How To Get Your Students Interested in Social Studies
Social studies is not a boring subject. You know how exciting the information can be, but your students might be struggling to share your enthusiasm. Good thing you stumbled across this article. Let us tell you how to get your students interested in social studies.
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Bring It Full Circle
Connect the past and the present to bring everything full circle. Sometimes students have a hard time being interested in history if they don’t see how it relates to what is happening in current events. Connecting subjects in social studies to their current lives will grab their attention.
Remind them that they are learning about real people and events that happened and could happen to them. Humanize historical figures and discuss what their lives were like outside the great discoveries they made and their contributions to society. Show students what their contributions helped produce today.
Step Outside the Book
Not everything can be taught in a textbook. Only assigning readings and worksheets will not keep students interested in the subject. Giving them activities that get them active is a better option.
Using scale models to teach social studies is a great idea because students make connections and learn the subjects differently. It makes room for more intricate and complex discussions inside the classroom. Include other visuals like films so students can get a better picture of what life was like at the time.
Show Them the World
And while we’re thinking outside the box, throw a few field trips into the mix. Students love any opportunity they can get to not be in school. Of course, it will still be a learning experience, but it will be in a different setting.
Think about a field trip to the park to start off. That park could have a lot of historical significance to it, and students will get to see it with their own eyes. Or you can organize a field trip to a federal building to see how their government works.
Make Them Part of History
Remember, social studies connect everyone together and, more importantly, it’s a subject that relates to every person. Have students do research on their own historical backgrounds and present the information they find to the rest of the class.
Challenge them to dig as deep as possible and discover some fascinating facts. Because of the complexities of this project, it could take a while. Consider making this an ongoing assignment. Introduce it at the beginning of the year, and by the end, students should have a full report on their history. Connect the lessons you teach in class to different parts of their project.
The next school year will be a good one because you know how to get your students interested in social studies.
