One place for every free resource you need before class—organized by week, with the assigned section, a purpose for reading, and an honest time estimate.
Keep it simple
Find the week. Dates follow the Fall 2026 university calendar.
Open the resource. Every required source here is free to access.
Follow “What to do.” It tells you what to notice before the readiness check or reflection.
Standard deadline: Unless Brightspace lists an exception, online work is due by 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, the evening before Thursday class. Brightspace remains the official source for quiz availability, announcements, and instructor-approved changes.
Required preparation
Aug. 17–21 · 30–35 min total
Edutopia
What to do: Read. Notice two reasons social studies belongs in the elementary day and one idea for integration.
Open free resourceAug. 24–28 · 30–40 min total
Missouri DESE
What to do: Use the K–5 standards section. Find the expectations for one grade and be ready to explain the code.
Open free resourceMissouri DESE
What to do: Read for the difference between the state learning goal and the local plan for reaching it.
Open free resourceAug. 31–Sept. 4 · 35–45 min total
Missouri DESE
What to do: Scan across grades. Choose one concept and trace how the expectation grows from an early grade to a later grade.
Open free resourceSept. 7–11 · 30–40 min total
Missouri DESE
What to do: Read the introduction, then examine the priority standard for the grade you selected in Week 2. Note possible evidence of learning.
Open free resourceSept. 14–18 · 20–30 min total
Edutopia
What to do: Read. Select one discussion move you would use with elementary students and be prepared to model it.
Open free resourceSept. 21–25 · 25–35 min total
National Council for the Social Studies
Assigned section: Read pp. 16–18; use the four-dimension overview on pp. 12–13 as a reference.
What to do: Identify the four dimensions and draft one compelling question suitable for an elementary inquiry.
Open free resourceSept. 28–Oct. 2 · 40–50 min total
Library of Congress
What to do: Read and follow one search route. Locate one primary source that an elementary learner could examine.
Open free resourceOct. 5–9 · 0 min
No ELE 438 class or preparation
Oct. 12–16 · 25–35 min total
National Geographic Education
What to do: Open the MapMaker collection and follow its link to the mapping tool. Identify one map layer or feature that could help elementary students answer a geographic question.
Open free resourceOct. 19–23 · 25–35 min total
iCivics
What to do: Preview the activity as a teacher. Note how it introduces community needs, choices, and civic participation.
Open free resourceOct. 26–30 · 25–35 min total
Federal Reserve Education
What to do: View/read the assigned material. Bring one child-friendly example of scarcity and the choice it requires.
Open free resourceNov. 2–6 · 40–50 min total
Missouri State Archives & State Library
What to do: Explore and choose one Missouri source connected to a place or community you know.
Open free resourceEdutopia
What to do: Read for the sequence from local question to student product. Connect one idea to your selected Missouri source.
Open free resourceNov. 9–13 · 30–40 min total
Communication-arts collaboration is provisional
Missouri DESE
What to do: Study how one learning experience can provide evidence for both social studies and communication arts expectations.
Open free resourceDocsTeach / National Archives
What to do: Examine the map and its catalog information. List two observations, one inference, and one question about credibility or context.
Open free resourceNov. 16–20 · 30–40 min total
Communication-arts collaboration is provisional
National Council for the Social Studies
What to do: Browse the current lists and select one title that could strengthen an elementary social studies inquiry. Note why it fits.
Open free resourceNov. 23–27 · 0 min
No class or preparation
Nov. 30–Dec. 4 · 50–55 min total
National Council for the Social Studies
Assigned section: Read pp. 59–64: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action.
What to do: Read for ways students communicate conclusions and take informed action. Use one idea when revising your final portfolio.
Open free resourceIf a link does not work
Check Brightspace first for an updated link or accessible alternative. If the problem remains, take a screenshot or copy the address and contact Dr. Turner.