Establishing a common language in social studies centers on historical thinking skills. This involves teaching students to source evidence, contextualize events, and understand perspectives. Key terms like "causation," "change and continuity," and "significance" become shared tools for analysis teachers should model these skills, demonstrating how to evaluate sources for reliability and bias. Students learn to construct arguments supported by evidence, rather than opinion. This shared language facilitates deeper discussions, as students can articulate their understanding using precise historical concepts and consistently applying these skills, a classroom develops a common framework for inquiry. This enables students to move beyond memorization, engaging in meaningful historical analysis and fostering a deeper understanding of the past.