Why do I love teaching the subjects I liked the least as a student? Maybe because I'm trying to save my students from feeling the boredom I felt. Now that I'm teaching, social studies one of my favorites!
Since our district doesn't provide much social studies professional development, I just don't feel the same pressure teaching it as I feel with Math, Reading, Writing, and now even Science. In Massachusetts in fourth grade, there is no standardized Social Studies test. No Common Core Social Studies Standards. And our text books are over 30 years old, so the attitude in my district is "Just do the best you can." So although I have content to cover, I pretty much have creative freedom when it comes to how I teach it!
Click any of the links above to explore these topics in greater detail. Or save time and check out the preview on my U.S. regions bundle. It includes fun, hands on activities for all 5 regions.
Why isn't Social Studies Professional Development a priority?
The downside to there being so much accountability in other subjects is that there has been very little social studies professional development. It's nice to have the pressure off, but it got me wondering, "Besides those of us in my district, how many other teachers are troubled by this deficit? How many other teachers are on their own to find creative new ways to teach Social Studies?" So that's why I decided to start a mini series of blog posts on how I teach Social Studies, and more specifically, the U. S. regions. Here are some of the topics I'll be exploring in greater detail:
Your Social Studies Professional Development
1. Although there are different ways to split up the U.S., we teach 5 regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West).
2. Cover the concepts of Natural Resources, Products, Landforms, Landmarks, historic roots, and forms of recreation for each region. As the year goes on we introduce related concepts such as bodies of water, economy, climate, conservation (here is a sneak peak of how I cover these concepts my Southeast Region unit).
3. Integrate research with content information. Since we have such a short school day, we are always encouraged to have use an ELA standard and content area standard in the development of our units.
4. Integrate the arts. Visual art and performance art make learning fun and help information stick with the kids!
5. Use games to review information. I love to use Memory/Concentration games for students to match states with continents.
6. Make real world connections between information researched and what students have observed in your region with projects.
Am I right? Have you received social studies professional development in any of these topics other than #3? If you teach the regions, what are your favorite and least favorite topics?
Need more Social Studies professional development?
Click any of the links above to explore these topics in greater detail. Or save time and check out the preview on my U.S. regions bundle. It includes fun, hands on activities for all 5 regions. 
I totally agree with you on PD in Social Studies. Last summer though I hit the jackpot when I found a class at the Boston Public Library called "Mapping Boston in the American Revolution." Teachers came from far away to take this week long class. We went on all these fun field trips in Boston all week. Here's the link: http://maps.bpl.org/events I guess they offer the class every summer so check it out in the spring.
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