Social Studies Toolbox

I'm feeling productive (after suffering with migraines three days in a row). Ugh. I spent yesterday afternoon and most of today working on a new activity I plan to use with my U.S. History students. Many of my current History students are also taking a Life Skills class with me this semester. We just finished working on resumes and next week I am going to have my seniors create their own LinkedIn profile pages. So, LinkedIn has been on my mind! I thought it might be fun to create a LinkedIn page for George Washington as a culminating activity as we wrap up our current unit in U.S. History! I created two versions of the activity (some of my students prefer working with Google Docs and some prefer traditional worksheets.) This is what I came up with: I believe most of my students will appreciate this activity/alternative assessment. Considering mid-terms are coming up, I am sure most of my students will welcome a break from traditional paper/pencil exams! I up...

I spent the last couple days of winter break re-vamping some of my resources for my next unit in U.S. History. I am especially excited to introduce a brand-new activity I created for my students based on Washington's concerns about his role as the nation's first President. In this activity, students will examine five specific areas of concern and research Washington's correspondence with his most trusted advisors regarding how he should handle each area of concern. The five areas students will examine are: How to Act Like a President Developing a Presidential Style The Institutional Workings of the President Polling Public Opinion Before Polls Managing a Quarrelsome Cabinet I created an interactive notebook page for my students to glue into their notebooks. Included are the links necessary to complete the activity. This link below includes everything students need to complete the activity. In addition, supplementary videos, links to primary sources can be fou...

This week my Civil Rights History students will begin watching the first episode of what I consider the best documentary on the Civil Rights Movement, "The Eyes on the Prize." We spent last week learning about the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v Board of Education, the Emmett Till Murder, and The Montgomery Bus Boycott. On Monday I plan to implement a modified version of a Teaching for Change lesson I've been using with my Civil Rights History students the past couple years about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The lesson allows students to practice social/civic engagement skills in the classroom. The Role-Play Activity Link and Handouts can be found here: https://www.civilrightsteaching.org/desegregation/resource/teaching-montgomery-bus-boycott/ This year I have been using more guided notes sheets and interactive notes pages/workbooks with my Civil Rights History and United States History students. My students are performing better on unit exams after I started ut...