Sunday, November 12, 2023

Thanksgiving Holiday Lesson Ideas for Middle School Students


Welcome to the season of gratitude and giving thanks! Engaging Thanksgiving activities aren't just for elementary students anymore. Middle school students can join in on the fun! As Thanksgiving approaches, teachers have a unique opportunity to teach their students about the history of the holiday and its significance in American culture. Here are some fun and educational ideas just for you!

Idea #1: Consider teaching your students about the origins of Thanksgiving and the history surrounding the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. An easy, no-prep option is The History of Thanksgiving Web Quest.  You can print it out or assign it digitally. All your students need is access to the internet! They'll watch two brief YouTube videos and visit kid-friendly websites to learn about the story of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people and their celebration of the harvest in 1621. They'll also explore the history of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, including its declaration by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and the involvement of presidents like George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt in the establishment of the holiday. Finally, students will learn about the debate surrounding the first Thanksgiving and understand common customs and traditions associated with the holiday. At the end, you can ask your students to compare and contrast the origins of Thanksgiving with their own family traditions, if you wish!

Idea #2: Explore the cultural significance of food! Thanksgiving is a holiday that is centered around food. You can teach your students about the cultural significance of food and how different cultures celebrate with food. Encourage your students to share their own family traditions and recipes. Top it off with a fun Thanksgiving feast or party in your classroom if you have the time!

Idea #3: Create a gratitude journal. Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and reflection. Encourage your students to create a gratitude journal where they can write down things they are thankful for. This can be a great way to help them develop a positive mindset and foster a sense of gratitude.

Idea #4: Consider incorporating a service project or community activity into your Thanksgiving lesson plans. Encourage your students to give back to their communities by volunteering at a local food bank or homeless shelter, or by collecting donations for those in need. Alternatively, you can talk to your principal and choose a volunteer activity to improve your school community! This will help your students understand the importance of gratitude and giving back, and encourage them to make a positive impact in their communities.

Thanksgiving is a great opportunity for teachers to engage their students in meaningful discussions about history, culture, and community service. Leave a comment if you tried one of these activities or have a favorite that I didn't mention! 


Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Easy Ideas for a Classroom Newsletter in Middle School


As teachers we are BUSY. Between teaching, lesson planning, grading, meetings, extra duty assignments...you name it...teachers do it! A vital part of teacher and student success in a classroom is something that can easily get pushed to the wayside...regular parent/guardian communication. With the use of email, communicating with families is easier than ever before.

Here are three tips to make communicating with families a breeze:

Tip #1 - Send Your Newsletter Electronically

Stay out of that copy room, my friend! Regular (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly) communication with families doesn't need to be printed out and sent home with students unless a student's family doesn't have access to the internet or email. You can simply write your message in a mass email (don't forget to BCC parent emails!) or use a template, save it as a PDF and attach it to your email. 

Speaking of templates...

Tip #2 - Use a Newsletter Template

Design your own template in Canva, Microsoft Word or Google Docs or use some templates specifically designed for Social Studies teachers teaching Ancient History or American History (check them out here!) to expedite the process of designing professional-looking newsletters. If you'd rather not take the traditional newsletter route, a simple email will be perfect!

Tip #3 - Fill the Newsletter with AWESOME

Each newsletter you send should serve a purpose...sometimes multiple purposes! A positive, uplifting and timely newsletter can promote a positive relationship between the teacher and families. Not sure what to include in your newsletter? Keep this list handy and choose a few each time!
1. Upcoming due dates
2. Recent class activities
3. Student work samples
4. Upcoming test dates
5. Study strategies
6. School-wide events
7. Donation requests
8. Student Spotlight
9. Supplemental activities
10. Helpful blog posts

Challenge yourself to send one newsletter or email update to your students' families within the next week. It is truly amazing to see the positive benefits of regular contact with families!

Happy Teaching!




Wednesday, September 13, 2023

A Classroom Favorite: Historical Thinking Skills Web Quest

I love creating engaging activities for students which bring history to life in my classroom. Before my middle school social studies classes dive into the study of history in depth, we always start off the year with a unit about historical thinking. Students learn about the differences between primary and secondary sources and how to analyze historical documents. These basic skills will be a significant part of our units of study throughout the year, so it's an important topic to teach at the start of the school year!

