Set of FREE printable world map choices with blank maps and labeled options for learning geography, countries, capitals, famous landmarks
Build research and writing skills with a historical travel brochure
Get your students thinking like a historian from the get-go with these tips and ideas for your first Social Studies lesson of the year.
Learn a variety of strategies on how to make history class engaging for students. Check out in this blog post.
Over the past few years, I have been incorporating inquiry circles into my classroom through Social Studies and Science. Inquiry circles are a lot like most research projects. I would say the main difference is how they start. NOW AVAILABLE… One Stop Teacher Memberships Our grade-level memberships provide the BIGGEST savings on ALL One […]
If you are on the hunt for bell ringers for 6th-grade history to activate and assess student learning, then you have come to the right place!
10 Creative One-Pager Ideas for Social Studies As a social studies teacher, you understand that the subject is one of the most important asp...
If you have 10 minutes left in your social studies class and don't know what to teach, you will love these creative social studies teaching strategies!
Are you looking to capture the thrilling spirit of the 2024 Summer Olympics in your classroom? With the games fast approaching, I've developed an exciting
Use these posters and bulletin board display items to provide your students with a visual for understanding the 5 Strands of Social Studies. The bright colors in this display will fit in well with your brights classroom themes OR add a cute touch to any existing theme! This product includes: 1.A display header that spells out “5 Strands of Social Studies” 2.3 options of globes to go in the middle of the display -I personally will add string or tape going from the globe in the center out to the 5 strands 3.5 posters for each strand (history, geography, government, economy, culture). -They each include the definition of the strand as well as pictures to help your students visualize and make connections to the real world. 4.A short response writing to be added to your display. -This would be great for BEFORE teaching to have students consider what they already know about social studies from their prior grade level, or AFTER learning about the 5 strands as an exit ticket! -There are 2 options of the prompt: a globe, or small, rectangle ticket. Print, cut out each item, and laminating for durability is optional. ********************************* LOOKING FOR THIS SAME PRODUCT IN MUTED, BOHO COLORS? CLICK HERE!: 5 Strands of Social Studies Posters and Bulletin Board Display | Muted Colors ********************************* CLICK HERE to follow my TPT store and be the first to be notified of sales, new products, and updates!
Interactive Notebooks are a great way to engage students in class, use multiple learning styles and for students to take ownership in the learning process.
5 YouTube Channels that Rock!
Many United States teachers may not have heard of the term "hot seating" yet, but we envision this creative teaching idea jumping across the pond from the U.K very soon! Overview “Hot Seating” is a teaching strategy in which either the teacher or student takes on the role of a character from a book or real person and sits in the hot seat. Then the other classmates ask questions and the person in the “hot seat” must answer the questions the way the character or historical figure would have answered. Background Knowledge For “Hot Seating” to be effective, students involved must have background knowledge of the character/person. This will need to take place during normal classroom instruction or outside of school. In order for students to acquire the background knowledge, they must do the research/read the book. Acquiring background knowledge can be accomplished through a variety of ways: Classroom textbook/or literature book Books from the school or public library Online resources (Encyclopedia Britannica, Explora, Kids Discover, etc.) Questioning At the center of “Hot Seating” are the questions that the students will be asking. It is highly recommend that you model the questioning process. You want the questions to focus on the personal feelings and observations that the character would be familiar with. It is important that you are the moderator during the questioning period so the questions stay on topic. Grouping Hot Seating can be structured a few different ways: Whole Class- This is where the entire class takes turns to ask another student(s) in the “hot seat” questions. Small Group- This is where a small group of students (5-6) ask one another student in the “hot seat” questions. Partners- This is where one student is in the “hot seat” and the other student asks the questions. Debate One interesting twist that you could do with your class is to have opposing viewpoints as part of a debate. There are two ways to do this. The first way would be to give a student in the hot seat a specific amount of time to answer questions from the audience. Then his/her “opponent” would do the same. The second way would be for both students are in front of the class taking turns answering the same questions (back and forth). This can really help students understand different perspectives. Extension Ideas During “Hot Seating”, you could have your students take notes on how the character/person answers the questions. Once the “Hot Seating” session has ended, have each student choose how he/she would like to display what he/she learned. Some choices could be: Make a poster Write a news article Create a timeline Perform a news show Write a song Teacher Tips: Decide how you want the hot seat to look in your classroom. In other words, decide if you want to do it as a whole class, small groups, or partners. Decide which student(s) will be on the hot seat. Choose the role/figure that they will portray. Find a "hot seat" for the person. It can be a simple student chair, or a special one for the activity. You may also want to show the students how to write a bibliography if students are doing a historical figure and are taking notes from various media. When the research is complete, or the literature book is finished, organize your class and figure out how questions will be asked. Make sure to help facilitate between the character/person and the audience asking questions. Check out our Hot Seating resources here. We hope you can try "Hot Seating" in your classroom. Your students will love it! Follow us on TPT. Find us on Pinterest.
