Social Studies lesson ideas that can be done online or in real-time

Here are some fun activities for social studies that can help get your student’s engaged in thinking:

Lesson idea 1

Teach the student the proper way to analyze an article:

Select an article for them to read: have them write out the main points of the article, summarize the article, explain the view point taken by the writer of the article, and select 2 ideas that you agree or disagree with and state why?

This can be followed up by setting up small groups that the students post their 2 ideas in for discussion.

Lesson idea 2

Political Philosophy

Objective: The student should develop a political philosophy based on the following premise:

What should be the balance between liberty and order that a society needs to exist?

The student’s philosophy should include a reference to the following ideas:

The relationship between the government and the state that includes:

• Characteristics of a state
• Reasons why governments need to be established
• Purpose that a government exists
• The best form of government
  • Unitary, federal, confederate,
  • Parliamentary or presidential system
  • Dictatorship or democracy
• The concepts of democracy that the student believes in:
  • Majority rule, rule of law

Set up discussions for the students using the following Resources:

• Ideas from the Declaration of Independence
• Recognition of the early compacts and documents that provided the basis of our political experience- Mayflower Compact, Petition of Right, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Maryland toleration Act, and English Bill of Rights
• Analyze the three basic ideas that the English acquired from the Magna Carta, Petition of Right and the English Bill of Rights
• Explain the role of compromise in a political system
• Federalist 71 and its ideas
• Agree or disagree with the six basic principles upon which the American Constitution was written
• Examine the Bill of Rights
• Discuss the amendment process and whether it should be changed
• Agree or disagree with the concept of federalism, division of powers and concurrent powers.
• What should be the relationship between the state and federal government that includes: obligations of the federal government to the states, the relationship between the states

Conclusion:

Describe the key ideas from the discussions and readings above that you would predicate your government on and why it would be the most efficient form of government