The April 5, 2021 #sschat—a moderated Twitter chat using the #sschat hashtag—was chock full of innovative ideas to teach social studies skills from educators across the country. Here is how the group defines itself on the #sschat website. #sschat is more than a hashtag, it’s an open group of dedicated network of educators and enthusiasts…
This graphic organizer can be used to analyze images that capture an event. The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How are good guides for framing and understanding an aspect of an event and to help with identifying areas for further research. Download the worksheet More primary source analysis strategies Analyzing Primary Sources: Close Observation…
This choice board is targeted to students in grades 6-8 They may use images found in the home; in newspapers, magazines or books; on television (if there is a pause feature); or online to complete the activities and may write or record (audio or video) their responses. If students have online access, below are several…
This choice board is targeted to K-2 students. They may use images found in the home; in newspapers, magazines or books; on television (if there is a pause feature); or online to complete the activities and may write or record (audio or video) their responses. If students have online access, below are several links to…
This choice board is targeted to students in grades 3-5. They may use images found in the home; in newspapers, magazines or books; on television (if there is a pause feature); or online to complete the activities and may write or record (audio or video) their responses. If students have online access, below are several…
Carefully study the details of the Bonus Veterans photograph above. Brainstorm a list of questions you would need answered in order to write an article about this image. Share your questions with an elbow partner, then investigate this primary source image set to see what questions you were able to answer. Write a brief summary…
In a TPS Network resource album available to the public, elementary teacher librarian and former teacher in residence at the Library of Congress, Tom Bober (@CaptainLibrary), outlines how his students analyzed an historical newspaper article using the See Think Wonder strategy that layered in the Post-it® app for iPad to help organize students’ thinking. The…
This lesson may be completed in whole or in part, depending on the needs of your students and the time that you have. FOCUS QUESTION In what ways is equality a proposition, or belief, worth fighting for? LESSON OVERVIEW Students will consider whether equality is important to our democracy as they develop a deep understanding…
Practicing primary source analysis helps students develop historical thinking skills that also happen to be very important civic literacy skills. In an article from the Fall 2017 issue of American Educator, Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) provides assessments of online civic reasoning and tips for going beyond identifying news as “fake” or “real” to understanding where…
This is a guest post from veteran teacher Heather Klos, an 8th grade U.S. history teacher and the Social Studies department chair at Crownover Middle School in Corinth, Texas. Primary sources are one of the most valuable tools we have as social studies teachers. What better way to incorporate primary sources for the 21st century learner than through…
This is a guest post from Nicole Woulfe, a middle school social studies teacher from New Hampshire and a Citizen U pilot lesson implementer. Learn more about the creation, implementation and reflection of this lesson. Focus Question What role did geography play in the turning points of Vicksburg and Sherman’s March during the Civil War?…
This is a guest post from Sara Conyers, a middle school history teacher at Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia. Creating a Zoom-in primary source analysis activity using Google Forms is quick and easy. Step 1 – Select Image Select a primary source image that will challenge your students to dig deeper into the meaning and…