Social Studies Approaches – Exploring from Another Angle

Yet another way to look at teaching social studies is through the broad domains of
History, Economics, and Geography (Cultural Studies would be a 4th). A variety of
approaches, practices, and resources to teaching these are listed below (and of course
there are many more for you to discover on your own out on the web).

As you explore, please keep in mind that an essential part of Project Based Learning is
the creation of student learning products and performances as foci for learning and
‘proving behaviors’ on which alternative assessment can be based. There are many
ideas here for such products.

An important dimension of doing projects involves a wide variety of technologies to

capture and save things: Screen Captures are very useful for capture items found on a
computer screen so that they may be processed, used, or saved. There are
technologies to save voice and sound, others to capture, process, archive, and/or share
sound, video, still photos, scans, etc. etc. Please consider how products (and the
elements from which they are created) can be saved, integrated into a work involving
many sources, and shared.

Assignment:
Part 1) Browse the links below and make note of items that interest you or that seem of
particular value... then return to a handful (4 - 6) and explore them more deeply. Based
on your reading and exploration, select 3 approaches, practices, or resources that you
feel offer something special for instruction, particularly social studies instruction. Give
the URLs of the items you identified in your response and explain why you chose them.
Part 2) Choose one item that you would integrate into your final project. Explain why
and how. Include the URL(s) in your response so that the class will be able to see the
item you are identifying.
Both Parts 1 and 2 should be pasted in the Discussion Board for your response
to this week's assignment. Approx. 300 - 500 words.

Links………………………………………………………………

I) History
Timelines
• read – write – think http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?
id=7
• Timelines: A Timeless Teaching Tool
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson044.shtml
• Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org/xtimeline-timeline-web-site
• Thinking in Mind/Glogster http://www.thinkinginmind.com/2009/03/creating-historical-
timelines-with-glogster/
• Scholastic http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=124
• An interesting variation – the Life Map “Creating a Life Map”
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=179

Historical (Primary) Documents

• National Archives http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/
• Teaching American History http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/
• HopeSite- Centre for Holocaust Education
http://www.hopesite.ca/rekindle/teaching/docs_pics.html
• Jamestown Changes (EdSitement lesson)
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=269
• Doing history http://dohistory.org/interests/i_teaching.html
• African American historical documents online
http://www.learnquebec.ca/en/content/curriculum/social_sciences/features/bhr/hbhmdoc
s.html
* Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/PrimDocsHome.html
and http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/
+
Historical Photographs
- Using Historical Photographs in Teaching
http://712educators.about.com/b/2011/04/28/using-historical-photographs-in-
teaching.htm

Virtual Field Trips

• filamentality (some are SS connected)
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listvirtualgr.html
• Tramline http://www.field-trips.org/trips.htm
• Get Outta Class With Virtual Field Trips
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml
• Take a Museum Field Trip -- Without Leaving Your Classroom! http://www.education-
world.com/a_curr/curr057.shtml
• Designing a virtual field trip.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Designing+a+virtual+field+trip-a0116223416

+
Virtual Culture Trunks and Cigar Boxes (trunks can be personal or group, cigar box
can be personal)
• Traveling Trunk Program (on this real world model we can base a virtual experience)
http://www.ohs.org/education/traveling-trunk-program.cfm
• Joseph Cornell Boxes (a variation on the ‘trunk’ theme)
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/Joani-box.htm

II) Economics
• Article: The Case for Economics in the Elementary Classroom
http://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications_papers/pub_display.cfm?id=3587
• Teacher created slide presentations: Economics in the Elementary Classroom
http://www.slideshare.net/LauraB/economics-in-the-elementary-classroom
• Economics for Elementary School through High School
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2008/11/economics-for-elementary-school-
through.html
• Online elementary economics lessons http://cob.jmu.edu/econed/Elementary.htm
• Teaching Basic Economics with the Trading Game http://primary-school-lesson-
plans.suite101.com/article.cfm/teaching_economics_with_the_trading_game
• #2343. "Economics makes Cents" UNIT for third graders
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2343.html
• Elementary Economics Lessons http://www.moneyinstructor.com/elementary.asp
• Elementary Economics Lesson Plan on Apples
http://primary-school-lesson-
plans.suite101.com/article.cfm/elementary_economics_lesson_plan_on_apples

To make economics project based, have students create products or performances…

posters, comic book/graphic novels, skits, puppets, etc.
Literature Connections

• Teaching Economics Through Fairy Tales In the United States and Russia
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4033/is_200310/ai_n9305405/
• Teaching Economics with Children’s Literature: Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock
http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/302

III) Geography General Ideas

- ProTeacher http://www.proteacher.com/090027.shtml
- Asia for elementary http://www.asian-studies.org/EAA/gleaningswinter99.htm
- Article: At Flower Hill Elementary, geography is magic
http://www.gazette.net/stories/022008/gaitnew210051_32377.shtml

Maps
- Slide Presentation: Using Google Maps For Your History Class
http://www.slideshare.net/middleclassgirl/using-google-maps-for-your-history-class
How to Teach Geography to Kids with Bubble Maps
How to Teach Geography to Kids with Bubble Maps
http://www.ehow.com/how_5257110_teach-geography-kids-bubble-maps.html#ixzz1LW959TZj

Lesson Plans
- What We Can Learn From Maps
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/03/g35/seasgis35.html
- Tell a Migration Story…with Maps
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/09/cartography.html
- TEK Mom (scroll to bottom for map tools) http://www.tekmom.com/search/
- National Geographic atlas tool
- http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/
- Google Maps for Educators http://www.google.com/educators/p_maps.html

Projects
Flat Stanly Project: http://www.flatstanleyproject.com/
Postcard Geography http://pcg.cyberbee.com/gallery.html
- Great geography projects for elementary school students 4 Articles
http://www.helium.com/knowledge/151137-great-geography-projects-for-elementary-
school-students
- Fun Geography Projects for History Classes
http://curriculalessons.suite101.com/article.cfm/fun_geography_projects_for_history_cla
sses
- Corn Maze Geography http://www.classbrain.com/artteach/publish/corn_maze-
geography.shtml

IV) Cultural Studies

Oxfam Cool Planet http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/oxfam/action.htm
Ten Cultural Projects to Enrich Foreign Language, Geography, and Social Studies
Courses
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/539747/ten_cultural_projects_to_enrich_foreig
n.html?cat=4
***The Gorgeous Mosaic Project. Coordinator's Packet & Mounting Directions.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?
_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED347257&ERICExtSearch_SearchTy
pe_0=no&accno=ED347257