Category: Methods

Methods

How to Teach Gerrymandering with Mapmaker the Game

Close up shot of Mapmaker: the Gerrymandering Game, a great tool for teaching gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering is a complex and abstract topic, but it is extremely relevant if you’re learning about government and politics today. Thankfully, there are some great resources out there to help you teach gerrymandering, like Mapmaker: the Gerrymandering Game. Mapmaker: the Gerrymandering Game is great strategy game, and it’s based on the concepts involved in gerrymandering. […]

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Methods

How to Use a Mock Congressional Hearing In Your Social Studies Class

Video still of a Congressional hearing on North Korean nuclear weapons, a good example of a culminating activity for a Classroom Deliberations

A mock Congressional hearing is a form of experiential learning. It is a great summative activity for a social studies class that has learned about a controversial issue in public policy. This could be used in conjunction with current events, and it could also be used to assess student understanding of controversial issues in history. […]

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Methods

Take a Stand: Gauging Where Students Are on Controversial Issues

A take a stand activity with six silhouettes standing in a row with speech bubbles saying "Raise the Wage!" and "Don't Do It!"

The “Take a Stand” activity is a method for teaching controversial issues. The idea is simple. You ask a controversial question, and students line up according to their opinion. This can be used as an introductory activity, as a formative assessment, or as a closure activity. The method is also sometimes called the “continuum” method […]

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