Effective Best Practices in Social Studies Education: Empowering Students Despite Institutional Barriers

Social Studies has remained a prevalent feature of the curriculum taught in the United States education system since the start of the 20th century as society became concerned with teaching children to be active citizens in their communities, and has evolved to integrate the development of critical and historical thinking skills that will enable students to analyze historical events and figures to generate a historical narrative (Coleman, 2021; Smith et al., 1995). The lack of standardized tests centered around social studies has meant that legislation like No Child Left Behind limits the funding provided to social studies as opposed to English, Mathematics, and Science, which has resulted in slow approval of new social studies curriculum, funding issues within individual school systems, and less time being devoted to social studies classes (O’Conner et al., 2007). Therefore, to combat obstacles within the school system that place social studies at a disadvantage, teachers need to utilize effective instructional strategies considered by prior research to be the best practices for social studies education. Instructional strategies deemed to be the best practices to use in social studies classes are effective because they empower students to be an active participant in their learning, and to take on an increased amount of responsibility for their learning as they interpret historical events and figures to generate their own understanding of history and identify historical patterns that have resulted in the social issues that persist in modern society (Bolinger and Warren, 2007, Hattie and Timperley, 2007)

Medical Advancements in Type One Diabetes Management Methods: An Expanded Literature Review

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by either a lack of insulin or an insulin sensitivity in the body resulting in an increased blood glucose level. Diabetes can be broken up into two types: type one and type two. Type one diabetes is an autoimmune condition caused by the destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This results in a complete lack of insulin, leading to hyperglycemia. On the contrary, type two diabetes is a condition specified by an acquired sensitivity to insulin over time also resulting in hyperglycemia. There is no cure, but those with diabetes require treatment in order to manage their disease. The style of treatment is different between type one and type two diabetes, and even further, diabetics will have an individualized mode of managing their diabetes to best suit their lifestyle. Since type one diabetics are completely dependent upon insulin therapy to live, preexisting treatment methods and furthering research is imperative. There are new and emerging technologies and devices to aid diabetics in better managing their disease. This results in tighter glucose control, thus reducing the risk of complications from poorly controlled diabetes. For example, neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy can result from constant hyperglycemia in the body. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to make available the methods of treatment needed for diabetics in order to maintain their health. Purpose: The purpose of this review is to analyze and compile literature about the advancements made and subsequent research for new methods of diabetes management. When speaking on behalf of the nursing profession, it is important for nurses to be aware of diabetes management methods so that they are well suited to provide the appropriate care to diabetic patients in the healthcare setting. Methods: An expanded literature review was conducted utilizing PubMed. A combination of search terms was used and yielded 158 results. Of those within the last year (2024-2025), 22 journal articles were selected. Results: Across the various literature sources utilized, studies and findings about advancements in type one diabetes management are found. These advancements show a positive impact on the health of people living with type one diabetes. Conclusions: Overall findings suggest that type one diabetics have several methods to manage their disease that can best fit their personal health and lifestyle choices. With new and emerging technologies and further research, it can be expected that the realm of diabetes management will grow, thus benefiting those with the disease. This, in turn, impacts the nursing profession in that nurses’ roles and responsibilities of caring for diabetic patients are altered to adapt to these new technologies. This includes becoming proficient in using these new diabetic tools, interpreting data and trends to assist in treatment, and providing patient education to ensure diabetic health amongst patients

“Cry Harder!”: How Parents Traffic Their Children Through Forced Child Begging and Child Labor

This thesis examines the complex intersection of socioeconomic and cultural factors influencing forced child begging, a form of human trafficking, across different global regions. Through comprehensive literature analysis and examination of data from the Global K-anonymized Dataset from Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (2021), this research reveals a critical gap in human trafficking discourse: the absence of a unified definition and understanding of forced child begging. Despite affecting millions of children worldwide, forced child begging remains fragmented in academic literature, scattered across disciplines including child welfare, anthropology, and media studies rather than being centrally addressed in anti-trafficking frameworks. The research identifies that while street-based begging by older boys in regions like Senegal represents the most documented form, other manifestations such as internet-based exploitation through family vlogging and kidfluencer culture meet the same criteria yet receive minimal recognition. The study highlights inconsistencies in policy approaches, noting that NGOs like Anti-Slavery International, Polaris, and Freedom United provide the most comprehensive frameworks for addressing this issue. This thesis concludes that forced child begging constitutes a severe human rights violation that operates in plain sight, sustained by interconnected societal problems including poverty, inequality, and food insecurity. By establishing the need for definitional clarity and cross-disciplinary recognition, this research lays groundwork for more targeted interventions and reveals how human trafficking manifests in everyday environments, often unrecognized despite its pervasiveness

On and Off the Court: Who am I?

