How can Project Based Learning be effective in teaching Social Studies?

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How can Project Based Learning be effective in teaching Social Studies? It is no secret that with the push for strong ELA and STEM programs, Social Studies has become the neglected house plant of classroom subjects. However, through some creative integration in our Project Based Learning units, we are able to shine some sunlight on this long-neglected subject. Using these 5 methods, you can integrate the various topics within Social Studies into most PBL units effectively and rigorously.

1. Study current problems in the past

Studying history, even the great scholars, will tell you that history repeats itself. Why not look for those repetitions and their relationship to current PBL unit topics. Here are some examples.
If your class engages in a PBL unit that has to do with our earth or climate, then you could study…

- The effects of colonists depleting natural resources in new lands. Try connecting this with other periods in history where travelers and settlers have depleted natural resources in the pursuit of exploration (Westward Expansion, etc.)
- Discuss native plants versus invasive species being brought over with “good” intentions. Or native animals versus animals that were brought over for a purpose or to solve a problem that has created a worst issue (cats, etc.)
- Look at the effects of DDT on the eagle population in the United States.

Have an open dialogue about these events and their similarities to your current PBL unit. Ask deep questions that cause students to analyze cause and effect relationships in the past and now.

2. Economics & PBL

Fundraisers and PBL units involving money not only relate to math standards, but can easily be tied into the basic principles of economics. Whether you are selling snacks to raise money for the local humane society or hosting a neighborhood garage sale in the school’s cafeteria, studying supply and demand and needs vs. wants can be easily tied into any PBL unit plan involving money.

- Ask students to survey their target consumers to find out which snack they should stock up on before opening their snack stand to illustrate supply and demand.
- Showcase the difference between needs and wants during a PBL unit where your students are gathering necessary items for a local women's shelter.
- Study producers and consumers in an entrepreneurship unit.

3. Take a Closer Look

Document Based Questions, or DBQs, are a crucial part of most middle and high school Social Studies courses. But, I believe that DBQs are a wonderful resource in any grade level. Asking students to analyze historical pieces or images, teaches them to use context when studying history. Using historical pieces and primary sources to support claims is one way to integrate DBQs in a PBL unit.

- Students can analyze a portion of the Bill of Rights to understand the right to vote during a PBL unit where the goal is to get more people registered to vote.
- Ask students to study a drawing of a Native American village to look for how natural resources are being used. Then ask students to study an image of a local housing addition to look for natural resources in use. Discussing man-made vs. naturally made resources during a PBL unit about climate change or the environment can be a powerful way to use history.
- Utilize primary sources such as paintings and photographs to compare the way things were done in the past to the present. Some examples include…
- - Photos of skyscrapers and bridges being constructed before modern construction tools. Using men to build and carry, where cranes and machines work today.
- - Paintings of the railroad construction depict workers, but who is missing? Study the labor force that helped to build the railroad and compare it with the depictions that were shared

Often, in primary grades, we shy away from primary sources because we fear the language or context will be “over our students’ heads.” But by chunking these sources into bite-size chunks, we can present portions of history in a way that our little ones can digest or even synthesize. View more about how to plan using this approach in my PBL planner available here.

4. Location, Location, Location

PBL units are often community based. But how often do students get to 2nd or 3rd grade without a true understanding of the word “community?” Studying the makeup of different communities is just one way that geography can be integrated into your PBL units.

Through the study of other cultures and the analysis of the way other countries approach issues, we are discussing geography without giving context to location.

- Plot the location of these discussions on a map to visually make connections for students.
- Look for aspects of culture in your PBL unit such as food or meals. Discuss connections between the food your students eat and that of another culture or country. Why does that country or culture use those specific ingredients? Why do they grow specific plants?
- Does a specific country or culture relate to your classroom in some way? Try sending out a survey at the beginning of the year that asks families about their traditions and cultures, so you can be on the lookout to integrate every student’s practices. For example, try reading a text such as “No Turkey for Thanksgiving” by Jacqueline Jules during the holidays. Take a step further in your Social Studies connection by plotting on a map the places that the foods in the text are commonly eaten.

Giving students a more global perspective, gives them permission to look outside of their known world for answers to the problems and issues that they will encounter during their PBL units.

5. You Gotta Fight for Your Right

Civics is integrated into so much of the Project Based Learning approach. The rights and duties of a citizen can be implemented and practiced in a way that can authentically model the “real world” for students.

Start by placing the weight of citizenship on your students’ shoulders. Informing them of the community that they live in and the important role they play as empowered citizens. Help them to navigate making a difference through a PBL unit that helps them to see the effect they have on their local community. Open a dialogue with your class about citizenship and what it means to be a good citizen of our town, state, country, and the world. Not only will your students feel more empowered, but they will be more engaged in their learning because they will see it as an expression of their civic duty.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times; Voting is a cornerstone in the culture of a PBL classroom. But why stop with a simple hands up approach to voting. By integrating the principles and practices of authentic voting, we are setting our students up to be responsible and informed voters in the future. When voting with my students, I often told them that they must be “informed voters” by learning about each option before they vote. The implementation of classroom “ballots”, encourages students to build an understanding of how the authentic practice of voting occurs. Instructing students in good voting practices, gives them tools to carry with them into adulthood.

Extension activities for voting lessons could include…

- Discussing civil rights and the right to vote by only allowing some students to vote on an important decision. Simulate segregation by only allowing students with brown eyes to vote on the movie for your next marble party. Have an in depth conversation about their feelings during this simulation and connect it with real examples during the civil rights movement.
- Study Ancient Greece by discussion voting restrictions in the first democratic society. Remember, history repeats itself.
- Read articles about modern issues with voting. Bring to light some of the barriers people struggle with to exercise their right to vote.

So, how can Project Based Learning be effective in teaching Social Studies? Well, I believe one way is to stress importance of voting in Project Based Learning classrooms. So, I wrote another post about it! Read the full post here.

The effective integration of Social Studies in PBL units can often be challenging, but the connections made through this subject area are invaluable.