ENGAGE: Teaching the Social Studies Podcast

In today’s polarized world, classrooms are often the frontline for navigating challenging conversations.  How can educators create spaces where students feel safe to share, learn, and engage critically with diverse perspectives?  In this episode, we dive into practical strategies for fostering civil discourse with John Snoad from Sphere Education.  

Justin Glodowski dives into the power of competition in the classroom as a strategy to boost student engagement and active participation. Justin shares how he makes learning fun and interactive by incorporating competitive elements in everyday activities, from breakout rooms to quiz challenges and review games. He explains his approach to incentivizing students with unique prizes, including creative rewards like sandboxes and leaderboard standings.

Justin describes how he fosters competition through classroom-wide quizzes, role-play debates, and prediction challenges—like forecasting election results—giving students a real-world connection to classroom material. He also shares his “gamified” approach for review season in AP Gov, where students compete for prizes, track their progress on a leaderboard, and see their achievements displayed alongside those of past classes.

This episode of ENGAGE covers highlights from the hosts' summer travels and professional development experiences. Alisha shares about her time with the Founding Forward program, including a trip to Ellis Island and the Tenement Museum, as well as her immersive experience at the White House Historical Association Teacher Institute. Both hosts discuss their excitement about various professional development opportunities for educators, particularly those related to history and civil discourse. They also reflect on their joint experience at the Sphere Summit in Washington, D.C., which focused on civil dialogue and teacher collaboration.

https://foundingforward.org/

https://www.sphere-ed.org/sphere-summit

https://www.monticello.org/research-education/for-educators/monticello-teacher-institute/

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/rubenstein-center/k-12-education-resources-and-programs/professional-development-programs/white-house-history-teacher-institute

https://www.neh.gov/grants/apply-neh-funded-seminar-institute-or-workshop

Justin shares tips and strategies for teaching social studies in an interactive way during an election year.  He discusses classroom environment changes, strategies for approaching the election, making the election more fun to follow for different high school age groups, and strategies for approaching AP US Government and Politics in an election year as well.  

Summer has been so busy for Alisha and Justin that it took them a whole month to get this episode published.  Today, they discuss their summer adventures, including Alisha's trip to Washington, DC with her middle school students, her professional development sessions at Founding Forward/Freedoms Foundation in Philadelphia and the prestigious White House History Teacher Institute. They also chat about the Sphere Summit in DC, highlighting how these experiences enrich their teaching and expand their professional networks. 

Founding Forward (Freedoms Foundation)

White House Teacher Institute

Sphere Summit

Teacher PD Opportunities Facebook Page

In our third installment on civics education, we dive deep into the structures of government and the policy-making process. Join Justin as he shares innovative classroom activities, including simulations of Congress, creative visual representations of government types, and mini moot court cases. Discover effective strategies to engage students in understanding federalism, the legislative process, the Electoral College, and the powers of the presidency.

First Episode on Civic Education

Second Episodr on Civic Education

Mock Congress Template

Sample Bill from Mock Congress

Sample Bill from Mock Congress 2

Electoral College Discussion

Street Law Website

Mini Moot Court Case Instructions WITH Cases!

Buckle up for a wild ride through review season mayhem! Justin turns pre-AP exam review into an all-out gameplay extravaganza, complete with leaderboards, calendars packed with mini-games, competitive board game battles, and short answer sprints set to classic 70s-90s rock. 

SCOTUS Madness Bracket Example

Make Your Own Connections Puzzles

Codenames

Hexagon Generator

Hexagonal Thinking

Copy of AP Gov SPRINT

Copy of AP Gov TABOO

Blooket

Gimkit

Delve into the intricacies of Holocaust education with Justin on this episode of Engage.  With invaluable resources and innovative teaching methods, this episode equips educators with the tools to engage students deeply in understanding the Holocaust's profound impact and enduring lessons.

Teaching about pre-Holocaust genocide/atrocities from the Herero to the Holodomor

Holocaust and Human Behavior by Facing History

Echoes and Reflections Lessons Plans and Resources

Holocaust Education Resource Center

https://teachholocaust.org/

Dimensions in Testimony

USHMM Timeline Activity

USHMM

Join us as we delve into the exciting world of integrating AI tools and strategies into social studies classrooms. Discover how these innovative resources can enhance engagement, critical thinking, and historical inquiry for students of all levels. Learn how educators can leverage AI to transform their teaching and create dynamic learning experiences.

Resources:

ChatPDF - Chat with any PDF!

Diffit for Teachers

Claude

Adobe Firefly

Craiyon - Your FREE AI image generator tool: Create AI art!

Today’s topic focuses, once again, on civics with a discussion of how Justin approaches teaching civil liberties, civil rights, and citizenship in his classroom. Resources described in the video can be found below.  If you missed the last episode on Navigating Civic Education, find it here for Apple listeners or here for everyone else.

Street Law Court Case Descriptions

Landmark Cases

Justin’s Civil Liberties/Rights Slides

Freedom of Religion from Retro Report

Campaign Finance and Citizens United from Retro Report

NY Times v. US/Freedom of Press from Retro Report

Ida B. Wells and the fight for federal anti-lynching laws from Retro Report

Sign Up for the Amazing Retro Report Newsletter

Iron Chef Civil Rights Template

Iron Chef Civil Rights Example

Women’s Rights Movement Lesson Plan