Social Studies

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Social Studies is composed of multiple subject strands no single curriculum covers them all. I find it easiest to break up the focus of learning over different semesters. This is what I teach as fundamental skills:

  • Culture

  • History

    • For History I use The Story of the World as the early elementary source with notebooking supplements and project add-ons. Our family listens to the audiobooks together and my oldest child reads the book, completes the projects, and tests. Using a notebooking approach, I always include additional period based reading to expand my children’s literature exposure and provide multiple perspectives on historical events. No single history curricula is perfect or provides vast viewpoints from all involved perspectives which is why additional reading is so important.

  • Government/politics

  • Economics/financial literacy

    • To teach economics I lead the Junior Achievement curriculum at various locations around Indianapolis, starting with the kindergarten curriculum, into the 4-6th grade BizTown simulation class and into the high school courses.

  • Social Studies Skills

  • Society, Citizenship

  • Geography

    • Geography is an important, yet often overlooked, subject. Starting in 4th grade we spend a significant amount of time understanding the tools of geography and starting to learn about locations in the world. The Story of the World has mapping exercises in each chapter that support this method of learning, but I expand out significantly to prepare for a large amount of global learning in 5th grade.

The items below are my favorite tools to teach 3 children across a wide age range - the photos are clickable!

The image shows the Ecosystem Savanna board game box with several animal cards spread out, featuring a giraffe, zebras, lions, cheetah, elephant, and deer, depicting wildlife of the savanna.
Board game titled 'First in Flight' with cover illustration of a vintage biplane flying skyward during sunset, with a crowd of spectators on the ground watching.
Book cover titled 'Build It! Make Supercool Models with Your Favorite LEGO Parts' featuring LEGO models of landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and a white cathedral, on a green LEGO baseplate.
Book titled "Build It!" featuring LEGO medieval world with castle, knights, and soldiers.
Book cover titled 'Build It! Make Supercool Models with Your Favorite LEGO Parts' with images of LEGO structures including a cactus, a deer, a windmill, and a truck with a driver in front of a desert landscape and sky.
A card game box titled 'History of the United States,' featuring illustrations of Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, and a cartoon female historian with curly hair and glasses.
A card game box titled 'American Revolution' by Professor Noggin, featuring artwork of American revolution soldiers and a cartoon scientist holding a clipboard.
Board game box titled 'Wonders of the World' with an illustration of a woman scientist or traveler with curly hair, glasses, and a backpack, standing in front of Machu Picchu in Peru. The box also features a photograph of Machu Picchu.
Box of Professor Noggin's Geography of the United States card game with colorful illustrations of mountains, ocean, and the Statue of Liberty on the front.
A box of 100 Pics Flags, a world flags flash card game with 50 cards for ages 6 and up, featuring images of various national flags.
Black box of the World Game, a geography card game, with a yellow Game of the Year Award sticker from 2020.
A box of a card game called Olympus Fluxx featuring a cartoon depiction of Zeus holding a lightning bolt, with a Greek architecture backdrop and clouds.
A board game box titled "Pirate Flux" with a pirate theme. The box features a pirate cat with a red bandana, gold coins, a sailing ship, a skull with crossed bones and a red bandana, and the game logo in red and white text.
A black box for the History Trivia Game with a large gold H, the word 'HISTORY' in white, and the phrase 'The Iconic General Knowledge Trivia Game' on the front.
Box of American Trivia game featuring patriotic and famous American landmarks and symbols, with images of Las Vegas, Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Golden Gate Bridge, and other iconic American imagery.
Box of 'Around the World Flux' card game featuring images of the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and pyramids on the packaging.
Front view of a gray minivan on a road with two passengers inside, pulling a trailer with a sign that reads "Across America FLUX" and a license plate that says "LUVs FLX." The trailer shows an illustration of a scenic landscape with mountains and tre
