Making Social Studies Fun!

Throughout this semester, I have really come to love Social Studies.  I never really seen the point in Social Studies until this semester.  I have been taught that Social Studies is a subject that every teacher needs to be teaching their students.

This past week in block, I have been learning how important it is to teach students history of the past in a fun and educational way.  I thought the plays that we acted out on Monday were an excellent way to approach the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre.  I believe incorporating plays such as those two really makes the students want to learn more because they are able to interact instead of listening to a lecture.  On Wednesday, we made little history books of ourselves.  I found this activity very fun.  A teacher could use this activity in the classroom for introductions or even talking about history and time lines.  I liked this activity because I was able to see how I have grown up over the past 21 years.  On Wednesday, Mrs. Meier also talked about how to make history fun in the classroom.  I remember having Social Studies teachers in the past just tell facts about an important event then expect us to remember them.  Mrs. Meier has showed me if you want to make history fun, put it into a story, show evidence and arguments, and let the students interact.  The Library of Congress has numerous pictures of artifacts that you can shows students.  I liked the one that Mrs. Meier showed on what Abraham Lincoln had the night he died.  Students would love to look at these types  of thing.

Well, as you can see, I am loving Social Studies class. I am seeing more and more how you can make Social Studies fun for students but also very educational.  Just because you are talking about history does not mean it has to be boring. 

Here is an excellent website teachers can go to get Lesson plans and pictures of real artifacts:  http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/