I know that some of you are already on the ground with kids, doing point of the spear stuff. But for many, school starts this week or next. And you may already have your entire week planned out, ready to go.
But if you’re still struggling with what to do or maybe just looking for a few fresh ideas, here’s five easy activities that you can use right away without a lot of prep time. Continue reading 5 Easy Back to School Ideas for Social Studies Teachers
I had the great privilege this week of attending a meeting at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS. The purpose was to identify concretely some ways the partnership between K-State and the Eisenhower Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home could continue to grow. The experience was wonderful as we were able to visit the Director’s office which at one time was occupied President Eisenhower himself. Additionally, I was afforded the opportunity to go through the museum, which was fabulous! Great exhibits were filled with the artifacts of the life and times of the president. Continue reading “I Still Like Ike” & A “History Day” Training Opportunity
August 21, 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of Confederate guerrilla William Quantrill’s devastating raid on Lawrence. The raid took 150 lives and left 80 women widows. Even the most ardent Kansas State fans would have to agree that it was a horrible and despicable deed. Continue reading Anniversary of Quantrill’s Raid
There’s an elephant in the room. We all know it. Somebody needs to say something. So . . . here goes.
School starts soon. There. I said it.
For a lot of you, you’re just a few weeks away and excited about getting back in the classroom again. You’ve had a few months to relax, read, research, to re-charge a bit. And now with school start dates just around the corner, you’re looking for handy resources.
How about some sweet primary source lesson plans aligned to the Common Core? Well . . . the National Archives has got you covered.
Seriously. If you haven’t made it over to the National Archives Education page, you are missing out. Lesson plans. Professional development stuff. Handy graphic organizers. It’s one of those sites that is non-negotiable for social studies people. If you’re not taking advantage of all of that goodness, you’re not as good a teacher as you could be. It’s just that simple.
But NARA has lots of other goodies out there.
DocsTeach is one of the those. Continue reading Primary source lessons aligned to the Common Core
A great activity I like to use with my students is called “Chicken Foot”.
I learned this strategy at a Pre-AP Summer Institute I went to in 2010 in Norman, Oklahoma. After viewing the document, students write the main idea on the “leg”, then they pick three points or elements of the text that the students feel are super important and that everyone needs to know about the document. They write the three main points on the “toes” (if that’s what they are!). Continue reading Chicken Foot
