Middle School Social Studies: Resources for Students, Teachers and Parents
History, geography and culture resources of all kinds can be found online. Whether you are a student looking for a way to help you remember the countries of the world, a teacher interested in engaging new lessons that can inspire your class, or a parent wanting to help your child understand important historical eras, you’ll find everything you need in the Middle School Social Studies Web guide.
Expand All Guide SectionsStudent Resources for Middle School Social Studies
On the Internet you can explore faraway countries, discover the history of the world, learn about ... read more »
Teaching Resources for Middle School Social Studies
There are so many fantastic social studies resources online that your biggest problem may be choosing which to use in your classroom. Whether your class is studying ancient cultures or following the election process, you’ll find great teaching resources for middle school social studies using the sites below.
Insights for Middle School Social Studies Teaching Resources
- Don’t get fooled into paying for resources. Museums, government entities, universities and well-known broadcast media all offer excellent resources at no charge. A great example is the Library of Congress “Teachers” Web site, which links to lessons, documents and even a game or two.
- Many popular news publications and networks, such as Time For Kids and CNN.com, offer online content designed for students. Their Web sites provide lesson plans, activities and worksheets for teachers based on current articles.
- For a bit of history each day, try findingDuclinea's On This Day section. Other areas to visit include the Politics and Religion and Spirituality Web guides.
Top Sites for Middle School Social Studies Teaching Resources
For social studies lesson plans and curricula …
PBS
devotes a section of its top-notch Web site to social studies teachers. Choose a grade level to find several thoughtful lesson plans, some of which allow you to contact the lesson’s author. Many lessons are accompanied by printable copy masters.
The Educator’s Reference Desk
provides access to the most widely used education databases: ERIC and GEM. Browse lesson plans by category or search by grade level and keyword. Use the “Write a Lesson Plan Guide” for tips and guidelines on creating your own lesson plans.
EDSITEment
is hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities and offers interesting lessons that can supplement your content. Search by grade level and subject. Use the “Websites” tab to find sites rather than lesson plans.
HotChalk’s LessonPlansPage
has a large number of social studies lesson plans. Choose a lesson plan and print it directly from the site. If you have a lesson plan of your own that you’d like to share, add it to the database.
SCORE
provides a searchable database of lesson plans organized by grade, title, keyword and California History/Social Science Standards. Also find a wealth of student-generated material that could be used to provide examples for your students. This site is best suited for California teachers but it can be quite useful for teachers in other states, too.
For social studies reference and other resources …
ReadingQuest
provides engaging reading strategies and activities that can help your students get more from what they’re reading. The pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies help you get your students active in the reading process and on the road to better comprehension.
Virtual Middle School Library
offers links to specific topical Web sites. Whether you’re looking for a lesson plan or supplemental material, this site catalogs some great resources.
For online social studies games and activities …
The Library of Congress
presents ”America’s Story from America’s Library,” a site focused on American history using primary sources. Most of the activities involve sound so be sure that your students have headphones if they’re browsing this page in class. Don’t miss the feature that helps students find historical events that happened on their birthdays.
Kathi Mitchell
has been teaching elementary school for more than 30 years. Visit this section of her Web site to find a great list of social studies “WebQuests” (Web-based, inquiry-focused activities) that are engaging and informative.
Parent Resources for Middle School Social Studies
In the middle grades, important social studies concepts include what it means to be a good citizen, ... read more »
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