Box of the board game 'Continent Race' with colorful cards and game pieces, featuring award icons and a cartoon boy running across the box.
Box for The World Game, a fun geography board game, with illustrations of mountains, water, a gondola, and landmarks from around the world.
The orange box of a board game titled 'Guess in 10'. It is for players aged 8-99, with a difficulty level marked on the top left. The game involves countries of the world, with a light bulb and the phrase 'The quick game of smart questions' on the fr
Board game box for 'Guess in 10' by Skillmatics. The box features images of well-known American landmarks, city skylines, and symbols including the Space Needle, Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and the Golden Gate Bridge. It indicates the game
Boxed board game titled 'Election Night! Learn your way to the White House!' surrounded by four gold coins representing different awards.
Box cover of American History playing card deck with portraits of a young girl, Abraham Lincoln, and a Native American man.
A colorful map of the United States illustrating the game Race Across the USA by Scholastic, featuring icons representing states' landmarks, animals, and cultural symbols, with a rocket, plane, and other travel motifs.
Book cover titled "Kingdoms and Empires" from the Bible World series, featuring illustrations of ancient architecture and people.
Six book covers about world history and famous leaders by Genevieve Foster. Titles include 'Some Washington's World,' 'The World of William Penn,' 'Augustus Caesar's World,' 'Abraham Lincoln's World,' 'The World of Columbus and Sons,' and 'The World
Cover of a book titled "The Kingfisher Book of the Ancient World" featuring illustrations of ancient artifacts and historical scenes.
Pirate ship toy set with black sails, skull and crossbones flags, and a designated box for ages 16 and up.
LEGO Creator Viking ship set with a large striped sail, a blue and black scorpion model, and small Viking figures, with the box in the background.
Book cover for 'Rejected Princesses' by Jason Porath, featuring a gold crown inside an ornate oval frame on a purple background.
Book cover titled 'Tough Mothers' by Jason Porath with a subtitle 'Amazing Stories of History's Mightiest Matriarchs.' The cover is purple with white text and an illustration of a bear standing on its hind legs adorned with a crown and surrounded by
Book cover for 'The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told' by Rick Beyer. The cover features a mix of historical images, icons, and text highlighting various American presidential themes and stories.
Two card game sets titled 'Presidents,' featuring cards of George Washington and Barack Obama, with the History Channel logo.
Vintage book cover titled 'On the Shores of the Great Sea' by M. B. Synge, featuring an illustrated maritime scene with ships and sailors.
Book cover titled 'The Book of Gutsy Women' by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton. The cover features a black-and-white photo of four women in various poses, one holding a long stick, with a background of a bridge or industrial setting.
Book cover titled 'Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History' by Vashti Harrison, featuring illustrations of five Black women in historical attire.
Book cover titled 'Women Who Dared: 52 Stories of Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, and Rebels' with illustrated portraits of diverse women, a plane flying above, and a blue sky background.
Book cover titled 'I Dissent' featuring an illustration of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a black robe with a ruffled collar and glasses, and a young girl in a blue jacket and black skirt holding a rolled paper or scroll.
A set of four books titled 'Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls' in different colors with a dark blue cover featuring a moon and stars.
A card game box titled "Professor Noggin's Geography of the United States" with an image of Route 66 and a cartoon woman with curly hair, glasses, and a backpack.
Box for the board game 'Golden Fleece Santorini' Expansion Pack. Features cartoon characters dressed as Greek warriors on a grassy field, with the game's logo and an illustration of a ram figurine. Suitable for ages 8 and up.
Cover of a study guide book titled 'Everything You Need to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook,' with orange and black design, and a small illustration of a kid at the bottom left corner.
Book cover titled 'The Complete Middle School Study Guide: Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook.'
Book cover titled 'Great Colonial America Projects: You Can Build Yourself!' featuring images of a sailing ship, George Washington, a spinning wheel, and a colonial man with a tricorn hat.
