Social Studies Toolbox

As educators, we are constantly on the lookout for engaging activities that promote critical thinking and deeper understanding among our students. One such activity that has gained popularity in recent years is hexagonal thinking. Hexagonal thinking activities provide students with a visual framework to organize their thoughts and foster connections between different ideas. In this blog post, I will share some of the benefits of using digital hexagonal thinking activities in the middle and high school Social Studies classroom. 1. Challenging and Engaging: Hexagonal thinking activities present a unique challenge to students, similar to solving a puzzle. Any challenge sparks interest and motivates most students to actively participate. By engaging in these activities, students not only enjoy the process but also develop critical thinking skills as they strive to make meaningful connections between concepts and themes. 2. Deepens Understanding: The visual nature of hexagonal thinking prom...

Do you use Cornell notes with your middle school students or do you use another note-taking style? To be honest, I didn't use Cornell notes with my 6th grade U.S. History students for most of the school year because I didn't think they were ready. Instead, I used guided notes, doodle notes, and graphic organizers most of the year. About three-quarters of the way through the year, I decided it was time to incorporate Cornell notes into my classroom. Just like any new skill, it is important to use scaffolding, especially with middle schoolers. How did I do it? Actually, it was pretty simple. I often use PowerPoints or Google slides in my classroom when presenting new material. All I did was incorporate step-by-step illustrations describing what Cornell notes are, what they look like, and how to do them into my PowerPoint. I added these slides to my next few PowerPoints as well. It didn't take my students long before they were proficient with this new note-taking strate...

This summer will be my thirteenth (I think!) summer teaching summer school! Most summers I focus on Social Studies credit recovery. The past three summers I've been responsible for pretty much every subject including English, Social Studies, Math, Science, Health, and Physical Education! As a former Alt-Ed teacher, I've done a lot of research looking for engaging and meaningful online curriculum and resources. I'll share some of my favorites along with a brief explanation of why these resources are my favorites. TED TALKS Most educators have heard of TED Talks. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are short (often under eighteen minutes) presentations by some of the world's leading innovators and thinkers on pretty much any topic under the sun. The best ones are brief and super-powerful! Many teachers I know have used at least one TED Talk as part of a lesson or unit. If you have never used TED Talks in your classroom, I strongly encourage you to ...

Last month I wrote a post about how I introduce my 6th graders to more advanced note-taking techniques, specifically Cornell notes. Since writing that post, I've had a few discussions with fellow middle school Social Studies teachers about which methods they prefer as well as which methods their students prefer. It seems there is no clear-cut answer as to which method is "best." The only generalization I can gather from my conversations with fellow educators on this topic is this--use whichever method works best in your classroom. Also, some methods work best in certain situations with some students and other methods work best in other situations. Are you confused yet? The lesson I learned this year (my first working with 6th graders) with regard to teaching note-taking skills is to take "baby steps." Start simple. Model note-taking and do it often! (I include specific examples of how students should "set-up" their notes in my PowerPoints.) At the ...