Teachers comment that there is no time in the day to cover social studies as they struggle to implement new programs designed to increase the reading levels of the students in their classrooms. Successfully adapting the project called Kids Voting USA during the fall, 2004 election helped pre-service teachers learn how to infuse civic learning goals, social studies, and voting education into the primary classroom on a daily basis. Pre-service teachers taught lessons on the voting process to students in a public school district in grades kindergarten through second, during their internship course in the fall of 2004. Students learned how their vote made a difference and discussed the issues when presented with the facts. Pre-service teachers developed a list of childrens literature to support the skills that were being taught. Data compiled at the end of the project confirmed that the students were able to use their skills across the curriculum while pre-service teachers not only increased their understanding of civic learning goal, but also increased their own knowledge of the voting process.

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Susan Catapano, Ed.D. is an associate professor in early childhood education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has her doctorate in early childhood and adult education. Her research areas include preparing new teachers for urban schools and infusing service learning into teacher education. Contact information: catapano@umsl.edu, University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Kim H. Song, Ed.D. is an assistant professor in elementary education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has her doctorate in Instructional Process. Her research areas include standards-based assessment, reflective teaching practice, social studies content knowledge and instructional technology, and urban teachers beliefs in teaching and learning. Contact information: songk@umsl.edu, University of Missouri-St. Louis.