Social Studies Toolbox

Earlier this week I presented my students with a challenge. Create a world map using construction paper, glue, and a sharpie. No scissors.  Students were not allowed to use any tools to cut out their continents. They had to tear their continents from construction paper. After their continents were ready, students were asked to label them and then glue them in place.  Each student's map needed a title, compass rose, key, symbols, Equator, and Prime Meridian, and all the continents and oceans had to be labeled. Most of my students had a blast creating their maps. Of course, a couple students were anxious; worried their continents wouldn't look nice. With some reassuring, they proceeded and did just fine.  This activity is a perfect back-to-school or sub-day activity. It required very little prep and materials. I let my students use any color construction paper they wanted as long as they selected two different colors.  The results were fantastic! Grab your copy of the ...

Last year I listened to a lot of podcasts. Both of my kids studied virtually so my commute to and from school was lonely. Wisconsin Public Radio and podcasts kept me company. Some of my favorite podcasts were History Chicks, Stuff I Missed in History Class, Teaching Hard History, Codeswitch, Stuff You Should Know, The Next Big Idea, and The Cult of Pedagogy. A couple episodes that really stuck with me pertained to the topic of note-taking . Honestly, as a high school teacher, I kind of neglected teaching this important skill. I remember giving tips here and there but I never specifically taught note-taking. I naively thought my students already knew how to do this. As I enter year four as a middle school teacher, I'm aware that a huge component of my job is to teach skills and give students ample opportunity to practice those skills. This year, inspired by Jennifer Gonzalez's episode on note-taking stations , I decided to create and implement the idea in my classroom. I did it ...

I've been a huge fan of hexagonal thinking activities for several years. This year I found a new way to incorporate the concept of hexagonal thinking into my classroom - BULLETIN BOARD DISPLAYS! If you're unfamiliar with hexagonal thinking, it's essentially a visual tool for students to organize their thinking about a particular topic or concept. I use hexagonal thinking activities in both informal and formal ways in my classroom. I also incorporate old-fashioned manipulatives and digital versions in my classroom. (My students prefer the manipulatives over the digital version.)  Sometimes I have my students complete hexagonal thinking activities independently, sometimes in small groups, and sometimes as a large group. A few examples of how I've used them in my classroom include: Short bell-ringers and anticipatory activities.  Review activities.  End-of-the-unit assessments No matter how I use hexagonal thinking activities, my students seem to love them. I love them b...