Engaging Age of Exploration Unit with 10 lesson plans for 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Every lesson, worksheet, and activity is planned.
As a kid in school I loved when my teachers celebrated creativity in the classroom. In fact, when I reflect on my own education, the moment...
Having a little time at the end of class is something my students look forward to because they have an opportunity to do fun five minute social studies activities. If you find yourself with a
Learn how to tackle the challenge of teaching the five U.S. regions with limited time, using these practical tips and resources!
Perfect for group Halloween celebrations, this t-shirt features a retro skeleton design that grade-level teachers will love! Ideal as a matching shirt option, it allows the whole team to show their spooky spirit in style. Its playful graphics and festive colors make it a hit for school events or any Halloween-themed gathering. This classic unisex jersey short sleeve tee fits like a well-loved favorite. Soft cotton and quality print will make you fall in love with it over and over again. These t-shirts have-ribbed knit collars to bolster shaping. The shoulders are tapered for a better fit over time. Dual side seams hold the garment's shape for longer. MATERIAL - All solid color t-shirts are made of 100% cotton. - All Heather colors are made of a cotton and poly blend, making them incredibly soft and comfy! - The size tag labels are the free tear-away kind, so no more itching! SIZING & COLORS Please review the size chart to ensure you receive the fit you want. The t-shirts are made by using full-color direct-to-garment (DTG) prints. You can be confident that their print has high durability and washability. COLOR DISCLAIMER Actual colors may vary from our listing photo and the final product. This is due to the fact that every computer monitor displays different colors, and everyone sees these colors differently. Please understand the actual color may vary slightly from your monitor. We cannot guarantee that the color you see accurately illustrates the true color of the product. CARE INSTRUCTIONS Machine wash: cold; Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Tumble dry: low heat; Iron, steam or dry: medium heat; DO NOT dry-clean. REFUND & EXCHANGES No refunds or exchanges since each t-shirt is made to order. But, please contact me if you have any problems with your order. PRODUCTION & SHIPPING TIMES It takes 2-4 business days to make your shirt. Depending on where you live, it can take 4-8 business days to ship. Thank you for stopping by my store.
Enhance geography skills with FREE printable 7 Continents and Oceans worksheets for elementary students: maps, facts & more!
These resources were created to match the 6th-grade Bayou Bridges social studies curriculum. This topic includes: •Intro to Unit 1 Topic 2, “Early Settlement” student notebook (Google slides) •INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK ACTIVITIES: This notebook goes alongside the Unit 1 Topic 2 Slides found in my TPT store. Each day the students have different activities and graphic organizers to complete. Everything comes from the Bayou Bridges curriculum. •The notebook is user-friendly and convenient. Students will never have the excuse of losing a notebook because it is all DIGITAL! They can even access from home if they are absent. The rubric for the notebook is sold separately in my TPT store! …AND MORE!
Kids will have fun learning about other countries, famous landmarks, and geography with this France for Kids FREE Printable Mini Book.
This is a social studies choice board with 14 options designed to be utilized for any social studies unit and almost any age/grade level (recommended for third grade and above), regardless of what time period, region, etc. you are studying. This could even be laminated and used again repeatedly in e...
