We’ve all been there: It’s time for Social Studies. You’re explaining a historical figure to a room full of energetic kids. You start talking timelines and life events. Suddenly, 3 kids need to use the bathroom. Half the class are “tying” their shoes.
The other half are students are looking around the room. You realize that this book is not going to snag their attention. What if I told you there is a simple, highly engaging tool to use, that’s already familiar to your students?
ABCs: A Game Changer
Teaching historical figures is tricky in primary. This is partly because students are just beginning to read, and their attention spans are short. The other problem is that it’s just plain hard to find resources on their level.
On the other hand, your kids are familiar with the ABCs. They sing it, trace it, and use it daily for reading. It is not new learning, so I doesn’t add to the cognitive load.
Why ABCs for Historical Figures?
We all know that we are lucky if we have time for Social Studies. They took it away from us a while ago. What’s more, we need explicit ideas to keep the kids engaged after lunch. This strategy works, and here’s why: It simplifies the historical concepts, It encourages active learning, and best of all; it jumpstarts research skills!
ABCs Cards Simplify the Concepts
When you anchor a big, complex historical concept to each letter, you meet your students exactly where they are. Abcs scaffold the learning. History is full of big words and long timelines.
Historical figure ABC cards boil down the person’s life to bite-sized memorable concepts. It starts with a familiar framework, and presents the vocabulary in a way the student can make the connection immediately, to help them store it their memory.
ABCs Cards Encourage Active Learning
Using physical ABCs card games activates the sensory an motor part of the brain, which improves retention. Primary students need to move. You can have your students sequence them together, or in a group.
They can sequence them according to letter, or time order. Cards make the concepts into manipulatives. Students will make their own concepts. Speaking and Listening will definitely go on through every activity.
ABCs Cards Jumpstart Research Skills
ABCs cards encourage categorization in the mind, immediately making a connection to what they know. Grouping photos by letter helps kids bucket information and see thematic patterns. It make the vocabulary predictable.
Using a set of ABC cards is a stepping stone for research skills. It is the strategy the will use later to find ideas in the glossary, dictionary, library, and internet. ABC cards help students see vocabulary as key terms. It makes a direct connection between literacy and Social Studies!
Now What? Getting Started
The amount of effort you put into Language Arts and Math is staggering. The same is for your students. By lunchtime, the kids are not the only ones with brain fog. Using the ABCs strategy is a win-win for you and for them. It makes Social Studies more fun and meaningful!
f you are short on funds, here’s the steps if you want to make them yourself:
- Choose 24-25 cards (skip X) (Q is for quotes)
- Make the vocabulary aligns with your standards.
- Use primary source photos that are copyright-safe.
If you are short on time, click on one of the covers below to see a done-for-you resource.
Thanks so much for dropping by!
Happy Teaching!
