Ways That Work is an idea book from start to finish, modeling several different ways social studies content can be organized in elementary and middle school classrooms. Each chapter:
-- identifies a specific standard and a goal
-- presents strategies to help teachers achieve the goal
-- outlines how to put the strategies into place
-- describes essential skills teachers can develop
-- suggests ways to incorporate other subject areas, especially language arts and literature
-- presents proven assessment techniques
-- concludes with a detailed bibliography of student books and references.

Together, the chapters illustrate that there is no one way to teach social studies -- that the magic of teaching social studies lies in the richness of the available content, the variety of strategies to choose from, and the diversity of viewpoints to explore. The value of Ways That Work increases as teachers make the strategies their own. Both preservice and inservice teachers will find it a source of fresh ideas for their classrooms.