Cover of the book 'History Quest: Middle Times' showing a Viking ship, a man dressed as a Roman emperor, a woman in medieval attire, a knight on horseback, and a pile of gold coins.
Book cover titled "History Quest" focusing on the early times from prehistory to the eighth century CE. The cover features illustrations of historical figures and artifacts, including individuals working on crafts, a horse, and ancient architecture.
Cover of a world atlas book titled 'Reference World Atlas,' 10th edition, with an image of Earth showing continents and oceans.
Cover of the book 'Harriet the Spy' by Louise Fitzhugh, featuring a girl with blonde hair, glasses, wearing a red jacket and jeans, walking past shop windows.
Two history books, one titled 'A History of the U.S.' and the other titled 'Your First History Book,' lying on a beige carpet next to a closed door.
Black T-shirt with white text that reads, 'The floor is lava!' -Everyone, Pompeii, 79 A.D.
Colorful collage depicting various historical and cultural scenes, with a central emblem reading 'Trekking Through History'.
Board game box titled 'Ticket to Ride: United Kingdom' with artwork of a steam train, historical figures, and a train station scene.
Board game box titled "Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries" featuring a snow-covered scene with a steam train, a Santa figure with a reindeer, and a small wooden building, with a blue snowy sky background.
Board game titled "Ticket to Ride Europe" featuring a train and characters in period clothing, celebrating 15 years of the game.
A board game titled "Ticket to Ride Asia" showing a classic train engine, with illustrations of Asian landmarks and travelers in traditional and modern clothing, set against mountainous terrain and pagoda-style buildings.
Book cover for 'Ticket to Ride India' by Alan R. Moon, depicting Indian culture and historic landmarks with people, a train, and an elephant.
A board game box titled "Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails" with an illustration of a large steamship and diverse characters in period clothing.
Board game box titled "Ticket to Ride: First Journey" by Alan R. Moon featuring animated children and a train on the cover.
Board game titled "Ticket to Ride: The Heart of Africa" with artwork of a smiling African woman in traditional clothing, a train, and a guide with animals in a jungle setting.
Board game box titled 'Ticket to Ride Japan,' showing a high-speed train, Mount Fuji, a city skyline, and four smiling characters including children and adults in traditional and modern clothing.
Board game box titled 'Ticket to Ride France' featuring illustrations of 19th-century characters, a train, and a scenic landscape.
Board game box titled 'USA 1910' by Alan R. Moon, featuring a vintage steam locomotive and characters dressed in early 20th-century attire. The box highlights expansion content for 'Zug um Zug' (Ticket to Ride) with text in English and French.
Board game box titled "Ticket to Ride" with a vintage steam train and four diverse characters in period clothing, set against a sepia-toned background.
Board game box titled 'Ticket to Ride Nederland' featuring artwork of a train crossing a bridge, a woman in traditional clothing, windmills in the background, and a woman with a dog reading a newspaper.
Cover of the National Parks Commemorative Quarters Collector's Map featuring images of various national parks and landmarks, including mountains, forests, lakes, and wildlife.
Cover of a collector's map titled '50 State Quarters' featuring an American flag, a bald eagle, a sculpture of a person, and U.S. coins, with the US Capitol building at the bottom.
Cover of a geography workbook titled '180 Days of Geography for Second Grade.' It features a map of Mexico with location markers, and a signpost with labels for 'Location,' 'Place,' 'Movement,' 'Region,' and 'Human-Environment Interaction.'
Cover of a second grade social studies workbook titled '180 Days of Social Studies for Second Grade' with themes like civics, economics, geography, and history. The cover features a smiling police officer in front of a textured background of the Unit
Cover of the children's educational book titled "The Complete Book of Maps & Geography" for grades 3-6, featuring a smiling cartoon crocodile with a safari hat holding a magnifying glass and a globe, with colorful map elements in the background.
Cover of a geography and maps activities book for intermediate level, ages 9+, featuring cartoon characters with a mountain landscape background. One character is a girl with glasses, and the other is a muscular man in a red superhero costume holding
Board game box titled 'Trekking the World' featuring landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Parthenon, and the Great Sphinx with four children with backpacks exploring a fantasy world scene.
