Passion for Social Studies

JANUARY 31, 2025

The Vietnam War was a pivotal event in world history. The Importance of Teaching about the Vietnam War There are many reasons why students must develop a strong understanding of the Vietnam War. Vietnam War Lesson This is the perfect resource to teach about the Vietnam War and the complex challenges the United States faced.

Lesson Plan 130

Lesson Plan History Psychology World History 130

ED Surge

MARCH 27, 2025

They can start with mastering spreadsheets, coding languages like Python or teaching students to use AI chatbots. No school leader should think they have to do everything all at once. Districts arent only thinking about AI as part of teaching theyre exploring how it can help with a wide swath of jobs.

K-12 138

K-12 Education EdTech Lesson Plan 138

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

While mastering technical skills is essential, students must also develop soft skills like communication, collaboration and critical thinking to thrive beyond the classroom. These events repeat several times a year across different organizations. In our tech-driven world, the value of human connection can’t be overstated.

Project-Based Learning 130

Project-Based Learning Middle School High School Critical Thinking 130

Teaching American History

MARCH 11, 2025

Teaching government at Hilliard Darby High School in Ohio (a suburb of Columbus), Amy Messick helps students understand how our constitutional system works. One former student who appreciates what he learned from Messick now serves on the school board for the district in which Messick teaches. Some of them encourage her.

Government 96

Government Controversial Topics American History Civics 96

ED Surge

JANUARY 21, 2025

But by the time she was heading up her own elementary school classroom in Chicago, she found herself missing the library and longing to teach media literacy again. She teaches concepts as wide-ranging as American Sign Language, critical thinking, typing, conducting research and writing in cursive.

Charter School 103

Charter School Library Education Lesson Plan 103

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 28, 2016

Whether it is in person at events and workshops or in social media spaces, I routinely see conversations play out where educators take a certain stance on the meaning of specific words. Just check the Dictionary of Educational Jargon to get some clarity, then have some fun with the Educational Jargon Generator. This is my view of rigor.

Critical Thinking 251

Critical Thinking Cultures Teaching Research 251

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Image credit: [link] A Biology Teacher’s Thoughts on Critical Literacy by Lynne Torpie Science teachers can tend to be myopic, focusing on acquiring content detail and teaching the steps of the scientific method instead of fostering the investigative, critical thinking and written communication skills that embody real-world scientific endeavors.

Museum 320

Museum Archiving Social Studies History 320

Moler's Musing

MARCH 1, 2025

The combination of these strategies helped students interact with history in meaningful ways while reinforcing critical thinking and writingexactly the kind of skills they need as we approach testing season. Class Companion provided immediate feedback on their writing, helping them refine their responses.

History 122

History Critical Thinking Government Research 122

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

They do this by mapping courses and activities to institutional competencies: critical thinking, analytical thinking, communication, social awareness and responsibility, creativity and innovation, and leadership and collaboration. “We

Civic Engagement 109

Civic Engagement EdTech Civics Leadership 109

TCI

JANUARY 14, 2025

Engaging students in social studies goes beyond simply covering the material; its about helping them connect historical events to current issues and develop critical thinking skills. Giving teachers access to HQIM makes a difference in their teaching practice and effectiveness.

Social Studies 52

Social Studies Civics Civic Engagement Critical Thinking 52

Moler's Musing

JANUARY 24, 2025

From Sketch and Tell-O activities that broke down complex ideas to Progressive Sketch and Tell timelines that visualized historical events, we kept creativity at the forefront. Partner Discussion : After reading, students listed two problems and one solution from the text and discussed their findings with a partner, comparing ideas.

Government 131

Government Social Studies Leadership History 131

Dangerously Irrelevant

MAY 31, 2017

For instance, if I was teaching Social Studies today… My students and I definitely would be tapping into an incredible diversity of online resources. The UC Davis California History Social Science Project frames current events within their historical context , connecting students’ present to the past.

Social Studies 76

Social Studies Teaching Archiving Geography 76

Moler's Musing

MARCH 10, 2025

Ethics : Have students create two sketchesone that supports an event and one that critiques it. Example lesson: The Texas Revolution Standard sketch & tell: Students illustrate one major event in the Texas Revolution. Example: if sketching manifest destiny, students must label annexation, expansion, and sovereignty.

