New to Teaching Social Studies? I've Got You Covered!
If this is your first year teaching social studies and you want to get a head start on planning, I've got you covered. Maybe you've...
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Michelle McDonald
- Jun 16
The Ultimate Summer Book Club for Social Studies Teachers
For the past few years, I've been sharing my summer book recommendations. I've heard from so many of you that you love having a book list...
Michelle McDonald
- Jun 11
How to Find Your State Social Studies Standards
Did you know that every U.S. state has outlined its own set of social studies standards? And we're not talking about the Common Core...
Michelle McDonald
- May 21
How To Prepare When Teaching A Tough Topic With Your Students
If you are getting ready to teach a sensitive or tough topic with your students, it can be especially helpful to do some prep work. No...
Michelle McDonald
- Feb 27
Free Social Studies Lessons Round-Up
Since 2012 I've been sharing social studies resources that I've created either for my own classroom or have been the result of teachers...
Michelle McDonald
- Aug 15, 2023
4 Things Social Studies Teachers Should Know About PragerU
As teachers, we know that our students deserve a high-quality social studies education. So often our schools do not provide any materials...
Michelle McDonald
- Jun 13, 2023
Four Inspiring Book Recommendations for Teachers to Read Over Summer Break
This post contains affiliate links to make it easier for you to find the books shared in this post. Summer break provides a well-deserved...
Michelle McDonald
- Jun 6, 2023
An Easy and Low Prep End of Unit Assessment: One Pagers
Are you tired of assigning tests for your social studies units? I want to share an easy-to-implement end-of-unit project that gets...
Michelle McDonald
- Apr 18, 2023
How to Make Significant Reading Gains with Social Studies Instruction
You have likely seen the recent headlines about pandemic learning loss, and the impacts of remote learning. The data from the National...
Michelle McDonald
- Mar 14, 2023
10 Resources for Celebrating Women's History Month in Your Classroom
As we celebrate Women's History Month during the month of March, here are 10 helpful resources to help you uplift and celebrate the...
Michelle McDonald
- Feb 8, 2023
10 Helpful Resources for Teaching Black History in Your Classroom All Year
James Baldwin said, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." As I am writing this, it...
Michelle McDonald
- Jan 10, 2023
5 Methods for Adding Movement to Your Social Studies Lessons
One of the most commonly asked questions I get is how to add more movement to social studies class. If you find that teaching social...
Michelle McDonald
- Dec 13, 2022
Helpful Tips for Facilitating an Effective Classroom Discussion
Small group discussions are a great concept, but they can quickly get out of hand if we simply release our students without guidance....
Michelle McDonald
- Nov 1, 2022
Resources for Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month in the Classroom
November is National Native American Heritage Month. This designation was passed by Congress and President George H.W. Bush in 1990. This...
Michelle McDonald
- Sep 13, 2022
Best Practice and Helpful Resources for Teaching the Holocaust in Middle School
Teaching the Holocaust in middle school is a powerful way to learn about the past in order to inform our future. If you plan to cover...
Michelle McDonald
- Jul 27, 2022
Boost Excitement for Social Studies During the First Week of School with this Activity
If you are looking for a back-to-school activity for your social studies class that is not cheesy or boring, I've got you covered. Set...
Michelle McDonald
- Jun 9, 2022
Fostering an Inclusive Classroom: 10 Educator Resources for Pride Month
History is multifaceted. It is an exploration of the past while building an understanding of people, cultures, and the connections to our...
Michelle McDonald
- Jun 7, 2022
4 Book Recommendations for Teachers to Read During Summer Break 2022
This post contains affiliate links to make it easier for you to find the books shared in this post. I love reading, and I love sharing...
Michelle McDonald
- May 5, 2022
Resources for Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This is a great opportunity to uplift the contributions and rich history of...
Michelle McDonald
- Apr 19, 2022
A Helpful Best Practices Checklist for Social Studies Classroom Materials
Are you hanging onto some of those outdated resources that were left behind by the previous teacher? You know the ones. It’s spring...
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