6 Ways to Engage Students Through Hands-On Social Studies Projects and Activities
By Kirsten Hammond
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Are you always looking for ways to get students excited about hands-on social studies projects and activities? Honestly, I’d bet that all teachers are! No one wants students to be bored in class, especially with social studies topics. Teachers want students to be excited and eager to learn while learning important social studies standards.
Thankfully, creativity and planning help transform the classroom into an incredible learning journey. With these 6 ways to engage students through hands-on social studies projects and activities, everyone will be excited to come to class!
The Importance of Hands-On Social Studies Projects and Activities
As students get older, they may be asked to sit for longer periods of time at desks or tables. This can get even the quietest of students a little antsy and restless. Students need to be active in their learning. Whether moving around to stations or working on a project, they need to engage with their learning. This is exactly why projects are a must. Students get to research, reflect, inquire, and create within a single assignment.
Bringing Engagement to the Classroom
These 6 ways to engage students through hands-on social studies projects and activities will transform the classroom!
1. Historical Fiction Readings
Novels and stories set in historical periods give students a personal connection, making it easier and more relatable to understand. Incorporate with book studies or creative writing.
2. Debates
Students love to argue, so turn this passion into engagement with class debates. These debates can occur on historical or cultural topics. Debates are a fantastic way to encourage active participation and critical thinking while helping students explore multiple perspectives.
3. Interactive Timelines
Students cannot study history without timelines. Understanding the when behind the why is essential. Teachers can create interactive timelines to increase engagement and make learning even more hands-on.
Students will love working on collaborative timelines. This is where they work in small groups to research specific events, figures, or cultural moments. They can then present and add their learning to a shared class timeline.
Teachers can even have students create thematic timelines to help them see trends and connections. This is essential when studying the economic patterns of the United States.
4. Cultural Exploration
Students need time to study about the world if we want them to appreciate different cultures and value inclusivity. With projects, they can explore traditions, geography, and daily life. Examples include a culture fair where students research a country or region and share it with visitors. Students can also create a virtual travel journal as if visiting an area. This requires them to study, read, and analyze sources! They can even create a recipe and food history project. Students can create recipe cards or bring food samples to share with classmates!
5. Engage with Primary Sources and Mock Scenarios
Primary sources make history feel real through firsthand accounts. Try doing a document analysis using primary sources from the Library of Congress. Also, try a mock scenario where students role-play the primary source. This is an amazing way to make challenging readings and materials more relatable.
6. Hands-on Geography Projects
Studying maps is tough, but adding projects that help students connect with the physical work can make geography less overwhelming. Try a map design challenge, where students find and identify landmarks, countries, or physical features on a map or globe. After gaining experience with this, students can even make an interactive world atlas (Rand McNally style!).
Engagement is a key factor in authentic learning. If students are active in their work, they discuss, research, collaborate, and read. Luckily, these 6 ways to engage students through hands-on social studies projects and activities ensure all this happens! Students will be eager to begin class when working on such exciting activities.
kirsten hammond
Kirsten is a former 3rd and 5th grade teacher who loves helping upper elementary teachers by creating resources and sharing ideas that are engaging, research-based, and TEKS-aligned. She is a work-from-home mama of 3 rambunctious little ones and loves running, true crime, and lots of coffee.
