5137 social-studies results | sort by:
Alma's Way - PBS Kids
Grades
K to 3tag(s): critical thinking (166), diversity (53), game based learning (291), perspective (26), spanish (107)
In the Classroom
Students can explore Alma's neighborhood virtually, then brainstorm what makes their own communities unique. Have students research one cultural element highlighted in the episode (food, music, traditions) and share a short presentation using Adobe Express for Education, reviewed here celebrating diversity and representation. In groups, assign students a script and act out or digitally record a short Alma's Way-inspired scene using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here that demonstrates empathy and understanding of different perspectives.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Skillsville - Twin Cities PBS
Grades
K to 3tag(s): collaboration (105), communities (38), game based learning (291), problem solving (266), social and emotional learning (145)
In the Classroom
After exploring Skillsville, have students list the places they noticed (e.g., fire station, market, post office) and discuss why each one is important in a real community. Have students choose a Skillsville character and act out the job in short skits to demonstrate how that character helps others. Students can categorize the goods and services found in Skillsville and compare them with those in their own town, explaining why each is needed.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Color Our Collections - New York Academy of Medicine Library
Grades
2 to 12In the Classroom
After coloring, have students research the object, organism, or artifact featured on their page. They then write a short informational paragraph that explains its origin, use, and historical significance. Invite students to curate a classroom Pop-Up Museum. Students display their colored pages with captions, research notes, and fun facts. Have students choose a coloring page and complete a See, Think, Wonder observation prompt before coloring. They record details they notice, what they think the image represents, and questions they have about its time period or purpose.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Culture- Free eBooks - Open Culture, LLC
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Assign small groups different eBooks such as Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, or The Odyssey. Have each group discuss themes, character development, and the author's purpose, then share insights with the class. Students research the life and times of an author featured on the site, such as Mary Shelley or Homer, and present how their background influenced their writing with Genially, reviewed here. After reading a short story or chapter, have students write an alternate ending, a diary entry, or a scene from another character's perspective to deepen their understanding of voice and tone.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The 150 Best Podcasts to Enrich Your Mind - Open Culture, LLC
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): business (50), design (77), famous people (38), podcasts (150), sports (85)
In the Classroom
Choose a short podcast episode, such as 99 Percent Invisible or This American Life, and have students listen in groups, noting the main ideas, tone, and supporting details. Follow with a discussion on how the speaker uses storytelling to convey meaning. Provide a transcript (if available) and have students annotate key phrases, claims, and rhetorical techniques to reinforce listening comprehension and textual analysis. Pair podcasts with other media, for example, listen to a design-focused 99 Percent Invisible episode during a STEM or art project, and have students present how the podcast deepened their understanding of the topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Cultures Free Movies Online - Open Culture, LLC
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): famous people (38), movies (52)
In the Classroom
Choose a classic film, such as The 39 Steps or Modern Times, and have students analyze its camera angles, lighting, dialogue, and symbolism. Discuss how early filmmakers conveyed emotion and story without advanced technology. Assign documentaries or period films that connect to Social Studies lessons. Students can create short presentations using Adobe Express for Education, reviewed here linking the film's events or issues to real-world history. Host a mini "World Film Week" where students view and discuss short films or animations from different countries in the Open Culture library, identifying how culture and setting influence storytelling.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Culture Free Online Courses - Open Culture, LLC
Grades
9 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): art history (103), artificial intelligence (258), artists (95), business (50), civil war (142), coding (96), computers (107), cultures (279), engineering (136), environment (249), politics (123), psychology (61), religions (121), shakespeare (98), sociology (24), world war 1 (85), world war 2 (168)
In the Classroom
Choose short university lectures related to your current unit (e.g., history, literature, or psychology). Have students summarize key takeaways and connect them to class topics. Assign a relevant Open Culture lecture for homework, then use class time for guided discussion, problem-solving, or creative applications of the concept. Form small groups where students take different Open Culture courses and share summaries or key insights with the class, encouraging collaboration and exposure to diverse subjects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Culture - Open Culture, LLC
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): architecture (81), artists (95), authors (109), cultures (279), famous people (38), musical instruments (60), news (222), scientists (71)
In the Classroom
Choose a classic from Open Culture's free audiobook list and assign small groups to listen and discuss themes, characters, or historical context. Pair a historical audiobook (e.g., The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) with a Social Studies lesson on the corresponding era. Students can create visual timelines using Timeline Infographic Templates by Venngage, reviewed here or journal entries written from a character's point of view. After listening to a story, invite students to produce their own podcast episode with Buzzsprout, reviewed here inspired by the text, reflecting on themes, tone, or moral lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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McGraw Hill AR Online - McGraw Hill
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): augmented reality (8), charts and graphs (193), civil war (142), coordinates (18), equations (132), fractions (179), functions (59), human body (97), industrial revolution (22), periodic table (49), photosynthesis (20), pyramids (24), pythagorean theorem (20), shakespeare (98), space (239), tornadoes (17), vikings (11), weather (170)
In the Classroom
Before a hands-on experiment, have students explore the Photosynthesis or Human Body Systems AR model. Students can rotate, zoom, and label key parts in pairs, then discuss what they predict will happen in the real experiment. Assign an AR model (such as Erosion or Forces and Motion) and have students identify key academic terms within the scene. Students record definitions, draw diagrams, or create digital flashcards using tools like Canva for Education, reviewed here. After exploring a model, students can write or record short reflections describing what they observed and how the visualization deepened their understanding.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Superstructures - Teaching Lab Studios
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (258), collaboration (105), graphic organizers (55), mind map (31), teaching strategies (67)
