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//bySharayah Lynn Grattan
We can begin teaching kids about human society, how we establish rules for common understanding and order, how we share ideas and culture, and significant figures in our history, at an early age. There are so many components included in the domain of social studies that each year you can cover new material with your students.
From anthropology and economics to political science and geography, there are so many worlds to discover. We have 20 of the best activities for you to open your kid's eyes to all of it!
1. Civil War Snacks
These biscuit cookies are called "hardtacks" and are said to have been the go-to snack for people who lived in the 19th century. As a part of teaching the Civil War in your historical social studies unit, incorporate some food culture to help your kids taste what it was like to live back then.
Learn more: Education.com
2. Learning Taxes With M&M's
This fun activity is a great hands-on introduction to taxes for elementary grade students just beginning to handle their own money. Distribute snack packs of M&M's to each student and give roles: the tax collector, the King, the Parliament representative, to 3 students. Take candies away for various things (blue socks, erasers, crossing your legs), explain the process of wages and taxes, and who it goes to.
Learn more: Upper Elementary Snapshots
3. Native American Dreamcatchers
Indigenous people are a huge part of America's history, they have many traditions and customs that can teach your students to have respect for people of all heritages. These dreamcatcher crafts will make your fun history lessons utilize motor skills and are a great decoration for your classroom walls.
Learn more: Art Bar Blog
4. Reading the Stars
Time to bring history to life with this DIY constellation hands-on activity that teaches students how many African Americans were able to navigate and travel the underground railroad while en-route to freedom during the 18th and 19th centuries in America. You'll need a hole punch, black card stock, and a flashlight.
Learn more: Everyday Reading
5. DIY George Washington Wig
We cover historical figures in our social studies lessons teaching about the life of colonists in the initial 13 colonies. Wigs were a sign of class and power during this time with white wigs reserved for only the most prominent figures. George Washington had the signature white wig we all imagine, so let's recreate it using a paper bag, cotton balls, and ribbon.
Learn more: Deceptively Educational
6. Flower Press Like an Explorer
When explorers first came to the New World they had a lot to record and send back so people in Europe knew what kind of plants and animals were across the ocean. A fun class book to make with your students is a flower press album. Go outside with your kids and have them pick some flowers, then press and save them for future observations.
Learn more: Magical Movement Company
7. Dictator for a Day
This engaging lesson can be used in the social studies curriculum covering different forms of government. Pick one student to be a dictator and have he/she establish their own rules for the country. Explain how freedoms such as religion and speech are hindered and the lack of fairness this type of government provides for its citizens.
Learn more: Study.com
8. Mystery Skype
Geography is another domain of social studies and learning how to differentiate between attributes of states, countries, time zones, is a useful skill for student understanding. There are platforms set up that can connect your skype to another classroom somewhere else in the U.S. and even around the world! Brainstorm questions with your students ahead of time so they know what to ask to find out where they are. Explore more geography activities here.
9. Voting Knowledge via Online Game
iCivics is an online gaming platform designed to teach students useful knowledge about how the United States government functions and their roles in it. This online game is great for high school or middle school students to learn how to become informed voters and how they can participate in our democracy. Get more ideas for teaching the presidential election process here.
Learn more: iCivics.org
10. Analysing and Drawing Political Cartoons
There are so many great examples of political cartoons over U.S. history that teach students how certain events and beliefs are presented to persuade readers. Pick some influential political cartoons from the past and have an open discussion regarding what opinions they are expressing and the intentions of the people who created them.
Learn more: Social Studies Blog
11. Historical Role Play
Let's get into character with this simple improvisation activity of historical figures. Write down names of influential people of the past and put them in a hat for your students to pick from. Give them a few days to research their person and make a presentation in front of the class.
Learn more: Edutopia
12. Immigration Stories
There is a lot to cover in your immigration unit for the U.S. since it is a country of immigrants. Explain the histories and reasons why different groups of people immigrate, why they want to leave their home country, and the processes they go through to assimilate to their new country. There are many educational books out there written by immigrants to read for engaging class discussions.
Learn more: Population Education
13. Current Events for Kids
It can be challenging to explain a current event to a young learner in a way they can understand. Kidworldcitizen.org is a website with resources and articles written for kids with simple words and without biases found in other sources. Pick a few articles and read them in your next social studies class.
Learn more: Kid World Citizen
14. Economics Cheat Sheet
Economics begins to emerge in our elementary classrooms, and it's best to start with the basics. Help your students understand how the economy works and affects their daily life with this visual explanation. Have your students create their own to put on the classroom walls.
