The Learning Network: Year-End Roundup | Social Studies, History, Geography and Civics

The school year is drawing to a close, and our lesson plans have already gone on summer vacation. So this week we’re looking back at the 2010-11 school year and collecting the year’s teaching materials by subject matter, starting today with social studies, American history and civics, global history, economics and geography.

Check back on Wednesday for science, health, technology and math and Thursday for language arts, literature, journalism and fine arts. (Even if those aren’t your primary subject areas, you may want to take a look at those collections, as many of our lesson plans are cross-curricular or can be adapted easily for other subjects.)

We hope our resources have been useful to you this year, and as always, we welcome your stories and feedback. Did you use our materials, and if so, how did it go? Do you have suggestions for us? Please share your experiences and thoughts in the comment box below.

Just like last year, this year saw major breaking news events that fairly begged to be addressed in history and social studies, particularly the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the death of Osama bin Laden, the unrest in the Middle East, the publication of sensitive documents provided by WikiLeaks, the mass shooting in Arizona and the rescue of 33 miners in Chile.

Among others, here are our lesson plans from the year in history and social studies.

The Disaster in Japan:

The Upheaval in the Middle East:

WikiLeaks:

The 2010 Midterm Elections:

Education and the Debate Over School Reform:

We also added several new social studies-related resource pages to our Teaching Topics collection, on the following topics:

In addition, we started our Great Ideas From Readers series this year, which consists of interesting ways that teachers are using The New York Times with their students. These included activities for studying the United States Constitution, factories and sweatshops from the Industrial Revolution to the present day, population studies, bullying and global poverty.

And we restarted our popular, beloved and useful On This Day feature.

What a year it has been.

We hope you will encourage your students to continue to track current events and breaking news over their school vacation. Please continue to check in with us over the summer and as you start your curriculum planning for the fall. As always, thank you for teaching with The New York Times.

We'll begin publishing our favorites on May 31, and will publish a new favorite every day through June 13.

A list of our most popular teaching materials this school year, and information about summer 2011.

“ Personally, I think that everyone has a little fault if the child is failing the class. The child has fault in failing, because they aren't putting an effort into becoming smarter, wiser and more educated. It is the parent's fault, because sometimes when they are too open minded and free, they lose a grip on their child which can often lead to rebellion, failing and bad parent/kid relations. Somehow, it is also the teachers fault, because they can result in being helpful by either encouraging the kid, constantly reminding them of things, and talk to their parents in how their situation may improve. ”

“ I go to some prep school, the one that advertises itself with some phony looking jockey and his horse jumped over a fence, even though there's no jockeys or horses here. Figures, matches the school pretty well. Built off of lies. Most of the guys here would be "popular," I guess. All egotistical and conforming. The school likes to mold boys, anyway, so it's probably the adult's fault. Conforming, yeah, probably fits too. But, you know, most adults aren't "quirky," like you say. They get by by being phonies, with their corny clothes and "politeness" and stuff. Doesn't make much sense why people like the phonies so much.”

Select Month June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 November 1999 October 1999 September 1999 August 1999 July 1999 June 1999 May 1999 April 1999 March 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 September 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 01

This word has appeared in seven New York Times articles in the past year.

May 31

Our lessons are on summer vacation, but here's a look back at social studies-related lessons from the 2010-11 school year.

May 31

We've chosen this and nine other student poems as our favorites from over 650 submissions. Check back each weekday through June 13 to read them all.

May 31

Student Opinion | How does being bilingual help in non-language aspects of life?

May 31

6 Q's About the News | How much progress has been made in the battle against H.I.V. and AIDS?