6-12 Virtual Model - Social Studies
In the following sections, you will find examples of how to take traditional lesson plans and transform them into engaging virtual lessons. While the virtual lessons are a great option for students learning from home, they are also highly engaging for face-to-face students in the place of a typical presentation. Each lesson is written to include collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking skills.
NOTE: There is no traditional "lecture" included in any of the lessons. As an instructor of social studies or history, you would have to choose where to add in lecture bursts or further clarification. However, each of the lessons is also written with an inquiry arc in mind which means that ideally a lecture or content burst would not come until after the students had completed a few engage and explore activities first.
Lessons Included:
Washington vs. DuBois (8th and 11th grade GSE)
Jimmy Carter Inquiry (5th and 8th GSE)
Introduction to Apartheid (7th grade GSE)
The Lunchroom Fight (4-12 Social Studies and History)
Patriots vs. Loyalists DBQ (format appropriate for 4-12, content appropriate for 8-12 grades)
EXAMPLE 1: Washington vs. DuBois lesson
Asynchronous
Adaptable for: 8th grade/11th grade
Washington v. DuBois Digital Demonstration.mp4Talking Through the Resources
This video demonstrates to 6-12 Social Studies and History teachers one effective way of transforming a traditional face-to-face lesson plan and packaging it for virtual learners. This video uses and explains the other resources found in the 6-12 section of this module.
Traditional Lesson Plan
This traditional, face-to-face lesson plan is transformed into a digital learning lesson! Compare this document with the Google Slides Deck for Washington vs. DuBois. Notice how the instructional activities are similar, but must take on a different format for virtual learning.
Virtual Learning Experience
This Google Slides deck contains the "transformed" traditional lesson plan. Notice the embedded links, embedded videos, and virtual collaboration between students and the teacher. Compare this with the traditional lesson plan above and watch the video above to get an idea of one way to use the lessons you already have to reach students in a virtual setting!
Click HERE for the editable slides deck - it will force a copy of the slides to your Google Drive and you can edit from there!
Become the Curator! Virtual Activity
This activity is one of the options in the virtual lesson plan. You can hear a explanation in the video above. However, this activity could be used in any virtual social studies lesson as a formative assessment, project, or extension activity! Check it out!
Click HERE for editable slides deck. it will force a copy of the slides to your Google Drive and you can edit from there!
EXAMPLE 2: Jimmy Carter Inquiry
Synchronous
Adaptable for: Grades 5-12
***Pear Deck is used in the virtual model for Synchronous classes. With a little more direction in the "comments" section for students, Pear Deck could be left in tact for asynchronous classes or it can be removed.
Virtual Learning Experience
This Google Slides deck contains the "transformed" traditional lesson plan. Notice the embedded links, embedded videos, and virtual collaboration between students and the teacher. Pear Deck is used for formative assessment and tracking in synchronous/"live" classes. Compare this with the traditional lesson plan above and watch the video above to get an idea of one way to use the lessons you already have to reach students in a virtual setting!
Click HERE for editable slides deck. It will force a copy to your Google Drive and you can edit from there.
Jimmy Carter 8th grade lesson.docxTraditional Lesson Plan
This traditional, face-to-face lesson plan is transformed into a digital learning lesson! Compare this document with the Google Slides Deck for Jimmy Carter's Biography Inquiry. Notice how the instructional activities are similar, but must take on a different format for virtual learning.
A Jigsaw is used in the traditional plan and breakout rooms on Zoom or specified Google Meet sessions will be necessary to fulfill this part of the plan. More information can be found in the "Talking Through the Resources" video.
Research Notes Graphic Organizer
This G.O. provides an organized space for each Expert Group to record their research on jimmy Carter.
Click HERE for editable Google Doc.
Jimmy Carter Mini Biography Article
This Ducksters mini biography of Jimmy Carter is an option for the close read in the lesson.
Click HERE for editable Google Doc.
Jimmy Carter Mini Biography Article 2
This longer mini biography of Jimmy Carter from www.biography.com is also an option for the close read in the lesson.
Click HERE for editable Google Doc.
EXAMPLE 3: Introduction to Apartheid (SS7H1)
Synchronous or Asynchronous
***This lesson was written in collaboration with Mrs. Alice Dorn of Lakeside Middle School in Evans, Georgia.***
***Pear Deck is used in the virtual model for Synchronous classes. With a little more direction in the "comments" section for students, Pear Deck could be left in tact for asynchronous classes or it can be removed.
Virtual Learning Experience
This slides deck takes students through an introduction to Apartheid using a close read, videos, PearDeck responses, Google Drawing vocabulary, FlipGrid response, and a review of Apartheid laws.
Click HERE for editable slides deck. It will force a copy to your Google Drive and you can edit from there.
Traditional Lesson Plan
This traditional, face-to-face lesson plan is transformed into a digital learning lesson! Compare this document with the Google Slides Deck for the Introduction to Apartheid. Notice how the instructional activities are similar, but must take on a different format for virtual learning.
More information can be found in the "Talking Through the Resources" video.
The Lunchroom Fight - Virtual Experience
Crystal Parten has digitized SHEG's famous "Lunchroom Fight" activity to learn about sourcing and contextualization. This would be an activity appropriate to introduce or reinforce to 6-12th grade students to how to:
identify reliable sources
work with primary sources.
Click HERE for editable document.
Loyalists vs. Patriots DBQ (SHEG)
This is a digitized version of SHEG's Loyalists vs. Patriots DBQ. Even if you do not teach this content, this model is an excellent example of how to deliver a document-based activity to your students virtually or even face-to-face with technology. Embedded in the lesson are chances for students to collaborate via Flipgrid and Padlet. A few scaffolds in this lesson that help make the primary sources accessible for students include:
the voice recording to help guide students at the beginning of the lesson as well as the read-aloud recordings of each document
The Tier Two Vocabulary, listed on the side of each document, that defines some difficult academic words for students
Embedded videos to help explain the context of the documents
Specific and concise questioning that focuses on the how and why rather than the Who, What, Where, and When
Click HERE for the editable document.