Social Studies Activities for Distance Learning

Online learning has been challenging, but it’s also given us opportunities to connect with students in a whole new way. On one hand, you’re learning new technology tools while struggling to balance the needs of in-person and remote learners. On the other hand, you are getting to experience new tech and meeting your students’ needs in a different way! To begin, Social Studies is not only about understanding the world around us; it’s also about building community. These Social Studies activities for distance learning will get your elementary students excited about learning all things social studies!

All About Maps

Maps are an important way for students to discover their community, city, state, country, and the world.

First, cover your main geography standards by locating places on maps and globes. To start, help find places in their local community and the USA, the seven continents, and the four oceans with these engaging map activities for distance learning.

When it comes to learning about maps, there are a few things you must cover with your kids! Of course, we want them to be able to read and interpret maps, but we also want them to create their own maps as well. Knowing how to use a key and read basic directions on a Compass Rose (north, south, east, west) is also important. These are skills that will help your students beyond the classroom.

Check out everything your students will learn in this unit, which is available in digital format for your digital learners! First, review activities to help your students locate places on a map. Next, explore the differences between urban, suburban, and rural with community activities and an urban or rural sort. In addition, check out some compare and contrast communities activities in the bundle. Also, engage your online learners with a 7 continents activities song! Next, practice directional skills with a Compass Rose activity. Your students will also learn about landforms with a landforms identification activity. Each concept comes with various graphic organizers. In addition, your students will read informational text passages and complete digital quizzes. Finally, you will receive Youtube links to informational videos.

Don’t let your distance learners miss out on the world around them. Overall, these map activities will bring social studies home!

Branches of Government

I love teaching my students about government, but sometimes it’s hard for them to understand the separation of power and how it all works together! However, your elementary students can understand how government works. Teach your students about the branches of government with these digital activities that integrate with Google Classroom, Seesaw, and even PicCollage!

First, get started by seeing what your students know about the legislative, judicial, and executive branches with a digital KWL chart. After your students show what they know, it’s time to read more about each branch! In addition, your students will also write about each branch and sort their characteristics.

Make learning relevant by sharing some clips of legislative sessions, presidential or gubernatorial speeches, and judicial statements. You can also throw in some SchoolHouse Rock!

Overall, teaching all about the branches of government is simple with these digital resources!

Historical Events and Holidays

Recognizing important dates like President’s Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is important in the classroom, but it’s hard to keep up and create activities for the full year. From Earth Day Dia de Los Muertos, your students are ready to learn, so share some engaging and fun distance learning activities!

I’ve put all the social studies distance learning activities in this bundle to use with your in-person and distance learners all yearlong.

This is a huge bundle, so your learners will get everything they need for social studies and cross-curricular connections from August to June! In addition, there are back to school icebreakers and Genius Hour activities for students to explore.

• New Year’s Resolutions
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Presidents Day
• Chinese New Year
• Growth Mindset
• Digital Graphic Organizers
• Groundhog Day
• Earth Day
• Sally Ride
• 3 Branches of Government
• CA Native Americans
• Inauguration Day
• Genius Hour Activities
• Cinco de Mayo
• End of Year Reflection (Memory Book)
• Memorial Day
• Spelling Activities
• Back-to-School Memory Book
• Icebreakers
• Discussion Starters
• Classroom Newsletters
• Solar Eclipse
• Back to School Digital Forms
• Fall/Autumn
• Veterans Day
• Who was Christopher Columbus?
• Dia de los Muertos
• Halloween
• Holidays Around the World

Distance learning is an opportunity to share engaging activities and teach in a whole new way! Get ready and support your remote learners with these social studies activities for distance learning. What activities will you share with your students?