Teaching Social Studies in Our New, Brave World

Let’s be real - Social Studies is the forgotten core subject of our time. With the emphasis on Science, Math, and Literacy, it can be so easy to put the social sciences to the wayside. Or even worse, our classes become a second ELA class for students with massive pushes for writing essays in the name of standardized test prep. It also doesn’t help that back in the day, Social Studies classes were associated with long, boring lectures and a huge test at the end. It’s no surprise that it is the least favorite subject of many. However, as Social Studies teachers, we have the power to change that.

We have learned as a society that history truly is doomed to repeat itself if we do not learn from it. We need our students to look at the world from multiple perspectives and to think critically to finally make things right in the 21st century. We can do this by having students take the mindset of a historian or archaeologist. By letting them be more “hands-on” and explorative with class activities and make the content relevant to them. We need to tap into those higher order thinking skills all of our students have. Here are FOUR pedagogical techniques (with resources!) to make students say, “Wow, I really liked Mr./Ms. SoAndSo’s class!”

1. Ask Them to Evaluate

Students tend to hate social studies class due to its association of memorizing of facts and dates. We all can Google those same facts and dates at any time, so the “lecture, study, test, repeat” method no longer works. My recommendation is to provide what happened and let them THINK about it. Give them the space to ponder and discuss “well, what is THIS happened?” or “why would they do that?!”

For example, have students question the complex system of geography with the “Where Would You Go” Pear Deck. This gets students thinking about the choices made by humans in different settlements. This “U.S. Constitution Pear Deck” also gets students putting the puzzle pieces of the Bill of Rights together. Students have to determine in different real-world scenarios which amendment supports or opposes that situation.

2. Doodle What Was Learned

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve noticed that this generation LOVES the opportunity to doodle! They draw on sticky notes during class or use drawing apps on their iPads. One of the best pedagogical strategies is to take something students like to do and embed it within our lessons. I love using drawings Do Nows (for example - “draw what you plan to do this weekend”) and as formative assessments, especially on Pear Deck! This Cave Art Pear Deck gives students a few opportunities to doodle their thoughts - after all, drawing on cave walls was one of the first modes of communication! These doodles make for the most fun formative assessments, no matter how artistic they are.

3. Do Some Exploring

Geography is the most important skill in Social Studies. However, the topic is the most neglected in the social sciences due to a push for more ELA-related skills. People (read: some of the people in charge of curriculum at the highest levels) then wonder why our students cannot find their home state on a map, let alone the United States or North America! Students lose out on opportunities to see how different locations are interconnected and how the environment influences our choices.

I make it a point to incorporate at least one of the five themes of geography - location, place, movement, human-environment interaction, region - in a majority of my lessons. Students need to aware of the world around them, so give them the chance to explore a variety of locations beyond looking at a map. This Geography of Mesopotamia Pear Deck give students the chance to practice map analysis skills and sends them on a virtual tour of ancient ruins!

4. Keep it Relevant

I teach my students that everything we have in the world right now - from technology to laws -did not appear on accident or overnight. Even if you teach ancient civilizations like I do, it’s always a good idea to pause and reflect on what’s going on right now and past events that could have led to them. Make connections by comparing current events to eras you are studying. In this 9/11 Pear Deck, I show students how conspiracy theories are not only harmful in today’s COVID world, but also at the times of these tragic events. You can even go deeper with studying propaganda and political cartoons throughout history and compare to what we see now.

Students have heard by now what is going on with Ukraine and Russia, but do they know the implications this conflict has on us? This Ukraine vs. Russia Pear Deck takes time to not only explain the who and where, but also how and why this is important to us here in the United States. They probably hear about their families complaining about raising prices or maybe they have family in Europe. Find ways to connect the world to them and make it relevant.

You can see more of how I engage students (and get some awesome FREEBIES!) in Social Studies here!