Guide to using Social Studies Simulations to step away from the lecture podium and engage your students with hands-on history activities.
When I was young, I LIVED for DBQs! I guess I didn’t really think about it too much at the time, but I loved that there was an answer right there in front of me; I just needed to look closely at a picture. As a VERY visual learner, being able to see history through primary sources […]
Explore ancient Egypt with kids by solving a FUN, free printable CSI-style case investigating was King Tut Murdered. Fun history activity!
As a kid in school I loved when my teachers celebrated creativity in the classroom. In fact, when I reflect on my own education, the moments I remember the most were the creative ones. I vividly remember making salt maps of the state, book report mobiles, models, papier-mâché globes, interactive brochures, puppets, and dioramas. What about you? Are the instructional moments that you remember the most tied to creative activities? There's just something so powerful about hands-on learning with creative opportunities. Now, more than ever, in our assessment-focused world of education, it's time to infuse creativity into the classroom! Check out these fun ways to turn ancient history lessons into creative hands-on learning experiences! EARLY MAN During this project, students complete 5 different learning stations. Students complete their work on flame shapes that they can transform into a 3-D fire. Working both independently and with small groups, students learn about The Paleolithic Era, the Neolithic Era, the Great Migration, and elements of a civilization. (Learn more here.) ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA As students complete 6 learning stations about ancient Mesopotamia, they'll build a 3-D ziggurat. The stations focus on geography, religion, accomplishments, politics, economics, and society. The end result is a 3-D structure that students can display on their desks or around the classroom. (Learn more here.) ANCIENT EGYPT With this hands-on project, students learn all about ancient Egypt before turning their learning into an interactive sphinx. Students build flip-able parts of the sphinx poster while their progress through 6 different learning stations. The end result is a celebration of Egypt and their learning! (Learn more here.) ANCIENT CHINA Learning about ancient China is especially engaging with this fact hunt and doodle poster. Not only will students collect critical facts about the ancient civilization, they'll also display their learning with doodles that they create. The poster's extra-long size makes it unique and perfect to display in the classroom. (Learn more here.) ANCIENT INDIA If I have to pick a favorite hands-on World History project, this one might be it. During this project, students add information about ancient India to different layers of a lotus flower while progressing through 6 stations. When they're finished, they turn their learning into a 3-D lotus flower. The end result is a stunning collection of learning. (Learn more here.) ANCIENT GREECE This hands-on learning project includes 6 learning stations about ancient Greece. During the stations, students create an accordion-style book to showcase their learning. They'll assemble the foldable parts of the book to create a Parthenon accordion book. It's interactive and meaningful. (Learn more here.) ANCIENT ROME This ancient history project is especially fun. After completing 6 engaging learning stations about ancient Rome, students will turn their learning into a 3-D version of the Colosseum. And...to amp up the "fun factor" there are even 3 gladiator figures that students can design and display inside their Colosseum. (Learn more here.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These projects are the perfect combination of rigor and creativity. If you're looking for fun ways to mix up your Social Studies instruction, check out these hands-on units here: - Early Man - Ancient Mesopotamia - Ancient Egypt - Ancient China - Ancient India - Ancient Greece - Ancient Rome Thanks for stopping by! Mary Beth P.S. Save on the bundle for ALL of the resources HERE.
Welcome your students to social studies class with a freebie - Social Studies in Color! Helping your students feel engaged, welcome, and excited to attend social studies class sets the tone for the entire year. I
Are your students loving their social studies classroom or are they feeling that it is an extension of their ELA class? Are you wondering how to increase student engagement in the classroom so that your student cannot wait to come into your classroom and learn? Keep reading for ideas to incorporate all learning styles into ... Read more
Looking for ways to teach critical thinking skills in social studies? These low-prep activities help get students thinking critically about history.
Do your students have to create timelines to meet academic standards? I'm sharing 10 engaging types of timelines that make this activity FUN for students!
I love teaching Social Studies. I really love it. It's exciting to present historical concepts to students and find ways to make it interesting and engaging for them. I love hearing comments like, "Social Studies is my favorite class" and "Social Studies is really fun" because they often come from students who were wary of the subject at the start of the school year. Through our activities and the creation of a positive classroom environment, they find an appreciation for my favorite school subject and sometimes it even becomes their favorite subject of the year. How cool is that?! I also love sharing my passion for teaching Social Studies and connecting with teachers like you who share that same love of learning and bringing history to life in their classrooms! But where to begin? Hint: it involves lots of freebies which are included in a FREE Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit - 5 complete days of lessons - all activities are included - just for you! Here are some lesson ideas for introducing the subject of social studies in your classroom: Hook Ideas A good hook activity is a great way to start a new lesson. It grabs students' attention and sets the scene for the unit or daily lesson. Here are some easy ideas: 1. True or False? Write a brief series of questions about the study of history and some key terms you plan to cover. Ask students to raise their thumbs in the air (up for yes, down for no) in response to the questions. It's an easy and fun way to assess prior knowledge. You can also use mini white boards and have students collaborate in groups of 2-3 to answer true or false. After each question, you can review the right answer. 2. YouTube Videos I love finding a great (and brief!) YouTube video to use during a lesson. Here are some of my favorites to introduce the subject of social studies: An Animated Introduction to Social Science (Soomo Publishing) Why Study History? (The Pursuit of History) Why Study History? (PragerU) recommended for older students 3. Draw It This hook is perfect for mini whiteboards. Ask students to draw or write images, words, doodles, etc. when they think of the words "social studies" or "history". These images can spark discussions about concepts that relate to social studies! A Word Wall Hold up! Do you have a word wall in your classroom? If not, it's time to start. A word wall is a place to collect the important vocabulary terms you are teaching in your unit. You can even collect and keep them up all year! Word walls give students a chance to review and interact with vocabulary daily. The more students interact with vocabulary terms, the more connections they can make between ideas and build upon those concepts to better understand and make deeper connections to curriculum content. You can make your own word wall for an Introduction to Social Studies unit or download this free resource from my TpT store! :) Introduction to Social Studies Activities Now that your students are hooked, it's time to dive into the unit. I've created some free resources in my TpT store - The Teacher's Prep - to help you in this endeavor! 1. Vocabulary Activities We've already discussed the importance of vocabulary posted in a word wall - now let's talk about some activities students can complete to interact with the vocabulary in a variety of ways! The Introduction to Social Studies Vocabulary Activities resource (it's free, too!) has three activities to use with your students. I like spreading out these activities over the course of the unit to give kids extra practice. The first activity I typically start with is the Introduction to Social Studies Vocabulary activity in which students write the definitions for each vocabulary term. As we use the terms in class during the unit, I give them time to write a sentence using each word in the chart. On subsequent days, there are two more activities to use - a matching activity and a crossword puzzle. Again, the more students interact with the words, the more opportunities they will have to understand the important concepts you are teaching in class! If that sounds like activities you'd find useful in your classroom, download it here! 2. Informational Text Ok, now it's time to dive into the heart of the unit - reading informational text! If you don't already have access to informational text or would like to supplement the resources you currently have, I've created an Introduction to Social Studies Interactive PowerPoint that is filled with informational text students can read. It also directly corresponds to a set of interactive notebook graphic organizers for student note taking. Oh! And not only is it available in PowerPoint in an interactive format, there's also TpT Easel and Google Drive versions included, too. I've got you covered! Check it out here! And yes, it's also free. (It's a theme!) :) 3. Interactive Notebooks How do students organize their notes for this unit? In an interactive notebook! I love these graphic organizers because they consolidate student notes in one place. The graphic organizers directly correlate to all the activities I've mentioned above so far and give students the opportunity to summarize the main ideas and details they learn as they are introduced to the study of history. I love interactive notebooks so much, I made complete sets for Ancient History, American History and Civics / American Government ... in both paper and digital formats. You can check them out by clicking on the links in the last sentence! And of course, this section wouldn't be complete without a paper and digital copy of the Introduction to Social Studies interactive notebooks to take with you! Click here for the digital interactive notebook and here for the paper interactive notebook. 