Check out our FREE unit studies that explore science, history, and biographies! Each one accompanies a Who Was, Magic Tree House, I Survived or Carole Marsh book!
Build research and writing skills with a historical travel brochure
Kids will have fun while learning where do I Live with this printable activity perfect for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students.
{Download FREEBIE pack here.} Economics is my absolute FAVORITE social studies unit to teach. There are so many hands-on activities to do with students and they are so eager to earn and spend money! One of my favorite activities is to end with our "Madden's Marketplace." This is a chance for students to put into action all of the things they have learned about being producers and consumers. To begin with, I send home a letter asking students to create paper goods. Why paper? It's something all of my students have at home (or I can easily give them). I want my marketplace to be fair for all students. I'm sure I could let them have the freedom to create any product, using any materials and I would get some amazing masterpieces. I would also get some elaborate (and expensive) items. That's not what I want. I encourage parents to spend NO money on this and for it to be STUDENT CREATED. I really want them to take the initiative. Here are some samples of paper products my students created to sell this year - everything from rockets to bookmarks to lanterns to hats. I incorporate the making of goods into my students' homework schedule, encouraging them to create two products per night. Before the due date, we work on creating "shops" in class. We create our "shop" by gluing two file folders together. The picture below is using legal-sized file folders, but that just happens to be what we had available. Shop Parts: Signs: Initially, we create the signs for our shops, color the awnings to make them eye-catching. Open/Closed: Next, we create open/closed signs that sit atop our shop so we can easily flip the sign to show the status of our shops. Slogan: We then come up with a catchy slogan. We talk about slogan's we know from commercials. Why did those stick in our heads? We learn to use a play on words, alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc. to make our slogans catchy so consumers will remember them. Product Description: Students each write a product description detailing WHAT their product is and HOW it works or can be used. We talk about the importance of letting consumers know exactly what they are getting. Commercial Script: Finally, students write commercials to "sell" their products to their classmates. We use hooks to get their attention, repetitions of our catchy slogans, and persuasion. Other Components: We also glue on the Consumer Comments, Price, and Interest Inventories, but we leave all of those blank initially. On the day of the marketplace, students set up their shops and lay their products out on display. Then, they have a chance to walk around the classroom and "window shop." They are encouraged to take a good look at all of their options, reading the product descriptions and examining the merchandise. After students have had a good look at all of their choices, I give them stickers (I would recommend 3-4). They walk around and place their stickers on the "Interest Inventory" of the products that interest them the most. The results of the interest inventory are used by the shop owners to determine if they have a high demand or low demand for their products. Knowing the demand helps them determine a price for their product. High demand = higher price. Low demand = lower price. The only rule is that all prices have to be in whole dollars. Once prices are set, then students are ready to go shopping! There are many different ways to let students shop. Some years, if I've done economy-based management system, my students will use "money" they've earned to shop. This year, I just gave them all $12 to shop with. I'm always torn about letting my students split into groups to run their shops (half shop while half work) - it always seems that students don't get to shop at all of the stores in that scenario. To solve that problem, I let all of my students shop at the same time. To do this students create "tokens" to leave at their shop. They create the same number as products they have to sell. For example, if Katie has 10 kites to sell, she creates and leaves 10 tokens with her name or shop name on them. Once each shop has tokens, students are ready to shop. Since there are no workers at the shops to collect money, I give my students "consumer spending logs" with pictures of dollars on them. Since I gave my students 12 dollars to spend, their consumer spending logs had 12 one dollar pictures. As students go around to the shops, they color in the dollars they've spent and pick up tokens (NOT products) that they will trade in for their purchases once the shops close. Once all of the tokens are gone, that shop is "closed." Once a student has colored in all of the dollars on his/her spending log, they are done shopping. It really works out quite well. Once students have traded all of their tokens in for their goods, they are given paper for providing feedback to the shops. They slip these into the "consumer comments" pockets on the storefronts. They love reading the feedback from their customers! <3 After wrapping up our shops, students are often left with some extra products. Instead of having them take their own products back home, I let them put another economics concept into practice - BARTERING! They have a blast working out "fair swaps" for their products and really working to get the other things they may have wanted but didn't have the money to purchase...and of course, they do all of this while proudly wearing some of their favorite purchases. :) All in all, it is a fun day of learning. Students take their roles as both producers and consumers seriously and come away with a real sense of accomplishment! If you would like to download this packet of FREE resources to hold your own Economics shop, you can do so HERE. Enjoy!
ALL ABOUT EARTH Get ready for a month filled with so many fun activities to teach your kiddos all about our planet Earth . I teach this unit in April so it coincides with Earth Day. I’ve loaded up this blog post post with read aloud book ideas, free videos you can share with your students,
Hello Everyone! It is so nice to have time to put some finishing touches on a couple of units that we have coming up! Another historical figure we will study after Eleanor Roosevelt is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a nation we celebrate his life daily! Thank you Dr. King! Officially we celebrate on the third Monday of January. I have posted about our activities before, but I went through and cleaned up, and added to my unit. Here are some pics from the updated unit! If you would like the 30 page free printable unit CLICK HERE!! :) My second offering for today is a unit our curriculum team worked on this summer. We had fun integrating reading and social studies and are finding it a natural way to teach and get everything in. This next unit is about other important historical figures. It includes posters about Alexander Graham Bell, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Garrett Morgan, and Richard Allen along with reading strategy practice activities. It also includes an invention home project packet for kids. The unit ended up to be over 50 pages! I am excited to include this unit in our curriculum in a few weeks!! Here are a few pics from the unit! For your free 52 page Inventors Unit CLICK HERE!! :) So glad I had time to share these endeavors! Hope you can use at least parts of either one! It is my joy to be able to share and help your journey in the classroom or homefront become a little less stressful. As always, please let me know if this is something you can use, if there are any typos or problems, and if you would like to see something else in particular on this little blog. I hear from teachers and parents from all over the world, and I am so grateful for all of you!! Joyfully! Nancy
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.
Get your students outside this school year! We have some tried and true ideas and teacher tips to help you teach your students outside!
(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 […]
Grade 3 Ontario Social Studies unit: Early Canada 1780-1850 for new 2023 social studies. The unit includes photos of artifacts, mapping connections, research organizers and more to cover the Ontario Curriculum. IMPORTANT UPDATE!* *Now updated for 2023 curriculum changes!!** Slides version updated as well! Student pages are included in google slides! Previously: March 7, 2021 a large portion of the unit was changed. Please reprint and discontinue use of the previous version. This item is frequently updated, so please check back frequently for further updates! Now Includes Google Slides!* DID SOMEONE SAY *DIGITAL*! Newly updated!! Select student pages are now included for use with Google Slides! 150 Interactive Slides to help with virtual learning! Check out the preview VIDEO for digital samples and details. (Please note: some pages, teachers notes and others are only available in the PDF). Student ready (locked text) and Editable (unlocked where allowed/possible) options provided. DIGITAL UPDATE redownload to get the goodies! Force Copy Links are on page 3 of the PDF*. Included you will find: Unit Overview: A unit overview explains key learning goals, assessment tips, differentiation, lesson sequence, materials needed and teacher notes. Perfect to help you plan out your unit in a snap! Intro Activities: Question prompts, partner talk cards and conversation ‘cootie-catcher’. I’ve also included information for a ‘time-line’ to help students create an understanding of this time period. Read Alouds & Videos: A variety of read alouds and videos are suggested with follow up activities and discussions to help your students understand how successfully the Indigenous People of Early Canada were living before the settlers arrived. Some information about Indigenous way of life, beliefs and history are included. Also, a read aloud about a Black Loyalist Community has been added. (Please note: many of these books are available through the author's official YouTube which are linked, but some do require finding a copy of the book. Copies of the books are not included with this file. That would be against copyright and unethical). **I have added read-aloud and video suggestions for Treaties and Wampum Belts to accommodate the new 2023 curriculum changes! The other points were already included in the previous unit materials!** Early Settler Animated Shorts: Using films created by the National Film Board (free to watch), I have created a follow-up activity for each video which focuses on comparing life in early settler times to life today as well as some key elements of daily life. Period Pieces Paintings: A variety of art pieces from 1780-1850 are provided for students to view and analyse. Two discussion prompts and a reflection sheet are included. Mapping: 3 student friendly maps are included as well as a 'making connections' response page as well as a general 'mapping reflections' sheet. Extension activities for discussing 'push and pull' factors for settlers is included. Questioning & Research: With the inquiry focus of the new curriculum, students are expected to ask questions and research in a variety of ways to find answers and make connections. I have provided some anchor charts, a Q-chart, samples of our “Question” brainstorm sheets and ‘Big Questions”. Students will work in small groups (4 or 5 students) to research some of the questions on their chart and the ‘big question’ associated with their topic. NEW: More structured graphic organizers are provided to assist students who need additional support. Research Product- Kiosks & Brochure: To share their research findings and connections, students will create a ‘kiosk’ in their groups using the foldable templates and create a brochure to go with their kiosk. Artifact Exploration: Pictures of artifacts and definitions to match are provided as well as a "what this may be" sheet and a "comparison to now" activity to consolidate their learning after the activity. Artifact Final Project: Students ‘create’ an artifact and exhibit for our ‘classroom museum’ and write a written piece about their artifact. Planning sheets and a sample success criteria checklist is provided. **DIGITAL GOOGLE SLIDES NOW INCLUDED!