5 Ways to Incorporate Social Studies in Your Class

Being a teacher is busy, there's always something to do.... and always something you don't have time for. The stress never ends.... literally never...even over breaks... but I digress, back to our topic. One way I hope to reduce your stress is by giving you ideas for incorporating social studies into your class, so you don't have to worry about one more thing. Here are 5 ways you can easily and quickly incorporate social studies into your classroom.

1. Fluency Reads

After our beginning of the year assessment, I put my students into leveled groups of 4-6. Each week during our literacy rotations, students grab their folder to practice doing a fluency read. They work in pairs and take turns timing each other. After completing their 1st cold-reading fluency, they practice reading together, highlight difficult words, and answer comprehension questions. Over the course of the week, they do two more timed reads. Their final reads are always improved, and let me tell you, this activity builds confidence and increases their words per minute. The text I use coincides with our social studies unit. This is a quick way for me to support social studies, fluency, and reading comprehension. It also makes me feel better on the weeks we just didn't have time for our social studies lesson. Here are some of the fluency reads I've used with my students! You can find them here!

2. Novel Studies

My favorite genre to read is historical fiction, so I love sharing this with my students! I've created a list of books for different social studies topics. I use these as class read-alouds, novel studies, book recommendations for students who need help selecting a good book, or as an extension for students looking to deepen their learning. I would like to share it with you, you can grab this PDF below.

3. Writing Projects

I have my students complete multiple informational writing projects, and I try to focus at least one on social studies. I've had students research and write about famous historical figures, state reports, state counties, and even Christmas traditions around the world. Students love this, and it is one easy way for them to experience history. I usually have them turn it into a presentation so that they can hear their peers' papers and topics. Check out my biography writing packet below. You can find it here!

4. Field Trips

If you ask my children or my students, they'll know that I love a good museum! One of my favorite museums I went to was when I was in the 4th grade, we went to a museum on the history of my hometown. I still remember looking at the displays and the stories I heard. Seriously, trying to find a museum focused on the area's natural or human history is the perfect way to give your students some experiential learning! 4th-grade students can also take "field trips" with their families using the free National Parks Pass. This is a great way for students to go on family field trips! I have instructions and an editable letter for parents explaining this process, which you can download below!

5. Games

I use social studies games (printable board games, PE games, or escape rooms) as a literacy rotation, for rewards, for end-of-unit celebrations, for indoor recess ideas, or during state testing to help students ease their anxiety and let loose. Here is my (and my students') favorite one. It's very reminiscent of the 1990s Oregon Trail computer game! You can find this particular game here!

Because I love social studies, I'll give you one more tip.

6. Holidays

I love the holidays, but I struggle with the loss of instructional time and the crazy behaviors that lead up to them! I have tried to channel this chaotic energy into learning about the holiday's history and comprehension projects that support it. I've created a resource for each major US holiday; it includes a comprehension text, a poetry-writing opportunity, and an art project to accompany it. You can find them here!

I hope you've found at least one idea (and maybe more) you can use in your classroom!