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Cooperative Problem-Solving Activities for Social Studies, Grades 6-12

Second Edition
By: Michael Hickman, Erin O`Donnell Wigginton

Give your students the opportunity to think, discover, and learn together in social studies!

This second edition of Catch Them Thinking in Social Studies demonstrates how to use collaborative learning strategies to fully engage students in meaning-making. Featuring current research and new activities, this resource offers more than 40 ready-to-use lessons across five areas of social studies instruction: geography, politics, economics, culture, and history. Each activity includes background information, clue cards, objectives, tasks, and worksheets. The updated edition helps teachers:

Develop students' decision-making, analysis, and communication skills
Foster teamwork and interdependent learning
Construct cooperative problem-solving activities using their own curriculum

Full description

Product Details

Grade Level: 6-12
ISBN: 9781412965798
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2008
Page Count: 200
Publication date: August 13, 2013

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Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

"These activities will foster participation and critical thinking in the classroom."
—R. Jon Frey, Director of Speech Activities
Aberdeen Central High School, SD

"Cooperative group learning is a powerful approach, and this book provides explicit ideas and guidelines."
—Stephanie van Hover, Associate Professor of Social Studies Education
University of Virginia

Give your students the opportunity to think, discover, and learn together in social studies!

Teamwork helps students strengthen individual retention, improve performance, and promote meaning-making in the classroom. To give adolescent minds practice in critical thinking, the authors use their considerable teaching experience to present more than 40 problem-solving activities that are ready for immediate use in the social studies classroom.

This second edition of Catch Them Thinking in Social Studies demonstrates how to use collaborative learning strategies to fully engage students in meaning-making. Cooperative Problem-Solving Activities for Social Studies, Grades 6–12 offers lessons in five areas of social studies instruction: geography, politics, economics, culture, and history. Each activity includes background information, clue cards, objectives, tasks, and worksheets. This updated edition helps teachers:

Develop students' decision-making, analysis, and communication skills
Foster teamwork and interdependent learning
Construct cooperative problem-solving activities using their own curriculum

Featuring current research and new activities, this hands-on resource helps teachers facilitate cooperative problem solving in social studies and provides teacher tips throughout the book.

Author(s)

Michael Hickman

Erin O`Donnell Wigginton

Table of Contents

Foreword by Tim Erickson

Preface

About the Authors

Introduction

1. Geography: Time Zones, Maps, and Population Counts

Activity 1: The IBA: Globe Trotting

Activity 2: The IBA: Time Zones

Activity 3: The IBA: Playoff Schedule

Activity 4: The IBA: Satellite TV

Activity 5: Maps of the United States and Canada

Activity 6: Demographics: "Population Shifts"

Activity 7: World Rankings

Activity 8: US Population Clock Projections

Activity 9: World Population Clock Projections

2. Politics: US Political Processes

Activity 10: The President's Cabinet

Activity 11: Apportionment

Activity 12: Apportionment: The Equal Proportions Method

Activity 13: Gerrymandering a State

Activity 14: Gerrymandering a County

Activity 15: The Electoral College and the Election of 1824

Activity 16: "Capitol" Murder: How to Kill a Bill

Activity 17: Coming to America

3. Economics: My Money, Our Money

Activity 18: Interest(ing) Times

Activity 19: The IRS and the Single Taxpayer

Activity 20: The Power of Diversification

Activity 21: Family Matters

Activity 22: Social Security Retirement Benefits

Activity 23: Watch Your Money Grow

Activity 24: Watch Your Money Go!

Activity 25: Mortgage Smorgasbord

Activity 26: To Buy or Not to Buy

Activity 27: Real and Personal Property Taxes

4. Cultures: Mystery From History

Activity 28: Succession to the British Throne (Part 1)

Activity 29: Succession to the British Throne (Part 2)

Activity 30: Royal Surfing (Part 1)

Activity 31: Royal Surfing (Part 2)

Activity 32: Roman Numerals

Activity 33: Mayan Math (Part 1)

Activity 34: Mayan Math (Part 2)

Activity 35: Search for the Zytar (Part 1)

Activity 36: Search for the Zytar (Part 2)

Activity 37: Search for the Zytar (Part 3)

5. History: Perspectives on Past Events

Activity 38: The American Revolution

Activity 39: The Election of 1824

Activity 40: The 1850's

Activity 41: The Roaring Twenties

Activity 42: What's in a Name?

Activity 43: Five Great Presidents

Activity 44: The Headright System

Activity 45: US Population Growth 1790-1860

Index

Reviews

“Cooperative group learning is a powerful approach, and this book provides explicit ideas and guidelines.”

Stephanie van Hover, Associate Professor of Social Studies Education
University of Virginia

“These activities will foster participation and critical thinking in the classroom.”

R. Jon Frey, Director of Speech Activities
Aberdeen Central High School, SD

Other Titles in: Teaching Methods & Learning Styles | Learning Styles

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.