Book excerpt: According to Piaget, all higher-order thinking skills have their bases in activities involving concrete manipulation and observation. The third edition of this highly regarded collection of social studies activities continues to be based on the premise that children learn best through experiences and activities—learning by doing. It features new activities for each social studies category (geography, history, anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, and interdisciplinary). Three important new additions to the key elements of the easy-to-follow activity format make it easier for instructors to meet standards-based curriculum requirements: A detailed treatment of National Council of Social Studies standards addressed; specific multiple intelligences addressed (also reinforced by a multiple intelligences section in the back of the book); and useful Web site(s) for group/individual research (URLs for sites that will expand or enrich the learning experience for the activity). By engaging pupils in meaningful, worthwhile social studies activities, instructors can emphasize the processes of learning rather than the products, resulting in a richly rewarding experience for pupils and teacher alike.