4. Task Cards Last (for now!) but certainly not least are task cards. Task cards can be used as bell ringers, entrance tickets, exit tickets, station work and more! I alternate their use based on my class needs of the day, but they include brief writing prompts to encourage students to think critically about the content they are learning in class. If task cards seem like something you'd like to add to your Introduction to Social Studies unit, click here to download a free resource of them from my TpT store! And Finally... Thank you for all you do for your students to bring history to life in your classroom and engage students in topics that will foster a love of learning. I hope these resources make your life a bit easier and save you valuable time in the school year. I absolutely love hearing from teachers like you. If you find the resources useful in your classroom, I invite you to leave me a note in the feedback sections and let me know how you used the activities in your classroom. I read every word and your notes mean so much to me! Happy Teaching! Oh, and here's a link (click here!) directly to a page in my TpT store that lists all of these free resources in case you don't want to scroll back through the post. :)
Engage your students in a back to school activity designed specifically for World Cultures in 6th grade. Your students will learn about culture and society by reading a handout, creating a lap book and analyzing images that represent the different cultural regions from all around the world. Do your students truly understand why they are taking a history class!? Why not teach them in a fun activity? Take your students around the world as analyze images and read information about the different regions of the world. This lesson guides your students through an activity where they read about the difference between Society and Culture, create a lap book, analyze primary sources images, read content paragraphs, and sum it all up in a mosaic. Avoid the lecture – let students learn for themselves! Your purchase includes: - A lesson plan that guides you through the activity - A PowerPoint presentation that gives your students STEP BY STEP directions for creating a lap book and completing the activity. - Word Wall Terms to teach vocabulary terms - A lap book template to structure and organize their learning - Informational text to answer the question - What is World Cultures? - Over 70 primary source images from around the world to analyze during the activity (5 for each region including Europe, Russia and the Eurasian republics, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Southwest Asia-North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific realm) ** Use these pictures throughout the year as mini-posters for each region! - An image analysis handout to guide your students - Introductory paragraphs to each of the regions ⭐Please download the previews to see more information on this resource. ⭐ 2019 World Cultures TEKS for 6th Grade In Grade 6, students study people, places, and societies of the contemporary world. Societies for study are from the following regions of the world: Europe, Russia and the Eurasian republics, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Southwest Asia-North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific realm. (13) Culture. The student understands the similarities and differences within and among cultures in various world societies. The student is expected to: (A) identify and describe common traits that define cultures and culture regions; (14) Culture. The student understands that all societies have basic institutions in common even though the characteristics of these institutions may differ. The student is expected to: (A) identify institutions basic to all societies, including government, economic, educational, and religious institutions; (B) compare characteristics of institutions in various contemporary societies; and ******************************************************************** ➬Customer Tips: How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: • Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. ☺ Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. You will now receive email updates about this store. ☺ © Social Studies Success® This purchase is for you and your classroom. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote. Do not share this document with Amazon Inspire. Please review all product descriptions and previews. If you have a question, contact me before you purchase at [email protected]. As this is a digital product, all sales are final. ❤️ Dawn
Learn about about 24 greek god and goddesses in this fun, Greek Mythology for Kids printable pdf book filled with Greek myths.
These half-page size posters will provide your students with a visual and conceptual understanding of the Arizona Social Studies Standards for sixth grade. Administrators and parents love them too! Included are headers for each strand that are color coded to each standard. Every standard is presented as an "I can. . ." statement and comes with a picture. There is also a copy of the standards for you to reference. If you want to save ink, the posters come in black and white too! These posters are perfect to display your board while you teach, so students know what is expected. Best of all, you can use them all year long! ★ Uses the current Arizona Social Studies Standards which were adopted October 2018 ★ What's Included: * Headers for each strand * Half-page size poster for each standard (in color and black & white) * Copy of the 6th Grade Arizona Social Studies Standards
