How to Conquer Social Studies Integration: Action Steps for Teachers

Are you a busy teacher, or homeschool mom, feeling overwhelmed and pressed for time to fit in social studies? Finding the time to adequately cover topics like history, civics, economics, and geography can be challenging with the daily demands of lesson planning and instruction. But it doesn’t have to be! In this blog post, we’ll discuss fun ways to add more social studies activities to your day. Get ready to dive into simple strategies for social studies integration!

Plan Ahead:

When it comes to making time for social studies, planning is key. Dedicating specific blocks of time to learning about particular topics can ensure you’re getting the most out of your education. Whether reading about current events each morning or focusing on a specific historic event for an entire day each month, planning can help ensure that you’re getting the most out of your social studies education.

Social Studies integration with Technology:

The use of technology in social studies classrooms is nothing new, but the variety and quality of resources available online and through apps have exploded in recent years. This abundance of resources provides teachers with a wealth of tools to help engage students in learning about social studies topics and makes it easy for social studies integration.

One great way to use technology in social studies is to find websites that offer activities, articles, and lesson plans related to the topic you are studying. Time for Kids and Scholastic are websites that provide various resources for teachers and students. Many apps and games are specifically for teaching social studies concepts. National Geographic’s Geo Bee Challenge or The American Revolution for iPad are two apps that can increase engagement for students.

You can also use technology to supplement traditional classroom instruction. For example, if you are studying the American Revolution, you can watch videos of the Boston Tea Party or Paul Revere’s ride to help students better understand what happened. You can also use websites like Google Maps to help students visualize the locations of battles and other important historical events.

Make it Fun:

There are many different ways to make social studies more fun for students. For example, breaking out board games can make learning more interactive. Board games can help students learn about different topics in social studies, such as history or geography. Playing these games can also help to review the information that has been covered in class.

Additionally, watching documentaries can be a great way to learn more about history and current events. Documentaries can be exciting and engaging for students, and they can often learn a lot from watching them. Having students create projects based on their findings is also a great way to get them interested in social studies. Projects allow students to explore topics in greater detail and can often be creative endeavors.

All of these activities can help to make social studies more enjoyable for students. In addition, they also help students learn and retain information better. By making social studies more fun, teachers can help their students develop a passion for learning about the world around them.

Collaborate with Other Teachers:

Working with other teachers can be a great way to get additional social studies learning time during the school year. Ask a colleague if they want to team up for a unit study to help with social studies integration or trade ideas for creating engaging activities that capture students’ interest.

Get Involved in your Community:

One great way to help kids learn about social studies topics is to have them get involved in their community. This can be done through volunteering at a local museum, participating in community events, or simply taking part in conversations with others in their community. Through community involvement, kids can learn about different aspects of social work and how they can contribute to making their community better. This firsthand experience can give a deeper understanding of social studies concepts in comparison to simply reading them in textbooks.

Ultimately, community involvement can help kids develop a sense of civic responsibility and encourage them to become active participants in society.

Save time with Social Studies Integration

These five tips give you ideas on social studies integration without starting from scratch. And if you’re short on time or want some ready-made lesson plans, check out our social studies curriculum. It’s a great way to add social studies to your class without all the hassle.

Check Out More Social Studies Ideas Here:

7 WAYS TO MAKE WORKSHEETS ENGAGING FOR KIDS

2ND GRADE ECONOMICS CURRICULUM GUIDE: YOUR CLASS WILL LOVE

Have you tried these methods for adding social studies to your style? Do you have any other tips that have worked well for you? Let us know in the comments below!