Social Studies Teachers Chatboard

Need teacher to interview

by Lana

Feb 22, 2013

Hello, I am looking for a teacher in the elementary or middle grade level to answer a few questions about their feelings toward the social studies curriculum in schools today. Any help is much appreciated!!

social studies teacher On 2/22/13, Lana wrote: > Hello, > I am looking for a teacher in the elementary or middle > grade level to answer a few questions about their feelings > toward the social studies curriculum in schools today. Any > help is much appreciated!!

Post your questions here - I'm sure several of us will answer.

Feb 23, 2013

Women's History Month-March

by danny

Mar 7, 2013

March is Women's History Month, and with the controversy over limited voting rights in last November's elections this unit on women's suffrage seems to be appropriate.

[link removed]

EDG There are also many NY-centric links on a site published by the NYS Bar Association. Includes links to lesson plans and multimedia resources. [link removed]

On 3/07/13, danny wrote: > March is Women's History Month, and with the controversy > over limited voting rights in last November's elections > this unit on women's suffrage s...See More

Mar 13, 2013

I teach 8th grade world history and I try to make my classes very engaging. I am not a traditional teacher by any stretch of the imagination. My ppts are engaging and I try to make all of my lesson strategic.

At the beginning of the school year, my students were very excited to come to class. They appeared to enjoy everything in general. F...See More

Nothing Working! HELP

by Regina

Mar 7, 2013

(5)

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Michael R. Try providing students with more hands-on opportunities and incorporation of current events. My students are currently discussing the Bill of Rights. I have created a debate for students about gun control as it is a hot topic in society. Students have enjoyed the opportunity to debate with one another. Following the debate, students wrote a persuas...See MoreTry providing students with more hands-on opportunities and incorporation of current events. My students are currently discussing the Bill of Rights. I have created a debate for students about gun control as it is a hot topic in society. Students have enjoyed the opportunity to debate with one another. Following the debate, students wrote a persuasive essay to their Congressman about their stance on the issue.

To make history more engaging, try relating the material to social media the students connect to. I had the students created a Twitter board related to the most significant events leading to the creation of America. Students enjoyed this assignment.

On 3/08/13, Too much of the same thing wrote: > Also, remember you are probably not their only teacher using > interactive notebooks, journals, group work, and ppts. Kids burn > out on these things after awhile. Teachers/admin tend to grab on > to these types of "activities" and way overdo them, in all > classes. > > My students never want to see another foldable "as long as they > live", so we don't do them. Last year they had a journal for > every single subject. Can't say I blame them for dreading those > either. > > This is the time of year to drag out the mock court, debate, etc. > activites. Have them create prezi(s) (what is the plural of > prezi?)And sometimes the students just crave an old fashioned > study guide. > > I've found it works better to change up your presentation and > instructional activities each semester. > > On 3/07/13, My vote is, tone it down on the PowerPoints wrote: >> On 3/07/13, Regina wrote: >>> I teach 8th grade world history and I try to make my >>> classes very engaging. I am not a traditional teacher by >>> any stretch of the imagination. My ppts are engaging and I >>> try to make all of my lesson strategic. >>> >>> At the beginning of the school year, my students were very >>> excited to come to class. They appeared to enjoy everything >>> in general. Fast forward to the present.....they are bored >>> with everything and don't mind saying so. In addition, when >>> I assign group work (we are required to do so) they use it >>> as their social hour. My engaging ppts are something they >>> are accustomed to so this does not hold their interest! >>> Projects and mu interactive notebooks also brings groans. >>> Any suggestions? I am open to anything!! >> >> >> Too much hassle for you, and PowerPoint can get old fast >> (although it's not a bad way to present key points of a general >> overview.) >> >> Take advantage of the endless variety of really good >> documentary footage available online, for sale on Amazon, etc. >> LOL...I've known kids who struggle in history class but then >> go home, turn on PBS, and gobble up everything there is to know >> about the Gold Rush, Che Guevera, or Japan trying to own China. >> History teachers are blessed, really, with the ability to tap >> the children's love of visual media and still maintain a >> soundly standards-based curriculum. Also, once you light up >> their curiosity with some riveting DVD excerpts, some of them >> will actually be CURIOUS to read about the incident or >> philosophy at hand just to find out more and discover the >> answers to their newfound questions. >> >> With history, too, it helps to point out universal themes and >> predictable patterns in regard to human behavior. History >> really does tend to repeat itself, because people keep doing >> the same crazy, reckless, and/or amazing stuff over and over >> again. Be sure to help them draw connections between events in >> the past and similar situations playing out in the world right > now.

Mar 8, 2013

Sam On 3/07/13, Regina wrote:

I'm having the same issue with my own 8th grade history class. I'd agree with the other poster who said tone down the power points. Even the best of Powerpoints become stale if it's day after day of Powerpoints.

If I'm required to do something that doesn't work, I do it briefly. I find group work is most...See MoreOn 3/07/13, Regina wrote:

I'm having the same issue with my own 8th grade history class. I'd agree with the other poster who said tone down the power points. Even the best of Powerpoints become stale if it's day after day of Powerpoints.

