Fun activities to use in the social studies classroom?

Question

What are some activities (games, role play, simulation, small groups, etc.) that I could use either in an 8th grade history class regarding the American Revolution, or a high school class regarding the Great Depression, McCarthy Hearings, Vietnam War or either World War?

Answer 1

I had a lot of fun doing a sort of mini-Model United Nations simulation when my grade 7 students were studying the Roman Republic. They had to write, merge, and debate resolutions to save the Republic. All this was based on what they'd learned about the flaws built into the Republic.

For the Great Depression, you could do something based on the work program using the wonderful photographs from that program, (I can't remember the photographer's name, but you know the one I mean. There are all those amazing pictures of the dustbowl refugees.) The students could "be" a work program beneficiary and present their work based on the era. I don't know much about that era, so I can't really define the project in detail, but you know what I mean.

For the McCarthy Hearings, you could watch the Crucible, but that would probably be too sophisticated for grade 8. You could certainly hold a mock trial of a student accused of being a communist, or you could switch it around so that they were accused of doing something that is politically incorrect today.

The MUN simulation would work for Vietnam, the American Revolution, or either World War, but there are probably better simulations out there. For Vietnam, you could separate the students into the Viet Cong, etc., and have them implement strategies to win the war.

For the American Revolution, the students could be separated into the loyalists and the revolutionaries. Or as all revolutionaries, they could discuss why they must declare independence. This is sort of like the MUN, but less formal.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Request this catelog- great interactive. Requires planning BUT worth it!! Google, "Interact Simulations" or

http://www.highsmith.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Production/Search.jsp?catalogId=10050&storeId=10001&langId=-1&N=796