How do you have conversations with students when scary things happen or when challenging current events begin unfolding around us? If you are asking these questions, then this post is for you. When scary things are happening in the world around us, sometimes we may want to just get into the classroom and teach like nothing has happened. Maybe we don’t want to scare our students, or are afraid a student will ask a question to which we don’t have an answer to give. While keepin

Do you hear the grumble and complaints that social studies is so boring? It's most likely that your students haven't yet experienced...

The California Gold Rush is viewed by some historians as a positive period in U.S. history with an economic boom that gave rise to the...

Looking for engaging and meaningful winter-themed social studies activities? Take your students on virtual field trips around the world!...

When my students return from winter break, I like to take class time to reflect and set New Years Resolutions. The start of a new year is a great opportunity to have our students review the past 12 months and set attainable goals for the future. And even though the flipping of a calendar doesn't automatically change much (especially in the past few years), taking a moment to pause and reflect, can be really powerful in times of so much uncertainty. I put together this set of