{"id":89,"date":"2016-08-28T01:13:46","date_gmt":"2016-08-28T01:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/teachingwiththemes.com\/?page_id=89"},"modified":"2025-09-13T10:06:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T10:06:07","slug":"family-food-housing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/teachingwiththemes.com\/index.php\/family-food-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"InvestigatingInvestigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies<\/a><\/em>, a book of social history by Cynthia W. Resor<\/a>, asks readers to critically examine their own daily routines by comparing them with those of average people in the past.<\/p>\n

What people ate, where people lived, and the functions of families are examined from ancient times to the 20th century. These daily realities are contrasted to subjective, cultural ideals prescribing what families, food, and housing ought<\/em> to have been. Readers are asked to consider if what historical sources communicate about family, food, and houses are always accurate. In other words, is everything we know about the past\u00a0 \u201creally a thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies<\/em> is social history<\/a>, emphasizing the relationship between housing, food, and family and social class, status, and sex and gender. How everyday life and routines from the pre-industrial era evolved into our modern lives, what has changed, and what has stayed the same are explored.<\/p>\n

This book is excellent for general readers who love learning about everyday life in the past. Educators in museums, public history sites such as historic houses, and classroom teachers will find this book especially helpful. Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies <\/em>is a concise history of family, food, and housing from the ancient, pre-industrial era, through the transformations of the Industrial Revolution and into the 20th century, providing the background busy educators need for effective teaching of these topics.<\/p>\n

Each chapter includes excerpts from key historical\/primary source texts, historical images,\u00a0 essential<\/a> or compelling questions to focus inquiry, and suggestions for learning activities. Critical analysis and literacy skills are addressed through the suggested primary source excerpts and activities.<\/p>\n

This unique approach to teaching history and social studies in the elementary, middle, or secondary classroom supports thematic instruction. Thematic teaching or thematic instruction<\/a> highlights a theme through a thematic unit, or a course, or a series of courses within the social studies, or across disciplinary lines to make connections to other classes. Thematic teaching of social history themes connects the past to the daily lives of students, creating more interest in the past and encouraging students to analyze their own lives and culture more closely.<\/p>\n

Each themed chapter also includes suggestions for extending each theme to current events, the local community through place-based education<\/a>, and across cultures for culturally responsive teaching.<\/p>\n