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25 Social Studies Strategies for Active Learning
Experience History and Inspire Active Citizenship with Savvas Social Studies
Strategies for Creating Active Learning Opportunities in the Social Studies Classroom
Social studies thrives on active participation, igniting curiosity and empowering all learners. Our Active Classroom Strategies move beyond passive learning, fostering dynamic engagement and deeper understanding. We provide the tools and techniques to transform your classroom into a vibrant space where every student actively contributes and learns. Discover how to ignite participation and engage all learners in your social studies classroom. Get your 25 free social studies strategies for creating active learning today!
Here’s a sneak peek at the activities you’ll get when you download the guide.
Cartoon It
- Ask students to make a quick drawing of one compelling image from this lesson on a piece of paper.
- Next, ask students to turn their drawing into a political cartoon that illustrates a key concept or main idea from the lesson by adding a text caption or text “bubbles.”
- Ask students to share their cartoons with a partner or within small groups.
Connect Two
- Select 10 to 12 words or phrases you think are important for students to know prior to reading a selection.
- List the words and phrases on the board.
- Ask students to “Connect Two” or choose two words they think might belong together, and state the reason. “I would connect ___________ and ___________ because ___________ ___________ .”
- Consider posting their Connect Two statements on the board.
- As students read the text, they should look for evidence to support or refute their Connect Two statements.
Sequence It
- Place key events from a lesson or topic on sticky notes on the board.
- Ask students to place the events in chronological order.
- You could do this activity with multiple groups in different parts of the classroom.
See-Think-Wonder
- Ask students to work in pairs.
- Ask them to look at an image, map, or graph and answer these questions:
What do you see?
What does that make you think?
What are you wondering about now that you’ve seen this? - Have students share their answers with the class.
A Closer Look
- Project a map or image on the board and divide it into four numbered quadrants.
- Have students count off from 1 to 4 into four small groups. Have each group look closely at the part of the image in their quadrant.
- Have each small group report on what they observed and learned as a result of their focus on this part of the image.
Ready for more strategies to activate learning in the Social Studies classroom?
Be sure to complete the form at the top of this page to get your free copy of 25 Strategies for Creative and Active Social Studies Classrooms.
You can find even more activities—including inquiry projects, skills-based lessons, civics instruction, current events, and robust history resources—in Savvas Social Studies K-12 curriculum.