Learn some effective social studies strategies you can use in your classroom to teach elementary and middle school students.
Allow students to choose their project to demonstrate their understanding of researched or taught content. I used this assignment for both a 5th grade Native American tribes unit and a 6th grade ancient civilization unit, but it can be applied to any research topic.Students are able to choose a proj...
Integrating language arts skills into social studies can be tricky. There is already a lot of subject matter to cover without having to teach reading and writing skills as well! If a social studies teacher did not receive much language arts training within his or her certification program,
After years of thinking about it, this summer I finally bought a set of classroom white boards (my largest class is 22 this year so it wasn’t cost prohibitive). Instead of wasting paper and prep t…
Tips, tricks, and strategies for using History Stations to engage your learners. Includes step by step instructions.
Learn how to use social studies political cartoons to increase student engagement. Includes link to a free political cartoon analysis activity!
As Social Studies teachers, we understand the significance of a robust vocabulary in enhancing students' comprehension and critical thin...
American Symbols is one of my favorite social studies units to teach to first and second graders. I've rounded up my favorite, activities, books, and videos for teaching about American Symbols in this post. ActivitiesAmerican Symbols Bingo GameTo play this game, the teacher reads off a clue such as: "This building is on the back of the penny," and the students find the matching American symbol on their game board. Multiple clues are provided for each symbol so that your class can play again an
Learn how to tackle the challenge of teaching the five U.S. regions with limited time, using these practical tips and resources!
This ADHD cheat sheet offers helpful information for individuals coping with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The sheet provides a definition of ADHD, Common Symptoms of ADHD, Strategies For Improving Focus With ADHD, Time Management Tips For ADHD, Organization Strategies For ADHD, Tips For Coping With Impulsivity, Effective Communication Skills With ADHD, and Resources For Managing ADHD.
Inclusive Classrooms ~ "Promote a safe and welcoming classroom school and community where individual differences are valued..."
"Prepare your students for success in the GED exam with this comprehensive study guide for 2023-2024. Our printable PDF is designed to empower both educators and learners, covering all GED exam subjects including Mathematical Reasoning, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. Key Features: In-depth Content Review Customizable Study Schedules Proven Test-Taking Strategies 200 Unique Practice Questions with Explanations Whether you're a teacher looking for a resource to support your students or a student preparing for the GED exam, this guide is your go-to tool for success. Contents: Mathematical Reasoning Language Arts (Reading, Grammar, Sentence Structure) Science (Reading, Experiment Design, Knowledge Overview) Social Studies (History, Graphics Interpretation, Knowledge Overview) How It Works: Purchase and download instantly. Print or use digitally. Start your GED test prep journey! Bonus Resources: Access recommended online resources and academic materials to enhance your study experience. Empower your students or yourself for GED success. Download the guide today!"
Social Studies, first grade, centers, belonging, planning, centres, assessment
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!
Read a few ideas for your past and present or then and now unit. There are free lessons and activities as well as other fun hands-on, engaging ideas.
(Click on any photo to be taken to the resource) You are going to LOVE this unit. It’s easy to implement, it’s comprehensive, #representation, and your students are going to walk away with a great foundation of important social studies skills. We lay the foundation in literally every other academic area, social studies shouldn’t be […]
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 […]
I’ve been spending some serious amounts of time this summer leading conversations around the country focused on the integration of social studies and literacy. And for the last few years, I…
Wondering how to incorporate the literacy standards in social studies? This product has 38 pages of writing strategies to be used in social studies. I've made it easy for you to print and use! Each strategy has an instruction page and then a printable or graphic organizer to use. Page 1 Sample Use Pictures Pages 2-3 Sort, Label and Explain Pages 4-5 Word Associations Pages 6-7 KWL Chart Pages 8-10 Cause and Effect Map Pages 11-14 Relationship Tables Pages 15-16 Venn Diagram Pages 17-18 Double T Chart Pages 19-21 Author & Me Pages 22-23 Key Word Journal Pages 24-25 What, What, How Journal Pages 26-27 Concept Map Pages 28-29 Text Features Map Pages 30-31 Headings Map Pages 32-34 Problem-Solution Map Pages 35-36 Sequencing Map Pages 37-38 Annotation Organizer You may also be interested in my other social studies products: - Boston Massacre Study and Project - Boston Tea Party Study and Project - Paul Revere's Ride Study and Project - Native Americans of the Great Plains - Native Americans of the Northwest Coast - Native Americans of the Southwest Project - Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands Please click the green star below my store name to learn about upcoming sales.
