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For more poetry resources to use in social science see links below:
Poetry and political voice
Poetry that teaches history
US History Rap and Animated Video

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TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Discover hundreds of animated lessons, create customized lessons, and share your big ideas.

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Present a Report on a Non-Fiction or Historical Fiction Book (Padlet example linked below)

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Present a Report on a Non-Fiction or Historical Fiction Book (Padlet example linked below)

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Conduct and record interviews and publish audio recording on Storycorps!

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Conduct and record interviews and publish audio recording on Storycorps!

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To protect his wife and kids during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Roberto Vargas isolated himself from them in the basement of their home. The family speaks virtually about the ways they have come together despite the distance between them.

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Using photos, maps, and captions to compare and contrast things like life in different time periods, historical figures, and geographic regions!

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Free Login:
Username is baskerville5131
Password is bells5131
Students can access music videos on a variety of topics.  Suggested topics: characters, compare and contrast, quotation marks

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Discovering America - Native American Indian Tribes - Christopher Columbus - Flocabulary

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Who discovered America? This Flocabulary song explores the complicated answer to this seemingly simple question.

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 Digital or paper-bawsed visual KWL Chart presentation

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 Digital or paper-bawsed visual KWL Chart presentation

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Link above to a KWL chart in Padlet!

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Create Culture tours around the World using Google Earth and Google Arts and Culture

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Create Culture tours around the World using Google Earth and Google Arts and Culture

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Collecting the objects for the museum is a learning process in and of itself: “culturally significant” objects, such as an item passed down through a family or an item from a student’s home country, can prompt storytelling and help students build a sense of historical understanding and empathy. Make sure students document important information about each item; the curriculum suggests recording at least “the date it was collected, where it came from, and a brief description of the object.” https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-student-run-museum-your-classroom/

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Create TikTok Video that teaches or advocates

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Create TikTok Video that teaches or advocates

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Students can even apply to take part in a real Ted Talk conference! See Link below:
https://teded.tedcdn.com/club-resources/ted-ed-club-info-packet-2022-04.pdf

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Easily storyboard or heroes journey using captioned images in padlet tools. Have students recreate important events, systematic functions, or even a heroes journey. Other easy to use digital storyboard creator tools include:
storyboardthat
jamboard
creately

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This activity is intended as wrap-up to a unit on the Civil War or for use when studying monuments and memorials. For grades 6-12. Approximate time needed is 90 minutes.

To begin, ask students to define the terms monument and memorial. After discussing definitions, ask students if they can think of a monument or memorial in their town, city, county, or state.

Next, divide the class into several groups. Each group will analyze all of the remaining statues. Instruct students to perform the same careful examination above for each remaining photograph. Remind them to click on the orange "open in new window" icon for each photograph to see it more closely, find additional images, and read background information. As they analyze, direct students to place the photographs in their correct locations on the map.

As they place the photographs, direct students to note particular details about the statues in a multi-column chart. Columns could include: Subject Matter, Union or Confederacy, Location (City, State and Specific Area), Connection between Monument and Location, Unique Features, etc.

Subject Matter Union or Confederacy Location of Monument (City, State; Area)Connection between Monument & Location Unique Features

Abraham Lincoln

Union

Lincoln, NE,
Nebraska State Capitol Grounds

City named after Abraham Lincoln

Architect and Sculptor later collaborated on Lincoln Memorial

Jefferson Davis

Confederacy

Montgomery, AL, Alabama State Capitol Grounds

Former Confederacy Capitol

Ulysses S. Grant

Union

Philadelphia, PA, Fairmount Park

Unknown

Robert E. Lee

Confederacy

Charlottesville, VA, Market Street Park (formerly known as Lee Park)

Home state of Robert E. Lee

Potential removal led to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017

Bring the class back together and ask students to report on individual statues. After discussing several statues and monuments individually, ask students to note any major similarities and differences between the monuments.

Similarities and differences between the monuments might include:

Military leaders are often depicted in equestrian statues.

Several statues use angelic allegorical female figures in their depictions.

Many statues are located in public spaces of importance, such as near county court houses or in major squares in their respective cities.

Ask students if any statues stand out as different or unique. Examples may include:

The Minnesota Monument in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a Union monument to a Northern state's soldiers in a former Confederacy southern state.

