In an ideal world, every classroom would have an abundance of time and resources to dedicate to social studies instruction, enabling educators to engage their students in immersive, hands-on learning experiences. However, the reality for many teachers is quite different. Limited time and tight budgets can pose significant challenges when it comes to delivering effective social studies instruction. Nevertheless, with creativity, strategic planning, and a commitment to student engagement, educators can still provide meaningful learning experiences in this crucial subject area.
Practical strategies to make the most of social studies instruction in a classroom with constraints on time and money:
Prioritize Key Concepts: To maximize social studies instruction in a time-constrained classroom, it’s essential to focus on the most critical concepts and skills. Start by identifying the key standards and learning objectives for your grade level or curriculum. By prioritizing these concepts, you can ensure that your students receive a solid foundation in social studies even with limited time. I have created units that touch on key concepts which you can find in my store HERE.
Integrate Social Studies Across Subjects: Consider integrating social studies into other subjects whenever possible. This cross-curricular approach not only saves time but also enriches students’ understanding by connecting social studies concepts to other areas of their education. For example, you can incorporate historical events into English language arts through literature, or explore geography through mathematics. I offer several novel studies that address historical themes such as Number the Stars, Esperanza Rising, Projekt 1065, One Crazy Summer, Al Capone Does My Shirts, Little House in the Big Woods, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, and Blood on the River.
Leverage Technology: Inexpensive or even free digital resources can provide students with access to a wealth of information and interactive learning experiences. Websites, apps, and online videos can supplement your classroom instruction, making it more engaging and informative. Look for resources aligned with your curriculum and objectives to make the most of your limited budget. I have created units that incorporate free resources which you can find in my store HERE.
Use Primary Sources: Primary sources, such as letters, diaries, photographs, and documents from historical periods, can provide valuable insights into social studies topics. These resources are often available online for free or at low cost. Incorporate primary sources into your lessons to give students a firsthand look at historical events and perspectives.
I have created units that link to primary sources which you can find in my store HERE.
Collaborate with Community Resources: Take advantage of local museums, historical societies, and community organizations that may offer educational programs or field trips at little to no cost. These experiences can enhance your curriculum and provide students with a deeper understanding of the world around them. Collaborate with these resources to make social studies come alive for your students.
Encourage Student Inquiry: Foster curiosity and critical thinking by incorporating inquiry-based learning into your social studies instruction. Pose open-ended questions and encourage students to explore topics independently. This approach can be particularly effective when time is limited, as it empowers students to take ownership of their learning.
I have created units that utilize these strategies which you can find in my store HERE.
Embrace Flexible Instructional Models: Adopt flexible instructional models. Each of my units provides an interactive notebook format, a Google Drive format, and a short-on-time IntelliNotes format which you can find in my store HERE.
Make the Most of Classroom Materials: Utilize the resources you already have in your classroom. Repurpose materials, textbooks, and educational tools to create engaging social studies activities. The units that I provide HERE can easily pair with textbooks that you may have available.
Each of my units contains an informational slideshow that goes along with the activities to help if you have limited resources. I also include links to free online resources that can be utilized while working through the units.
It is critical that you keep social studies instruction in your classroom to help students understand cultural identity, foster civic responsibility, recognize the impact of historical events, promote critical thinking, and encourage empathy and tolerance. Social studies instruction is a vital component of a well-rounded education. By providing students with a deep understanding of their nation’s history, we empower them to become responsible, informed, and engaged citizens.
My product line for the 4th-6th grade student contains units that take you from the early days of North America to the beginning of the 20th Century.
All of the units follow a similar format and contain both a printable and Google Drive format and include:
Contain a cover sheet in both color and black & white.
Informational slideshow presentation for instruction
Links to helpful online resources.
Guide with a link to a Google Drive file and instructions on how to use it.
IntelliNotes™ format to use when you are short on time.
A tutorial guide showing how to make all foldable activities.
Two different vocabulary activity versions (foldable or flash card). The file also contains blank editable pages so that you can add or change the vocabulary to best fit your needs. **This is the only editable portion of the products.
Interactive notebook activities to cover each topic within the section to help students pinpoint and highlight the main ideas and concepts.
An End of Unit Assessment.
