So, I think students learn best when they interact with each other.  When they do, they use terms and make connections that I wouldn't be able to.  For instance, I had a few students last year who kept relating things back to anime characters that I had never heard of.  It worked for them, so I am okay with it.

Small group interactions is much more difficult in a socially distanced "COVID Classroom".  Google Docs provided me a way to allow students to work in small groups while staying socially distant.

1. My first attempt was to make an assignment that was a blank Google Doc in Google Classroom for the number of groups I wanted to utilize (4).  Then, I counted off the students by 4.  All the 1's opened up the assignment called "Group 1", the 2's opened up "Group 2", etc.  Then, the groups were able to collaborate through the doc without disturbing other groups with talking by typing their thoughts to each other and completing the task given.
2. Another option is pre-made resources that are "Google-friendly" like my Historical Perspectives ones.  When you assign it, you need to make sure you do not select the option that makes a separate copy for each student.  You do, however, need to follow the same procedure I described above for having multiple copies of the blank document.
3. If you have an existing PDF that is not editable, and want to use it as I have described, you can do that too!  You just have to have students open it with an app like Kami that allows students to type on existing PDF's.
4. If you are feeling really ambitious, and want to make your own resource, one way is to create a PowerPoint, then save it as a PNG.  Once that is finished, open up a Google Slide and change to background to your saved PNG.  Once you have changed the background, it cannot be "messed up" by users.  Now, you just need to insert textboxes where you want your students to type.  Again, you can share your finished product in the way described above to allow multiple students to work on the same document.

If you give any of these a try, please let me know how it went in the comments below and don't forget to visit my store for more great Social Studies resources.

• My Store

Until COVID.

These two words pretty much define my teaching this year.  I had a set way of doing things until COVID.  Many of these things have had to change.  These changes have come through a lot of thinking and trial and error, but, fortunately, I have found some solutions to my biggest problems caused by teaching in my "COVID Classroom".  My first big discovery was how whiteboards can be used to replace a lot of the group-based activities I have always done as well as give me a window into their social emotional wellness.

I ordered a class set of mini-whiteboards a few years ago with grand ideas of how I would use them, but never really utilized them very well or often because I didn't have too - I had other activities and strategies that I was more comfortable with that I kept falling back on.  Now that most of those group-based strategies cannot happen in a socially distanced classroom, I wiped the dust off my whiteboards, and they have been a Godsend!  I use them all the time now.  Here are some of the ways I've been utilizing them that have been the most effective:

• Beginning of Class Vocabulary Review
  • In a non-socially distanced classroom, I have the students review their vocabulary at the beginning of each class by doing an AB Partner vocabulary review where they alternate defining words and checking each other.
    • In my "COVID Classroom", I have started using the mini-whiteboards to review vocabulary.  We call it "Cap, Write, Cap, Raise Your Hand".  I project a vocabulary definition, and students take the Cap off their markers, Write the word, put the Cap back on then Raise their hands when they are done.  Students keep track of how many they get correct with tally marks on their boards.  At the end of the warm up, we talk about how many they should be getting right to be on pace to get an A on a vocab quiz in __ days. 
      
    • We also non-linguistically represent words with the whiteboards to change things up a bit.  I'll ask students to draw a picture that represents the term rather than words to help them make different connections with the words.
      
• Content Review at the Beginning or End of Class
  
  • In a non-socially distanced classroom, we, again, review in small groups utilizing the "all-write round robin" strategy.  I will put up a topic like, "What are the 7 characteristics of culture?" and students pass around a small piece of paper in groups of 4 adding answers until they have all 7 listed.  The first group done is the winner.
    
    • In my "COVID Classroom", I do the same thing, except that the students do it individually and record their answers on their whiteboards. 
      
• Social Emotional Check Ins
  
  • In my non-socially distanced classroom, I could check in with students to see how they were doing by speaking quietly with them from a short distance (squatted next to them, or in the hallway).
    
    • One of the things I do in my "COVID Classroom" is an emoji check-in.  At the beginning of class, I ask students to draw a quick emoji to show me how they are feeling about the day or an up coming test or the content we have covered.
      
    • Another thing I use the whiteboard for is quick brain breaks.  I might say, "Who can draw the best dog?" or "Draw a quick sketch of what you want to do this weekend."
      

I hope these were helpful and maybe sparked some ideas.  If they did, please let me know in the comments, and don't forget to visit my store for great Social Studies resources!

• My Store 

Over 18 years of teaching, I have developed techniques and strategies for getting my students engaged in and loving history.  Everything is based on learning in collaborative groups that foster small risk taking within a small group that eventually blossoms into whole-class level confidence for shy or typically lower achieving students.  A classroom where we act things out, do group-based warm ups, learning activities, and review games using a variety of collaborative strategies.  Everything was a well-oiled, smoothly running, Marzano-based interactive and inclusive machine that engaged the vast majority of my students.  Oh, and no computers - everything we did was pencil and paper based.

Then Friday, March 13th happened.  Like many of you, the end of the school year was just survival mode for me.  We were directed to provide students with ungraded work as best we could and we'd be back to normal by September.

Well, it's November, and almost NOTHING is back to normal.  I know some schools are fully remote, some are hybrid and some are fully face to face.  My district offers face to face instruction for families that need/prefer it as well as a fully virtual option.  The end result is that instead of having 115ish students, I have around 75 or so for face to face instruction spread across 4 classrooms that they stay in all day long while us teachers rotate every hour.

