The opportunity for students to learn history that reflects their own culture and lived experiences is critical for improving engagement and achievement in the classroom, writes Emily Muellenberg, a high-school social studies teacher in Aurora, Colo. Muellenberg writes that schools can do a better job of representing diverse narratives by updating instructional materials, providing students with the opportunity to pursue their own interests and training teachers in culturally responsive education.

It is important to prioritize learners' well-being and foster meaningful connections in the educational setting, writes Regie Routman, an author and mentor teacher and coach. In this article, Routman writes that through principles like valuing stories and facilitating meaningful conversations, educators can create inclusive, supportive environments in which students can thrive emotionally and intellectually.

New York City's $3.25-million Black studies curriculum is being hailed as historic by experts for offering a model to teach Black history in social studies classrooms. Developed by educators and the Black Education Research Center at Columbia University Teachers College, the curriculum is designed for the city's public school system to emphasize pre-K-12 lessons that acknowledge Black contributions and cultures.

Carrie Cornett, an English teacher at John S. Battle High School in Bristol, Va., is one of 10 US teachers chosen for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Teacher Fellowship Program. Cornett says Holocaust education is "important for people to learn what happened so we can hopefully make changes to prevent that from happening in the future."

The University of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas and Arizona State University are among the institutions of higher education offering courses and degrees related to social media. The programs offered focus on students who are majoring in areas including advertising, journalism, business or politics with courses aligning with digital design, social media management and ethics with an eye toward careers in marketing and communications.

Archaeologists conducting excavations in eastern France have announced the discovery of a mysterious monument likely dating from the Neolithic area. The monument features three interconnected enclosures whose purpose is unclear; the archaeologists also discovered artifacts from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age at the site, suggesting that it was occupied for several millennia.

Researchers and representatives from scientific journal publishers will join the Committee on Publication Ethics to develop guidelines for using and disclosing the use of generative artificial intelligence in manuscripts. A variety of guidelines have been issued by publishers and scientific associations, creating confusion, and the coalition aims to standardize guidance based on a systematic literature review.

NCSS invites its members to apply to volunteer on an Operations Committee, Awards and Grant Selection committee, or Rho Kappa Advisory Council. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of Social Studies education, and build your professional resume. Applications are due April 26. Learn more.

Craft your own classroom-ready inquiries and learn about the benefits and challenges of building an inquiry culture in your school and district from the writers of the C3 Framework and Inquiry Design Model. This two-day in-person experience will take place July 22 to 23 in Washington, D.C. Register now.