If I'm required to do something that doesn't work, I do it briefly. I find group work is most often a struggle and the college professors (they were brothers) who introduced 'group work' to education were well-intentioned but neither of them have ever taught anywhere other than a college classroom. People in the real work world who are assigned to group projects are being paid to do those projects. Pretend group work in school is not a training ground for real world group work. It's a fallacy.

I use youtube with increasing frequency at this time of the year - spring is springing. There are great things on youtube - more than I can describe. I spend many evenings on youtube looking for things to use in class. My kids will sit still, watch and absorb youtube clips. At this point in the year, they no longer enjoy much else and they fight with each other constantly.

Try bigmyth. com. Today I did a lesson on creation stories from different cultures. They loved it. There are youtube clips showing the Berlin Wall coming down - very powerful. German tanks crossing over into Poland, you name it, it's there. It's a wonderful source of primary sources- real film clips from the real thing - the Enola Gay taking off to drop the atom bomb. Interviews with the crew of the Enola Gay and how did they feel on that mission. A reenactment of Leif Erikson's voyage to the New World.

We do some discussion before and after. They're often spellbound. I don't know what I'd do without it anymore.

> I teach 8th grade world history and I try to make my > classes very engaging. I am not a traditional teacher by > any stretch of the imagination. My ppts are engaging and I > try to make all of my lesson strategic. > > At the beginning of the school year, my students were very > excited to come to class. They appeared to enjoy everything > in general. Fast forward to the present.....they are bored > with everything and don't mind saying so. In addition, when > I assign group work (we are required to do so) they use it > as their social hour. My engaging ppts are something they > are accustomed to so this does not hold their interest! > Projects and mu interactive notebooks also brings groans. > Any suggestions? I am open to anything!!

Mar 11, 2013

Travel For A Change! two minute survey

by Kris Mateychuk

Mar 12, 2013

Travel For A Change! is an innovative company which combines educational travel with community development in Kenya. Trips are fully tailored to meet curriculum objectives and proceeds go towards starting and supporting grassroots community development projects across Kenya.

We are currently in the research phase of our development and ne...See More

Ancient China

by GG

Mar 21, 2013

I would like a fun way to teach Ancient China to 6th grade students! I would need something that requires critical thinking and technology.

thanks!

History Teacher On 3/21/13, GG wrote: > I would like a fun way to teach Ancient China to 6th grade > students! I would need something that requires critical > thinking and technology. > > thanks!

If you punch just these very words " interactive activities ancient China" into google a whole page of things comes up. You'll can have your choic...See More

Mar 23, 2013

I teach 8th grade world history. I have tried every method I can think of to engage my students. My lectures are full of activites that are sprinkled throughout the ppt. I incorporate interactive notebooks, group work, drawings, reading, writing, buddies..etc.. the problem.......my students are bored and complain about everything that I do!!! (I sp...See More

How to engage students

by pulling my hair out!

Mar 23, 2013

(5)

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History Teacher Engaged in this context means holding their interest. We went to see a movie the other night that I thought was terrible but we'd paid $10 a piece to see it so my husband wouldn't let us walk out. I picked up my Iphone and started playing Online Scrabble - I was not engaged by the film. He was in the sense he continued to watch it but that's it. No...See More

Mar 28, 2013

Civics Teacher On 3/28/13, History Teacher wrote:

> Engaged in this context means holding their interest. We went to

> see a movie the other night that I thought was terrible but we'd

> paid $10 a piece to see it so my husband wouldn't let us walk

> out. I picked up my Iphone and started playing Online Scrabble ...See More

May 13, 2013

i need help!

by samuel

Apr 10, 2013

hello my name is Samuel i need help finding the name of statue out and any info yall have on it so please email me back [email removed]

Facebook-like activity for teaching US history

by Season vet

Apr 22, 2013

I know I read about a lesson years ago where students were allowed to choose a different historical figure and create a Facebook (not real but a fake Facebook creating site or tool) for his/her chosen figure. I am not having students create real accounts or use the actual Facebook site for this since they are still in middle school. Essentially, I ...See More

(4)

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LB I think this is a great tool to use to relate the content to the students' lives. Our students today are on Facebook constantly and it helps them to understand the material and bring it down to their level. I really like this activity and I'm going to borrow it for my future classroom (so long as Facebook is still cool then). -LB

On 6/06/...See More

Jun 12, 2013

Chris in MA Great idea.

You can also do this with a fake Twitter account as well (no need to have students create one). They can create "tweets" by a historical person about events in their life.

I also saw classes create "apps" for a fake Ipad based on historical events....such as "Pharoah's menu", "Pyramid Tour," "Nile's Gift List" and so...See More

Jun 24, 2013

Elementary Textbook - No Revisionist Interpretation

by CJ

Apr 22, 2013

Good afternoon,

I am looking for middle school textbooks for world history and US history that are free of revisionists twists on history.

Thanks in advance, CJ