Learn more: Pinterest
15. Religions Around the World
There are so many different religions and belief systems in our world, and it's important we teach our young learners to respect their customs and traditions. Challenge students to pick a religion they don't know about and do research as a group to learn more and share.
Learn more: Education World
16. Culture Boxes
Assign each student a culture and ask them to fill a cardboard box with items, images, foods, clothing, etc. that encapsulate the society to share with the class.
Learn more: Living Montessori Now
17. Traveler IQ Challenge
This online geography game tests your students' social studies skills regarding map reading, locating states in the U.S., country capitals, and more! Play it with the whole class or assign kids to play at home.
Learn more: Crazy Games
18. Archaeology Puzzle
This reconstruction project can be a fun family activity to introduce archaeology to your kids in a hands-on and engaging way. Get a clay pot, break it into pieces, and hide the pieces in the sand or dirt for your kids to dig up. Then help them clean the parts and piece the pot together. You can add symbols or words on the pot to reveal a message once it's reconstructed for an added bonus!
Learn more: Tikkido
19. Our Class Constitution
Have your students participate in a democracy by having them help you write your class's constitution.
Learn more: Pinterest
20. Then and Now Sorting Game
Print or make your own flashcards with images of old objects we used in the past and their updated/modern versions. Show students the progressions we've made as humans and what that means for our future.
Learn more: What I Have Learned Teaching
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FAQs
What is interactive classroom activities? ›
Interactive classroom activities are activities that forgo one-way communication, or individual learning in favor of getting students involved and engaged with the lessons or material.
What are the some ideas for classroom activities? ›- Entry/Exit Tickets. ...
- Free Writing/Minute Paper/Question of the Day Exercise. ...
- Ice Breakers. ...
- Think–Pair–Share. ...
- Case Studies and Problem-Based Learning. ...
- Debate. ...
- Interview or Role Play. ...
- Interactive Demonstrations.
Some of the instructional materials necessary for effective teaching and learning of Social Studies include the chalkboard, models, graphs, charts, maps, pictures, diagrams, cartoons, slides, filmstrips, radio, and television (Kochhar, 1991). The importance of the use of these materials cannot be underscored.
Why are interactive activities important? ›Interactive games promote teamwork, giving students the opportunity to work on group decision-making, develop relationship skills, and resolve conflict peacefully.
What are the 5 learning activities? ›- Content Focus (and Interaction) Whether the learning outcomes for a session or module include declarative or functioning knowledge, almost all of them will be supported in some way by the presentation of information to students. ...
- Interactivity (with Others) Focus. ...
- Critical Thinking. ...
- Production. ...
- Problem Solving. ...
- Reflection.
A more appropriate term might be “interactive learning,” which encompasses all methods of purposeful student engagement with material aided by students interacting with others (instructor or peers) and themselves.
How do I make my classroom more interactive? ›- Incorporate Active Learning.
- Combine different media types into engaging learning scenarios.
- Try running a cohort-based course.
- Incorporate live lessons.
- Use Microlearning.
- Use storytelling methods of teaching.
- Use Gamification.
- Pause for questions and answer live chats.
Interactive learning materials are interactive resources designed to teach a specific learning outcome. They may comprise of a single or multiple pages that can contain any combination of text, images, audio, video - including screencasts, animations, self test questions and other interactive activities.
What are the 7 types of instructional materials? ›| Textbooks, pamphlets, handouts, study guides, manuals | |
|---|---|
| Audio | Cassettes, microphone, podcast |
| Visual | Charts, real objects, photographs, transparencies |
| Audiovisual | Slides, tapes, films, filmstrips, television, vedioo, multimedia |
| Electronic Interactive | Computers, graphing calculators, tablets |
Tell students to imagine a particular moment in history mentioned in their textbook. This can help them to have a clear idea of the topic. Act out historical events: Skits, talk shows and plays are a great way to engage students and motivate them to find a love for social studies.
Which is the most important aid in the teaching of social studies? ›
Hence, it becomes clear that Audio-visual is the most important aid in the teaching of social studies.
What are examples of social activities? ›Social activities that involve doing for others or providing a service in order to help. Social activities that involve imagination and the creation of different realities. Examples: watching theater, singing, painting, crocheting, learning about arts and craft, traveling and sightseeing, and bird watching.
Which type of activities are involved during the life skills education lessons? ›- Naming your emotions. Encourage learners to recognise and name emotions. ...
