Teach 2nd grade communities with ease with these common core social studies lesson plans. Curriculum includes civics lesson plans.

Little 1st grade Social Studies Thinkers Curriculum is a complete First Grade social studies curriculum with lessons specifically for primary kids. It's content-focused, user-friendly, and contains EVERYTHING you need to introduce, teach, practice, and assess your students. NO SUPPLEMENTING.

Do you need some ideas for preschool social studies activities? From recycling to road rules, fathers to firefighters, we’ve got you covered.

The connection between social studies and art includes different cultures while using art to explore history in new ways. Read more!

It's not everyday that our nation elects a new president. And although I am more than tired of hearing campaign ads and seeing yard signs, I am eager to exercise my right to cast a vote...a passion I hope to ignite into all of my children. I realize that the national "Kid's Vote" campaign has made significant strides in spreading the excitement to the next generation of voters, but it does very little to teach kids about the actual election process. So in keeping with my desire to incorporate real-life into learning, I have pushed "pause" on our current Egypt study to complete a mini-unit on voting...specifically voting for a new president. (This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.) Resources that we used We used the following living literature style books: Know Your Government: Governor by Jacqueline Laks Gorman Know Your Government: Mayor by Jacqueline Laks Gorman Chickens May Not Cross the Road and Other Crazy (But True) Laws by Kathi Linz The Taxing Case of the Cows: A True Story About Suffrage by Iris Van Rynbach If I Were President by Catherine Stier Duck for President by Doreen Cronin Voting and Elections by Patricia Murphy We watched a youtube video on what the very first election process was like. I also gleaned inspiration from several great on-line resources which I have compiled on my Government Pinterest board. Election Process in Practice In an effort to clearly explain the election process, I decided to host a 2012 Family Dinner-Time Election. I joined forces with the Announcer's Wife to put together both a PRIMARY and a GENERAL election to elect the dinner to be served on election night. Our family was one political party and her family was the opposing party. I began by allowing each of my four older kids to pick a dinner-time candidate...a main dish that they enjoy. After looking at a few campaign ads and posters we had received in the mail, they were each instructed to make a campaign poster for their nominee. When the Hubs arrived home for lunch in the afternoon, we spent some time conducting a "town hall meeting" or simple debate. The children were each given a chance to explain why their dinner candidate was the best choice and why the others were not. I explained that voters take many factors into consideration when determining their vote. The Hubs and I (as the audience) asked questions and pointed out key "considerations"...like the fact that we might not have the ingredients for that particular item, the Announcer's family is mostly gluten free, mom has a meeting to get to on election night and might not have a lot of time to cook a huge time-consuming meal, etc. They all did a fantastic job responding to our concerns just as a real presidential nominee would do. Next came the voting. I made up simple "official ballots", set up a voting station, and invited the family to cast their vote for the PRIMARIES. The votes were counted and WAFFLES came in with a commanding lead. I then explained that we would need to choose a "running mate" for our candidate. We discussed how a presidential and vice-presidential combination was much like a dad and mom partnership. Dad is in charge, but Mom is second-in-command and is a helper to Dad. Just as Mom has many strengths that compliment Dad's, a Vice-Presidential nominee is chosen because his/her strengths will compliment that of the Presidential candidate. We all agreed that FRUIT would make a nice "running mate." In a humorous twist, the Announcer's family elected PANCAKES and BACON to represent their political party in the general elections. Our two families will be meeting together the Tuesday of the national elections to conduct our own general election. I have made up simple ballots for both readers and non-readers alike. The votes will be cast and tabulated. Later that evening, I will be serving up the winning combination at the dinner table. Who knows which dinner-time combo will win in this Battle of the Breakfast Foods. Right now, it's too close to tell.

Read a few ideas for civics and government activities. There are free lessons and activities as well as other fun hands-on, engaging ideas.

Helping K-2 Teachers Like You Save Time, Grow Instructional Skills, and Teach With Confidence!

In this social skills lesson plan, students will get to practice identifying how to be a friend. Friendship is an important social skill for kindergarten students to master as they begin to form a new community of peers at school.

Kids will have fun while learning where do I Live with this printable activity perfect for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students.

