Anyone reading this has been a student of social studies. I’m sure we all had at least one teacher who seemed as if his/her job was to kill the subject and let it die a slow, painful death. If you are currently a social studies teacher, you know you want your students to have a much better experience. Read on for simple ways to make this subject engaging and how to create fun social studies activities.
The Problem
We always hear our administrators talking about how we want kids to be engaged learners. To make situations “real life”. To give kids a vested interest in learning a subject. That can be difficult enough in a middle school, even if you teach a naturally engaging subject such as art.
Getting kids to feel that history is important in their current lives and to make it interesting, fun, and relatable can be downright difficult. I mean, how do you get a 13-year-old to care about the attempts of the Olive Branch Petition? I can’t promise that your kids will be “over the moon” excited about every topic, but I do have some tips to make many of your lessons much more interesting.
Bell Ringers
It’s so important to get your kids involved from the moment they walk into the room. Having a bunch of “bell ringers” on hand is so important. Bell ringers are a great way to help kids make modern connections to otherwise nebulous historical events. You can post them on your digital learning platform (I love using the “Question” feature from Google Classroom for this) or just write it on the board and have kids respond. Make time to share! I found that sharing these was one of my fun social studies activities for sure.
If you need help, grab my FREE set of social studies bell ringers here!
Fun Social Studies Activities: Music
I’m not talking about playing Revolutionary War “fife and drum” music. I’m talking actual music that kids listen to or know of today. I love having a song playing as kids walk in and then asking them what they think it has to do with today’s lesson.
Example: On the day we are learning about the Declaration of Independence being written, I have “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister playing. Even though it’s a song from the 80’s (my era…the best era if I do say so myself!), they all know it. And it creates excitement and buzz in the air. We have a brief discussion as to why it was the song of the day. It’s like an instant “anticipatory set” that actually works.
I have created a list of songs for early American History. Click here for your free copy!
Make Lessons Interactive
I have always used PowerPoints or Google Slides to house my information for the direct teaching portion of my lessons. We do a lot of fun activities to go along with the material, but at some point, you have to teach directly, and you can make it more interesting for the kids.
I streamline the content into an interactive slideshow. What that means is that I do “lecture”, but the slideshow contains slides for kids to do a “do now” activity, places to write their thoughts, a closure activity, etc. This way, they contribute to the lesson and are forced to think about it in a deeper, more natural way. We can also discuss as we go along.
Here are some examples of slides in my interactive slideshows:
I have many pre-made interactive social studies lessons available in my TPT store.
Centers as Fun Social Studies Activities
If you think centers are just for kindergarten, think again. In my opinion, centers are the most engaging and fun social studies activities. Middle school kids need to get up, move around, and work on difficult content in different modalities. I personally use stations for every unit, and I find it quite successful.
Try to pick a few different ideas that will work for any topic. For example, I have found that creating activities such as poetry, geography, primary sources, art history, and artifacts gives kids more of a balanced view and find it more interesting.
In a unit on Native Americans, some possible ideas include a bio poem on a Native American leader, maps of where tribes were located, a primary source on educating Natives, and pictures of Native artifacts. Create a simple recording sheet to show observations. Here is a sample:
Please grab your free social studies center template. You can use it to design centers for any unit!
I also have many pre-made centers for early American history. They will save you a ton of time!
Hexagonal Thinking
Hexagonal thinking is a hands-on, collaborative activity that turns traditional review into a game of strategy and connection. Students place hexagons with key terms, people, or events next to others that are related, and then explain their reasoning. This process builds critical thinking, strengthens understanding of cause-and-effect relationships, and encourages discussion.
Unlike worksheets or lectures, hexagonal thinking gets students moving, talking, and actively making connections between historical concepts. It’s perfect for middle schoolers because it combines social learning, problem-solving, and creativity — all while reinforcing the content in a memorable, engaging way.
How to Use Hexagonal Thinking in Your Classroom:
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Assign each student or group a set of hexagons with key terms, events, or people.
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Have students connect hexagons that are related and explain their reasoning to the class.
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Encourage students to create chains of connections showing cause and effect, comparisons, or thematic links.
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Use as a review activity, formative assessment, or discussion starter.
Boom™ Cards
Do you Boom? Boom™ Cards are a fun and interactive way to get kids engaged. Best of all, they are self-correcting. They work well as a center, as an assessment, or a game.
It’s easy to get started with Boom™ Cards. Click here to take a look at a variety of social studies Boom™ Cards.
Your Entire Year of U.S. History…Already Planned
Imagine having your entire year of middle school U.S. History already planned. The All in One Middle School Social Studies Membership includes ready-to-use lessons, engaging activities, assessments, and teacher resources that save you hours of prep time. Whether you’re planning one week or the entire school year, you’ll have everything you need in one place—so you can spend less time planning and more time teaching. Membership is now open, so don’t delay.
👉 Click here to learn more and join!
Questions? Email me anytime: linda@allinonemiddleschool.com
Best of luck to you and your students! If you have questions or any other tips, please comment below.
-Linda A. “All in One Middle School“
Helpful Links
Membership for Social Studies Teachers American History Year-Long Curriculum
Free Social Studies Centers Template
Social Studies Hexagonal Thinking Activities
Free Social Studies Bell Ringers
Interactive Social Studies Lessons and Units