Board game box for National Park Adventure Game, featuring illustrations of mountains, a bear, a moose, aquatic animals, desert landscape, and a bird, with a central badge logo.
Board game box titled 'Parks' featuring an illustration of a waterfall in a forest with a bear and a smaller animal near the water.
Board game box titled "PARKS EXPANSION Keymaster" featuring an illustration of a hiker and a child overlooking a forested mountain landscape with trees, clouds, and birds.
A box for the game expansion 'Nightfall' from the game 'Parks' by Keymaster Games, featuring an illustration of a night sky with stars over a lake and trees.
A board game called 'Game of the States' with a colorful map of the United States, game pieces, cards, play money, and a spinner.
Colorful cartoon world map showing continents, oceans, and country outlines with illustrations of landmarks, animals, and cultural icons.
Box of the card game "Kings in the Corner" featuring cartoon kings with crowns, holding playing cards, and the game is for ages 7 and up with 2-6 players.
Kingdomino board game box featuring a fantasy kingdom with a castle, river, animals, and a desert. Includes game title and age rating of 7 and up.
A bright red box of the Skillmatics Guess in 10 game, featuring images of famous world landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Christ the Redeemer, Big Ben, the Sydney Opera House, and the Eiffel Tower. The box indicates it's for children aged 8-99, wi
3D globe puzzle with adjustable stand, showing continents in bright colors, in packaging box with text about features, on a white background.
Electric globe with a base featuring educational buttons and a touchscreen interface.
Board game box for 'Trekking: The National Parks'. Features a bear in a forest near waterfalls, with trees and a bird in the background. Indicates it's for ages 10 and up, 2-5 players, and lasts 40-60 minutes.
Pack of Five Crowns rummy-style card game with five face cards showing kings and queens, colorful packaging, and a label indicating it is suitable for ages 8 to 99 with 45-minute playtime.
A boxed U.S. geography-themed bingo game titled 'eeBoo United States Geography Bingo' for ages 5 and up, featuring 6 game cards, 84 playing cards, and a drawstring bag, with colorful illustrations and a 'Best Toy Award' seal.
The Oregon Trail card game box with a pixel art design showing a dock, a covered wagon, a buffalo, and a tree. Text on the box reads 'The Oregon Trail Card Game' and 'Based on the classic computer game.' A message on the box states, 'You have died of
A box set of books titled 'The Oregon Trail' with colorful cover art depicting a sunset over mountains and a wagon train, featuring multiple books in the series.
A Ravensburger world map puzzle box, featuring a colorful world map with continents and countries, titled 'The World,' with a puzzle piece logo.
Board game titled 'The Scramble States of America' with game pieces, cards, a board map of the US, and instruction pamphlet.
Colorful world map highlighting continents North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica with animal illustrations in each continent.
Set of American Trivia Board Game components including the game board, a CD case, a smaller card, and game pieces.
A box of the Oregon Trail board game featuring a depiction of pioneers traveling in covered wagons, accompanied by a team of oxen, with mountains in the background.
The box cover of the board game 'Lost Cities' featuring an illustrated landscape with mountains and rock formations, a man with a hat and a woman with a backpack exploring, and the game's title in big yellow letters.
Colorful world map puzzle for kids featuring animals, landmarks, and features from each continent, with an inset of the puzzle box.
A puzzle map of the United States of America with individual pieces representing different states, some completed and some scattered. The puzzle features colorful illustrations of landmarks, animals, and symbols of each state. The title "United State
Cover of The Oregon Trail card game featuring a pixel art scene with a large bear, a tree, a horse, a tree, and a settler with a rifle. Text highlights game features, age range, and player count.
A box for a card game called The World featuring diverse cartoon characters, animals, and landmarks representing different countries and cultures, with a blue background and colorful text.
Rolling America board game box, game sheet, and five colorful dice on white background.
A pyramid-shaped box of Mount Everest Geography Edition trivia game with green and white design.
Box of GeoBingo World, an educational bingo game featuring country maps and flags from different countries, including Kenya, Brazil, China, and Peru, for ages 4 and up.
