Civics education prepares young citizens to engage thoughtfully in our democracy. Here are several activity ideas that align with curriculum standards and are designed to captivate middle sc… Read More

Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method that allows students to gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period to investigate and respond to a complex question, proble… Read More

In social studies education, the integration of real-world activities into the curriculum plays a crucial role in deepening students' understanding of government and its functions. Such acti… Read More

Incorporating mock trials into middle school and high school Social Studies curricula offers a unique and engaging way to educate students about the judicial system. By simulating courtroom… Read More

As educators, the New Year and the beginning of a new semester present a unique opportunity to invigorate our teaching approaches. Integrating TED Talks into our high school courses can be a… Read More

Dear Readers,After 24 years of chalk dust, lesson plans, and shifts in educational trends, I've decided to embark on a new venture—one that's both a reflection and an exploration. I wa… Read More

Our role as teachers extends beyond simply delivering content. We are not just providers of information; we are guides, mentors, and facilitators of learning. One crucial aspect of this role… Read More

As a seasoned educator with over two decades of experience in teaching History, Civics, and Geography, I firmly believe in the power of engaging students in meaningful discussions. One of th… Read More

As social studies teachers, we understand the importance of making our lessons engaging and relatable to our students. One fantastic way to achieve this is by incorporating local geography i… Read More

1. Mock TrialObjective: Students will simulate a court trial to understand the judicial process.Materials: Script, costumes, gavelInstructions: Divide the class into roles—judge, jury… Read More

Geography teachers! If you've ever found it challenging to teach map skills in an engaging way, you're not alone. Last week we reviewed map skills in my 7th grade Geography class. Rathe… Read More

Art isn't just for art class; it's a versatile tool that can enrich any subject, including Social Studies. For middle and high school Social Studies teachers, incorporating art into your soc… Read More

If you've ever found yourself puzzled by your students' chronic procrastination—wondering why they wait until the eleventh hour to start on that major project or why their best work of… Read More

Bell-ringers have become an increasingly common and valuable tool for middle and high school Social Studies teachers.  Bell-ringers, short activities students complete at the beginning… Read More

For Civics and American Government teachers, sometimes it's a struggle to keep students excited and engaged with the material we teach. Incorporating stations into the classroom can be a gam… Read More

As Social Studies teachers, we understand the significance of a robust vocabulary in enhancing students' comprehension and critical thinking skills. However, teaching new vocabulary can some… Read More

Building a strong classroom community sets the foundation for a successful academic year.  I'd love to share a few of my favorite low-pressure first-day activities!1. Collaborative Hexa… Read More

As we gear up for the new school year, it's essential to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in social studies education.  In this blog post, I'll share a few trends I'm noticing in… Read More

As social studies educators, we strive to make history and geography come alive for our students. One powerful way to achieve this is by incorporating local history into our U.S. History or… Read More

As educators, we strive to create engaging and interdisciplinary learning experiences that inspire our students. One remarkable figure that offers a wealth of opportunities for cross-curricu… Read More

As history teachers, we strive to create engaging and impactful learning experiences for our students. One such activity that I have used with students for many years that meets both criteri… Read More

Wisconsin educators have a unique opportunity to bring our state's vibrant history to life in the social studies classroom. By incorporating local and Wisconsin history into the curriculum… Read More

Educators are constantly seeking innovative ways to engage students and deepen their understanding of historical events. One powerful tool that can revolutionize Social Studies classrooms is… Read More

Civics and Government classes play a crucial role in shaping informed and engaged citizens. To enhance the learning experience and foster inclusivity and diversity within the classroom, educ… Read More

Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to wrap up the school year while reinforcing students' knowledge of the U.S. Constitution (or any topic!)? This weekend I planned an activity desig… Read More

"What problems arise when some countries don't have enough resources? How can resources be distributed more fairly? "How can we use resources more sustainably?" These questions lie at the he… Read More

As the school year draws to a close, it's an opportune time to celebrate the achievements of graduating seniors and equip them with the tools they need to thrive in their next chapter of lif… Read More

As educators in the field of Social Studies, our objective is to cultivate an appreciation of history and civics among our students, simultaneously nurturing empathy and compassion for margi… Read More

Understanding the concept of a living wage is important for our middle and high school students in today's fast-changing economic environment. It empowers them to make well-informed decision… Read More

As middle school educators, we strive to engage our students in meaningful and interactive learning experiences that not only deepen their understanding of civics and economics but also fost… Read More

As an educator, you want to find ways to engage your students in meaningful learning experiences that align with curriculum standards and promote higher-order thinking skills. One popular ap… Read More

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to advance, it's becoming increasingly important for students to understand its capabilities and limitations.  Janelle Shane's TED T… Read More

As a high school psychology teacher, you can incorporate Mental Health and Psychology-themed TED Talks into your classroom to enhance students' understanding of the content. TED Talks are in… Read More

As a high school Psychology teacher, you may be looking for a culminating project to wrap up a unit on motivation. This project is designed to help students apply what they've learned about… Read More

Teaching middle school students about the factors of production can be challenging, but with the right lesson ideas, it can be a fun and engaging experience. the following are some lesson id… Read More