The other day, I called my dad and he asked how it was going.  The only thing that came to mind was, "It's hard.  Absolutely everything is different,"  Although I'm getting more comfortable with things, I wouldn't say things are getting easier, I'd say I'm getting tougher.  I'm starting to find some solutions to problems caused by my new "COVID Classroom" that I will be sharing here in the coming weeks.  I hope they help.

In the meantime, check out my store for some great Social Studies resources (over 70 of which are Google-based and able to be shared through Google Classroom), and if you have any tips or ideas that might help others, please leave them in the comments section.

• My Store

Early in my teaching career, a principal said I should do something "Thanksgivingish" around the upcoming Thanksgiving Break.  Thanksgivingish.  What did that even mean?  Apparently, he wanted my students to make horns of plenty, Pilgrim hats and hand turkeys.

I asked my students what they knew about Native Americans, and they said something like, "Like at Thanksgiving?" but couldn't tell me much more.  That was all the research I needed.  I decided to go in a different direction.  We were going spend the day before Thanksgiving Break learning about Indigenous Peoples.

Then I hit a road block.  There just weren't that many good, inclusive, middle school friendly resources to use.  They were either too old or scholarly or too young and, at best, accidentally racially insensitive.  So, I did some research and created a few:

In writing these resources, I made every effort to use authentic names, respect Indigenous beliefs and values while presenting their cultures in a middle school friendly format.  However, they have not been vetted by any official body representing Indigenous Peoples. 

So, if we are going to do something "Thanksgivingish" this year, let's do better than headdresses and hand turkeys.  Let's present our students with an accurate, inclusive and culturally sensitive picture of Indigenous cultures.

If you are interested in any of the resources listed above, click the links and check them out, and don't forget to visit my store for more great Social Studies resources.

• My Store

The last of Dr. Marzano's 6 Steps to Vocabulary Instruction is to play games with the terms.  Even though this is the sixth step doesn't necessarily mean it has to come last - it can be done concurrently with the other steps.  In fact, it has been my experience that when entwined throughout a unit, the different steps scaffold each other and keep students excited about learning content vocabulary.

I love playing games in class.  Middle schoolers are nothing if not competitive, and often times say, "Wait, I'm learning..." after our games.  These are some of my favorite vocabulary games to use in class...

1. Vocabulary Task Card Games - After students complete the three vocabulary task card activities designed to help them make connections between the words, definitions and images, I let them chose from the following 4 games using the vocabulary task cards.  They are also directed to play one of these games between task card activities if they finish early.
   1. Memory - This one is easy.  They lay out the "word" and "definition" cards face down and try to match them.  This game doesn't really deepen any connections, but is fun and at least helps reinforce the word-definition connection.
   2. Go Fish - This game uses the "word", "definition" and "image" cards.  Students start with 5 random cards and play Go Fish with them.  The catch (no pun intended) is that they need all three (Word, Definition & Image) cards to count as a match.
   3. Vocabo! - This game works like Uno, and is great at helping your students make connections between words.  Each student begins with 5 cards.  A starter card is placed in the middle of the table.  The first player puts down a "word", "definition" or "image" card that is connected to the starter "word", "definition" or "image" card.  They draw from the deck if they don't have one to connect.  Once they have a word, definition or image that connects, they lay it down on the starter card and explain the connection.  If the group agrees, it is the next person's turn to lay a card that connects to the prior player's card (NOT the original card).  The first person with no cards says, "Vocabo!" and is the winner.
   4. Spoons - This game uses the "word", "definition" and "image" cards.  Everyone gets 3 random cards to start with.  Player 1 selects a card from the deck and discards a card to their neighbor who discards a card to their neighbor, etc.  The goal is to wind up with 3 matching cards ("word", "definition" & "image").  Once someone has all 3, they touch their nose and keep playing.  The last person to notice and touch their nose loses.
2. On the Spot Games - These are quick games that require almost no prep that can be sprinkled in as either warm ups or filler activities.
   1. Charades - In groups, pairs or as a whole class, students act out a term as their teammates try to guess it.
   2. Pictionary - In groups, pairs or as a whole class, students draw images for terms and their partners try to guess it.
   3. Vocab Races - I project all of the unit's vocabulary words or definitions on the board and students race to be the first to point to the correct word (if I give a definition) or definition (if I give a word).  This can either be done one at a time for the fastest time, or against someone with the winner staying in until they lose.
   4. Bingo - Either on pre-printed blank bingo cards (some prep) or quickly student-drawn 5 x 5 grids on scrap paper (no prep), students randomly fill in the boxes with vocabulary terms.  Once their cards are filled out, read off definitions (don't call out words).  Students need to mentally match the definition to the correct word, then check their card.  If they have it, they mark it out.  Winners are 5 in a row horizontally, diagonally, or vertically first, then 4 corners, then whole card.

All of these games are fairly quick, fun and great at solidifying vocabulary terms.  I very highly recommend your visiting my store and downloading the FREE vocabulary games resource to use with either my cards (also available at my TpT store in my "vocabulary resources" section) or your own cards.  While you're there, be sure to check out the rest of my store for more great Social Studies resources!

• Vocabulary Resources
• My Store