- Emoticon diary. If you allow digital devices in the classroom, you could play emoticon diary to encourage learners to talk about emotions. ...
- The importance of empathy. ...
- Role play. ...
- Make mood posters.
The purpose of co-curricular activities is to fuel student learning and to build important life skills. Skills built, such as social and leadership skills, can enrich a student's academic experience.
How does interactive teaching help students? ›It gives the chance to the teachers to make their learning session a whole lot of fun. They can make things a little competitive, can help students learn through interactive games, and also add tiers of achievement, which students are sure to find attractive.
What are the six interactive components of learning process? ›There are six interactive components of the learning process: attention, memory, language, processing and organizing, graphomotor (writing) and higher order thinking. These processes interact not only with each other, but also with emotions, classroom climate, behavior, social skills, teachers and family.
Why is interactive teaching strategy important? ›The purpose of interactive teaching strategies is to improve your students' interest in the learning process and make them active participants in the lessons. Interactive activities offer broader benefits than simply achieving educational goals.
What are example of activities? ›| Acting | Aerobics |
|---|---|
| Playing Games / Cards | Plays |
| Pool / Billiards | Reading |
| Research | Robotics |
| Rock Climbing | Sailing |
What are the four learning styles? The four core learning styles in the VARK model include visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic.
What are active learning activities? ›Active learning is an approach to instruction that involves actively engaging students with the course material through discussions, problem solving, case studies, role plays and other methods.
How can I make my classroom interactive? ›
- Incorporate Active Learning.
- Combine different media types into engaging learning scenarios.
- Try running a cohort-based course.
- Incorporate live lessons.
- Use Microlearning.
- Use storytelling methods of teaching.
- Use Gamification.
- Pause for questions and answer live chats.
A more appropriate term might be “interactive learning,” which encompasses all methods of purposeful student engagement with material aided by students interacting with others (instructor or peers) and themselves.
What is interactive teaching strategies? ›With this type of teaching approach, students learn in a different way – instead of being passive listeners to the lecture during the lesson, they are actively involved in the learning process by participating in activities, games, discussions, solving mysteries, storytelling, and so on.
What are the activities of a teacher? ›- Planning and preparing lessons. ...
- Encouraging student participation. ...
- Researching and developing new teaching materials. ...
- Research and implementing new teaching methods. ...
- Marking student work and recording performance. ...
- Setting assessments and overseeing examinations.
Interactive learning materials are interactive resources designed to teach a specific learning outcome. They may comprise of a single or multiple pages that can contain any combination of text, images, audio, video - including screencasts, animations, self test questions and other interactive activities.
How do you make interactive materials? ›- Polls, Quizzes and Surveys. The very simplest way to engage anyone is to ask them a question about an issue that interests them. ...
- Slideshows & Videos. ...
- Webinars. ...
- Interactive Timelines. ...
- Multimedia Storytelling. ...
- Interactive Comic Strips.
Definition. Interactive skills refer to the general ability to interact with the external world to accomplish a task. A typical interactive task requires the person to look for relevant information and choose the right actions.
What are the 9 strategies for effective online teaching? ›...
9 strategies for effective online teaching
- Know the technology. ...
- Expect the unexpected and remain flexible. ...
- Create and maintain a strong presence. ...
- Set clear expectations for the course. ...
- Establish a sense of comfort and develop a community of learners.
- foster active engagement and accountability;
- promote student retention and learning of the material presented during lecture;
- give students practice in developing critical-thinking skills; and.
- enable instructors to assess how well the class is learning that day.
The goal of all activities is to enhance student's understanding, skill or effectiveness in a specific area by engaging multiple styles of learning. School activities also serve to infuse fun into learning as well as boost students confidence and the ability to learn and think critically.
What are interactive resources? ›
Interactive Resource. Definition. A resource requiring interaction from the user to be understood, executed, or experienced. Comment. Examples include forms on Web pages, applets, multimedia learning objects, chat services, or virtual reality environments.
How can I make teaching social studies interesting? ›- Show What You Love About It. If you're excited to learn about and teach history, your students will notice, and they will benefit. ...
- Connect the Past and Present. ...
- Move Past the Textbook. ...
- Use Visuals. ...
- Make It Hands-On. ...
- Incorporate Movement. ...
- Use Project-Based Learning. ...
- Read Aloud.
Question of the Day: What skills and practices are important when creating an interactive program? Prompt: Have students reflect on their development of the five practices of CS Discoveries (Problem Solving, Persistence, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication).