The Social Studies Concept Wall

The Critical Bridge That Helps Students Make Connections

to New Learning

Remember, Unit 1 is the key!

Connect the Social Studies curriculum to what students already know. -Front end planning and instruction will pay off in the long run.

-Students will know more than memorized dates, names, and places.-Make the concept wall an integral part of your teaching…it will help you and the students make connections within and between concepts.

As you begin to teach the standards in Unit 2 and beyond always, always, always refer back to the Enduring Understandings on your concept wall.

Integrate reading and social studies as often as you can!

-From DOE PowerPoint “Units 1 and 2 Teacher Tips”

Themes

Kid-Friendly EUs

EQs

Standards/Elements

Books Illustrating Themes

This “living” display helps students make connections between the standards and elements and the units. Tracey’s concept wall is a concept “flip chart”! For each unit of study, she adds a new section for each of the unit’s themes on top of what is already displayed on her concept wall. Students then add their own work samples and important ideas. According to Tracey, students can then flip the different sections to see things they have already included on their concept wall. This will serve as a great tool when it is time to review for cumulative tests.

-Tracey Wade, 5th grade, Whitfield County

Student Work

Christina’s third graders have beenusing their concept wall “closet” allyear to organize their social studieslearning. After learning about eachof the concepts at the beginning ofthe year, students have addedvocabulary terms, work samples,pictures, documents, and more tothe wall.Christina writes that “…the kidshave really taken ownership of it.They add things from ALL subjectareas that they think are relevantand that help them to remember and clarify the enduringunderstandings.”

-Christina Freeman, 3rd grade, Henry County

Current Events

Vocabulary

Student Work

“I’ve found that my fifth graders get more out of these maps if I make them more friendly, including thingsthat they can use andunderstand.”Students can even keep copies of these at their desks to refer to during the course of the unit. As they collect maps from different units, students can start to see how the themes repeat and change over time. They can also make meaningful connections between the content they’re learning and their own experiences and prior knowledge.

-Heather Ellington , 5th Grade, Lowndes Co.

Deale Fitch, K, Buford City

Key Points1.Take the time to teach Unit 1.

~It is crucial in building a conceptual foundation that will support instruction throughout the year.

2. Create the Concept Wall in some form.

~Refer to it often, all year long.~Make connections to it, when appropriate, in all subject

areas.3. Encourage students to take ownership of the Wall.

~Design activities that generate end products that can be added to the Wall.

~Encourage students to add to the Wall on their own— articles, pictures, connections, comments, etc.

~Reading response, Thinking Maps, and writing activities can also be displayed.