How to Introduce Social Studies to Middle School Students

How do you introduce students to the best subject in school?? (I love teaching Social Studies so I'm totally biased! Ha!) It's an important question to consider, especially when you want to create a unit that engages students and makes them excited for the year ahead. Student comments like, "Social Studies is my favorite class!" and "I love Social Studies!" are music to my ears.  

I love sharing my passion for teaching Social Studies and connecting with teachers like you who have that same love of bringing history to life in their classrooms! I decided to create an Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit filled with everything you need to start your year - from daily lesson plans to every single activity you'll need at zero cost to you. Think: All the activities you need PLUS detailed lesson plans to cover 5 days of school. I've got you covered, friend!

Let's get the year off to an exciting start! Click the link below to snag the Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit right now or keep reading to see what activities are included and available for free in my TPT store right now. :)

Introduction to Social Studies Word Wall

I love word walls! A word wall is a place to collect the important vocabulary terms you are teaching in your unit. The more students interact with vocabulary terms, the more connections they can make between ideas and build upon those concepts to better understand and make deeper connections to curriculum content. I love to hang up all the words at the start of the unit so students can see them every day when they enter the classroom. You can even keep them up all year long!

Bell Ringers

Bell ringers were a game changer when I began using them years ago. Now students know exactly what to do when they enter the classroom. They help students review material we've recently learned, preview new material and can promote critical and creative thinking skills depending on the question type. I just love them! 

Introduction to Social Studies Vocabulary

What's better than one vocabulary activity? THREE activities!

The Introduction to Social Studies Vocabulary resource includes three different activities - a vocabulary matching activity, a crossword puzzle and a graphic organizer. Each of the activities gives students an opportunity to practice using the 12 vocabulary terms in the unit, like chronology, point of view, bias, primary source, secondary source and more!

Interactive PowerPoint Informational Text

While you may have access to informational text, like a textbook, these PowerPoint slides are a fantastic way to introduce the content to students!  The Introduction to Social Studies Interactive PowerPoint is filled with informational text students can use to complete the interactive notebook activities. 

Oh! And not only is it available in PowerPoint in an interactive format, there's also TpT Easel and Google Drive versions included, too. I've got you covered!

Interactive Notebooks

How do students organize their notes for this unit? In an interactive notebook! I love these graphic organizers because they consolidate student notes in one place. The graphic organizers directly correlate to all the activities I've mentioned above so far and give students the opportunity to summarize the main ideas and details they learn as they are introduced to the study of history. The mini unit includes a paper and digital version of the interactive notebooks so you have flexibility in your classroom!

Task Cards

Task cards can be used as bell ringers, entrance tickets, exit tickets, station work and more! I alternate their use based on my class needs of the day, but they include brief writing prompts to encourage students to think critically about the content they are learning in class.

Assessment

While there are many ways to assess student knowledge, sometimes you want to use a traditional test! The Introduction to Social Studies Assessment includes vocabulary matching, multiple choice, fill in the blank and written response questions. 

Let's do this!

I can't wait for you to check out the FREE Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit! I'm confident it will save you valuable time in your teaching and personal life while creating an enriching experience for your students this year. You may even find a few surprises inside...like a Historical Thinking Skills Web Quest and a Types of Maps activity! I love throwing in extra resources to the curriculum bundles. :)

Happy Teaching! 

3 Amazing Podcasts Every Teacher Should Listen To This Summer

The first days of summer vacation always feel so delightfully full of possibility. Everything seems lighter somehow and so...free. It's a time to truly unwind and relax. One of my favorite summer pastimes while on a neighborhood walk, on a road trip or relaxing by the pool is listening to podcasts! Here are three podcasts that I am absolutely loving right now! 

The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast - Jennifer Gonzalez

My personal favorite location for professional development is at the beach, and thanks to Jennifer Gonzalez's podcast, my PD dreams can come true! As teachers, we consider ourselves life-long learners. Listening to the Cult of Pedagogy Podcast over the summer helps me develop new ideas and strategies that I plan to use in my classroom in the new school year.

The CEO Teacher Podcast - Kayse Morris

If you are thinking of starting any kind of business to supplement your teaching career, I highly recommend Kayse's CEO Teacher podcast! She always has insightful tips to share and her journey has been inspirational. I love learning from her whenever I'm on the go!

Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

Angela Watson's calm, encouraging and educational Truth for Teachers podcast episodes are the perfect edition to your summer podcast playlist. She shares great tips on managing teacher workload, stress, strategies for students and more!

I'm always on the hunt for new podcasts. Which ones do you recommend? Let me know in the comments!