Tag: social studies

Independent Study, K-5, Research, Social Studies, Teaching Tools, Videos, Websites

Scholastic’s The First Thanksgiving

Terri Eichholz

UPDATE 11/2/2020: Here is a link to over 45 Thanksgiving activities you can use in your classroom.

Give your students a virtual field trip to the First Thanksgiving by visiting this in-depth resource from Scholastic.  Students can read letters from pilgrims, view videos with “Miles Standish” and other pilgrims, and take a field trip to Plimouth.  There are lots of resources and free printables for teachers as well.  This is a great way for the students to immerse themselves in history instead of relying on social studies textbooks.

Geography, Independent Study, K-12, Research, Science, Social Studies, Teaching Tools, Websites

Geography Awareness Week

Terri Eichholz

Next week, November 13-19, is Geography Awareness Week.  I think we can all agree that we could stand to brush up on our geography skills.  This site, produced by National Geographic, has some great activities for doing that.  You can print out a booklet of “missions”, or go to the online version.  The wording in the booklet is fun, and the missions are very creative.  For example, one mission is titled, “Alien Invasion”, in which the student is tasked to “Photograph evidence of where a non-native plant or animal has invaded a local ecosystem. Produce a ‘spotter’s guide’ to these invasive species.”  Many of the missions would make great activities any time of the year, so don’t feel restricted to squeezing all of your geography education into one week!

3-12, Social Studies, Teaching Tools, Websites

iCivics

Terri Eichholz

Do you have a student who likes to argue?  Maybe one who aspires to be a lawyer one day?  Introduce him or her to this website, which is “designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy.”  With a woman like Justice Sandra Day O’Connor spearheading this effort to educate our children about citizenship, this site is not only a great addition to the curriculum, but an inspiration to students to become more involved in their communities.  You can try the games, like Argument Wars, or register for free and receive all of the benefits.