Critical Thinking 75

Critical Thinking History Economics Education 75

ED Surge

MARCH 26, 2024

He still has that concern, but as he stepped back to think about it, he also saw a way to “leverage” the tool for a goal he had long fought for — to help bring social studies education, and especially the teaching of civics, to broader prominence in the nation’s schools. He has long argued that U.S.

Civics 134

Civics Controversial Topics Education Social Studies 134

Moler's Musing

MARCH 8, 2025

One of the biggest challenges in history education is engaging students in meaningful analysis while encouraging collaboration and critical thinking. Comparing their topic to a related historical event or figure. Depth & Complexity: Ethics: Was the event just or unjust? Compare two different events and their outcomes.

Primary Sources 52

Primary Sources History Critical Thinking History Education 52

Moler's Musing

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

The who, what, when, and where of the event. This activity combined creativity and critical thinking, but as expected, many students didn’t finish this part. Exploring Shays’ Rebellion To connect the Articles to its historical impact, I included a Justin Unruh template focused on Shays’ Rebellion. Two weaknesses of the Articles.

Government 131

Government Lesson Plan Critical Thinking History 131

Zinn Education Project

JUNE 6, 2024

On June 4, the Zinn Education Project hosted a Press Call about the 4th Annual National Teach Truth Day of Action. This year, from Seattle, Washington, to Miami, Florida, and many towns and cities in between, educators will host more than 170 grassroots events on Saturday, June 8 and throughout the month. With no exceptions.

Teaching 86

Teaching Social Justice Library Heritage 86

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

The topic of trauma — specifically, trauma-informed teaching — has become a focus in education. have experienced some form of trauma, so it’s critical that educators be equipped to support every student. I teach about 500 students, many of whom have experienced trauma. Almost 50 percent of students in the U.S.

Critical Thinking 145

Critical Thinking Elementary School High School Teaching 145

Let's Cultivate Greatness

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Its easy to focus on just the President when teaching the Executive Branch, but its important also to stress the role of the four million other people who make up this branch of government. Here are some of my favorite lessons and activities for teaching the executive branch in my high school Civics and Government class.

Civics 52

Civics Government Critical Thinking Social Studies 52

Zinn Education Project

APRIL 6, 2025

Make visible the history that we are defending the right to teach with mini-lessons. Mini-lessons also serve as an affirmation that we defy censorship by teaching this “banned history” in a public space. The events in the visual display are drawn from a more detailed timeline at the Civil Rights Teaching website.

History 52

History Critical Thinking Tradition Teaching 52

Students of History

JANUARY 10, 2023

Many teachers avoid bringing current events into the classroom and often for good reason. However, current events are a great way to connect your curriculum to the real world and work on social studies skills. So, I encourage you to try - when relevant - to bring some current events into your lessons.

Social Studies 52

Social Studies Civics Critical Thinking World History 52

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 16, 2024

Implement and Assess: Implement the chosen options in your teaching practice and assess their effectiveness in helping students apply and transfer their learning. Providing students with choices to transfer and apply their learning encourages deeper thinking and enhances their ability to communicate their understanding effectively.

Social Science 152

Social Science Artifacts Museum History 152

The Hechinger Report

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

What’s less clear is how prepared elementary school teachers are to put these seismic events into context. The rate of failure for aspiring Black and Latinx teachers is even higher than for aspiring white teachers, making lack of content knowledge preparation yet another obstacle to the diversification the teaching profession so dearly needs.

K-12 127

K-12 Civics Social Studies Geography 127

TCI

JANUARY 21, 2025

In a recent TCI Summit session on gamification, we explored how incorporating games into teaching can transform the learning experience. Effective Review and Teaching Tool: Gamification is an excellent tool for reviewing content or even introducing new material. What Are the Elements of a Good Game? style game.

K-12 52

K-12 Lesson Plan Critical Thinking Social Studies 52

Dr. Shannon Doak

OCTOBER 7, 2024

Emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and adaptability—things that go far beyond the technical. Here’s what that could look like: Emotional Intelligence and Empathy : Schools should introduce programs that actually teach emotional intelligence—skills like empathy, active listening, and really understanding others.

