Successful Transistions
"Social Studies in a Minute"
Songs that teach
Social Studies Concepts

Some tips for getting started with your Social Studies instruction are listed first below.  The songs are located in the middle so you'll have to look for them just a little!

Here is an awesome site that has social studies songs and much more!

http://www.kidseconposters.com/econsongs.html

Every classroom must have up to date North Carolina State Information (including pictures of Governor, Lt. Governor, Congress Persons, Senate Persons, etc)~~Here is a site where you can get them all ~~ in color no less!

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/state/northcarolina.html

Tips for getting started

1.    No matter what approach you use to deliver your social studies lessons (learning centers, projects, whole class, co-operative learning, etc.) it would be time, materials, and assessment friendly for each child to have their own log or journal to record their learning!  These logs or journals can simply be “blank” sheets of paper (lined, or unlined) with covers made from construction paper (or any other paper you may have for covers)! They can be kept at the Social Studies Center, in individual cubbies, desks, etc. so they can be easily accessed when needed.  When it comes to report card time or parent/teacher conference time you’ll have an authentic assessment piece that shows progress over time!  See example below:

2.    Competency Goal 3 (three) deals with the concept of change in various settings therefore it is imperative that lesson preparation occurs at the BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.  Visual records such as pictures, video, anything written or drawn, etc., audio records such as tape recordings, technological records such as disks containing PowerPoint presentations, graphing, etc., must be collected during the course of the school year in order to demonstrate change over time. 

3.    Be aware of local pacing guides, report card requirements, parent/teacher conference focus, and other

     assessment responsibilities.

4. Put each child’s name on magnets or Velcro to use for graphing activities. Pictures of the children can also be used for this purpose.  An example of using this graphing idea with social studies would be to create a graph on your magnetic chalkboard or a surface on which Velcro would stick.                          

    The graph title would be something related to social studies like:

“How Many Jobs Do I Have at Home?”

Graph choices would be:

0 - 2     3 - 5      6 - 8    <=9

This is a natural math connection within social studies content.

5.  Design your classroom learning environment

to “Teach Social Studies”!   Visuals are essential!  Transform your classroom walls in to a Compass Rose by labeling the south wall with a BIG “S” (for south), BIG “N” (for~~Well you know), BIG “W”, and BIG “E”.  Each time you leave your classroom or whole group carpet (etc.) have your students face a particular direction before leaving!  Progress towards departing in a Northwesterly, Southeasterly, (etc.) direction.  Oh, as a math connection here, put a “12” under the “N”, a “6” under the “S”, a “3” under the “E”, and a “9” under the “W”, and depart by becoming the “Hands” of a Clock.  Example, Rows One and Two exit 9:15. Row One is the hour hand; Row Two is the minute hand!  With practice you’ll be skilled enough to depart 11:20!

Consult the “Social Studies Essentials” list of “Must Have” Visuals.  You’ll find things like Flags (National and State), pictures of the President and Vice President, Governor

 and Lt. Governor,

 Mayor, etc. If you can’t find a space in your classroom to display these on the walls make them into “Classroom Books” by laminating the pictures, putting paper inside, and adding a construction paper back that you also laminate so you can write “Vocabulary Words” unique to the subject on it with a permanent marker!

6.“Transition Tricks (as in Your Bag of Teaching Tricks)” are essential!  Preparing to leave and leaving, entering, waiting for “anything”, and everything else that leaves your classroom in limbo MUST BE FILLED with SOMETHING!  This is where a rich, varied, full Bag of Transition Tricks is a MUST!  These are also times of “Teaching Opportunity”!  For those naturally “noisy” transition times (like coming or going) “Singing” is the way to go!  There are many great songs out there just do a search on the internet (click search and type educational songs) and see.  Here are a few to get you started that have a “Social Studies” objective of course:

Continent Song

(This song also has Actions that go along with it which makes it even better because the more body parts you put in the learning the more learning you get out of it)

North A  mer  ic  a  (put hand on top of head)

South A  mer  ic  a (put hands on knees)

Eur   ope  (put right hand on left shoulder)

Af  ri  ca   (put left hand on right shoulder)

A  sia     (place hands on hips)

And  Aus   tra    lia    (place both hands on stomach)

Ant  arcti  ca’s down under and those are the Continents, the seven Continents     (pass right hand in semi circle motion in front of body)

Ocean Song
(tune My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean)

At lan tic’s the name of an ocean

Pa cif ic and In di an Too

The Ar tic and now there's the South ern

I can name oceans

Can You?

O  cean, O  cean,

Ocean of Beautiful Blue ue ue

O  cean, O  cean,

I can name oceans

Can You?

Happy Birthday, Dr. King
to the tune of "Yankee Doodle"

Dr. King was a man
Who had a special dream.
He dreamed of a world filled with love
And peace and harmony.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King,
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday, Dr. King.
We honor you today.

