Useful social studies and arts resources

http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/simu.php

http://www.primarygames.com/social_studies.php

http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/fourth_grade_internet_activities1.htm

http://www.collierschools.com/weblessons/students_online/4Social.htm

Global Twister (using body to learn the continents)
http://www.heatherhaupt.com/2010/06/17/going-global/

games for learning the 50 States
http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2013/02/games-for-learning-50-states.html

http://www.socialstudies.org/elementary_quick

Interactive notebook planning sheet
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/251709066647053200/

teaching civics in elementary
http://www.ehow.com/info_12176221_activities-teach-civics-elementary-grades.html

hundreds of crafty social studies ideas
http://www.pinterest.com/jessicanjela/elementary-social-studies/

Ideas to integrate the arts in the elementary classroom
https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2013/05/17/arts-integration/

Different ideas for using drama in the classroom
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/how-to/tipsheets/five-easy-drama-games.aspx

social dances for early elementary
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/how-to/tipsheets/early-elementary-social-dance.aspx

creative movement
http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com/2012/01/creative-movement-in-classroom-tips-for.html

integrating the arts with math
http://educationcloset.com/2012/05/15/ways-to-integrate-art-and-math-in-an-elementary-classroom/

Thanksgiving Dodecahedron project
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Dodecahedron-Project-Kit-269136

Ideas on integrating the arts with social studies
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/strategies-arts-integration

The Decades

The 70's Decade

We presented our decade on Monday. We had spent time researching the 70's, inlcuding movies, artists, music, films, clothes, dances, scandals, people, inventions, and other things the decade was famous for. We made an imovie to present our decade and borrowed some artifacts from friends and family members. We dressed up in 70's clothes and one of our group members danced "The Hustle". We also gave out Twix bars, Orville Redenbacher popcorn, and Snapple served in Solo cups. These all came out in the 70's. I learned so much about the 70's and do believe it was the best decade to have lived in!

We were not the only ones though. There were the 40's, 50's and 60's decades. In the 40's we had a paper boy, Rosie the Riveter, and a gangster.

integrating language arts and science with social studies

Trout Lily by Esmeralda Gutierrez

We chose from a variety of books with social studies related topics including landmarks, environmental issues, and diversity, so we could come up with some activities to go along with the book. I choose a book called, On Meadowview Street. It is about a girl who moves into a new neighborhood on Meadowview Street. Her dad was mowing the backyard and the girl told him to mow around a flower that she saw. She put out some poles around the flower with ropes to keep it from being cut. The area that she blocked off kept betting bigger and bigger, until pretty soon, her dad had no use for his lawnmower. They made a little pond in the back and it filled with animals. They even let their front yard grow out. The neighbors started preserves on their yards as well.

may apples by Esmeralda Gutierrez

The social studies standard that went well with the activities I planned was, 2.3.7 Identify ways that recreational opportunities influence human activity in the community.

L.A. 

R.L.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

Science
2.3.1   Observe closely over a period of time and then record in pictures and words the changes in plants and animals throughout their life cycles-including details of their body plan, structure and timing of growth, reproduction and death.

2.3.2   Compare and contrast details of body plans and structures within the life cycles of plants and animals.

Engagement Activity:
Students will be asked to draw their own nature preserve. They will also do a wildflower study where they will learn about a wildflower of their choice, including if their flower would be able to thrive in their backyard or where it is most likely to thrive. Students will also learn more about wildflowers through books, video clips, websites, and a trip to a nature preserve. When visiting the nature preserve, students can take pictures of wildflowers and other aspects of it. It resources permit, students can grow their own flower garden and study how the flowers grow and change.

Dutchmen's Britches by Esmeralda Gutierrez

Intregrating drama with science

We read poems and stories by Jon Scieszca and acted them out. Our poem went to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad". While we all sang, Jessica and I hand some movements to go along with the song. I was the predator and she was the pray. In this picture, we are acting out the part in the poem that goes, "Who's for lunch today? Who's for lunch today? ....Predator or pray, predator or pray..." I was the predator so I was scared and then I would turn around and pretend to grab Jessica when we would say pray.

Tolerance in a Picture (The arts and social studies)

We were all assigned to take picture of something that represented the concept of harmony, tolerance, civic responsibility, patriotism, or citizenship. Our pictures could not have any people in them, which would have made the one I was assigned, a bit easier. It helped me think outside the box though. The pictures we usually see about tolerance that include people are people of different color or race holding hands. That is what I would have taken a picture of. I still wanted to take a picture of something that represented the tolerance of diversity and uniqueness in others. I decided to go with different colored streamers, strewn across a box with a hole in it. I taped the ends of the streamers to the box, so they would stay in place, then I put a weight on top of them to see if these fragile, delicate steamers could hold the weight. They did. I wanted to show that together, we can take on the "heaviness" of the world, but it is not just going to take one of us or a "group" of us. It takes all of us, black or white, American, or Asian, introverted and out going, to keep from falling in.

Integrating the arts with geography

After our geography garbles, we were asked to choose a state or country and make a model of it with salt dough. We knew were going to make salt dough maps so the dough was made in advance. I choose to make the state of Texas. The following class we had to think of ways we could use our salt dough model to teach geography in our class. My partner and I decided to label the major cities and rivers in the state of Texas. It is a geography standard for 5th grade to locate the major rivers and cities in the United States. Others in the class made their model to show the physical features of their state or what products and crops the state is known for.

Integrating language arts, the arts, and social studies to learn about neighborhoods

As an introduction to neighborhoods, we were asked to take a picture of what we see when we step out our door. We put the pictures next to each other on the board and talked about the similarities and differences in the pictures. Then we answered a series of questions that made us reflect on where we lived. "I love my neighborhood because...", "If I could change something in my neighborhood...", and "I think it would be great if...". We ended our discussion with a cinquain poem. We put are our poem and our picture together so they could be hung up.


This one is mine...