Having a little time at the end of class is something my students look forward to because they have an opportunity to do fun five minute social studies activities. If you find yourself with a few extra minutes of class, you definitely don’t want students to have a free-for-all! That’s a classroom management nightmare. ? Use those precious extra minutes for purposeful, engaging review! Idea #1: Mix ‘n Match Vocabulary No copies needed… Just use the whiteboard! Write three vocabulary words or words important to the lesson on the whiteboard. Then, write three words/short phrases that relate to th ..read more

If you’ve been looking for guidance on how to teach the Lost Colony of Roanoke, I’ve got a helpful teacher’s guide for you! In this guide, you’ll find background information for teachers, a pacing guide, and my best tips/resources for teaching the Lost Colony. You may save this guide in your Google Drive or you may download a PDF version to keep on your desktop. If you’d like to keep this blog post for later, simply save this image to your teacher Pinterest board! The post How to Teach the Lost Colony of Roanoke – A Guide for Teachers appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five ..read more

Welcome your students to social studies class with a freebie – Social Studies in Color! Helping your students feel engaged, welcome, and excited to attend social studies class sets the tone for the entire year. I have plenty of Welcome to 5th Grade activities but I wanted something “zoomed in” on social studies. It is my favorite subject, after all! Social Studies in Color is a no-prep, quick activity that will have your students thinking, tasting, and writing in no time. For this activity, you’ll need one printable per student AND one fun size bag of M&Ms per student. That’s it ..read more

If you’d like to learn how to make an American Revolution Code Letter, this post is for you! In a few easy steps, students will have a project that they’ll be thrilled to share with their classmates and parents. When teaching the American Revolution, hands-on activities are always the things that students remember! So, instead of just telling my students about American Revolution Code Letters, I show at least one primary source example and help my students to make their own code letters. Code letters are one EASY way to bring the American Revolution to life in your classroom. Before we dive in ..read more

If you are a struggling social studies teacher OR you just want to make your social studies lessons amazing, you’ve come to the right place! I’m a social studies/history nerd and I’m here to help! When I first started teaching social studies, I struggled somewhat BIG TIME… but over the years, I got it together and now I LOVE helping other teachers who want to make their social studies lessons sparkle! I can’t wait to give you my best tips while sharing some amazing tidbits of advice from teachers around the country!  Before we dive in, I’d love for you to join my VIP email club just for u ..read more

If you’ve been looking for ideas on how to teach American Revolution spies in 5th grade, you’ve come to the right place! When you teach the American Revolution, you’ll definitely want to include a lesson (or two) about spies. If your 5th graders are anything like mine, they think spies and spy techniques are absolutely fascinating. They’re right! Learning about spies and spy techniques is one of the highlights of any American Revolution unit. Spy networks were an invaluable asset to the Continental Army. Without spying, the Revolutionary effort may very well have been doomed. Before we dive in ..read more

When you introduce your students to Ben Franklin, you absolutely must include some of his witty quotes in your classroom study. We just can’t match the Franklin wit, wouldn’t you agree?!? Sayings like, Well done is better than well said and Haste makes waste are applicable to our lives even today. Discussing Ben Franklin’s contributions during the American Revolution and showing primary sources related to his life are valuable for students, but adding his witty quotes adds depth and dimension to this brilliant founding father. Grab the quote images and analysis sheets below and then keep readi ..read more

We all know that Ben Franklin was a man of many talents. One of his most important contributions to colonial safety was his 18th Century fire brigade. I’d love to share this free student-facing video, printable activities, and Google Slides presentation with you. Grab the lesson here: Ben Franklin’s 18th Century Fire Brigade I hope you enjoy this lesson! This is just one lesson released to my Social Studies Club members. Members receive two unique content releases per month. Click here to learn more and join the waitlist: Social Studies Club Waitlist The post Ben Franklin’s Fire Brigade – Fre ..read more

If you need an easy bulletin board for social studies class, you are in luck! This history-themed bulletin board is an impactful way to display what your students have learned so far this school year. Grab the free resource packet here: How to Create the Bulletin Board: Step 1: Create a large tree with branches on your bulletin board. You can draw a tree outline freehand, cut a tree from butcher paper/construction paper, or use the included template. You’ll want to have plenty of branches on your tree. Step 2: Print the included history quote, preferably in color, and add it to a prominent pla ..read more

Because teachers are so busy, we can easily get into the habit of teach, assign, assess… Let’s break that habit and make your social studies class more ‘social.’ I’ve always struggled with whether or not to allow students to talk during class. As a brand new 23 year old teacher, I was somewhat old-school in my classroom management style and expected silence and pencils scratching across paper. That’s how I was taught! But then – lightbulb moment! I started to think about how I learn best and how other adults learn. Learning involves talking and collaborating with other people. When we acquire ..read more