As educators, we are always searching for ways to engage our students and encourage critical thinking skills. Several months ago, I created a Civil Rights inquiry-based detective a… Read More

As a civics teacher, one of your goals is to teach students about the duties and responsibilities of citizens. This is a critical aspect of civic education that helps students become informe… Read More

Mental health issues have become increasingly prevalent in today's society, especially among young people. Now more than ever, it's important to incorporate this important topic into high sc… Read More

How can we spark enthusiasm and lifelong interest in the next generation of environmental leaders? One way is by showcasing the accomplishments of environmental leaders who have helped make… Read More

Vocabulary Review Idea #1Looking for a simple vocabulary review activity? This activity is one of my favorites. I hand out vocabulary words to half of my students and the other half get defi… Read More

Do you use bell work (sometimes called bell-ringers, start-nows, or warm-ups) in your History or Social Studies classroom? The reasons for incorporating bell work into your classroom ro… Read More

One skill I've been working on with my Social Studies students this year is how to make inferences by employing close observation and prior knowledge. My students really struggle with this a… Read More

You probably use stations or gallery walks in your classroom if you teach middle school students. Middle school students need to move around and desperately crave social interaction. Both st… Read More

How do you review the Constitution with your middle and high school students? I've tried many different methods over the years. I'm excited to share my top 3 review activities with you!#3 Ma… Read More

This summer I ordered a copy of the  EduProtocol Field Guide Social Studies Edition (highly recommend)! I was eager to learn how to apply EduProtocol strategies into my Civics and Geogr… Read More

My middle and high school students enjoy TED Talks. I often share them with my Psychology and Civics students. Last year I made a concerted effort to include more TED Talks in my Geography c… Read More

As a veteran teacher, I often get asked by new teachers what are some "must haves" for the classroom. Everyone's list is going to vary depending on the grade level you teach, district, conte… Read More

Last year I started utilizing notebooks like the one pictured here in my U.S. History and Geography and World Cultures classes. The impetus behind the change was largely due to my observatio… Read More

Are you looking for a fun end-of-the-year resource for your Econ students? The last month of school I created a bunch of Social Studies-themed coloring pages for my middle school students. M… Read More

Do your middle and high school students like to color? My students love coloring. I often have students ask for coloring sheets when they finish an assignment early or when they don't have a… Read More

I genuinely enjoy designing my weekly agendas. My aim is to make them functional, easy to navigate, and fun! I design them to be a one-stop "hub" of information and resources for my Geograph… Read More

Jenga review games are nothing new for many teachers. I've always wanted to try this popular modified-Jenga review game in my U.S. History and Geography classes but never could find the time… Read More

One of my favorite units to teach is the Cold War. One thing I struggle with every year is I never seem to have enough time to cover everything I'd like to cover! In addition, the Cold War p… Read More

Students are asking questions about what's happening in Ukraine. "Why did Russia invade Ukraine." "How is the United States helping the people of Ukraine?" "What is NATO"? There are some of… Read More

I've been showing the powerful documentary "One Survivor Remembers," Gerda Weissman's story of survival as a child and young woman living during the Holocaust, for years. I've shared this fi… Read More

The past two years I've created a lot of digital resources for my middle school Social Studies students. I taught both United States History and Geography to students "face-to-face" and virt… Read More

I'm wrapping up my week with a two-day research project focusing on the Progressive-Era muckrakers. My middle schoolers LOVE one-pagers and hexagonal thinking activities. I came up with an i… Read More

Okay, this is my new favorite thing! JUMBO hexagonal cards! My 6th graders LOVE these!A few months ago I was inspired to create a bulletin board display using jumbo hexagonal cards. I got so… Read More

I tried something new in my Geography and World Cultures class this year. I created a one-pager assessment for my unit on the United States. Students were asked to highlight key features of… Read More

Earlier this week I presented my students with a challenge. Create a world map using construction paper, glue, and a sharpie. No scissors. Students were not allowed to use any tools to… Read More

Last year I listened to a lot of podcasts. Both of my kids studied virtually so my commute to and from school was lonely. Wisconsin Public Radio and podcasts kept me company.Some of my favor… Read More

I've been a huge fan of hexagonal thinking activities for several years. This year I found a new way to incorporate the concept of hexagonal thinking into my classroom - BULLETIN BOARD DISPL… Read More

Do you share TED Talks with your students? I started incorporating TED talks into my lessons almost 10 years ago! Most of my students enjoyed them, especially the talks focusing on mental he… Read More

Are you struggling with developing engaging lessons for your middle and high students focusing on historical thinking skills? There are lots of great lessons online (and free), you just need… Read More

I am about to enter my 22nd year of public education. I've taught in urban and rural settings, grades 6-12. One constant throughout my career in education has been U.S. History. United State… Read More

I remember my first summer school job. I was still in grad school. When I was hired to teach summer school Civics at a respected high school, I felt like I won the lottery. I knew a lot was… Read More

Like many educators (especially High School educators), I incorporate TED Talks in my lesson plans. There are so many fantastic TED Talks to choose from on virtually every topic imaginable… Read More