Teaching 59

Teaching Critical Thinking Leadership Cultures 59

ED Surge

OCTOBER 7, 2024

Creative thinking leads the list, followed by analytical or critical thinking. It’s all about giving teachers the tools to teach effectively and students the means to show off their skills to colleges and employers. With AI, we’re teaching them to surf in an ever-changing ocean. million certifications.

Advocacy 125

Advocacy Project-Based Learning Tradition Economics 125

ED Surge

JULY 21, 2022

Dear Bonni, I'll be teaching a course on the history of Ireland later this year. Seeing as how art has been such a big part of Irish history and culture, I was thinking about something artistic in some way, but how on earth do I grade something creative?

Primary Sources 125

Primary Sources History World History Digital Resources 125

C3 Teachers

MARCH 14, 2025

These pilot experiences were invaluable we observed firsthand how students engaged in compelling questions, analyzed primary sources, and developed their own interpretations of historical events. Teachers grew as facilitators of inquiry, fostering discussions, debates, and deep analytical thinking** among students. IDM does just that.

Social Studies 40

Social Studies Public School Primary Sources Civic Engagement 40

ED Surge

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

As the frequency of severe weather events increases and the Earth’s temperature inches upward, emotions have intensified for a lot of students in the United States and it turns out that many keep their concerns about living on a warming planet to themselves.

Civic Engagement 134

Civic Engagement Civics Library Social Science 134

TCI

OCTOBER 15, 2024

With schools facing the challenges of remote learning, different learning styles, and changing dynamics, video teaching strategies have become an important tool for teachers. While watching videos can be passive, video teaching strategies engage students in active learning.

Teaching 52

Teaching Education K-12 Critical Thinking 52

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

This routine aims to scaffold the thinking process by breaking it down into manageable chunks, thereby facilitating rich classroom conversations or introspective thinking. The routine can be applied to various situations, from analyzing a piece of art to discussing a historical event.

Primary Sources 143

Primary Sources History Cultures Cultural Studies 143

TCI

OCTOBER 15, 2024

With schools facing the challenges of remote learning, different learning styles, and changing dynamics, video teaching strategies have become an important tool for teachers. While watching videos can be passive, video teaching strategies engage students in active learning.

Teaching 52

Teaching K-12 Critical Thinking Tradition 52

The Hechinger Report

MAY 10, 2022

During this period of their lives, learners are still developing critical thinking abilities and prefer active learning. The impact of the event was evident when a girl who had never soldered wires into a circuit board succeeded after thirty minutes. The camp introduced eighth graders to coding and avionics.

Middle School 131

Middle School Elementary School High School Critical Thinking 131

ED Surge

AUGUST 29, 2024

One example of that work is the group’s new focus is its Skills for the Future initiative, a joint effort with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to reimagine assessments. Think about how hard we’ve worked to sort of address inequality in standardized testing,” she says.

Tradition 138

Tradition Critical Thinking Government Education 138

Moler's Musing

OCTOBER 26, 2024

Each protocol helped keep the energy high while pushing students to think critically about the events leading up to the American Revolution. Of Parents and Children”: Bringing the Revolution Home In this lesson, the premise is simple but effective—compare historical events to everyday situations that students can relate to.

Primary Sources 126

Primary Sources History Government Critical Thinking 126

Moler's Musing

AUGUST 23, 2024

My day begins with teaching two 65-minute social studies periods, followed by a plan period, co-teaching a reading workshop with an ELA teacher, and ending the day with two more 65-minute social studies classes. At the beginning of the year, the name of the game is teaching the process and procedures of EduProtocols.

Artifacts 100

Artifacts History Social Studies Lesson Plan 100

The Hechinger Report

MARCH 19, 2021

It’s very foreign to me and it’s hard to teach,” said the 38-year-old real estate agent from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We end up teaching [our kids] the old ways, which don’t fully benefit them — especially with assignments where they have to show their work.”. This story also appeared in The Washington Post.

Elementary School 138

Elementary School High School Tradition Teaching 138