One of the activities I love to use with my students is a Historical Thinking Web Quest (click the link!) which you can download for FREE

What is a web quest? A web quest is a digital scavenger hunt. Students use multiple types of sources on the internet to discover answers to questions. It's a great way to introduce new concepts or review previously learned material.

In the Historical Thinking Skills Web Quest, students will visit two websites and watch a YouTube video to learn about the differences between primary and secondary sources, understand how to analyze historical documents and even practice their skills by analyzing a famous painting from American history! There's also a Check Your Knowledge section at the end that prompts students to review their new knowledge of historical thinking skills.

Oh...AND the free download includes a printable PDF and a link to a Google Slides version as well for all my techy teachers. :)

I absolutely love working alongside amazing Social Studies teachers like you and I can't wait for you to try this web quest in your own classroom! 

Happy Teaching!

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

YouTube Videos for Teaching Geography and Map Skills

I love finding ways to utilize helpful videos during lessons in my middle school classroom. One of my earliest units in the year is Geography and Map Skills. Here are some of my favorite videos on YouTube that keep my students engaged and enrich the concepts they are learning and practicing in school!  

Pursuit of History: Types of Maps


Crash Course: What is a Map?


Pursuit of History: Map Skills



The Singing History Teachers: The Map Features Song



BrainStuff - How Stuff Works: How Do GPS Coordinates Work?


Pursuit of History: Themes of Geography


James White: Five Themes of Geography Song



Which one(s) do you plan to use in your classroom this year?

Happy Teaching!














Wednesday, June 14, 2023

How to Introduce Social Studies to Middle School Students

How do you introduce students to the best subject in school?? (I love teaching Social Studies so I'm totally biased! Ha!) It's an important question to consider, especially when you want to create a unit that engages students and makes them excited for the year ahead. Student comments like, "Social Studies is my favorite class!" and "I love Social Studies!" are music to my ears.  

I love sharing my passion for teaching Social Studies and connecting with teachers like you who have that same love of bringing history to life in their classrooms! I decided to create an Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit filled with everything you need to start your year - from daily lesson plans to every single activity you'll need at zero cost to you. Think: All the activities you need PLUS detailed lesson plans to cover 5 days of school. I've got you covered, friend!

Let's get the year off to an exciting start! Click the link below to snag the Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit right now or keep reading to see what activities are included and available for free in my TPT store right now. :)


Introduction to Social Studies Word Wall

I love word walls! A word wall is a place to collect the important vocabulary terms you are teaching in your unit. The more students interact with vocabulary terms, the more connections they can make between ideas and build upon those concepts to better understand and make deeper connections to curriculum content. I love to hang up all the words at the start of the unit so students can see them every day when they enter the classroom. You can even keep them up all year long!


Bell Ringers

Bell ringers were a game changer when I began using them years ago. Now students know exactly what to do when they enter the classroom. They help students review material we've recently learned, preview new material and can promote critical and creative thinking skills depending on the question type. I just love them! 


Introduction to Social Studies Vocabulary

What's better than one vocabulary activity? THREE activities!

The Introduction to Social Studies Vocabulary resource includes three different activities - a vocabulary matching activity, a crossword puzzle and a graphic organizer. Each of the activities gives students an opportunity to practice using the 12 vocabulary terms in the unit, like chronology, point of view, bias, primary source, secondary source and more!


Interactive PowerPoint Informational Text

While you may have access to informational text, like a textbook, these PowerPoint slides are a fantastic way to introduce the content to students!  The Introduction to Social Studies Interactive PowerPoint is filled with informational text students can use to complete the interactive notebook activities. 

Oh! And not only is it available in PowerPoint in an interactive format, there's also TpT Easel and Google Drive versions included, too. I've got you covered!


