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Teaching children US history is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. As a teacher, you have your preferred method of conducting your American history lessons. It’s entirely up to you and your pupils to decide how you want to teach your classes.
You may prefer a well-structured classroom, with pupils adhering to the same routines throughout the year. Alternatively, you might use a variety of activities to keep the kids on their toes by varying the content for each unit.
It’s possible to use either method to great effect! I have developed various teaching methods and tools as I’ve taught US history to multiple students. These five teaching strategies/resources can be used as the foundation of your curriculum, or you can use them to switch things up so each unit has a unique feel.
Packets of Instructions for the Unit
Teachers have been utilizing packets for decades, and they’ve shown to be an effective strategy. They aid in student organization by ensuring that everything they require is conveniently located. Because they don’t have to record a lot of different paperwork, they can focus on their work.
Everything they need for the entire unit is contained within a single, convenient packet. My packs are created to aid students in grasping the most important concepts. There are nine pages in each box, and the first page has a brief history of the era or unit in question.
Then there are sections on vocabulary, geography, a timeline, basic themes, and visual analysis, among other subjects.
Computerized Diaries
Activity packets are comparable to 9/11 picture books in that they contain all of the necessary information for a course in a single location. Picture books are engaging for younger students and provide them the chance to get some basic knowledge of historical events. Activities, on the other hand, give older pupils some more interesting and interactive tasks to perform.
In each set, you’ll find between 8 and 12 pages devoted to the most important topics of that section of American history. Students engage in fun and interactive activities by typing right on the pages, adding images, and dragging and dropping material.
You may use them to integrate into your classroom without printing a single sheet of paper effectively! Using computers, iPads, or any other gadget that accepts Google Drive, you may complete them all online!
If you’re going to the computer lab, it’s a must-have. It’s not a good fit for kids who prefer to study from notes or paper because they are fully digital. They’re fantastic, though, because students can use them from anywhere and don’t have to be concerned about misplacing important papers throughout their studies.
Notebooks with Touch Screen Interactivity
In the classroom, active pads have been around for some time and are still a useful tool. The visual organizers aid students in classifying and better comprehending the material they learn. Aside from that, they’re fun for the students to make.
Students can use these graphic organizers to help them understand any subject matter you assign them. It’s up to you whether or not you incorporate them into your lesson plan regularly. You can use interactive notebook exercises to stimulate student creativity and demonstrate their mastery of core ideas in your curriculum because of the hands-on and imaginative nature of the activities.
For example, the 13 Colonies through the conclusion of the Cold War are all covered in aUS History curricula, with more than 100 interactive notebook pages. Cut-and-fold graphic organizers and complete answer keys accompany each set of completed sheets.
The “Flipped Classroom” Experience
In a “flipped classroom,” students view a video at home and then complete the traditional “homework” in class, in which the teacher can offer more support. Taking presentations out of the classroom and free up more time for assignments, primary source study, and other in-class activities.
37+ videos are included in my US History program, which covers every key idea. In each, the most important concepts, individuals, phrases, and events are explained so that pupils can comprehend them. One of them is about the Watergate Scandal, and you can check it out here.
Guided PowerPoint Presentations
Of course, lecturing or delivering knowledge via PowerPoint is a conventional method of education. Despite the stigma attached to it, most of us still have to go through a PowerPoint presentation with our children from time to time to cover important material.
We also don’t use PowerPoints, as you recall from school. Students will find them all visually appealing and thought-provoking. There are also 3-D visuals and moving portraits of historical individuals that bring them to life.
Conclusion
Teaching American history is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. I have developed a variety of learning methods and tools over the years. Packets of instructions for each unit aid in a student organization and ensure that everything they require is conveniently located. Digital notebooks contain all necessary information for a course in a single location. Packets contain between 8 and 12 pages devoted to the most important topics of that section of American history.
Find more ways to help kids with learning at home here.
