Back to school takes a lot out of teachers. You spends weeks in your classroom getting it ready and attending meetings. Additionally, you add in shopping, fixing new notebook and folder sets, and name tags, it’s a race to the finish! What if you took a few minutes in July to add a few easy interactive Social Studies routines?
You and Your Schedule Are Stressed
Usually, between Reading, Math, Science, and intervention time, Social Studies often gets squeezed into whatever sliver of time is left–if any. When you do find the time, it’s hard to plan something engaging after juggling a dozen other subjects.
Additionally, if you assign work, you need to set aside time to run it off, give them time to complete, and grade it! What you need are easy tweaks to your normal routines: quick to prep, low on materials, and high on impact.
A Few Easy Tweaks
The truth is, Social Studies is the perfect backdrop for building speaking and listening skills! All morning, your kids are absorbing information during Phonics, Reading and Math. Social Studies gives them a chance to talk. They ask questions and process ideas, learning from one another.
When we make space for meaningful discussion in Social Studies, were’ not just teaching content, we’re helping kids find their own voice. With just a few tweaks, you can shorten planning time and add engagement to every session. Weaving in photo sorting cards, oversized map projects, and games can turn your Social Studies block from basic to brilliant!
1. Photos Make Concepts Click
Visual routines like photo sorting cards is just fun, research shows kids learn better and remember longer using them. Color visuals boost attention span and recall by 82%. Teaching your students the routines with sorting cards is an easy win!
- When you drop a quick photo sort into your Social Studies lesson, you’re not just filling time, you are giving kids a concrete hook that helps them remember the concept weeks and months later while keeping the prep light for the teacher. Some card set ideas:
- family or group budget games
- choice games with limited time or space
- moving games, where you have one box for wants and needs
- planning games like community on the moon
- farm to table distribution games
- finance games
In order to read more, click to see about sorting routines.
2. Big Map--Big Impact
When students work together on a map project, it becomes more than a geography lesson. The routine of gathering around a shared map creates conversation, comparison, and connection.
Students learn to compromise and cooperate naturally as they decide what to include and where things go. The map gives a meaningful way to organize and display ideas while learning from each other. All you need is butcher paper and markers! Some ideas for map projects:
- neighborhood map with school as focus point
- weather maps: snowfall, rainfall, temperature
- school building map for safety exit routes, way to lunch or assembly
- state map for parks, industry or landmarks
- city or town map for goods and services, fulfilling basic needs
Click to read about making maps with kids.
3. The Game Plan
Using games in Social Studies lessons is a win-win. Gamified learning increases student engagement 89%. Games are proven to support focus, memory, and processing of new information. Many elementary Social Studies concept are tough to access for primary students.
Games give kids a role to play. These experiences, if done right, provide background on big ideas like wants & needs, rules & laws, or community jobs. What’s more, they can experience them in a safe, structured way in the safety of the classroom. A few game ideas:
- family or group budget game
- choice games with limited space or time
- moving game with only one box for your stuff
- planning game for community on the moon
- farm to table distribution game
- finance game with choices or risks
Click to read more about personal finance games
Ready to Try It?
Make a small change–add photo cards, set up a quick game, or build a map together. Watch what happens! When kids are active, leading the discussion, and thinking through ideas out loud together, Social Studies becomes at a whole new level. These small routines become the foundation for huge conversations. Try it once in August and see what happens. See if it fits your teaching style. Enjoy the freedom from grading. Adding in even one these easy interactive Social Studies routines will change your year!
If you want to begin with some made-for-you resources, you can drop by my store and learn more by clicking below.
