7 SHORT AND EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

Written By Avinash Sharan

30th October 2020

SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

    EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Are you a Social Science teacher? Do you conduct short and educational Social Science Activities?

Do you face any difficulty in making your Social Science classes alive?

Then, this article on “7 SHORT AND EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES” is for you.

Today, creating interest in Social Science is the most difficult task.

It becomes more difficult when the world is inclined towards science and commerce.

More challenging is to create interest in the subject    .

Teaching History, Political Science and Geography together makes the subject more challenging.

Not everyone can be the expert of all three Social Science subjects.

But there are ways to make students passionate about Social Studies with limited resources.

With activities and research based  PROJECT, one can create the difference.

These 7 Short and Educational Social Science Activities can make your class live.

HERE ARE 7 SHORT AND EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES FOR BETTER LEARNING EXPERIENCES.

1 FLIP THE ROLE OF A TEACHER: (SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY)

According to Osho “Real education is like drawing water from a well, not pouring something into the well”

This is an activity in which students prepare an actual lesson allotted to them.

The lessons must be presented actively with gestures, hand expressions, voice modulation and confidence.

Well, how to conduct this activity?

Well, Don’t teach anything but prepare well before entering the classroom.

You must read and prepare the chapter very thoroughly.

Now,

In a class of 40 students, ask every student to explain at least two paragraphs.

If the chapter is small, all may not get the chance.

Don’t worry, there are many more chapters to come.

Instead of you explaining the things, let the child explore and explain.

The teacher can interfere and say that actually he/she means………….. in short.

Once the chapter is over, divide the class in 4 groups.

Tell the students that tomorrow there will be a quiz from this chapter.

I am going to prepare very difficult questions from inside the lesson.

Let me see which team answers most of the questions.

Children love to accept challenges, if they are from classes VI to VIII.

Conduct quiz, ask simple questions to slow learners to boost their confidence.

Appreciate the efforts of all.

Encourage the child who could not explain the paragraph properly with a positive remark.

ADVANTAGES OF FLIPPED CLASSROOM:

i) First, The role of a teacher is not to teach but to play the role of a facilitator.

ii) Second, In a flipped classroom, you do not give direct instructions but provide space for learning.

iii) Third, Flipping not only increases student-teacher interaction but also increases student-student interaction.

iv) Fourth,  It allows the teacher to know their students better.

v) Finally, Flipped classroom is one-on-one teacher time with each student.

Was it helpful.

JUST TRY IT ONCE AND SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMENT BOX.

2. ROLE PLAY: (SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY)

TOPIC: BATTLE OF PLASSEY

HOW TO CONDUCT THIS ACTIVITY?

Ask how many children want to act?

Select 15-20 students according to the requirement.

Ask the students to read about the battle and prepare the script.

Let them divide/decide the role of each character from Siraj-ud-daulah to a common man

Ask them to prepare and present.

Next day, ask the other 15-20 students to present.

Take the photographs and paste it on the class board.

ADVANTAGES OF ROLE PLAY IN SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY:

i) Children will discuss the incident. This will promote group discussion.

ii) Writing the script will develop writing skill.

iii) Memorizing and delivering the dialogues will improve language and develop speaking skill.

iv) Involvement of all students.

3. ONE TOPIC FOR ALL (INDIVIDUAL/ GROUP ACTIVITY)

TOPIC: TIPU SULTAN/ JHANSI KI RANI/ AKBAR

SELECT ANY ONE TOPIC.

There are 40 students in the class.

All students have different interests.

Therefore give the students the freedom to do the work of their choice.

suppose the topic you have selected is Tipu Sultan.

Ask the students to

i) write a poem on Tipu Sultan for the young poets in the class.

ii) Draw Tipu Sultan – for those who love drawing and sketching.

iii) Design a currency note with a picture of Tipu Sultan – for those who love designing.

iv) Design the dress of Tipu Sultan (small)- for those who love stitching or want to become fashion designers.

v) Narrate the story of Tipu Sultan in folk-lore (Lok katha)

vi) Just write Tipu sultan in 5 different Indian languages/ foreign language for those who want to learn many languages.

vii) Live commentary from Tipu’s palace (imaginary) for those who want to become reporters.

viii) Make an advertisement on Tipu’s sword for those who are very creative.

Ask the students to whatsapp/ mail their work to you.

Evaluate and award them marks for their creativity.

4. MAP ACTIVITY:

NAME OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY: LOST AND FOUND

The teacher narrates a short incidence:

SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY

  MARATHON RACE IN SAHARA, SOCIAL                           SCIENCE ACTIVITY

A marathon race was organized in the Sahara desert of Libya.

Many athletes participated in the marathon.

An athlete from Norway also participated.

While he was running there was a severe sand storm.

