“If Restraints Didn’t Exist, How Would You Approach Teaching Social Studies?”: Speculative Pedagogy For The Elementary Social Studies Methods Classroom

Using Critical Speculative Design Pedagogy, this paper explores how speculative pedagogies can reimagine social studies methods courses. The authors analyze dialogic reflections and scenarios to propose structures that center well-being, relational care, youth knowledges, and futurity play, positioning imagination as a tool for designing liberatory futures in elementary social studies.