We wrapped up Friendship Week today. We did a lot of discussing what it means to do a friend and what are some fun/safe things you can do with your friend. I created this fun matching game to use in our sensory bin. I dyed some rice for the first time and it turned out perfect! It also reminded me of grass, so I found pictures of kids on the playground. On the cards I wrote words that describe what a good friend does, like share, help, kind, etc. Then, we picked a card, read the word, and discussed the word more. I added these fun "Buddy Builders" from Amazon and they were perfect "friends" for our park. This book is a great way to talk about the nice things our hands can do. Especially, if you have any kiddos who like to use their hands in an unsafe way ;) I also dyed noodles for the first time, too! We used those noodles to make friendship necklaces! We also used a bead kit for friendship bracelets :) Click on image to grab this bead kit! These peanut butter and jelly color matching cards were a huge hit! We played restaurant and worked together to serve the correct colors. I got these from The Homestead Teacher! Grab them HERE! We like to think of words that start with each letter. When we are out, we will see a letter and I always have to think of something that starts with that letter. It totally helps connect learning, so I made these "F is for friends!" page and we decorated the 'f' different supplies. For our play dough invitation, I printed off this cute friendship clip art set from Creative Clips! We put the friends in our play dough and pretended we were playing at the park! The last game we did was this fun math activity! We had to help the boy get to his friends by rolling our dice and counting each circle. It was a great way to practice some counting, number identification, and taking turns! Grab these activities HERE! *NOTE: the play dough friends are not included in this due to terms of use, but they are free for you to download HERE!

Need Wonder activities for your classroom or home school Wonder teaching resources? We have Wonder lesson plans, Wonder worksheets, and more ideas for book projects, kindness activities for middle school, and diversity lessons to make a great study unit for students using both the novel by RJ Palacio and teaching with movies (including the popular precepts project!).

The My Family and Me mini-unit is about families and their needs and wants. It was created to help teach children about families, the customs and traditions celebrated within families, and families needs and wants!

Guide to using Social Studies Simulations to step away from the lecture podium and engage your students with hands-on history activities.

Little 2nd grade Social Studies Thinkers is a complete social studies curriculum for 2nd grade. It includes scripted lesson plans for the teacher, nonfiction read aloud books that can be printed or projected, PowerPoints to go with each lesson, as well as lesson activities and more.

Flat Stanley is a short chapter book that is great to share in your classroom! The Flat Stanley project lends itself so well to integrating different subjects. You can learn more about that in the Flat Stanley project blog post. Here are some ways that Flat Stanley lessons can be used across the curriculum. Flat

One of my favorite things about teaching my fabulous third-grade students is teaching social studies. I LOVE their social studies units because many of them are about ancient civilizations. We start off the year with Ancient Egypt and Ancient China, and finish with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. AQUEDUCTS This activity rocks because not only […]

3rd Grade Social Studies Worksheet. Your students will use this useful resource to analyze their vocabulary words and relate them to different concepts and ideas. This selection of worksheets explores how the American Government is structured.

Learn about Early Explorers for Kids with this fun, 5-week history lesson unit for elementary age kids to learn about the Vikings, Columbus, Magellan, and more!

This resource was made to help build an awareness of being safe in and around the water and sun! This is super important for kids! This sorting page provides a number of scenarios to read and think about before cutting & gluing them. It's sure to produce some good talks about visits to the pool, playing at the beach, boating on the river, or trips to the lake! Students will sort the following into "Safe" or "Not Safe": swim without an adult go in deep water wear sunscreen drink up the water you are swimming in wear goggles do not wear a life jacket on the boat wear a swim float wear sunglasses your mom catches you in the deep end of the pool run around the pool Water safety is an important discussion, this helps makes it meaningful yet simple for Kindergarten and First grade! Be sure students have an opportunity to share their thinking in regards to these situations and why they sorted they way the did. If you need other resources for Kindergarten and First Grade check my store for even more! Thanks for stopping by….

This week: Colombia! Recipes, videos, activities, and more with 6 kids ages 6 through 18.

Your first graders will love learning about Harriet Tubman with this engaging mini-unit. It is great to use while teaching students about black history, or any time of the year. 3 Reasons You'll Love This Unit1. Very engaging and learning-filled activities included♥Poem to motivate and build background♥Unique illustration to activate questioning♥Nonfiction student book with written/drawn responses integrated throughout♥Writing activity (foldable) to share learning♥Step-by-step drawing lesson of Harriet♥Adjective sort (a close reading activity) 2. Primarily "print and go" (YIPEE!) 3. Easy planning with detailed lesson plans. Just flip the page and start teaching. GREAT for busy teachers.We just know you and your students will love it!Thank you for visiting our store! Cindy and Becky

We've been learning in Social Studies about how slaves secretly communicated with each other. One cool way they did this was by making a freedom quilt. Each patch has a special meaning and when the quilt is sewn together it tells slaves how to escape on the Underground Railroad. You all did a great job making our quilt!

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

Find engaging resources for teaching current events to middle school students.

Community Helpers activities and centers for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten. Plus FREE community signs & fire finger painting printable.

One week, 6 kids, and a unit study on Afghanistan. What could possibly go wrong?

These free history unit studies and lesson plans are perfect for piecing together a history curriculum based on your children’s interests.

Ok so…I know I haven’t posted much of anything lately. That’s because I’ve been working on a Pacing Guide to use this school year. I wanted to make it editable…

Bundle your 1st grade homeschool curriculum and save money. Full year's worth of curriculum for language arts, math, science, and social studies included.

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. :)