[luvteeching]

out there? I really need some interesting ways to teach NC SS this year. The kids just absolutely hate it and started the year out telling me how awful it was..Of course that would be a challenge to find something that interest them. So does anyone have any great ideas?

Thanks

[1956BD]

Have you considered using Weekly studies? The students like it so much better than reading the text book and they make it special, to meet each state's standards. I have used it in fourth and now in third and really like using it with students. You can look them up online to get more info. If you call them you can request a free copy.

I would teach the students the state symbols and then bring in old Texas Monthly and Texas Highway magazines so they could cut out pictures of the symbols to make a collage. I had poster boards precut in the shape of Texas (done by parents) for them to glue their pictures on. They had to cover every bit of the board and be able to explain why they chose each picture. They could also draw their own pictures, color them, cut them out and apply them if they chose to. They loved this assignment.

I had my students read a biography about a famous Texan. Then they had to dress up as that person and give a report about their life. They told the information in first person as if they were William Travis, Stephen F. Austin or Sam Houston.

I had a Texas Jingo game I bought at a teacher store that was like bingo that they loved playing. You could create your own version of bingo or Jeopardy.

We created powerpoint presentations about Texas Indians and then later in the year about cowboys.

We did research and written reports about Texas animals.

Hope something here gives you an idea or two, good luck!

[kelhat]

are great...I too used Texas Studies Weekly with my kids and they loved it! They are available for each state...I think it's American Legacy Publishing, but google it to make sure.

1956BD...love the idea of the state symblols on the Texas shape!

[TraddStLovely]

I'm new to 4th grade too. My friend, who is an experienced 4th grade teacher, suggested a weekly newspaper about NC (possibly from the same company the pp's mentioned). She said that her kids loved it.

I also have been looking at the kits and videos on the NC Museum of History's website. Some of them look really interesting.

Also, I plan to integrate a lot of NC literature - Theodore Taylor's Outer Banks series, some Patricia Beatty books (historical fiction), maybe some of the Carole Marsh mysteries.

Finally, if there's any money available from the school or the PTA, I'd like to duplicate an Appalachian arts study that we did at my old school. We invited a storyteller from the mountains, made cornhusk dolls, made pots with a potter from Seagrove, and had a concert of mountain music. It is still one of my favorite memories!

Good luck! Feel free to PM me with anything that works well for you.