What Stations Look like in Middle School Social Studies

There is a common misconception that stations or centers are only for elementary schools. That is far from the truth! Centers allow for movement and differentiation, which are also necessary at the secondary level to engage students. This method also helps break the “lecture, notes, test, repeat” cycle that Social Studies classes have fallen prey to. Stations can break up larger units or topics of study into smaller tasks and makes self-explorative learning seem less like busy work.

Here’s how I plan station rotation learning in my middle school Social Studies classroom:

Establish Group Norms

Anyone that teaches middle school knows that expectations and procedures are necessities for classroom management. Some teachers are afraid to do centers due to the “chaos” it may cause. Believe it or not, you have (at least some) power over what happens in your classroom when you set norms. Figure out “do’s” and “don’ts” for your students based on how well your students follow procedures and the groupings you create. Some basic norms I use include:

• Stay focused on the task at hand

• Everyone gets a chance to share their thoughts

• Bullying and disrespect will not be tolerated

Use only ONE Textbook Station

When the directions start with “Read page 105 and define these vocabulary words…” students will see busy work. They will not see a moment to learn or immerse themselves in the content. Plus, there has been a recent trend of textbooks including problematic themes. Opt for interactive, hands-on experiences vs. reading from an outdated book. Take a look at these Ancient Greek City-State Stations. Instead of textbook pages, I have students explore factual and appealing websites, go on a virtual tour, and watch a YouTube video (see #5 for advice on this!).

Primary Source Analysis

A primary source doesn’t always have to be a long-winded text that students have trouble grasping. They can be images or artifacts, just like in this The Lost City of Pompeii Centers activity. Don’t jump straight into those tricky higher-order thinking questions. Get students to think about what they see and what they think the purpose of the image is. From there, they will have an easier time making connections between the time period they’re learning about and the sources.

Don’t forget Geography!

Including the practice of geography, skills help students build upon critical and spatial thinking. You can have them do anything from completing a blank map to figuring out the purpose of a map. Google Earth is a great way for students to bring geography to life. Have students search any locations they are studying and have them create their questions to answer about it. You can grab this Ancient Egypt Virtual Field Trip Centers activity to see how I do it!

When in doubt… YouTube or EdPuzzle!

If you’re struggling to come up with a station idea, check out YouTube or a more recent student engagement resource known as EdPuzzle. I typically search “topic for middle school” and you can usually find a historic event explained in a way for kids to understand. The plus with EdPuzzle is that there are usually questions already included throughout the video for students to answer. Do yourself and your students a favor though - watch the video yourself before assigning it to ensure the information is credible and appropriate. I’ve seen one too many teachers get in trouble for not screening a video before showing it to students.