Board game box titled "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" featuring illustrations of landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, and Sydney Opera House, with a cartoon Carmen Sandiego character in a red fedora and trench coat, a
A board game titled 'Where in the World' with a globe and various landmarks from around the world. It has colorful segments and a yellow banner that says 'Guess your way to global greatness!' It is intended for players aged 8 and up, takes about 20 m
Cover of a board game titled '7 Wonders' featuring a landscape with ancient structures, a man holding a torch, and a pyramid in the background.
Image of the game 'Who Knows Where?' featuring a world map background, colorful pins marking locations, and text promoting it as the ultimate global location guessing game with educational content, trivia, landmarks, and fun questions.
The box of the game 'I Should Have Known That!' features a green background with owl and leaf designs, and the title in large white and green text. It describes the game as a trivia game about things you ought to know, suitable for ages 14 and up.
A BrainBox card game box titled 'The World,' featuring images of the globe, a car, the Eiffel Tower, and flags, designed for children ages 8 and up.
Box of Great States trivia game featuring a colorful map of the United States, a hot air balloon, and a rocket, with the game zone logo and a label indicating 400 questions, suitable for players aged 7 and up.
A girl with braids drawing on a large colorful world map poster showing continents, oceans, and animals representing different regions.
Map of the United States with illustrations representing each state, labeled with state names, and the title 'Race Across the USA' at the top. The map features colorful icons and scenes symbolizing landmarks or characteristics of each state, with a r
Box of a 3D Eiffel Tower puzzle with high-quality plastic pieces, featuring an image of the assembled tower and a hand placing a piece, and an illustration of the tower's height.
A Disney 3D castle puzzle box with a colorful castle illustration and Disney branding.
3D puzzle of Big Ben clock tower, with packaging box showing the finished model and a photo of the completed puzzle.
A 3D puzzle of a red double-decker London bus with the Union Jack on the front, a London logo, and the words "LONDON" on the side, packaged in a box from Ravensburger.
3D castle puzzle box with a model of a castle featuring blue and pink turrets and gray stone walls, labeled as a 3D puzzle.
A 3D puzzle of the Empire State Building, with pieces falling into place. The box highlights features like high-quality plastic pieces, stability without glue, and includes a picture of the assembled puzzle, measuring 46.2 cm in height.
Large wall map of the world with colorful countries, hanging on a white wall in a room with wooden floor, flanked by two houseplants.
3D Harry Potter castle puzzle box featuring Hogwarts Castle with multiple towers and turrets, Wizarding World logo, and a picture of a young wizard holding a wand. The box has branding for Ravensburger and mentions 10 to 99 age range.
3D puzzle of Hogwarts castle from Harry Potter with a young boy holding a light wand and a Ravenburger logo.
Lego Architecture New York City set displayed with the completed model and its packaging, featuring replicas of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and One World Trade Center.
LEGO model of the Taj Mahal with its box in background
lego dubai
LEGO Architecture London set with landmarks like Big Ben, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge.
lego trafalagar square
LEGO model of the Great Pyramid of Giza with surrounding site details, including boats on a water base and small trees.
lego flatiron
lego tokyo
LEGO Architecture Statue of Liberty model with its packaging box beside it.
Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Clock Tower set with figures, horse, cart, and trees.
LEGO Architecture set of New York City, including models of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and One World Trade Center, with the original box in the background.
LEGO Medieval Blacksmith set with a two-story blacksmith shop, a tree, a horse-drawn cart, and mini-figures with animals.
A LEGO Creator pirate ship building set in a box, featuring a large ship with white sails, smaller boats, and pirate minifigures, designed for ages 9 and up, with the set number 31109 and 1260 pieces.
LEGO Architecture set featuring a model of the Eiffel Tower and Paris landmarks.
LEGO set box of The White House, including model image and branding.
LEGO Creator set of a medieval castle with towers, flags, and accessories, including mini-figures, animals, and weapons.
A collection of toy medieval armor, shields, swords, and weapons, including helmets, flags, and a toy catapult.