Interactive Notebooks

How do students organize their notes for this unit? In an interactive notebook! I love these graphic organizers because they consolidate student notes in one place. The graphic organizers directly correlate to all the activities I've mentioned above so far and give students the opportunity to summarize the main ideas and details they learn as they are introduced to the study of history. The mini unit includes a paper and digital version of the interactive notebooks so you have flexibility in your classroom!


Task Cards

Task cards can be used as bell ringers, entrance tickets, exit tickets, station work and more! I alternate their use based on my class needs of the day, but they include brief writing prompts to encourage students to think critically about the content they are learning in class.



Assessment


While there are many ways to assess student knowledge, sometimes you want to use a traditional test! The Introduction to Social Studies Assessment includes vocabulary matching, multiple choice, fill in the blank and written response questions.
 



Let's do this!

I can't wait for you to check out the FREE Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit! I'm confident it will save you valuable time in your teaching and personal life while creating an enriching experience for your students this year. You may even find a few surprises inside...like a Historical Thinking Skills Web Quest and a Types of Maps activity! I love throwing in extra resources to the curriculum bundles. :)

Happy Teaching! 




Monday, June 5, 2023

3 Amazing Podcasts Every Teacher Should Listen To This Summer


The first days of summer vacation always feel so delightfully full of possibility. Everything seems lighter somehow and so...free. It's a time to truly unwind and relax. One of my favorite summer pastimes while on a neighborhood walk, on a road trip or relaxing by the pool is listening to podcasts! Here are three podcasts that I am absolutely loving right now! 

The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast - Jennifer Gonzalez

My personal favorite location for professional development is at the beach, and thanks to Jennifer Gonzalez's podcast, my PD dreams can come true! As teachers, we consider ourselves life-long learners. Listening to the Cult of Pedagogy Podcast over the summer helps me develop new ideas and strategies that I plan to use in my classroom in the new school year.

The CEO Teacher Podcast - Kayse Morris

If you are thinking of starting any kind of business to supplement your teaching career, I highly recommend Kayse's CEO Teacher podcast! She always has insightful tips to share and her journey has been inspirational. I love learning from her whenever I'm on the go!

Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

Angela Watson's calm, encouraging and educational Truth for Teachers podcast episodes are the perfect edition to your summer podcast playlist. She shares great tips on managing teacher workload, stress, strategies for students and more!

I'm always on the hunt for new podcasts. Which ones do you recommend? Let me know in the comments!



 

Sunday, March 26, 2023

3 Activities for Middle School Students After Spring Break

 
Ah, glorious Spring Break. It's a much needed break from the rigors of school, both for teachers and students, and gives us a taste of the freedom of summer vacation on the horizon. There's just one catch - reengaging students  in the learning process when they return from the break can be a daunting task! You could always jump right back into regular content, but you may find that students have a hard time focusing after a week away. Here are 3 easy ideas to use in the your classroom when you return from Spring Break that helps students refocus on the school year ahead:

Idea #1: Play a Review Game. This is a personal favorite because it's easy and helps students refocus themselves on the content they recently learned in class. You can easily make review games using websites like Blooket and Kahoot or host a trivia game in your classroom filled with information they learned before Spring Break. My students love trivia games and there's a free trivia game template in my TPT store which you can customize for your own students!

Idea #2: Set SMART Goals. The last quarter of the year always seems to fly by! Set aside time to help students evaluate and reflect on their progress so far this year and establish new goals for the last few weeks of the school year. Students can keep their SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals in their binder or folder for easy access so they can see them frequently throughout the last quarter of the school year!

Idea #3: Host a Debate. If you teach middle school students, you'll know that they LOVE to debate anyone...anytime. Harness that passion for debate and discussion into a meaningful activity that will awaken students' minds and excite them for the last quarter of the school year. Your debate topic can be centered around recent content you've taught in class or be more general. Here are some debate topics to consider:

1. Is homework beneficial to students?

2. Should students be required to wear uniforms?

3. Should students be allowed to use cell phones in school?

4. Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

5. Is year-round school beneficial for students?


Which idea do you like the best? Whatever you choose to do, I know you've got this, my friend! 

Free Introduction to Social Studies Mini Unit

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