Answer keys for all included activities
From the first unit, Early People of North America:
Teaching social studies in a classroom with limited time and money requires adaptability and creativity. By focusing on essential concepts, integrating subjects, leveraging technology, using primary sources, collaborating with community resources, encouraging student inquiry, embracing flexible instructional models, and making the most of existing materials, educators can provide meaningful social studies instruction that prepares students for a well-rounded understanding of the world around them. Despite the challenges, dedicated teachers can inspire a lifelong love of social studies and foster critical thinking skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
One of my favorite (and my students’) themes to explore every year was the Chocolate Theme. We would read The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling:
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Throughout the theme unit, we incorporated geography by mapping the different countries where the different ingredients of candy bars originate. We worked on letter writing by writing to different chocolate and candy companies with questions. This activity was particularly exciting because many of the companies would respond back to the students with offerings of trial samples or coupons to get free candy! Students learned the power they had as a consumer who shares feedback!
I always started the unit out with The Chocolate Touch written by Patrick Skene Catling which was first published in 1952. The story of loving chocolate never ages! John Midas loves chocolate and sweets more than anything and a wish turns his wildest dreams into a reality. Like King Midas before him, his touch is magic! This book leads to some great comparison activities with the King Midas story. Like King Midas, John soon learns that having too much of a great thing might not be as wonderful as he thought it would be!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The Chocolate Touch for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Chocolate Touch
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Chocolate Fever written by Richard Kimmel Smith in 1972, is a more humorous and adventurous tale of young Henry Green whose dream of eating nothing but chocolate comes true. Henry soon discovers that his new ability can be dangerous so he escapes and goes on the run!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Chocolate Fever for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Chocolate Fever
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
In my opinion, the best is saved for last, Roald Dahl’s 1964 classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This story has everything; a character to empathize with, several characters to learn from, humor, and imagination, it really has it all. Singing the Oompa Loompa songs together is always a fun time that ends in fits of giggles!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Tying different areas of the curriculum together, and enjoying three wonderful novels together, the Chocolate Theme is a fun learning experience for all. It was truly one of the most favorite times I had with my students and it was something past students brought up as a favorite of their 4th-grade year with me. I encourage you to give it a try!
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Here are a few of the most frequent questions that I am asked from buyers, and potential buyers, about my resources. Hopefully, you will find these answers helpful.
If you cannot find the answer to your question. Please email me directly.
If you still have questions, please email me directly.
Beverly Cleary is a legend in children’s literature. Two of my favorite books are Dear Mr. Henshaw and the sequel, Strider, which take you on the journey of young Leigh Botts in his acceptance of his parent’s divorce and the road to acceptance of himself. They are great books to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
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Beverly Cleary has always strived to write books “about kids like us”. Her books are beloved because they are so relatable to her readers. Leigh struggles with his parent’s separation and his father’s absence due to his job as a truck driver. In Dear Mr. Henshaw Leigh connects with a favorite author and develops a pen pal relationship that helps him work through his feelings and anxieties.
From the Book Jacket for Dear Mr. Henshaw:
Beverly Cleary’s timeless Newbery Medal-winning book explores difficult topics like divorce, insecurity, and bullying through the thoughts and emotions of a sixth-grade boy as he writes to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw.
After his parents separate, Leigh Botts moves to a new town with his mother. Struggling to make friends and deal with his anger toward his absent father, Leigh loses himself in a class assignment in which he must write to his favorite author. When Mr. Henshaw responds, the two form an unexpected friendship that will change Leigh’s life forever.
From the beloved author of the Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse series comes an epistolary novel about how to navigate and heal from life’s growing pains.
Leigh’s story of growth and acceptance continues in Strider when he takes in a stray dog (Strider) that helps him accept his place in the world, introduces him to a love for running, and gives him hope for the future.
From the Book Jacket for Strider:
Strider has a new habit. Whenever we stop, he places his paw on my foot. It isn’t an accident because he always does it. I like to think he doesn’t want to leave me.
Can a stray dog change the life of a teenage boy? It looks as if Strider can. He’s a dog that loves to run; because of Strider, Leigh Botts finds himself running — well enough to join the school track team. Strider changes Leigh on the inside, too, as he finally begins to accept his parents’ divorce and gets to know a redheaded girl he’s been admiring. With Strider’s help, Leigh finds that the future he once hated to be asked about now holds something he never expected: hope.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Dear Mr. Henshaw
Beverly Cleary does a masterful job of showing Leigh’s growth through her portrayal of his letter writing and narration which makes a wonderful example for point of view instruction. Many kids can relate to Leigh’s feelings of loneliness, insecurity, sadness over a divorce, missing a parent, trying to find their way and/or talent, and having a beloved pet that gives them unconditional love. The universal relatability is what makes Dear Mr. Henshaw and Strider such wonderful novels to use in your classroom.
I offer complete novel studies to accompany Dear Mr. Henshaw and Strider for use in the classroom or homeschool. Each unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
You can purchase these novel studies at the following locations:
Or buy them bundled together at a 20% discount!
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
