Social Studies Should be Fun!

I grew up in the state with the smallest population, a state that pioneers walked through to get to California or Oregon, its nickname is the cowboy state. If you guessed Wyoming, you would be correct! I remember learning all these facts and so much more when I was in 4th grade learning about state history.

My teacher made history come alive with reading, drawing, singing, dancing, and writing. Her excitement and engaging assignments brought these lessons to life… it also helps that the Oregon Trail computer game had recently came out and we could play if we completed our assignments. In all seriousness, we didn’t sit and read from our textbooks, we had assignments that were cross curricular and captured the imagination. Arts, games, writing, and so much more were a part of my learning process. We drew mind maps of Wyoming before mind maps were a thing. She made me proud to be from Wyoming.

As I taught 4th grade in Utah, I felt like social studies was an afterthought, an “if we had time subject”. When you have so many subjects to teach and initiatives to follow, some things just don’t happen... that often turns out to be social studies. A subject that isn’t tested on and can be slipped in occasionally here and there.

I wanted more for my students, I wanted them to have an experience that they would look back on with fond memories and pride to come from their great state. So I set out to create literacy based social studies lessons that also captured my students’ imagination, I have incorporated literacy, science, art, games, and a little math into my lessons, so that instead of social studies being an afterthought, these lessons align with not only social studies standards, but also their core standards. because social studies should be included in our student’s education, and it should be fun! Check out my Year Long Utah History curriculum here!