K-6 Social Studies Resources
October
Teaching Using Primary and Secondary Sources--Refresher!
There are so many ways to engage our thinkers in the area of social studies. We talk with them about current events, nonfiction texts, historical events, and even discuss geography.
So what are primary and secondary sources?
Primary sources are documents or physical objects that were written or created during the time under study. They offer an insider view point into a particular historical event.
Types of primary sources:
diaries, speeches, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, pamphlets, and even personal narratives.
Secondary sources are interpret and analyze primary sources. They may have pictures, quotes, or graphics of primary sources in them.
Types of secondary sources:
textbooks, magazine articles, histories, commentaries, criticisms, encyclopedias.
How would I use these in my classroom?
There are always places in your curriculum you could tie a primary or secondary source into the concept you are trying to teach. Please take a look a the below online resources to help support your understanding and your students' understanding of primary and secondary sources.
Primary and secondary sources can be introduced as early as kindergarten but the sophistication increases from each grade level to grade level. I challenge you and your team to use at least one primary or secondary source with your next unit of study.
Resources:
http://www.socialstudiescentral.com/content/primary-sources
http://teachinghistory.org/issues-and-research/research-brief/23783
Government & Election Picture Books
If the Walls Could Talk by Jane O'Connor
In case you've ever wondered, the walls at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have eyes and ears — and, what's more, they don't miss a thing. Now, listen up because the walls have a thing or two to tell you!
During President John Tyler's presidency, the White House was such a mess that it was called the "Public Shabby House."
President William Howard Taft was so large that he had to have a jumbo-size bathtub installed — one big enough for four people.
President Andrew Jackson's "open door" policy at the White House resulted in 20,000 people showing up for his inauguration party. (The new president escaped to the quiet of a nearby hotel!)
President Abraham Lincoln didn't mind at all that his younger sons, Tad and Willie, kept pet goats in their White House bedrooms.
Children all across the country sent in their own money to build an indoor swimming pool for wheelchair-bound President Franklin D. Roosevelt so that he could exercise.
President Harry S. Truman knew it was time to renovate the White House after a leg on his daughter's piano broke right through the floor.
Hear these funny, surprising stories and more about the most famous home in America and the extraordinary families who have lived in it.
The Story of the White House by Marge Kennedy
So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George
This new version of the Caldecott-winning classic by illustrator David Small and author Judith St. George is updated with current facts and new illustrations to include our forty-second president, George W. Bush. There are now three Georges in the catalog of presidential names, a Bush alongside the presidential family tree, and a new face on the endpaper portraiture.
Hilariously illustrated by Small, this celebration by St. George shows us the foibles, quirks and humanity of forty-two men who have risen to one of the most powerful positions in the world. Perfect for this election year—and every year!
Providing Choice in Social Studies
One way to differentiate your instruction is by providing different choice in final products.
Try an Extension Menu:
Create extra activities for students to further their understanding of the concepts taught. Students can choose a set number of items to complete, or can be required to choose 3 in a tic-tac-toe pattern so that you can ensure they have a variety of activities
Below is an example of an Extension Menu.
Meredith Davis
K-6 ELA & SS
Curriculum Coordinatro
Email: meredith.davis@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: www.southlakecarroll.edu
Location: 2400 N Carroll Ave, Southlake, TX, United States
Phone: 817-949-8247
Twitter: @carrollcurric