Who uses TED Talks in the classroom? I've been a fan for a loooooooong time. I've incorporated TED Talks into my History, Geography, Civics, Psychology, Life Skills, and English classes.&nbs&hell…Read More

Ever notice how few women are included in middle and high school textbooks? Really? We're still talking about this? I remember discussing this in some of my college courses (back in the late… Read More

How do you promote mental health awareness in your school? Is it purely the domain of school counselors and nurses or do classroom teachers play a role? If you've thought about incorpor… Read More

Several years ago when I was the alternative education director and lead teacher in our high school, I spent a lot of time developing curriculum to use with my students that dealt with healt… Read More

Like so many Americans who heard Ms. Gorman's powerful poem, "Not Broken But Simply Unfinished," I was moved to tears. As a Social Studies educator, her words were especially meaningful.&nbs&hell…Read More

I have a handful of resources I've created for my students that I'm especially proud of and this is one of them. Several months ago I started compiling bell-ringer activities I've used with… Read More

Recently I stumbled upon the podcast, The Agitators: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. In two days, I listened to all of the episodes on my morning commute! Seriously-- t… Read More

 Like most educators, I've spent the better part of my summer preparing for a fall return; whether it be face-to-face, virtual, or a hybrid system. To cover all bases, I prepared as if… Read More

Like most educators, I learned a lot about distance learning this spring. I learned what worked and what didn't work. My biggest take-aways this spring were: keep things simple and give kids… Read More

As we are about to enter our final week of the school year, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how I should wrap up the year with my 6th grade U.S. History students. The last couple o… Read More

Well, I jumped on the bitmoji classroom bandwagon this morning and created one for myself. It was remarkably easy and FUN! I plan to use my bitmoji classroom to share announcements with my s… Read More

Like most educators in recent weeks, I am sure many of you are scrambling to put together user-friendly, engaging, meaningful lessons for your students. I've spent so much time at my compute… Read More

After attending a professional development conference and learning about hexagonal thinking in the classroom, I decided to give it a try in my classroom. If you're not familiar with hexagona… Read More

Do you incorporate podcasts into your history lessons? I do and my students love them!How I use podcasts with my students:I teach 6thand 7thgrade students. When I use podcasts in my classroo… Read More

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Civic Engagement Task Cards are the perfect way to stimulate discussion and inspire active engagement in your students!As a high school U.S. History teacher, I was always looking for ways to… Read More

One thing I love about social media, and Instagram in particular, is getting a peek into the classrooms of teachers all over the world! Seriously! It is the best! Recently, I've noticed a lo… Read More

Are you ready for the first week of school? I don't know about you but I've changed my mind about my lesson plans about a million times. I've spent hours meticulously planning my first week'… Read More

I've been a high school teacher for eighteen years and middle school teacher for about a year-and-a-half. Throughout my entire teaching career, I have enjoyed the process of creating an… Read More

One of my favorite new "tools" I use in my classroom with my middle school students are hexagonal thinking activities. My middle schoolers LOVE them. I think part of the appeal of the activi… Read More

Do you use Cornell notes with your middle school students or do you use another note-taking style? To be honest, I didn't use Cornell notes with my 6th grade U.S. History students for most o… Read More

This week my Civil Rights History students will begin watching the first episode of what I consider the best documentary on the Civil Rights Movement, "The Eyes on the Prize." We spent last… Read More

This summer will be my thirteenth (I think!) summer teaching summer school! Most summers I focus on Social Studies credit recovery. The past three summers I've been responsible for pretty mu… Read More

This summer will be my thirteenth (I think!) summer teaching summer school! Most summers I focus on Social Studies credit recovery. The past three summers I've been responsible for pretty mu… Read More

Last month I wrote a post about how I introduce my 6th graders to more advanced note-taking techniques, specifically Cornell notes. Since writing that post, I've had a few discussions with f… Read More

The bulk of my teaching career has been at the high school level. This year I moved over to the middle school and one of my first observations regarding the multitude of differences between… Read More

Several years ago when I was the alternative education director and lead teacher at our high school, I spent a lot of time developing curriculum to use with my students that dealt with healt… Read More

I had a little extra time over spring break to work on another stations activity for my Geography and World Cultures students. My newest stations activity focuses on Ancient Greece. I used t… Read More

Today I tried out a hexagonal thinking activity in my U.S. History classes. Hexagonal Thinking is a visual tool to help students make connections and organize ideas on a topic. I used m… Read More

I Created "Ladder of Prejudice" cards to use with my students when I introduce the Holocaust in my history courses. I use these cards at the beginning of the unit, as one of my first lessons… Read More

Last week I read something that really hit home for me. It was a tweet on Twitter. Short and simple, yet profoundly powerful. It was about the absence of women in history texts. When women a… Read More

I've been a high school teacher for eighteen years and middle school teacher for about a year-and-a-half. Throughout my entire teaching career, I have enjoyed the process of creating an… Read More

Looking for creative projects for your students to celebrate Martin Luther King's legacy? Have you tried collaborative posters/murals? My students LOVE them!I have a few creative, ambitious… Read More