He had never seen or experienced such sand storms earlier.

He closed his eyes to protect himself from sand dust.

After 15 minutes, when the storm stopped, he opened his eyes.

But, he could not understand he has to run in which direction. He was lost.

SOCIAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY

   MARATHON ATHLETE LOST IN SAHARA

The athlete continued to move in one particular direction for three days.

He was thirsty and there was no water.

After three days he was found fainted and was caught by the local people.

Local people suspected him to be a spy from another country since his colour, language and outlook was different from local residents.

Now, find out the possible countries he is expected to be found in.

In this way, students will know about the neighboring countries of Sahara/Libya.

5. MAP ACTIVITY II: (INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP)

NAME OF THE ACTIVITY: BHARAT JODO ANDOLAN

HOW TO CONDUCT THIS INTERESTING AVTIVITY?

The teacher asks the students to cut all the states from the given map of India.

Now the students will be asked to paste their states on a piece of cardboard.

Allow students to see their states shape, size and location in the atlas for 1 minute.

Now, call the students and ask them to place their blocks (states) in sequence one by one.

For instance, call Jammu & Kashmir, then Himachal, Punjab and so on.

While the students are assembling the states, observe them carefully.

The teacher may guide or assist and take the photographs.

“BHARAT JODO ACTIVITY” is done and children will know the location of each state.

6. HITTING THE TARGET ACTIVITY (INDIVIDUAL/GROUP)

NAME OF THE ACTIVITY: HITTING THE TARGET 

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A dart and dartboard OR a soft ball and black-board.

How to conduct this activity?

Draw seven circles on the board.

Write the name of all seven continents. (one in each circle) You may hang the world map also.

you may use a dart board / thermocol with map of all seven continents.

Divide the class in 4 rows or 4 teams.

Now, the teacher should have some questions related to the chapter.

Call a student from any row and ask a question.

The student will hit the answer with the help of a dart or ball.

For example the teacher can ask ” which is a “DARK CONTINENT”

If the student hits Africa, his team scores full marks.

Next question to the student from another team.

Name a continent where Anaconda is found?

Which is the smallest continent? What is its LATITUDES AND LONGITUDES

Name the continent where penguins are found?

Identify the continent which the Atacama desert?

“Canada” lies in which continent?

In this way, with the help of quiz, all children get the revision of the chapter.

Children will love to attend your class.

7. POLITICAL SCIENCE ACTIVITY:

PROBLEM SOLVING ACTIVITY TO TEACH  “THE ROLE OF POLICE AND COURT”

OBJECTIVE: TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF POLICE AND COURT.

NO, OF STUDENTS REQUIRED: 20 IN EACH GROUP. (10 STUDENTS AS POLICE AND 10 WORKING IN COURT)

Therefore there will be two teams of police and two teams of court.

The teacher divides the class in two groups : Let there be two groups of police and two different groups of court.

Now the teacher gives a situation by calling a boy/girl from the class.

” IN THE THIRD PERIOD WHOLE CLASS WAS IN THE LIBRARY. THIS BOY/GIRL ENTERED THE CLASS AND WAS CAUGHT RED HANDED WITH A TIFFIN BOX IN HIS HAND BY THE SPORTS TEACHER. HE WAS ALSO FOUND WITH CHEWING FOOD AND SITTING AT A PLACE WHICH WAS NOT HIS ALLOTTED SEAT. WHEN ASKED, THE BOY DENY’S THAT HE HAD STOLEN ANYBODY’S TIFFIN. THE SPORTS TEACHER LODGES AN FIR (COMPLAIN).

Now let the police do the enquiry and matter reach the court.

There are two possibilities:

  1. the child bunked the library period, stolen somebody’s tiffin. Finished the tiffin and was going to keep the tiffin in the bag and was caught.
  2. the child came from the library to take a book from his bag, took one bite from his tiffin, was returning back to library, in the mean time he saw his friend’s tiffin on the desk, decided to keep his tiffin in his bag safely and was caught by the games teacher.

LEARNING OUTCOME: The children will learn the proceedings of police and court.

They will also learn to prepare a charge sheet.

will also understand why it takes time to solve the problem.

They will understand the proceedings of a court.

ABOUT ACTIVITIES:

Classroom activities shifts students from passive to active.

It generates interest in the subject.

Gone are those days when teachers used to give long lectures.

Let the child do and learn. This is also expected from every teacher according to NEW EDUCATION POLICY 2020

I hope these 7 short and educational social science activities will help you to make your subject interesting https://www.teachingchannel.com/blog/12-fresh-ideas-for-social-studies.

Which among the 7 short and educational social science activities you liked the most. Please give your feedback in the comment section.

Also read about नयी शिक्षा नीति – 2020  to transform yourself from old teaching method to new teaching methods.

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