social Studies Research and Practice (SSRP) will provide a collection of practitioner-aimed lesson plans for primary, intermediate, and/or secondary classrooms that utilize the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) award-winning Notable Social Studies Trade Books. The NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Awards are, “given annually to exceptional books for use in social studies classrooms in grades K-12 that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups, are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text” (NCSS, 2025). 

Notable Trade Book Lesson Plans included in the issue will demonstrate strong examples of pedagogy in primary and secondary schools and teacher education programs while utilizing NCSS award-winning children’s and young adult literature. Topics of the lesson plans published will be varied as they address wide-ranging themes of social studies and specific and particular social studies content and skills for students. This SSRP Special Issue will highlight the works of authors who are teacher educators/scholars and practitioners within the field of social studies education and global education and showcase the myriad of ways social studies can be taught in early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school classrooms when strong literature is used to support the teaching of social studies. A further aim of the special issue is to recognize the stellar efforts of social studies instructors and to provide a means for the dissemination of their work for replication in K-12 social studies classrooms and teacher education programs. Lesson plans will address national standards, target specific bands of grade levels, and utilize effective teaching strategies. Formerly published SSRP Notable Trade Book Lesson plans should serve as guides for submissions. All the books chosen for lessons should be from recent years of the NCSS Notable Trade Book Awards lists. 
 

Submissions Information

Submissions should by made by July 5th 2025.

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts.  Registration and access are available here.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please note that Notable Books submissions need use only those criteria relevant to a practice manuscript and may add additional comments as needed. Please see here.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”. Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Notable Books Editor Holly Hilboldt Swain - [email protected] - can be contacted for more information.