4297 social-studies results | sort by:
OK2Ask: Building Background Knowledge with Reading Treks - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Revolutionize literature instruction with Reading Treks--interactive maps that chronicle characters' journeys while building critical background knowledge and cultural connections. Whether you're working with limited resources or seeking to make literature more accessible to all students, Reading Treks offer a powerful way to contextualize stories, connect learning to real-world geography and cultures, and provide visual supports that enhance comprehension for every learner. In this workshop, we'll explore proven instructional strategies for integrating ready-made Reading Treks into your classroom to support multilingual learners and strengthen family engagement--perfect for immediate classroom application. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Implement Reading Treks to build background knowledge and support diverse learners. 2. Use existing Reading Treks to design differentiated lessons for varied student needs. 3. Create family engagement opportunities that bridge home and school learning. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): OK2Askarchive (83), professional development (295), reading strategies (92)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Once registered, find additional reference materials, tutorials, and how-to information to help you review or extend your knowledge from the session in the handout posted on the session landing page. Resources may include additional ideas and examples on integrating the tools and strategies shared in classroom instruction. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Latin America - The Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 12tag(s): crafts (94), cultures (280), dance (41), holidays (255)
In the Classroom
Inspired by El Salvador's traditions, students can create simple puppets and act out folktales or original stories, combining art, storytelling, and culture. Watch videos of Bolivian folk dances and discuss the significance of the costumes and movements. Students can then design their own cultural costumes or masks using paper and craft supplies. Introduce students to instruments like the cuatro and maracas. Have them create their own rhythm patterns with classroom percussion instruments and learn a traditional song.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Five(ish) Minute Dance Lessons: Latin Dance - The Kennedy Center
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
After each lesson, have students write or draw in a dance journal. They can reflect on how the dance made them feel, list new vocabulary (e.g., basic steps or Spanish terms), and sketch the dance moves. The journals can be created digitally using Book Creator, reviewed here. Watch videos from different Latin dance styles (Salsa, Cha-Cha-Cha, Merengue) and create a Venn diagram using Canva's Venn Diagram Creator, reviewed here or a chart to compare their rhythms, origins, and movement styles. Once students are familiar with a few styles, encourage them to choreograph their own short Latin dance routine using the steps they've learned.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Flamenco - The Kennedy Center
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Play the Kennedy Center video and have students imitate Alice Blumenfeld's flamenco movements -- clapping (palmas), footwork (zapateado), and posture. Pause frequently to review and practice each part. Explore the roots of flamenco in Spain and its influences from Romani, Moorish, Jewish, and Andalusian traditions. Have students create an infographic using Canva Infographic Creator, reviewed here or a cultural heritage poster explaining flamenco's origins. Since flamenco expresses deep emotion (duende), have students write a short poem inspired by its movement and mood. Encourage them to present it alongside simple claps or foot taps for dramatic effect.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Virtual Passover Activities for Kids - 18 Doors
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crafts (94), cultures (280), holidays (255), jews (63)
In the Classroom
Each night of Passover, students can watch the video or song, complete the craft, and help with the recipe. Students can use Book Creator, reviewed here to create a recipe book. Have students use Padlet, reviewed here to post about their favorite video/song, craft, or recipe.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Lesson Plans and Resources for Art Integration - Edutopia
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artists (95), creativity (82), dance (41)
In the Classroom
Use the 6th-grade lesson plan "Rotation and Revolution" to have students choreograph movements that demonstrate the Earth's rotation and revolution. In world language classes, use the Spanish lesson plan and have students create pop-art comic strips using new vocabulary and grammar. The comic strips could be made digitally using Write Comics reviewed here. Use the "Artful Thinking" professional development (PD) materials to introduce thinking routines such as "See, Think, Wonder." Apply this to any subject by analyzing artwork, images, or historical photographs to start a discussion and to foster deeper comprehension.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Passover for kids: 14 engaging ideas for the springtime holiday - Care.com
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Families and students can participate in the activities featured on the website. Students can use Baamboozle, reviewed here to create a Passover game. Have students use Seesaw, reviewed here to write the facts that they have learned about Passover.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Passover Activities for Kids and Adults Guide - Reform Judaism.org
Grades
K to 12tag(s): crafts (94), cultures (280), holidays (255), jews (63)
In the Classroom
Families and students can participate in the activities featured in the guide. Students can create a Book Creator book, reviewed here with their Six Word Poems. Students can use Google Keep, reviewed here to list the steps that they used while creating their Matzahs. Have students learn more about Passover using Kidrex, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
8 Passover Activities for Your Family That Everyone Will Want to Do - Kveller
Grades
1 to 12In the Classroom
Families and students can participate in the activities featured on the website. Students can use Free Online Screen Recorder, reviewed here to record themselves building their Red Sea Obstacle course. Students can use Kiddle, reviewed here to research questions for their Minute to Win It game. Have students use Baamboozle, reviewed here to generate the questions for their games.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Relationships & Communication - Common Sense Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (105), communication (119), conflict resolution (10), digital citizenship (103), empathy (42), internet safety (118)
In the Classroom
Have students discuss short scenarios about digital communication (texting, group chats, social media comments) and decide what respectful responses look like. Watch a Common Sense video about online communication, then have students discuss how tone and word choice affect relationships. Have students rewrite unkind or unclear messages to make them more respectful, supportive, and appropriate for digital spaces.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Educational Resources - National Gallery of Art
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): artists (95), professional development (295), virtual field trips (136)
In the Classroom
