Teaching Social Studies: A Literacy-Based Approach offers innovative ideas and new directions for teaching social studies. By integrating powerful literacy strategies into instruction, social studies teachers can motivate students to deepen their understanding of social studies concepts and ultimately strengthen their overall comprehension. This book addresses how to teach social studies for understanding and how literature can enhance this process. Chapters feature big ideas to guide planning and instruction, book links to encourage the integration of children's literature and informational sources, and lesson planning tools to help readers design responsive instruction. Margin notes provide readers with additional information such as history connections, useful websites, and fresh teaching ideas.