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This booklet is a synthesis of research on social sciences teaching that has been shown to have a positive effect on a range of desirable student outcomes: cognitive, skills, participatory and affective outcomes. Education in the social sciences plays an important role in developing students' sense of identity and influencing the ways in which they understand, participate in and contribute to local, national and global communities. The twelve principles of effective pedagogy highlighted in this booklet are organized around five major findings from the evidence concerning effective teaching in the social sciences (including social studies, history, geography, economics, classical studies and other social sciences). The first four findings are that alignment, connection, community and interest offer broad explanations for how teaching can support the achievement of valued outcomes for students. While these findings are associated with principles of effective teaching generally, their particular usefulness arises from their origin in the source articles drawn from the social sciences. Teacher content knowledge in specific social sciences is critical to success, but the focus of this summary is on the "how" of effective teaching across the social sciences. The fifth finding--teaching as inquiry--concerns a model of inquiry that can help teachers apply research-based strategies in ways that are responsive to their own diverse groups of learners. The model is also important because it can mitigate against the risk that (as has been found) teaching practices may have unintended negative effects on students. This booklet is primarily for those who are involved in teaching and learning in the social sciences, but it should also be useful for anyone who is interested in helping students to learn.