K-5 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 done a few engage and explore activities first.

SS3H3c Colonial Life

SS3H3c: Colonial Life

Bursting with picture book read alouds, interactive activities, primary sources, and graphic organizers, these lessons could be used in a traditional, hybrid, or virtual class. With the addition of teacher-generated instructional videos or audio, students could complete all work asynchronously.

Make sure each student receives their own copy of the slides deck in order for them to complete the interactive work within the slides.


Click HERE for an editable copy.

Lunchroom Fight

The Lunchroom Fight - Virtual Experience

I have digitized SHEG's famous "Lunchroom Fight" activity for sourcing and contextualization. This would be an activity appropriate to introduce 4-5th grade students to how to:

  1. identify reliable sources

  2. work with primary sources.

Click HERE for editable presentation.