Social Studies Lesson Plans

One of the keys to success in school is organization. This resource leads learners through the process of creating an outline for a chapter from a social studies text. In addition, they review facts they have learned in their class throughout the year, and create an outline to organize their information.  

Examine the Texas social studies curriculum controversy with your class. Using a current events lesson, learners read the article "A Christian Land Governed by Christian Principles," respond to the discussion questions, and participate in a simulation on the topic.

Help middle schoolers conduct Internet research and develop a working definition for the discipline of social studies. From a list of websites, they develop classification skills and differentiate between primary and secondary sources. Following a visit to the American Museum of Natural History, they work in groups to create dioramas based on their observations.

Every class enjoys reading new books at the beginning of a unit. Use this resource to identify a variety of books for kindergarten to third grade that can be used to complement social studies standards. The books can kindle learners' interest. This is great resource that includes activity suggestions.

Focus on a particular geographic location with this resource. Learners use their social studies textbook to look up information about a specific place. They write down a list of facts and read them to the class. Classmates guess which location is being described.

Connect social studies and language arts using this resource. Learners locate five words from their social studies or science book that have a prefix, suffix, or root word. This puts a new twist on practicing basic skills. It can be used as a type of game. 

Examine the phenomenon of El Niño and its impact on the environment. Using social studies, language arts, and science, learners will develop a news story on past occurrences of El Nino, its global effect on weather patterns, predictions for the current El Niño, and precautions to take at the national and local level. This is an interactive problem solving activity that incorporates multiple subjects with technology. Links, handouts, and resources are included.

Here is an interractive, on-line instructional activity which allows learners to test their knowledge of the states. They have the opportunity to take quizzes on any of the 50 states. These quizzes determine the students retention of important information including: the state capital, flag, tree, flower, bird, abbreviation, and nickname. A great social studies tool for any elementary teacher!

Enhance your class' geography skills using this resource. Explore a variety of concepts including production and distribution, and people and the environment. Learners make predictions and identify locations on maps. This is a creative way to develop social studies skills.

Students examine citizenship and the rights and responsibilities that come along with it.  For this social studies lesson, students discuss civic values, compare requirements for citizenship today with those from 1896, and create a country with its own citizenship rules.