The Confederate Soldier Memorial in Columbus, Ohio, is a Confederacy monument to Southern soldiers in a northern Union state.

The Union/Confederate Veteran's Monument in Morgantown, Kentucky, and the Missouri Memorial in Vicksburg, Mississippi, honor both Union and Confederate soldiers from their respective places.

After discussing similarities and differences, direct students to click on "When You're Done." Conduct a discussion based on several of the following questions:

Should the statues to Confederate leaders and soldiers be removed? Why or why not?

Do you think that all the Confederate statues should remain? That all the Confederate statues should be removed? Or should it be a case-by-case situation?

Who should make the decision for statues to remain or be removed? How should these decisions be made?

Is there a difference between statues of specific Confederate military and civilian leaders (such as Robert E. Lee) and those made to Confederate soldiers from that area (such as soldiers from Arkansas)? Why or why not?

Should the specific location of a statue impact the decision to keep or remove it?
Is there a difference between having statues in public spaces (like court houses and state capitols) and ones that are in private cemeteries or on Civil War battlefield sites? Why or why not?

the orange "open in new window" icon) to see the current status of each statue.
Inform students that many of the statues in this activity have been removed - either by protestors, or by local or state authorities - in the past several years. For others, people have attempted to remove them, or there have been petitions or discussions about their removal. If interested, students can look at each photograph's detail page (by clicking

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Memorializing the Civil War Around America

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This activity is intended as wrap-up to a unit on the Civil War or for use when studying monuments and memorials. For grades 6-12. Approximate time needed is 90 minutes. To begin, ask students to define the terms monument and memorial.

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Apps for kids to easily create animated videos, cartoons, and comic strips. Here is a list of our favorite animation creator apps for students:

https://padlet.com/mzgombic/ynhq1b2rt971

https://www.moovly.com/blog/make-your-own-cartoon-video-for-free

https://www.pixton.com/

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Create a Collage of Community Identity or Concerns

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Create a Collage of Community Identity or Concerns

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Students create visual artwork combining various images to convey diversity or social justice issues, concerns or themes related to the central text.

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Estimated time

One week

Younger students are still developing early literacy skills and the ability to communicate through writing. Collage is a powerful visual artistic medium through which they can express their ideas, understandings and feelings.

Get Ready

1. Gather magazines, newspapers, catalogs and other recycled images to use.

2. Share examples of and define collages with students.

3. Adapt the sample rubric into a visual checklist. Refer to the rubric to define expectations and components of effective collages before students begin working.

Get Set

1. Verbally introduce students to the preparatory steps included in the Do Something Planning Guide. Instruct them in the process of mapping the steps necessary to prepare their collages.

2. As a class, brainstorm possible content for the collages. Review topics, themes or messages from the text library. List students' concerns and ideas in a location visible to the whole class.

3. Share materials with students. Encourage them to experiment with combining different images based around a text-based theme of their choosing. Help very young students cut out desired images.

4. In addition to recycled materials, students can also add in their own illustrations, words and phrases to emphasize social justice, anti-bias or diversity issues from the central text. Students can also include possible solutions or imagined changes that relate to their concerns.

Go!

1. Instruct students to write a description to accompany their collage and the concern and ideas represented. Alternative, younger students can orally describe their work.

2. Invite visitors to a gallery walk to view the collages. Consider including:

Families

Other classes

Other grades

Members of greater school community

3. Invite visitors to leave comments, connections and questions for the artists on sticky notes.

4. If students feel comfortable, consider displaying the portraits outside of the classroom so other members of the school community can observe students' work.

Reflection

Facilitate a class discussion or assign students to write a journal entry. Possible topics include:

Reflecting on the process of creating the collage;

Describing how their collage connects to central text themes;

Considering how their collage can impact the community;

Envisioning possible solutions to concerns.

English language learners

Collage gives students the opportunity to express issues in a visual appealing format that does not have a heavy language component. The learning modalities of this task are mainly spatial/artistic, intrapersonal, and linguistic.

Connection to anti-bias education

This task allows young students to express their thoughts and feelings about important social justice issues. The visual component of the task allows each student to explore the powerful combination of images and ideas. Students and members of the school community can gain deeper insight into issues students care about by observing each other's work.