Use the Art Tales series to pair children's picture books with works of art from the collection. After reading, guide students in creating artwork inspired by the story to help develop early literacy and visual thinking skills. Have students explore the Uncovering America module and analyze works of art related to U.S. history. Let students investigate how artists use materials and tools through the "Process & Product" lessons. Choose a medium, like watercolor or printmaking, and have students experiment while reflecting on technique and artistic intent.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Jumanally - Genially
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): collaboration (105), critical thinking (166), game based learning (291), gamification (95)
In the Classroom
Customize the Jumanlly template to align with your current unit (e.g., grammar, fractions, ecosystems). As students move through the game board, they answer questions or solve puzzles that are directly tied to the content. Divide the class into small teams, each choosing an avatar to navigate the board. Students work together to make decisions and complete tasks, encouraging communication, teamwork, and cooperative learning. Invite students to design their own version of the Jumanlly game based on a unit they've studied. They write the rules, create questions, and incorporate subject-relevant multimedia.Edge Features:
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Board Game - Genially
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): digital literacy (29), game based learning (291), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Convert your current unit into a board game, where each space features a content question or mini-challenge. Use it before a test to make review fun and collaborative. Create a board game where each move includes defining a term, using it in a sentence, or drawing it. Great for ELA, science, or social studies vocabulary practice. Have students design their own board games using the template to demonstrate understanding of a unit or topic. They write questions and present them to the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Amelia Earhart Letter Archive - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): aircraft (26), women (184), womenchangemaker (79)
In the Classroom
Begin by watching the short video and then have students examine excerpts from the letters and highlight words or phrases that reveal Earhart's personality, goals, or challenges. Encourage them, in small groups, to share what they inferred about her character. After reading and discussing the letters, students write a 1930s-style newspaper article about Earhart's achievements, using quotes from the letters to provide authenticity and voice. Ask students to imagine they are a modern explorer or aviator and write their own "letter to the future," reflecting on the importance of perseverance, innovation, or gender equality, echoing themes from Earhart's writing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Chaotic Kitchen Escape Game - Genially
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): digital escapes (29), game based learning (291), gamification (95), puzzles (159)
In the Classroom
Incorporate math problems involving fractions, conversions, or modifying recipe amounts. For example, students might solve a puzzle that requires doubling or halving ingredients to unlock the next step. Add clues tied to physical or chemical changes in cooking (e.g., why bread rises, or what happens when butter melts). Use short videos or images to illustrate real-world science concepts. Connect the escape room to a cultural studies unit by integrating recipes or food-related traditions from around the world. Have students solve clues based on world geography, customs, or languages. Assign students to create their own kitchen-themed escape clues using class content, such as vocabulary, math, or even literary references. Find additional resources at TeachersFirst Special Topics Page: Digital Escape Rooms, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Google Vids - Google
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (258), creating media (16), digital storytelling (158), stories and storytelling (71)
In the Classroom
Use Google Vids to create review and introductory videos for upcoming lessons. Have students create video essays, instructional videos, or record science experiments and observations. Use the included stock footage for students to bring their stories to life through video and add music for a professional presentation. The storyboard option provides structure for students to create and edit stories, helps students start their video using a simple prompt to create a storyboard, and then refine the information to build a one-of-a-kind story. Learn more about how to create Google Vids and incorporate them into any classroom by viewing the archive of OK2Ask: Engage and Inspire with Google Vids, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Question-Answer - Genially
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): game based learning (291), gamification (95), quiz (61), quizzes (86)
In the Classroom
Start each class with a 3-5 question review using the template to refresh prior knowledge in a fun, interactive way. Have students respond individually or in teams. Build a game with definition-to-word or word-to-sentence matching to help students master new vocabulary. Use visuals and audio to reinforce multiple learning styles. Assign students or groups to build their own question sets based on research or a chapter of study, then host a "quiz day" where students play each other's games. Create a class-wide quiz competition with questions from a recent unit. Include multimedia (images, audio, or short videos) to enhance content understanding and vary the format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Teaching with Historical Places: Birthplace of John F. Kennedy - National Park Service
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): kennedy (26), presidents (149)
In the Classroom
Students can use Google My Maps reviewed here to virtually visit the birthplace of John F. Kennedy. Students can create a scrapbook of JFK and his life with Book Creator reviewed here. Students can use Lino reviewed here to post questions that they have as they are learning about the upbringing of President Kennedy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Lesson Plans and Educational Resources - The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): kennedy (26), presidents (149)
In the Classroom
Students can reenact the 1960 election debate. Students can use Canva Edu reviewed here to create a mock ballot to practice voting in an election. Students can use Figma reviewed here to compare and contrast President Kennedy to other historical figures.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).
Dragon's Dungeon Breakout - Genially
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): collaboration (105), digital escapes (29), game based learning (291), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Play the game as a class on the smartboard, having teams take turns answering questions and making decisions. Use it as an exciting review day or end-of-unit celebration. Customize the escape room puzzles with questions from your current unit (math problems, vocabulary definitions, science facts, etc.). Students must correctly solve each one to earn a gem and move closer to defeating the dragon. As students progress through the dungeon, have them keep a digital journal using Book Creator, reviewed here or a paper journal reflecting on their team's strategies, what worked, and how they solved each puzzle.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
Use the form at the top of the page to log in, or click here to join TeachersFirst (it's free!).

Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
Close comment form