Friday, November 30, 2007

NCSS: Teacher Created Materials—Social Studies Strategies for Active Learning

Carousel Brainstorming

Place large post-it notes around the classroom on the walls and put students in groups of four. On each post-it, write a unique question. Give each group of students a single marker and ensure all groups have different colors.

Have groups each go to one large post-it and write their answers. After a few moments, have students transfer to the next post-it. On the new post-it, they should put a check by the items with which they agree that were written by the previous group and they should add additional items. Continue circling in this way until al groups have visited all post-its.

Vote on It

Give students a problem (e.g., who will you choose as the first president of the United States, which wagon master should you choose to lead you across the west). Provide students with profile cards for several possible candidates and let them work in groups to decide who they think is most qualified. Students then vote on who they think is most and least qualified. Then, the teacher will provide more information about each candidate and provide the name of the candidate. Students will learn if they would have selected the same person others selected historically.


An organization that provides PowerPoint presentations in conjunction with the Library of Congress that teach about primary sources.


Allows you to access news reel clips from several historical eras.