Social Studies Activities

To choose an activity that’s right for your child, look at the grade level that appears beside the title. If your child finishes all the activities at his or her actual grade level, you might want to try going to next grade level.

Looking Forward (PreK)
You Can Help Your Child Resist Bias (PreK)
Interview an Elder (K-1)
TV Time (4-6)
The Settlers (4)
Around the World (2-9)

Other Sites With Social Studies Activities

American History
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mcchtml/corhome.html
Words and Deeds in American History was created by the Library of Congress. It presents documents created by presidents, artists, scientists, diplomats, and other Americans who lived from the 1400s to the present. Every document has a detailed description and other information.

Career Information
http://www.careervoyages.gov
Career Voyages, a Web site created by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education, offers information on many types of jobs and the skills needed to get those jobs. The site offers areas for students, parents, career changers, and career advisors.

Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs
http://www.future.state.gov
The Future State site from the U.S. Department of State provides many activities for K-12 students and information for parents and educators.

Foreign Languages
http://www.rosettaproject.org
The Rosetta Project is a nonprofit organization that includes language specialists from around the world. Together, they collect information and materials on all documented human languages.

Government and Economic Policy
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/budget_hero
This interactive game on the American Public Media Web site puts visitors in control of the federal government’s purse strings. Budget Hero is a budget simulator that lets the user decide how much the federal government should spend on education, science and nature, housing and living, infrastructure, health care, and social security. Every decision affects the deficit/surplus meter, the size of the federal debt, and the calendar that tells you when your budget will bust.

Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov
Not just for librarians, this site has many services, lesson plans, and activities for families, teachers, and other visitors. Teachers might want to take advantage of professional development on Teaching with Primary Sources—it’s free (learn more at http://www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/about/professional.html). Students may enjoy Everyday Mysteries, a collection of answers to interesting science questions such as these: Is it possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk if it’s hot enough? Is it true that no two snow crystals are alike?

National History Education Clearinghouse
http://teachinghistory.org
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Clearinghouse is designed to help K-12 history teachers improve U.S. history education in the classroom. The site makes it easy to find activities and content—including primary sources—and information about best practices, professional development, research, and more. The site’s search engine checks pre-approved sites and archives, so users can be sure they get reliable information.

The Star-Spangled Banner
http://americanhistory.si.edu/ssb/2_home/fs2.html
Learn the story of the American flag—how it was designed, how our national anthem changed the way people thought about the flag, the correct ways to handle and display the flag, and more. This National Museum of American History site also offers resources that teachers can use in their classrooms and activities for visitors, such as solving mysteries related to the flag and taking a flag knowledge quiz.

Return to Activities

This Web site is supported in whole or in part by funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, under grant #U310A060257. Its content does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Education, any other agency of the U.S. government, or any other source.