NCSS has selected a collection of classroom activities, teaching ideas, and articles from Social Education, Middle Level Learning, and Social Studies and the Young Learner. Browse the collection, or search by historical period and grade level using the search function below.
(Collections on other disciplines are under development.)
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Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trips
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:47pm--Nadine M. Roush
Some online activities are the next best thing to actually visiting Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.
Printer-friendly versionThe Great Depression: Character, Citizenship, and History
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:51pm--Gail McEachron
Children's literature helps elementary students "understand the human side of struggling during difficult economic times."
Linking Literature and Primary Documents
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:57pm--Pamela A. Nelson
Children's literature, primary source material, and active learning help students engage with history and prepare for citizenship.
Voyages of Discovery: Experiencing the Emotion of History
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 2:01pm--Daniel A. Kelin, II
In their roles as Henry Hudson's sailors (ca. 1610 C.E.), third grade students "faced the cold, loneliness, frustration, and disorientation of Hudson's last voyage."
Voyages of Discovery: Experiencing the Emotion of History
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 2:01pm--Daniel A. Kelin, II
In their roles as Henry Hudson's sailors (ca. 1610 C.E.), third grade students "faced the cold, loneliness, frustration, and disorientation of Hudson's last voyage."
Breathing Life into History: Using Role-Playing to Engage Students
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 2:04pm--Barbara C. Cruz and Shalini A. Murthy
With a bit of planning, teachers can utilize children's natural affinity for drama while teaching about historical events and people.
Displaced Children in U.S. History: Stories of Courage and Survival
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 2:11pm--Brenda Betts
A brief survey of four major U.S. migrations of homeless children: the Cherokee Trail of Tears; the Underground Railroad; the Orphan Train Riders; and the One Thousand Children program (during the Holocaust). Includes brief accounts from four children.
“I” is for Indian? Dealing with Stereotypes in the Classroom
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 2:40pm--Mark Finchum
A primer for recognizing stereotyping where it might occur in alphabet books; textbooks; children's literature; activities around the Thanksgiving and Columbus holidays; and portrayals of modern life in the USA.
Teaching About American Indians
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 2:45pm--Pamela McFaden Lobb
Consider four categories when selecting materials about American Indians: Native Authors (use whenever possible); art and illustration (avoid stereotypes); language (ex. avoid "squaw"); and perspective (avoid glorifying one historical point of view).
American Indians: Hands-On Lessons
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 2:50pm--Ann Lyle Rethlefsen
Fourth and fifth grade students learn about the Lakota tradition of creating a buffalo hide "graphic history" to mark important events.
