Preparing students to be informed, literate citizens is one of the primary functions of public schools. But how can students become engaged citizens if they can't read, let alone understand, their social studies texts? Building Literacy in Social Studies addresses this question by presenting the techniques that teachers can use to engage students and build the skills they need to become successful readers, critical thinkers, and active citizens.

By making literacy strategies a vital part of their content-area instruction, teachers not only help students better understand their schoolwork but also open students' eyes to the power that informed and engaged people have to change the world.

This interview was conducted by ASCD project manager and writer Eric Gill.