In the Classroom
Start a new unit by launching a "See, Think, Wonder" Superstructure using an image, short video clip, or text excerpt. Have students post their observations and inferences live, then discuss patterns that emerge. Create a discussion Superstructure in which each student must respond to a prompt from a rotating viewpoint (e.g., character perspectives in a novel, perspectives on a historical issue). The AI assistant helps keep the debate balanced and on topic. Have students connect new vocabulary terms in a concept-mapping activity, using examples, synonyms, and visuals to deepen understanding.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The 39 Clues: Online Field Trip - National Museum of American History
Grades
4 to 7tag(s): mysteries (27), virtual field trips (136)
In the Classroom
Pair the video with a close reading of an excerpt from The 39 Clues, asking students to identify how historical facts weave into the fictional plot. Show short clips from the video and pause to have students predict how each artifact connects to historical events or clues in a mystery. Challenge students to create their own clue based on a real historical figure or artifact, including a short explanation of its significance, and create a similar video webcast-style experience using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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11 Google Doc Tips - Ivy Levine
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): Accessibility (11), blogs (71), collaboration (105), digital writing (2), text to speech (22)
In the Classroom
Have students co-author a shared Google Doc using comments and suggestions to brainstorm ideas, ask questions, and build a piece of writing together in real time. Encourage students to use voice typing, alt text, and formatting tools to make their work more accessible and to build awareness of inclusive design practices. Have students design their own writing or project templates in Google Docs that they can reuse for future assignments or share with classmates.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Latimer: AI for Everyone - FutureSum AI
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (258), bias (30), cultures (279), diversity (53), perspective (26)
In the Classroom
Use Latimer to generate multiple perspectives on a historical event or social issue, then have students discuss how background and lived experience can shape interpretation. Have students use Latimer.ai to generate research questions or organize notes, then locate and cite evidence from trusted sources to support their findings. Use Latimer as a case study to explore ethical AI use, representation in technology, and responsible decision-making, connecting directly to digital citizenship standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SMART Goals Worksheet - Lake Superior State University
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): thinking skills (86)
In the Classroom
Have students brainstorm personal, academic, or classroom goals (for example, reading more, improving writing, or being kinder on the playground). Then guide them through completing the SMART Goals Worksheet together to turn a simple idea into a clear, structured goal. Have students pair up to share their SMART goals and action plans. Partners can give friendly feedback by checking if the goals are specific, measurable, and realistic. Create a "Goal Wall" where students post their goals (or just the focus area, like "Reading" or "Organization"). Update the wall as students reach milestones to celebrate effort and growth.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hopper the Explorer - Google Arts & Culture Experiments
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): map skills (67), maps (223)
In the Classroom
Share Hopper the Explorer with students to help them find summaries of several global locations and increase their understanding of world geography. Be sure to demonstrate how to find any destination and drop Hopper in to take a look around. Students can take a picture of a location they explore, then use that image as a basis for further research about the area. Ask students to share Hopper's story using Canva Docs, reviewed here and use Canva's templates, images, and videos as a storytelling project. Extend learning using Google My Maps, reviewed here and have students create maps that feature a virtual visit to locations relating to their current studies, places featured in novels, or significant events in history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Recyclers: From Trash Comes Triumph - 60 Minutes
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): musical instruments (60), recycling (45), south america (80)
In the Classroom
Include this video with lessons on South America, recycling, conservation, or musical instruments. Use Eduaide, reviewed here to create supplemental materials that extend learning based upon the concept of recycling and resilience. For example, use the Project-Based Learning planner to generate an inquiry plan and add a KWL chart from the organizers for students to share information about the benefits of recycling. As a final extension, ask students to create musical instruments from recycled materials and use Clipchamp, reviewed here to make a video that discusses the materials in their instrument and how to play it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Seating Planner Generator - Click School
Grades
K to 12tag(s): behavior (45), classroom management (124), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Students can help design their seating arrangements in the classroom. Adjust seating based on observed needs such as attention, participation, or social dynamics. After a week, review whether the change helped and discuss strategies for productive learning spaces.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Seating Chart - Gynzy
Grades
K to 12tag(s): behavior (45), classroom management (124), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Use the seating chart to quickly rearrange students into different seating configurations such as pairs, pods, or rows. Try a new setup each day and have students reflect on how the arrangement affects focus and collaboration. Create seating charts based on instructional goals, such as pairing students for peer support, mixed-ability collaboration, or discussion partners during reading, math, or project work. Create and save multiple seating charts for different scenarios so that substitutes or co-teachers can manage the classroom smoothly without disrupting routines.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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8 Great Classroom Management Resources for Teachers - HMH
Grades
K to 12tag(s): behavior (45), classroom management (124), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
In addition to the bell ringers link posted on the site, students can use Do Now Activity Generator, reviewed here. Students can map out their ideal classroom using Google Drawing, reviewed here. Finally, students can decide on which PBIS reward they would like by holding a classroom vote.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Ultimate List of PBIS Incentives - PBIS Rewards
Grades
K to 12tag(s): behavior (45), classroom management (124), teaching strategies (67)
In the Classroom
Students can fill out a Google Form, reviewed here to decide as a class or school what they are working for. Students can see a visual of their progress by creating an incentive jar on either Google Drawing, reviewed here or Canva for Education, reviewed here. Finally, students can write thank-you letters if they receive any donations for their incentives.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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