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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Artifacts Bring Grover Cleveland’s Presidency to Life in the First Grade
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:39pm--Carol Macken
Children's literature is combined with "historical artifacts" to help children identify the roles and responsibilities of the president, and of G. Cleveland in particular, who was born in this town--Caldwell, Jew Jersey.
Printer-friendly versionA Century of Veterans: Researching History Through Our Local Cemetery
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:43pm--Lindsey B. Downey
Third graders research the memorials in the cemetery in the town of Otterbein, Ohio, and write tributes in response.
A Closer Look: The Representation of Slavery in the [em]Dear America[/em] Series
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:50pm--T. Lee Williams
A critical review of four books from this popular juvenile historical fiction series, focusing on their depiction of the experience and institution of slavery in the United States.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President! New Books for Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:53pm--Terrell A. Young, Barbara A. Ward, and Deanna Day
Discusses 15 books published in 2007-09, "any one of which would make an excellent addition to a classroom collection."
Exploring the Explorers: Using Internet Resources
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:57pm--Cheryl Franklin Torrez and Gina Bush
Students investigate various sources to learn about the Age of Exploration--and think critically about what they are reading at the (sometimes mischievous) "All About Explorers" website.
Exploring the Past with 21st-Century Tools
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 4:00pm--Kelly Schrum and Lynne Schrum
The Internet "is a tool for helping students engage with history and bring their understanding of the past to the present in new, exciting ways.
A Pocketful of History
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 9:10am--Sherry L. Field and Linda D. Labbo
Read a biography. Then examine "pocket contents." In Lincoln's vest pocket? A draft for a speech, theater tickets, and a photograph of his family, among other items. "Artifacts" are suggested for the pockets of Benito Juarez (president of Mexico), Grandma Moses (artist), Mary McLeod Bethune (black educator), and others.
Buttoning Up a Hands-On History Lesson
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 9:15am--Audrey C. Rule and Cynthia Szymanski Sunal
How can you tell that something is old? A historical collection of everyday items (buttons, carpenter nails, magazines, fabric, food containers, etc.) "can provide concrete examples to help students construct a concept of change."
The Makah: Exploring Public Issues during a Structured Classroom Discussion
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 12:12pm--Bruce E. Larson
Students have to think on two levels: they must deliberate about a current issue (Native rights to small-scale whaling) and develop reasons to defend their thinking; and they must reflect on the discussion process itself.
- publications.socialstudies.org/yl/1001/100102.html
Adobe Bricks: Building Blocks of the Southwest
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 1:36pm--Byron Augustin and Michael Bailey
Students get dirty making adobe brick, just like those in the Palace of Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico--the oldest continuously occupied building in the U.S. Also includes quiz "Tough Stuff" building materials; and book review of "Mud Matters."
This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.0 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/12/mll12.pdf