Harmony and Peace
to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O"

Dr. King taught us to live
In harmony and peace--
P-E-A-C-E,
P-E-A-C-E,
P-E-A-C-E,
In harmony and peace.

He taught us not to fight or quarrel,
But love one another.
L-O-V-E, Love!
L-O-V-E, Love!
L-O-V-E, Love!
He said to love each other.

Let Us Keep His Dream Alive
to the tune of "This Old Man"

This young man had a dream;
In his eye he had a gleam.
We must love each other to survive.
Let us keep his dream alive.

He believed man was good;
He had dreams of brotherhood.
We must love each other to survive.
Let us keep his dream alive.

All join hands, let us sing;
Let the bells of freedom ring.
We must love each other to survive.
Let us keep his dream alive.

We can learn from the past;
Then we'll all be "free at last!"
We must love each other to survive.
Let us keep his dream alive.  

In pursuit of the “Flawless, Educational, Smooth” transition keep the “Tools” you need close at hand!  Establish an area (within easy reach of where you position yourself to address your entire class) to store those “Tools”!  The “Tools” are those items you have in your classroom you’d love to use more efficiently but just can’t find the TIME!  “Tools” like:

Maps,

 globes,

Posters of: Landforms, Presidents, Community Helpers, Holidays,

Keep music tapes or CDs with “Boom” Box always Ready!   Patriotic, holiday, seasonal, and “School House Rock” history are just a few examples of auditory social studies lessons!   Playing music during center time, clean up go home time, and transition times “Teach” for sure but it also covers the “Busy Noise” that naturally goes along!

7.  Design a Social Studies “Word Wall”.  The following vocabulary is an example of what might be included. 

Grade 1 Social Studies Vocabulary

8. Using the learning center approach enables independent learning. Independent Learning focuses on creation of the opportunities and experiences necessary for students to become capable, self-reliant, self-motivated and life-long learners.  Students who value learning as an empowering activity of great personal and social worth as a direct result.  

Do You   Know Where I Find Peace?

F

Do you know where I find Peace?

G7 C

I find peace, I find Peace?

F

Do you know where I find Peace?

G7 C F

I'm looking all around.

F

Peace begins inside of me

G7 C

Inside of me, inside of me,

F

Peace begins inside of me.

G7 C F

That's where Peace is found!

F

I know Peace is really Love,

G7 C

Really Love, really Love,

F

I know Peace is really Love,

G7 C F

I'll pass my Love around.

F

I'll give away the Love I've got,

G7 C

The Love I've got, the Love I've got,

F

I'll give away the Love I've got,

G7 C F

And that's how Peace is found!

And Love's inside of me!

St. Patrick's Day

Leprechauns peeking,
Around a willow tree,
Pussy willows waking,
Longing to be free.
Colleens and shamrocks
And castles old and gray,
Put them all together
To make St. Patrick's Day.

The Wearin' O' the Green

Today is the day fer the wearin' o' the green.
Today is the day when the little people are seen.
Today is St. Patrick's Day, so if ye'r Irish me lad,
Join the celebratin' fer the grandest time ta' be had.

Ya' put yer hand up in the air, the other hand on your hip.
Ya' tap yer toe, ya' tap yer heel, ya' bounce yer knee a wee bit.
Ya' prance 'n dance around the room, n' circle one two three.
The saints be praised, I must admit, ya' all look Irish ta' me.

Leprechaun

Leprechaun, leprechaun, fly across the sea
And fetch an emerald shamrock for you and me.
Do not bring a nettle or a thistle for a joke,
But bring an Irish shamrock, for we are Irish folk.
And you and I, my leprechaun, will wear the shamrock gay,
And match it with and Irish smile upon St. Patrick's Day!

The Leprechauns are Marching

The Leprechauns are marching,
They're marching down the hall,
They're marching on the ceiling,
They're marching on the wall.
They're marching two by two,
And now it's four by four,
You say you still can't see them?
Move back! Here come some more!

The leprechauns are marching,
I think it's three by three.
Just close your eyes and try now
To visualize with me.
Their merry little feet
Will never miss a beat.
They're very tricky fellows.
Look out! They're under the sheet!

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick came from Ireland
A country trimmed with green
It has the shamrocks and the pipes
Those leprechauns you've seen
Those leprechauns will trip you
You'll fall flat on your face
They'll tickle your nose and sour the milk
Then find a hiding place!

I'll Wear a Shamrock

St. Patrick's Day is with us,
The day when all that's seen
To right and left and everywhere
Is green, green, green!

And Irish tunes they whistle
And Irish songs they sing,
To-day each Irish lad walks out
As proud as any king.

I'll wear a four-leaf shamrock
In my coat, the glad day through,
For my father and mother are Irish
And I am Irish too!

Mary Carolyn Davies

St. Patrick's Day

Oh, my mother isn't Irish
And my father isn't too,
But today I feel as Irish
As the really Irish do.

For today I wear a shamrock
That is green in every way
And though I am American,
I am Irish -- for today!

Aileen Fisher

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