*** I try to update my items as quickly as possible when I can, but I cannot commit to unlimited lifetime updates of units. I will do my best, but I am a full-time teacher and mom to a young child. Please note that the purchase is for the CURRENT curriculum (as of August 2023). If future updates are made, they will be added as a 'bonus', but I cannot commit to lifetime updates. Thank you for understanding :) If you feel something is missing or you have an idea for an addition I'd love to hear from you, please note not all requests/suggestions can be accommodated. My email is [email protected] *This unit was updated with consultation from 3 Indigenous Education Experts to help ensure the material, language and photos included are culturally sensitive and in alignment with the truth and reconciliation commission Canada expectations. I strive to ensure that the unit is sensitive and accurate. Of course, please check your board's specific instructions as they may differ. Also, please consider your classroom community of learners and the specific backgrounds of your students as well as your level of comfort with the topics when discussing sensitive areas such as the racism found in Early Canada. There are many activities to pick and choose from, so there should be plenty of options to suit your classroom. Please pre-read all texts and view all videos before showing them to your students to ensure they work for your situation. Board expectations can vary as do expectations from community to community and family to family. Please exercise extreme caution in discussing the traumatic events of the past. If you are not sure about an activity, please check with your board's Indigenous Education Liaison or Admin. As always, tailor these to your class and seek input from local Indigenous groups, Elders, and other important voices as you teach about these important topics. * If you are looking for more grade 3 social studies for the 2020 Ontario curriculum, check out my Living and Working in Ontario Unit Or for guided math activities, check out my Ontario guided math bundles for all strands! For sample report card comments for this unit, click here Thanks for stopping by: ~Tina's Teaching Treasures Inc.
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
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Included in this long ago unit are anchor charts, sorts, student worksheets and an interactive social studies flap book. Get a freebie in this blog post!
Add depth and complexity to your instruction with these Critical Thinking Task Cards for History! These tasks cards allow students to deeply analyze any historical reading material through 11 topics of critical thinking: Big Ideas, Rules, Trends, Patterns, Language of the Discipline, Ethics, Relationships Over Time, Details, Unanswered Questions, Across Disciplines, and Multiple Perspectives). You will appreciate the versatility of these task cards; they can be used with almost any text and with any area of history. This resource is applicable to many grade levels (4-10+) and can be easily adapted for the learners you work with. Included in this resource: Eight color task cards for each of the eleven topics of critical thinking (88 unique task cards total) Eight black-and-white task cards for each of eleven topics of critical thinking (88 unique task cards total) A graphic organizer for students to record their responses A student recording sheet, where students can track which cards they have already completed Tips and suggestions on how to use these task cards in your class. Two versions–with and without icons–are now included!! ➡FREE Depth and Complexity Posters This resource was created based on the Depth and Complexity framework, which was developed by Dr. Sandra Kaplan under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement: 1996 BYOB! Build Your Own Bundle Pick and choose the Depth and Complexity resources you want and receive a bundle discount. The more you buy, the more you save. The discount will appear in your cart for all qualifying quantities. 3+ Depth and Complexity Resources= 10% off 6+ Depth and Complexity Resources= 20% off 9+ Depth and Complexity Resources= 30% off Get all the latest Teacher Thrive news! ➜SIGN UP for my newsletter! ➜FOLLOW me on TeacherThrive.com! ➜FOLLOW me on Facebook! ➜FOLLOW me on Pinterest! ➜FOLLOW me on Instagram! Please read: This is a nonrefundable digital download. Please read the description carefully and examine the preview file before purchasing. © Copyright 2018 M. Tallman. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by the original purchaser or licensee. This is intended to be used by one teacher unless additional licenses have been purchased. The reproduction of any other part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and placing it on the Internet in any form (even a personal/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so makes it possible for an Internet search to make the document available on the Internet, free of charge, and is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Here's a great geography worksheet that doubles as a coloring page! Your child will get to practice reading a simple map of a park.
I've read about choice menus forever, but never tried it until just recently. I decided to created a menu to use during social studies review when students finish with stations early or we have a few extra minutes in class. I introduced the menu a week ago and you would've thought I'd given my students gold! They were thrilled!! I asked if they'd seen a menu before and we talked about a fast food restaurant menu. Then I asked what they would buy if I told them they had $5 to spend at the fast food restaurant. We played around with that a few minutes and then, with great drama, I introduced the social studies menu. I told them they had 50 points to "spend" and they were beside themselves - some even wanted to know if they could "spend" more! As we were going over the points values for different items one students even said, "All the fun stuff costs more points, but the boring stuff doesn't cost as much." I really had to pinch myself! How did this happen?!?! We've had a week to work on the menus and they have really been successful so far. I've been amazed at the creativity my students have shown. It's also been really interesting seeing which people and time periods they choose to work with. I think this is a strategy I will try to use again. Maybe next time I'll try something with reading - after a class novel or maybe even for their self-selected texts. You can click on the picture to download a copy of the menu. It is specific to 4th Grade Virginia Studies, but it might be a good place to start for a menu specific to your social studies standards. I'm linking up with Holly from Fourth Grade Flipper for another great Tried it Tuesday linky.
