Social Studies Toolbox

This summer I ordered a copy of the  EduProtocol Field Guide Social Studies Edition (highly recommend)! I was eager to learn how to apply EduProtocol strategies into my Civics and Geography lessons, especially strategies focusing on building literacy skills. Two specific strategies stood out; Cyber Sandwich and 8 Parts. (If you aren't familiar with these strategies, I strongly encourage you to visit the EduProtocol website. You will find a wealth of information and lots of free templates.) My middle school Civics students are currently studying citizenship; specifically the rights and responsibilities of citizens. I found a great lesson on iCivics (another great source of information and free resources) covering this topic. On day one, I had my students read and complete a graphic organizer covering the basics of citizenship, rights, and responsibilities. As students read, they completed a graphic organizer I created that merged two of my favorite EduProtocol strategies: 8 Part...

My middle and high school students enjoy TED Talks. I often share them with my Psychology and Civics students. Last year I made a concerted effort to include more TED Talks in my Geography classes. I spent a lot of time the past 12 months watching TED Talks focusing on Geography themes; searching for engaging talks my middle school students would enjoy. I am excited to share my list of TED Talks I plan to share with my Geography students this school year. 1. TED TALK: Jack Dangermond's  TED Talk, An Ever-Evolving Map of Everything on Earth Theme(s): Location, Human-Environment Interaction Description:  What if we had a map of ... everything? Jack Dangermond, a visionary behind the geographic information system (GIS) technology used to map and analyze all kinds of complex data, walks us through the interconnected technologies gathering information about every crack and corner of the Earth. Learn how this "living atlas" and "geospatial nervous system" can help us ...