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Students create visual artwork combining various images to convey diversity or social justice issues, concerns or themes related to the central text.

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Created by:National Archives Education Team

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Above is an example from one of Laurie Brooks' former 3rd grade students at Columbus ELementary.

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Create Research Presentation using padlet, Google Slides, or any of the tools listed in the link below.

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Create Research Presentation using padlet, Google Slides, or any of the tools listed in the link below.

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Presentation Tools for kids and teachers

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Create a Community Bulletin Board that educates, advocates, and/orengages school community around social issue.

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Create a Community Bulletin Board that educates, advocates, and/orengages school community around social issue.

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Working together to write and produce artwork, students use a community bulletin board to inform others about important social justice issues and to voice their opinions. Collaborating on the content gives students a deeper understanding of ways literacy and social action can be interconnected.

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Skip to main content

What?

Students showcase artwork and nonfiction writing that addresses issues they found in the text. The result is a visual, collaborative and creative representation of student learning and ideas. An alternative to the bulletin board is a community newsletter.

Why?

Working together to write and produce artwork, students use a community bulletin board to inform others about important social justice issues and to voice their opinions. Collaborating on the content gives students a deeper understanding of ways literacy and social action can be interconnected.

How?

Get Ready

1. Determine what kinds of nonfiction writing your students know.

2. Explore nonfiction formats such as "how to" writing, "all about" or expert articles, persuasive essays, interviews and book reviews.

3. Gather resources and examples of bulletin boards as models for students.

4. Determine how to group bulletin board contributions. While the entire product can be assembled as a class, individual components can be produced individually, in pairs and in small groups.

5. Adapt the sample rubric into a visual checklist for students. Refer to the rubric to define expectations and components of the community bulletin board before students begin working. Define expectations for collaboration to ensure equitable effort.

1. Verbally introduce students to the preparatory steps included in the Do Something Planning Guide. Instruct them in the process of mapping the steps necessary to prepare a community bulletin board.

2. Brainstorm topics that connect to central text.

3. Talk to students about their intended audience. Determine the audience for the community newsletter (other classes, other grades, families, larger school community, outside community members, etc.).

4. Instruct students to choose nonfiction-writing styles for their contributions.

5. Direct students to plan and draft their art and written work. Allow time for feedback, revisions and finalization.

6. Have students prepare decorations and illustrations that connect to bulletin board themes and topics.

7. As a class, plan out how the bulletin board will be arranged.

8. Assemble the bulletin board.

1. Arrange an in-class "publishing party" for students during which the bulletin board is unveiled. Allow time for students to read one another's work.

2. For younger students who write mainly in invented spelling, post correctly spelled versions of the writing so others can read student's ideas.

3. Invite visitors to see and/or comment on bulletin board. Consider including:

Families

Other classes

Other grades

Members of greater school community

Reflection

1. Students can give each other feedback orally or on sticky notes during publishing party.

2. Use the adapted rubric checklist to allow for students to use to self-assess their work.

English language learners

English language learners can benefit from this task by working cooperatively with others, practicing sharing their ideas orally and learning from others' use of language. Including the layout components and including artwork to accompany the writing also provides English language learners with the opportunity to creatively express their ideas, opinions and knowledge. The learning modalities most focused on through this project are linguistic, spatial/artistic, and, if the project is done collaboratively, interpersonal.

Connection to anti-bias education

Sharing a community bulletin board and seeing it be read by others inspires students. This task demonstrates how student voices have the power to inform others to be more aware and even take action.

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Students showcase artwork and nonfiction writing that addresses issues they found in the text. The result is a visual, collaborative and creative representation of student learning and ideas. An alternative to the bulletin board is a community newsletter.

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Retell a biography using  digital and/or print reference materials like artifacts, primary sources, and art.

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Retell a biography using  digital and/or print reference materials like artifacts, primary sources, and art.

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Documenting Teenage Lives: A Guide for Participating in Our Contest (Published 2020)

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Four practical steps for cataloging what you already have, deciding what you most want to express, and playing with medium and genre.

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This can be a digital activity or a project to complete at home around their neighborhood! Students can work in groups or solo and draw/post pictures of their findings.