Make teaching about past vs. present in your kindergarten social studies lessons a breeze with these fun and engaging resources.
Social Studies, first grade, centers, belonging, planning, centres, assessment
Each of these moments is covered in "History Minutes," a brief look at a time, place, or person in history. What's the Purpose of History Minutes? I created History Minute resources for a variety of
(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 […]
Learn About the 7 Continents! Exploring the 7 Continents has never been more exciting! It’s a Small World Continent Study is filled with over 35 activities to help your students gain a greater understanding of the seven continents. This 130+ page unit is filled with great resources, posters, printables, activities, and projects that will open […]
The secondary syllabus is written for ages 11 and above. It is designed to equip learners with the necessary knowledge and tools to develop a deep-rooted love and relationship with Islam. The content not only contains information but has advice and practical tips relevant to young Muslims. This will enable them to increase their knowledge, deal with emotional and mental issues faced during adolescence, and strengthen their life skills, confidence, and Islamic practice. The series allows learners to fulfil their religious rites and duties in an informed manner through learning, understanding, and embodying the Quran and Sunnah. And with ample focus on spiritual and personal development, learners can grow to make moral choices as confident Muslims living in a modern world. Features: The book follows a unit-based structure, featuring units such as Essential Knowledge, Essential Beliefs, Fiqh (rituals and rulings), Islamic History, Contemporary Issues, Islam and the Social World, and Spiritual and Moral development. The national curriculum has been thoroughly consulted in order to ensure the content in our books is relevant, appropriate, and meaningful to young Muslims and teachers today. This includes consideration of subjects such as RE (Religious Education), SRE (Sex and Relationship Education), the humanities, objectives such as SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural development), life skills, and citizenship skills. Detailed and authentic content will allow students to fulfil their religious rites and duties in an informed manner through learning, understanding, and embodying the Quran, Sunnah, and the rich Muslim scholarly tradition. With ample focus on spiritual and personal development, learners using this syllabus can grow to make moral choices and decisions as confident Muslims living in a globalized and modern world. The books showcase bespoke illustrations and infographics, making the design creative, engaging, and complementary to the Islamic content and values of the book. Keywords and vocabulary lists help with overall Arabic and English literacy of students. As with all our publications, the books are tried and tested by teachers and students.
Practical tips and real examples from a US history and Civics classroom teacher who’s gone PBL.
Medieval Japan Lapbook and Unit Study here at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus is fun. You'll love my other homeschool lapbooks.
This year in my social studies curriculum, I had to teach about the first contact between the First Nations and the Europeans in Canada. Ever since the new curriculum has come into effect in BC, our text books have been a bit out of date. It isn’t that this topic isn’t in the text books …
Hello Everyone! One wonderful perk about the 15 hour drive home? I was able to put the finishing touches on my Landforms unit. This unit is coming up in our curriculum, so I'm glad I had time to organize and put everything together. This mini unit includes almost 70 pages of learning centered around exploration of landforms. There are some social studies activities (of course), some ELA (abc order, vocabulary, antonyms, written expression), some math, and a couple of craft connections. I hope you can use even a small part of this. Here are a few pics of the unit. Landforms book inspired by AIMS curric. Unit includes patterns! mystery picture includes clues with mixed math practice If you are interested, please click here for your free unit! Well, spring break is almost over. I have missed my kids so much!! Can't wait to see them! But that's going to have to wait one extra day as I have jury duty tomorrow. Thank goodness for a wonderful substitute teacher who just so happens to be a dear friend. My kids are in good hands!! Next up? Natural resources and geometry units! Stay tuned!! As always, thanks for taking time to take a peek! I appreciate each and every one of you!! Take care! Joyfully! Nancy
Get printables for U.S. state maps from this page, then color the maps to show data like rainfall, population, or vegetation. We'll show you how.
Read How We Organize Ourselves Unit Overview by Five E Energizers on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!
Help your primary grade students explore, learn, and write about landforms. See our hands-on landforms activities plus our culminating writing project!
FREE Roxaboxen Unit Study
Get to know the island of Japan with a fill-in-the-blank map. Your young geographer will fill in missing city names, and learn a bit about each one as he goes.
We hope that these resources will help your children learn more about famous architects with these free printables and unit studies.
Still trying to get caught up on sharing what my kids have been learning about this year! A few months ago (How is it already April???) we ...