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The Road to the White House: 4 Activities
Michelle McDonald
  • Jan 8

The Road to the White House: 4 Activities

With the inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris just days away, you might be looking for some kid-friendly...
How to Make Significant Reading Gains in Elementary
Michelle McDonald
  • Nov 24, 2020

How to Make Significant Reading Gains in Elementary

This might sound counterintuitive, but if we want to see real reading improvement, then we need to cut back on ELA and make more room for...
The Election is Over, Now What Do I Teach?
Michelle McDonald
  • Nov 17, 2020

The Election is Over, Now What Do I Teach?

If you held a mock election with your class this year, please do me a favor and promise me you'll hold a class election next year too. Te...
Veterans Day Service Learning Opportunities in 2020
Michelle McDonald
  • Nov 6, 2020

Veterans Day Service Learning Opportunities in 2020

Your school may be canceling the annual Veterans Day assembly this year due to COVID and distance learning. But that doesn't mean your st...
5 Tips for Holding an In-Class Election
Michelle McDonald
  • Oct 6, 2020

5 Tips for Holding an In-Class Election

If you have never held a mock election with your students, I encourage you to add this simulation to your civics lessons. I get it---with...
Teaching the 2020 Election in Elementary
Michelle McDonald
  • Sep 22, 2020

Teaching the 2020 Election in Elementary

The election is around the corner, and if you are on the fence about whether or not to discuss the election with your elementary students...
Advocating for Social Studies This Year
Michelle McDonald
  • Aug 1, 2020

Advocating for Social Studies This Year

The other day, I asked those who follow me on Instagram to share their biggest concerns and struggles when it comes to teaching social st...
Mentor Texts about Voting and the Election Process
Michelle McDonald
  • Jun 23, 2020

Mentor Texts about Voting and the Election Process

Mentor texts are a great way to expose our students to a variety of experiences and voices. If you are covering democratic processes and ...
Anti-Racism Resources for Teachers
Michelle McDonald
  • Jun 7, 2020

Anti-Racism Resources for Teachers

It's been a heartbreaking time in America. The death of George Floyd and the many other tragedies of BIPOC leaves me feeling angry, sadde...
Branches of Military Lesson for Memorial Day
Michelle McDonald
  • May 6, 2020

Branches of Military Lesson for Memorial Day

If you are looking for a way to include Memorial Day in your distance learning lessons, this resource will provide your students with an ...
Political Systems and Forms of Government Posters
Michelle McDonald
  • Apr 14, 2020

Political Systems and Forms of Government Posters

Are you looking for a way to easily display the different political systems and types of government? Or a quick printable option for stud...
Women's Suffrage The Trial of Susan B Anthony Activity
Michelle McDonald
  • Feb 14, 2020

Women's Suffrage The Trial of Susan B Anthony Activity

Are you looking for an engaging and meaningful way to teach the road to the 19th amendment, without just reading a textbook? In this acti...
Beyond Black History Month: The Civil Rights Movement
Michelle McDonald
  • Feb 3, 2020

Beyond Black History Month: The Civil Rights Movement

Going Beyond Black History Month I truly believe that as educators we should be teaching black history throughout the year—not just in Fe...
Veterans Day: Ways Students Can Honor Veterans
Michelle McDonald
  • Nov 4, 2019

Veterans Day: Ways Students Can Honor Veterans

If you are looking for a meaningful way for your students to honor our military veterans, this post is for you. While I believe that it i...
4 Online Games for Your Social Studies Class
Michelle McDonald
  • Jul 22, 2019

4 Online Games for Your Social Studies Class

I'm always on the lookout for ways to utilize technology in my classroom in a meaningful way. Today, classrooms are moving into more tech...
How to Hold a Voting Simulation in Your Classroom
Michelle McDonald
  • Jun 18, 2019

How to Hold a Voting Simulation in Your Classroom

Proven Practices of Civic Education: The future voters and decision-makers are in our classrooms. Civic education is an important aspect ...
Tips for an Effective Gallery Walk in your Social Studies Class
Michelle McDonald
  • May 25, 2019

Tips for an Effective Gallery Walk in your Social Studies Class

What is a Gallery Walk? A gallery walk is a classroom based activity where students silently walk around the classroom to view images tha...
5 Components to Teaching Financial Literacy in Elementary
Michelle McDonald
  • Feb 26, 2019

5 Components to Teaching Financial Literacy in Elementary

With the swipe of the card, kids today may rarely see adults hand over physical money at a register. Kids learn how to count money in sch...
Embracing Social Studies in the Elementary Classroom
Michelle McDonald
  • Feb 23, 2019

Embracing Social Studies in the Elementary Classroom

“You don’t need to teach social studies in first grade. They’ll learn all that stuff when they get to middle school.” I absolutely cringe...
Making Social Studies a Priority: Re-thinking Your Daily Schedule
Michelle McDonald
  • Feb 19, 2019

Making Social Studies a Priority: Re-thinking Your Daily Schedule

Carving out time for social studies in the elementary classroom, can seem daunting. With all of the standards, continual testing, and mor...
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