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Perform a historical reanactment skit or Interview a historic figure! 

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Perform a historical reanactment skit or Interview a historic figure! 

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What is hot-seating?

Hot-seating involves having a dialogue with a character (historical figure or someone from a specific era). The character steps out of the drama for a while, usually sits in an appointed chair (the hot-seat) and is open to questioning by the audience or students. The character must answer in role.

You do not have use a chair as a hot-seat. You can just freeze or recreate a key moment in the drama and ‘hot-seat’ a character in situ.

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Luckily, hot-seats tend to be metaphorical

lassedesignen/Shutterstock

What is hot-seating?

Hot-seating involves having a dialogue with a character. The character steps out of the drama for a while, usually sits in an appointed chair (the hot-seat) and is open to questioning by the audience or students. The character must answer in role.

You do not have use a chair as a hot-seat. You can just freeze or recreate a key moment in the drama and 'hot-seat' a character in situ.

What does hot-seating provide?

A way of simultaneously focusing everyone's attention on one character

A method of questioning a character 'in depth', to more deeply understand their motives, feelings, viewpoint and development

A shared learning experience, which can be reflected on, analysed and discussed.

Who asks the questions?

The questioners need not be in any particular role, in which case we can say that they are in a 'shadow role'. However, they can be given roles. For example, the person in the hot-seat could be an eyewitness to a crime, and the questioners could be police officers 'hot-seating' the witness.

What are the rules?

You decide and state the ground rules that suit your students and your purpose, such as:

The character must answer questions honestly

No-one can ask two questions in a row (prevents one student dominating)

Only two questions per person (encourages carefully considered and deeper questioning)

Pairs of students have to agree one question to ask (requires that the initial questions are discussed, decided, shaped and justified before being asked).

You can question spontaneously or prepare questions. If students have prepared questions, you might ask to hear some of the questions that they will be asking. If the person who will be in the hot-seat is listening, it allows them time to think about answers in advance. It also allows the questions to be discussed and refined.

Which character should be hot-seated?

You can ask students which character they would most like to hot-seat and get them to justify their choice. You can hot-seat several characters in turn or the same character at different points in the drama. The latter helps students grasp a character's development. It is also possible to bring in and hot-seat characters that are not in the actual drama but who would know the character in some way, such as a friend, relative or neighbour. These invented characters can provide further narrative, background information and insights, when we are creating a drama.

Who will play the character on the hot-seat?

Sometimes an actor steps out of a play and makes themselves available to talk in role with the audience

Alternatively, a role can be passed among the drama class. Various students in turn sit in the hot-seat

A small group of students can take on the same role together, as a collective role, where any group member can answer as the character. You might put in a rule that they need to take turns and listen carefully to each other, to ensure consistency of character

A teacher might sit in the hot-seat as a way to give information or focus the students' attention in particular areas.

During the hot-seating

The teacher might decide to let the hot-seating flow or to freeze it at times, to enable students to consider immediately what a character has just said. Don't let hot-seating drag on too long. Stop with the questioners still wanting to know more.

After the hot-seating

Before the character leaves the hot-seat, you could ask them to speak out loud (in role) any more inner thoughts they want to share. This is thought-tracking, and yields an improvised monologue.

The students should consider what has been learned from the hot-seating. You can gather and record information, opinions and feelings about the character afterwards, in various ways:

Role on the Wall: Draw the outline of the character and using self-adhesive labels ask the students to write what they know about this character and stick it around the outline. The labels can be placed in appropriate places - 'she loves her father' might be placed near the heart.You can create sections around the outline, with different titles:

a. What the character says

b. What the character thinks

c. What the character does

The students place their labels in the appropriate section.

Proxemics: Ask the students to stand in a circle. In the centre, place the already hot-seated character. The students can enter the circle in turn and physically place themselves, in relation to the character, justifying their positioning - 'I am standing here, right next to Lear because I feel so sorry for him' or, 'I am standing here, with my back to Lear because I am disgusted at the way he is treating Cordelia.'

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Hot-seating involves having a dialogue with a character. The character steps out of the drama for a while, usually sits in an appointed chair (the hot-seat) and is open to questioning by the audience or students. The character must answer in role. You do not have use a chair as a hot-seat.