Social Studies and Technology

Download a Word document for taking notes

Technology_Tools_for_K_8_Social_Studies[1].doc

Find a Standard

http://clrn.org/search/standards.cfm

Background Ideas and Information

Aiming for HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) 

http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196605124

21st Century Road Map for Social Studies

ss_in_black__white.pdf

21st Century Skills for Geography

21stcskillsmap_geog.pdf

Web tools

ReadWriteThink.org

Alphabet Organizers are a great way to wrap up a lesson- can be done in small groups or whole class- http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=35

Bio Cube

http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=57

Circle Plot Organizer- students may notice patterns in history or cultures

http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=26

Comic Creator- students can create a cartoon strip to summarize historical events

http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=21

Compare and Contrast Essay Plot- this tool guides students through planning for a compare/contrast essay

http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=66

Library of Congress- Tools for Teaching with Primary Sources- http://www.loc.gov/teachers/

Teaching with Primary Sources from the National Archives- This page has links to worksheets for analyzing primary sources, lesson plans, and actual primary sources from United States history.

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/

Wordle- create a word map from text. Use it to analyze writing, to identify themes or main ideas.  http://www.wordle.net/

Try it with the Declaration of Independence http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm

Thinkfinity- search for lesson plans, resources, interactives http://www.thinkfinity.org/home.aspx

Ed1Stop

-Create assignments in Discovery Streaming

-Primary Sources in Discovery Streaming

-Search Thinkfinity

-Textbook links

-Teacher Cadre projects

-TCM- Primary Sources

-AP Archives-Primary Source

-Maps101

PowerPoint

Templates and storyboards for these PowerPoint projects can be found at PowerPoint in the Classroom

Create interactive calendars for a topic- For more info http://www.microsoft.com/education/aroundtheworld.mspx

• Important dates in California History, with links to more information
• Birthdays of important historical figures (such as Revolutionary War icons, World War II figures, etc.) with links to more information, and dates related to the topic

Holiday Calendar.ppt 

Calendar Template.ppt 

Calendar Storyboard.pdf

Create a timeline of a person's life in a calendar

• Biographies of historic figures

Create an interactive map

• 3rd grade- map of the city/town, showing important places like the school, library, grocery store, fire station.
• 4th grade-map of California Missions, with each mission linked to a slide with information about it
• Intermediate- map of explorers' routes with markers on significant locations
• Map of historical locations with significant locations linked to more information (WWI, Civil War, Civil Rights movement)
   

American Colonies.ppt 

Interactive Map Storyboard.pdf 

Interactive Map Template.ppt

Reports- Here's an outline for a country report presentation- it could be adapted for states or regions- it's fairly detailed and could be a good first project to get kids started using PPT

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:YeIcSWM5nisJ:lms.saisd.net/resources/Doc/Passport%2520to%2520Europe_student%2520handout.doc+%22social+studies%22+%22Powerpoint%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=67&gl=us

Create a subject alphabet book

• Each student can submit one letter or students can be responsible for creating their own alphabet for the topic
• Can be adapted for different grade levels- primary can be responsible for choosing a word and using it in one sentence; intermediate and up can be responsible for  writing a paragraph defining the word and/or explaining its relevance to the topic
• To model for middle through high school, use G is for Googol or Q is for Quark by David Schwartz.
• To model for intermediate, use G is for Golden: A California Alphabet by David Domeniconi or A is for America by Devin Scillian.
• This could be used as a "through" activity, where students add to their alphabets along the way, or as an "into" activity to introduce vocabulary
   

Alphabet Template.ppt 

A (Fill in the Blank) Alphabet.ppt

What Would You Do?- History is full of tough decisions. Create a PowerPoint that asks students to face those decisions and make a choice, or have students create one to be shared with classmates. 

What Would You Do Template.ppt 

Gold Rush WWYD.ppt 

What Would You Do Storyboard.pdf

Learning From Pictures- Use photos or drawings of a location or event to encourage critical thinking in students.

Reading Photographs - Template.ppt

The Great Wall of China.ppt

Podcasts

You can search online or on iTunes for podcasts and music tied to your topic. For example, ancient myths and legends, lectures from other teachers, expert interviews, or video podcasts. Below are just a few examples.

Elementary

Inside Yellowstone

http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/insideyellowstone/podcasts/index.htm

Subscribe at iTunes

Yellowstone InDepth- A closer look at the park.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/yellowstoneindepth/index.htm

Subscribe at iTunes

Student Report Vodcasts- Students recorded their biographies

California State Parks Podcast- brief introductions to some of California's State Parks.

Subscribe at iTunes

In iTunes there are also a number of podcasts for National Parks.

Middle School

PRI GeoQuiz- Quick hints about a location, tied to news.

http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510009&uid=08e8e29288047630436dfe52dcf25f25

Also available at iTunes.

Where in the World?  Kids from all over have created a series of hints about their hometown.  Figure it out, and you get a postcard or e-mail.  It's roughly done, but oddly engaging.

http://www.intelligenic.com/where/

Ancient China Comes to the 21st Century

Available at iTunes- Students present snippets about facets of the early Chinese Dynasty.

For Professional Development

Speaking of History- A middle school teacher ponders his role as a teacherand includes lesson ideas.

Subscribe via iTunes by searching for "Speaking of History"

Blogs

Blogs are a great way to organize classes. You can post assignment, questions, discussions, files, movies, and more, so that students can access information and work from anywhere.

Wikis

Civil Rights Wiki- this wiki has directions for a multifacted project. It could be adapted for any number of topics

     http://lovettus106.pbwiki.com/

Holocaust Project- http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/~ahistory/apwhreview/index.php?title=Holocaust_Wiki_Project -Students research victims of the  Holocaust in order to create life stories

Plants and Animals of the Bering Strait Wiki http://wiki.bssd.org/index.php/Category:Plants_and_Animals_of_the_Bering_Strait -This can serve as a model for developing vocabulary or biography wikis, where students develop knowledge on a specific aspect of a topic.

History Study Wiki- this wiki was developed by students as a year long study guide http://woodward8.wikispaces.com/

Google Earth Field Trips

We can't take the kids on real field trips, so why not take a virtual field trip using Google Earth? Here are some examples.

http://www.google.com/librariancenter/articles/0604_02.html

Digital Storytelling

Speaking of History Blog- ideas for creating a "Common Craft" type video for historic events http://speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2009/03/podcast-184-creating-common-craft-type.html

Sample Unit

An example of a unit that integrates technology can be found at this Google Doc:  http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfjjcjtr_82hskm3ffw

Grade Level Standards and Resources 

Kindergarten: Learning and Working Now and Long Ago 

1st Grade: A Child's Place in Space and Time

• Your name in other languages- introduce students to the idea that names are different across the world  http://www.yourdictionary.com/fun.html
•  

2nd Grade: People Who Make a Difference

3rd Grade:  Continuity and Change

• Children of Yesteryear Writing Prompt- pictures of kids from other times, with questions to prompt writing  http://www.cyberbee.com/portraits/kids.html

4th Grade:  California: A Changing State

5th Grade: United States History and Geography: Making a New Nation

6th Grade: World History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations

7th Grade:  World History and Geography: Medieval and Early Modern Times

8th Grade: United States History and Geography: Growth and Conflict

• Use voice recorders to have students collect oral histories of their community.  They can then transcribe them or summarize them.  See some examples at http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/tocCS.html