Back-to-School Refresh: Foundational Social Studies Skills

Explore Ways to Help Students Analyze Quotes

The start of the school year is the ideal time to establish classroom routines. At the same time, teachers are expected to teach essential social studies skills that students will rely on throughout the year. Juggling these tasks, along with countless other demands, can be overwhelming. And with literacy rates dropping nationwide, educators are increasingly called on to reinforce literacy skills across subjects.

That’s where Britannica Expedition: Learn! comes in; ease into building literacy skills using our newest content spotlight, all about teaching students to analyze quotes. Quotes, while typically short, can be complicated. Analyzing quotes requires repeated practice and consistent application across various social studies topics. Explore how our experts use quotation analysis to kick off the Landmark Cases: Marbury, Tinker, Hazelwood lesson. 

Explore how our experts use the Landmark Cases: Marbury, Tinker, Hazelwood lesson to analyze primary sources through quotation analysis—just in time for back to school!

Analyzing Quotes with Expedition: Learn! 

Quotes are often used as primary sources in state assessments, and analyzing them requires students to apply vocabulary knowledge, interpret complex texts, and think critically. 

Teach Britannica’s Quote Analysis activity helps you weave these skills into your social studies routine. With regular use, students can become more confident in drawing meaning and identifying multiple perspectives. They will purposefully engage with rich content while strengthening the literacy skills essential for academic success and navigating the world.

When using Teach Britannica’s Quote Analysis activity, consider:

  • Presenting the quote at the beginning of a lesson or unit to spark interest
  • Prompting students to define unfamiliar terms
  • Relating the quote to contemporary issues
  • Providing the necessary context
  • Closing a lesson or unit with the quote as a final reflection 
  • Pairing the quote with an image to deepen understanding

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! helps students develop meaningful skills that they can use in and out of the classroom, all year long! Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Explore other ways to use the featured lesson, Landmark Cases: Marbury, Tinker, Hazelwood, alongside our full Content Spotlight, which features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!

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About The Author

Emily Campchero

Social Studies Lead Subject Matter Expert
Emily began her career working in Title I schools, specializing in gifted, MLL, and bilingual education. She has led teams to create content and curriculum at the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and Teachers College–Columbia University as well as for public school systems such as the New York City and Florida departments of education and the Texas Education Agency. Emily holds a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College–Columbia University and a bachelor's of science in International Trade and Marketing, with minors in Economics and Latin American Studies, from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

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