From a very young age, athletically gifted individuals are encouraged to pursue their sport. This can lead to a strong maturity in an athletic sense, yet it comes at the expense of other areas of development. The early commitments to sport require the individual to make sacrifices that allow them to gain competency over others, as a result, additional values and identifying characteristics get pushed aside. Further, athletes are known for performing in the spotlight. Every game has an audience and one team ends up a winner, the other a loser. Typically, the athletes experience the highs of victory and the lows of losing to the fullest extent. This means the individual learns to measure worth through physical production (points scored, games won, plays made, etc.). When an athlete reaches the end of their career, what does this transition out of sport look like? What effect does it have on the individual in terms or mental and emotional toll? How tightly woven is athleticism to the individual’s identity and what role does it play in their perspective as a person? Through three interviews with former professional athletes, this project explores the topic of athletic identity creation and loss. This 40-minute documentary shares the story of the three athlete\u27s introduction to athletics, adolescence with the sport through high school, the collegiate experience as well as the professional experience, and finally the transition out of sport into retirement. In conclusion, this research project aims to better understand when and how athletic identity is created, which factors reinforce the athlete’s motivations and finally what helps an athlete transition out of their sport in a positive way

Effects of Thermal Interface Materials on Thermal Conductivity Measurement Using a Modified ASTM D5470 Thermal Resistance Tester

In this paper, we have investigated the effect of thermal interface materials (TIMs) on the accuracy and uncertainty of thermal conductivity measurements. A modified ASTM D5470 thermal resistance tester (TRT) is developed to measure the out-of-plane thermal conductivity of pyrolytic graphite (PG) and grade 2 titanium (TiG2) with and without TIMs. Compared to the ASTM D5470 standard, this modified design uses three thermocouples per side to support regressive analysis and explores the use of TIMs.s Nine PG samples and four TiG2 samples of varying thickness have been tested to obtain thermal resistance as a function of sample thickness. The steady-state temperature profiles were used for heat flux and thermal resistance calculation. The results reveal that TIMs significantly reduce measurement uncertainty for both samples, i.e., 42.85% for TiG2 and 48.81% for PG. The effect of TIMs on the measurement accuracy diverges, with a far more pronounced effect on TiG2 than PG. This is owing to the higher out-of-plane thermal conductivity of TiG2 (~ 17 W/mK) than PG (~ 2 W/mK). For materials with higher thermal conductivity, the percentage of the contact resistance between the sample and sample holder in the total resistance is very high. Thus, good control of the contact resistance by using TIMs is helpful in improving the measurement accuracy. For lower conductivity materials, the weight of contact resistance is lower and the effect of TIMs is thus less pronounced

Gender, Politics, and Power: How Women Presidential Candidates are Framed by News Narratives

The aim of this study was to look at the coverage of the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024 during the Democratic National Convention, and analyze the differences in regard to gender, race, and political bias. The examination of these news narratives helps explore a question of whether journalists report with bias when covering politics. The researcher analyzed 11 published pieces from five mainstream media outlets. Findings of the study show that bias is unavoidable even when a journalist strives for objectivity which does not exist in newsrooms across the political spectrum. The findings are expected to support the narrative that journalism is continuously evolving, but cannot escape the systematic biases of gender and race when it comes to reporting on politics

Fractured Inheritance: Quantifying the Economic Impact of Heir’s Property on Arkansas Farmers

