Social Studies

I remember the first time I tried to teach the Age of Absolutism to a room full of 11th graders who were far more interested in whether we’d have a snow day than in the power structures of 17th-century France. I had spent hours crafting what I thought was a brilliant lecture, complete with detailed … Read more

I remember the first time I handed a blank map of Europe to a class of high school sophomores and asked them to sketch the borders from memory. Most couldn’t place Poland relative to Germany. A few labeled France where Spain should be. One student, completely earnest, drew a single large blob and wrote “USSR???” … Read more

I still remember the first time I projected an image of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam onto my classroom screen during my second year of teaching World History. A student in the back row, the kind who had perfected the art of looking attentive while mentally checking out, suddenly leaned forward. “Wait,” he said, squinting at the nearly … Read more

When it comes to teaching the Enlightenment, many teachers have a tendency to dig into the nitty-gritty facts of the era as opposed to bringing out the excitement and creativity of their students. Fortunately, teaching the Enlightenment is one of the easiest places to step outside of your comfort zone and get the kids excited … Read more

Teaching the 95 Theses by Martin Luther can feel daunting at times, though it is such an important part of modern history and explains so much of how we got where we are today in society. Finding creative lesson plans for Martin Luther’s 95 Theses can seem challenging, but it is possible to get your … Read more

When teachers begin searching for a good lesson plan on Civil Rights Movement, so many variables come into play. It is such an important topic in American history that it should be given the appropriate amount of attention, but we all know we are within time constraints of our curriculums and there are only so … Read more