Social Studies students have been doing a variety of activities to help them think critically about a number of topics. In “Geography,” we have been studying the 7 different elements of culture to expand on our knowledge of cultures around the world. This entailed students learning about different kinds of governments. We did an activity called “Gummy Bear Governments,” where students arranged gummy bears to show their understanding of different government types. These students did an awesome job and really showed their creativity. Many used props, backdrops with iPads, and more!

Geography students also used a few activities to learn about different economic systems to understand the world. One activity involved students playing the game “Rock, Paper, and Scissors” to simulate different economic systems. The following day, students then played “Monopoly,” but each group had different rules that helped simulate what “Monopoly” would look like with different economic systems as well. These activities have really opened up some great discussions and conversations in class, which ultimately helped everyone’s learning experience.

In American History, students also got an opportunity to critically think about different topics. For example, we just finished a “Mock Trial” on the case of John Brown, who was found guilty in real life, but several classes had opposite results. Students in every class all had different roles in the trial and had to play characters that actually existed within the real John Brown trial. It was fun for students to get into different roles and play out this trial. It challenged students to think critically about the event and roles. This activity opened up some great conversations and allowed students to have a lot of fun as well! Many even dressed up and used accents!

 -Mr.Rudnicki, HS Social Studies Teacher

​