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 this 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, as a teacher, your biggest ... read more »
Parent Resources for Middle School Social Studies
In the middle grades, important social studies concepts include what it means to be a good citizen, what it means to be a member of your nation and culture, and how personal beliefs relate to the beliefs of others. As parents, this is a great time to become engaged in shaping the way our children see themselves and the rest of the world. Parents can play an active role in the social studies education of their children with just a little help from the following Web sites.
Dulcinea's Insight
- There are many ways that parents can integrate social studies into their children’s lives outside school. Taking trips to museums (real or virtual), discussing current events, encouraging curiosity about the world, exploring your city and state—these can all benefit your child’s development.
- In general, be wary of sites that offer games. Many games have nothing to do with either critical thinking skills or social studies content and many sites use games as a portal to slick advertisements that will have your child begging you to buy something. The sites selected below offer games with a purpose, rather than just pure entertainment.
- Sit with your children while they surf the Web. Although it may seem like this isn’t a time for conversation, there are often many topics that come up while using the Internet that provide “teachable moments.”
- One of the best ways to help your child is to ask your child’s teacher what the class is studying and supplement those subjects at home. The “Teaching Resources for Middle Level Social Studies” and “Student Resources for Middle School Social Studies” sections of this guide will be of particular interest to many parents and can provide inspiration for ways to get your child interested in social studies. And the librarian at your local library can be a good source of recommendations for reading material.
- For more ideas about ways to bring social studies into your home, take a look at some of the sites in our findingDulcinea Homeschooling Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
SCORE
(Schools of California Online Resources for Education) provides the best overview of the key concepts your middle schooler should be learning. This is a great place to start organizing your thoughts about how you want to supplement and enhance your child’s social studies education. Note, however, that if you browse the rest of the SCORE site you may find the surfing somewhat difficult.
Kathi Mitchell
has been teaching elementary school for more than 30 years. Find a list of social studies “WebQuests” (Web-based, inquiry-focused activities) that are engaging and informative. These WebQuests are a great way to let your child explore a wide range of topics that will supplement classroom learning.
Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site
offers lists of adolescent books that can be searched by subject. Literature, whether fiction or nonfiction, is a great way to supplement your child’s social studies education. Use this site to get suggestions on books that your child can read outside of class.
FunBrain
’s “Standards Finder” tells you what students in a particular subject and grade level should be learning. Although this might not line up exactly with what your child is learning in school, it can give you a good idea of what at-home material might be helpful to your child. Don’t miss the “Kids Center” for engaging and educational games your child can play.
Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
has a section specifically for parents and teachers with curriculum links and additional online resources that can be used to help students integrate social studies into their activities at home. Find the usual variety of U.S. history resources along with some off-the-beaten-path sites such as Art in the White House.
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