Heir’s property arises when the original owner still holds the title despite their passing, and ownership is distributed among their heirs. This was driven by barriers to retaining land ownership and access to legal support in predominantly African American populations in the early 20th century. This approach allowed land to remain in the original owner\u27s name while granting continued ownership to future generations without formal paperwork. Additionally, allowing limited land access, land management, and disparities in capital access compared to property with direct ownership rights. This analysis examines how modern heir’s property impacts agricultural returns. This study develops a conceptual model to analyze heirs’ property policies in Arkansas, including a detailed budget analysis of conventional rice and heirloom tomato enterprises. Budgets are separated into a full single owner and heirs to represent a formal operation and an Heir’s Property operation. This comparison illustrates the profitability disparities based on the legal formality used in land ownership. We find that heterogeneity in farm profitability relates to farm scale, access to capital, and policy implications of heir’s property. These results provide continued evidence for policy changes in support of mitigating the limitations of heir’s property in agricultural production

Mindful Symbiotic Ecosystems. Designing for Women in Remote Workspaces

Women represent 61% of designers in the workforce but hold only 29% of leadership roles. This disparity highlights a critical need for an ecosystem that removes barriers and cultivates mentorship, community, and leadership among women (Bolt, 2020). Even though women have proven their ability to succeed in male-dominated corporate cultures, the real question is not about capability but sustainability. Driven by overwork, competition, and burnout, the workplace does not just push women out; it leads to long-term instability for the entire organization (Krivkovich et al., 2024). In the workplace, a culture of masculinity reinforces harmful, outdated mindsets and glorifies aggressive, relentless overachievement at the expense of well-being (Stanaland, 2025). The current masculine corporate structure, driven by competition, ego, and hierarchy, imposes financial pressures, societal expectations, and workplace discrimination stressors that lead to burnout (Nagoski et al., 2019). Mindfulness provides a path to feminist leadership by challenging power structures and centering well-being. As a skill and a mindset, mindfulness fosters awareness of mental, emotional, and physical processes, helping individuals cultivate self-care and care for others (Mindful Leader, 2021). A feminist leadership model built on mindfulness rejects perfectionism and overachievement. Mindfulness redefines success as self-determination, redefining winning and failures, and allowing individuals to lead with empathy, gratitude, and motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Rather than framing leadership as a contest, this research evaluates how psychological safety and physical health can be prioritized through a sustainable feminist practice. This investigation proposes a mindfulness-based feminist framework integrating leadership and workplace sustainability. Through these frameworks, this investigation outlines how prototypes of corporate systems can create opportunities for security, unlocking creativity, innovation, and meaningful collaboration. Mindfulness, as a feminist leadership approach, redefines success not through competition but through care, inclusion, and collective well-being. Reimagining a future that values mindfulness in the workplace that brings feminist principles of collaboration, care, and empathy (Armbrust, 2016). This isn’t just about gender; it’s about the future of work itself

Labeling Energy Drinks: Tackling a Monster of a Problem

Energy drinks first rose to popularity in the 1980s after the creation of Red Bull. In addition to high caffeine amounts, energy drinks often contain herbal stimulant additives, vitamin and mineral mixtures, and sugar. There is very little information available on the long-term effects of these stimulant mixtures on the body. Although many consumers purchase energy drinks because of their caffeine content, many are left in the dark when it comes to labeling transparency and are unaware of their true contents. Energy drinks are classified as dietary supplements, meaning they are not directly regulated by the FDA before hitting store shelves. Instead, energy drink labels follow the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) guidelines. Under DSHEA, energy drinks face lax labeling regulations, which leaves consumers unaware of the dangers of high caffeine contents, stimulative additives, proprietary blends, and excessive sugar. We will discuss the dangers of energy drinks, the current regulatory framework and the problems it causes, why these problems should be corrected, and potential policy changes to fix those problems

Partisan Judges

This article argues that both Republicans and Democrats should look for judges who have intellectual humility and an ability to work with others—even as both parties also look for judges who are generally likely to advance positions favored by them. Part I explores the divergence between the public’s perception that the political views of judges matter and the insistence by most judges that they do not. Ample evidence supports the public’s view, and for judges to be trusted authorities, they should admit this truth. Part II suggests that even after recognizing that political views matter, both political parties (and others choosing judges) should look for judges with intellectual humility. Doing so would help to achieve procedural-justice goals, which are critical to public acceptance of court decisions and perceptions of court legitimacy. Doing so would also provide better substantive judicial decisions by more use of reflective thinking, more cooperative group decision-making, and better judicial administration