From the Eno River to the Classroom, A Social Studies Lesson in Real Time

From the Eno River to the Classroom, A Social Studies Lesson in Real Time

When I was teaching from 2011 to 2017, social studies was my favorite subject—not just for the maps and timelines, but for what they revealed about how power moves.  The classes explained who makes decisions, who carries their cost, and how geography and governance collide. In 4th grade, North Carolina history is the star. We teach our students how rivers like the Eno shaped trade and settlement, how industries grew from natural resources, and h…