The connection between social studies and art includes different cultures while using art to explore history in new ways. Read more!
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!
Learn how to use social studies stations in the Middle & High School classroom to increase student engagement. Includes link for a free station activity!
The connection between social studies and art includes different cultures while using art to explore history in new ways. Read more!
Well it took almost a full school year, but thanks to a professional development I went to, I found a review technique ALL of my 7th graders were on board with. I call it “True, False, Fix.…
Learn how music benefits social studies students
Staying organized— balancing school and a social life. As a student you have to deal with many things at the same time, staying organized can then be difficult. Here are 5 tips to help you stay on top of your game. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that when you make a purchase through a
Apples Inquiry Phenomenon Based Learning Unit Hey, y'all! How are you doing with phenomenon-based learning? Have you tried it in your classroom yet? My students loved our last unit and I can't wait to introduce them to this apple PhenomBL unit. (If you're still not sure about what phenomenon-based learning is or how to implement it, check out this blog post here.) In each phenomenon based unit, we start off with what our guiding questions are. We have one as a class, in this case: What makes apples unique? Then, students have their own questions that they are seeking answers to. This puts the learning at the hands of the student. With PhenomBL, students are largely in charge of the learning. It's kind of like a research project on steroids. Students have an overall topic, in this case it's apples, and learn all about apples through the lens of each subject area. Over the course of a week or two (or more if your students are super excited!), we explore apples from all areas. We learn vocabulary by discussing different words associated with apples, we cut open apples (well, I do) and we explore the insides, we measure them in all different directions, weigh them, taste them, and more. Did you know there are over 7,500 varieties of apples? We explore different types of apples and the many uses that they have. We learn about how they harvested, what we can make with them, and even explore changing matter by making applesauce. Of course it only makes sense that write about our findings! There are several pages to choose from for students to explain their findings, or to even write fictional stories about apple orchards, baking, harvesting, and more. The beauty of PBL is that it can go in so many directions! Students can learn history, math, science, social studies, writing (fiction and nonfiction!), and practice their reading skills. This unit includes over 50 pages of graphic organizers, writing pages, lesson plan ideas, math pages, and more! Many pages can be used for more than one topic of exploration within this unit. Let your students lead and they will let you know what they need! You can find this unit at my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. I am always adding new resources so be sure to follow my store for the latest ideas, resources, and updates. I hope you found some new ideas for your classroom and some new ways to think about teaching. I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon. Stay cozy,
Before I started my first year of teaching, the principal I worked for asked me how I felt about teaching one middle school history class...
These "I Can…" statements simplify the 6th grade Social Studies TEKS so they are meaningful to your students. Sharing daily objectives with your class is a best-practice instructional strategy and students find them easy to understand. The color-coded reference documents will be your go-to for planning and is a great overview of the state standards. Plus, administrators love seeing "I Can…" statements displayed in your classroom! Ideas: Display the "I Can…" signs in your classroom. Begin and end each day by going over the statements and checking for understanding Refer to "I Can" statements to simplify writing your lesson plans Copy the “I Can…” statements as a reference sheet in your students’ interactive notebooks Use “I Can…” statements as sentence stems to write journal prompts, daily summaries, and test questions Your Purchase Includes: "I Can" Teacher Reference Sheets "I Can" Display Signs TEKS Reference Sheet & Curriculum Guide Microsoft versions of the resources are also available in my store: I Can Statements & Signs | World Culture & Geography 6 grade Social Studies TEKS Follow My Store! Click “follow me” under Social Studies Stuff on the top of the page. You will be the first to know when I post new products & throw sales. Click the link below to find more unique & fun lessons! Thank you! Social Studies Stuff on TpT
Learn a variety of strategies on how to make history class engaging for students. Check out in this blog post.
Do you need warm up ideas? I want to share 3 warm up ideas for social studies classes with you. These are engaging and easy to implement!
Do your students thrive on competitive games? Are you looking for competition games for your classroom? Check out this blog post!
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.
