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Digital Tools for Social Studies

Pam Evans

Digital Tools forSocial StudiesPam Evans
Special thanks to Janet Corder for allowing the use of her information.
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ClassHook

ClassHook is the best place to find educational clips from popular TV shows and movies. ... Bringing television shows and movies to your classroom helps connect students' personal lives to the concepts they are learning in class. As a result, content retention increases, and learning becomes more fun.
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Nearpod

Nearpod is an interactive presentation and assessment tool that can be used to amazing effect in the classroom. The app's concept is simple. A teacher can create presentations that can contain Quiz's, Polls, Videos, Images, Drawing-Boards, Web Content and so on.
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Quizlet

Quizlet has created a program that turns your flashcards into a live, multi-player, review game.

Let's give it try!

  1. Click on Important Figures of Early US.
  2. Check out the different study tools.


To use QUIZLET.LIVE.


Teachers

  1. Open Quizlet.
  2. Open the Quizlet you want to use.
  3. Click on the Live button.
  4. Choose the combination you desire.
  5. Click Create Game.
  6. Once students are in, start the game.


Students

  1. Open quizlet.live.
  2. Type in the code the teacher has given you.
  3. Type in your name.
  4. Quizlet Live will assign teams. Find teammates and get together.
  5. Wait for instructor to begin the game.


Quizlet Quick-start Guide

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FlipGrid

Flipgrid is a video response tool that is used to create discussions among all students within your classroom. Teachers post a topic or question via text or video and the students respond to the prompt. Flipgrid also gives students the ability to comment on their classmates' responses.

Key Features:

  • All of your videos are located in one location.
  • You can Freeze a Topic to continue sharing the videos but prevent new recordings.
  • Student comments can be turned on or off.


Flipgrid Examples:


Flipgrid Tutorials/Blog Posts:


Educator's Guide to FlipGrid


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Quizizz

Quizizz is a student-paced, online formative assessment tool that allows the students to answer multiple choice questions on their device.


Take a look at some favorite Quizizz features:

  • Easily create a quiz by using questions from multiple public quizzes
  • Highlight keywords with red, green or blue text
  • Make your own Memes


Quizizz Tutorials


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Classroom Screen

ClassroomScreen allows the teacher to create a digital board of widgets for students to help them focus on their work/tasks.
You can…
  • Choose a background
  • Type your instructions in the text area and zoom
  • Choose a work symbol
  • Set a timer
  • Show the clock & calendar
  • Use the traffic light
  • Pick a random name
  • Use the calculator
  • Draw in-screen or full-screen
  • Generate a QR-code
  • Drag and drop the icons in the right place
  • Select a language


The ClassroomScreen.com YouTube Channel has great tutorials and ideas.

COLLABORATING WITH GOOGLE SLIDES

Google Slides is an easy way to collect information from your students in a collaborative format. Once you have created the presentation, give the students access to the slides. The scribe for the group will go to the slide that matches their group number. The group discusses the question you have posted and the scribe fills out the slide for their group. This can also be used with individual students.


Kasey Bell (Shake Up Learning) has created a free Google Slides Cheat Sheet that can be very helpful when you are working with Google Slides.


Slides Carnival has a large selection of free Google Slides backgrounds.

Google Tips and Tricks

  • If you want to force others to make a copy of a Google Document, Sheet or Slide Show before they are able to view and make changes. replace /edit with /copy in the URL. Click here to find other Google tips and tricks from tech guru, Tony Vincent.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts on a Chromebook
  • Using Icons to Help Organize Google Drive Folders
  • How to Use Your Phone as a Presentation Remote
  • Engaging Students Google Resources
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    Interactive Websites



    Some interactive websites require Flash Player, which will not work on iPads unless you have an app that reads Flash.
    Remembering Pearl Harbor
    Interactive Internet Resources for Social Studies
    Smithsonian National Museum of National History Virtual Tour
    US Capitol Virtual Tour
    Library of Congress - Jump Back in Time
    Tour Ellis Island
    Interactive Sites for Education
    iCivics (includes interactive activities and downloaded worksheets)
    Social Studies: Middle School Games
    History Animated
    Interactive Constitution
    6 Powerful Interactive History Sites
    The American Revolution
    Civil War 150
    Freedom: A History of US
    Growth of a Nation
    This Amazing America - displays the population distribution of every person in America
    Interactive Constitution by the National Constitution Center


    Click here to access the Interactive Websites LiveBinder that includes all subject areas.

    Videos

    The Associated Press and British Movietone YouTube channels provide public access to videos and clips from historical events of the past 150 years.

    Resources

    Photos For Class - Photos are automatically cited when they are downloaded

    English Tools - 25 tools for learning English. Designed for English teachers and learners

    101 Great Sites for Social Studies Class
    Teaching with Documents (lessons plans and activities from the National Archives)
    Go Social Studies Go
    21 Top Websites for Social Studies Teachers
    History Engine - a growing list of articles and episodes
    Free Teacher Resources by Discovery Education (click on your grade level & content area)
    Teaching History by National History Education Clearinghouse
    Resources for Teaching Social Studies
    Historical Dictionary by History Today
    Best of History Websites

    Collections of Historical Maps and Ideas for Using Them In Your Classroom

    Six Tools for Creating Online Timelines - A Comparison Chart

    7 Awesome Tools Social Studies Teachers Can Use to Teach Geography

    Best free K-12 iPads Apps - free k-12 iPads apps to use in your classroom

    Geography Resources, Maps, & Facts for Students

    The Associated Press and British Movietone YouTube channels provide public access to videos and clips from historical events of the past 150 years.

    Download 67,000 Historic Maps (in High Resolution)

    USGS Educational Resources for Secondary Grades (7–12)

    Teaching Map Skills on Pinterest

    11 Websites and Apps for Social Studies Reading Passages

    Data USA - Search, Map, Compare and Download U.S. Data

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    Twitter

    People to Follow
    @r4socialstudies
    @ahrens_cathy

    @carlwayne1

    @HistoryInPics

    @HISTORY

    @teachinghistory

    @SrtaLisa

    @glennw98

    @mooresclassroom

    @russeltarr

    @GwaysHistory

    @libraryofcongress

    @smithsonian

    @USNatArchives

    @TxSocialStudies

    @Newseum

    @Ron_Peck

    @icivics

    @NCSSNetwork
    @TeachingLC

    @NatGeoEducation
    @MrOttochian
    @Histocrats

    @signorpanna

    @coachjohnson51

    @Mrslarsonbhs

    @BBRteach

    @spgopo