fun history assignments

9 Fun Timeline Activities to Make History Come Alive

• By Kerry Cordy
• July 22, 2024

Teaching History with Fun and Games

Many of our badges require learning the history of the topic you are studying. Often, older age levels need to create a timeline of important events they’ve learned about the badge topic.

Engaging in fun timeline activities to make history come alive is a powerful way to enhance learning. Playful and hands-on activities not only make learning enjoyable but also boost memory retention, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. This blog explores a variety of fun timeline activities designed to bring history to life for learners of all ages. From interactive timeline games to creative crafts that illustrate historical events, we aim to show how play and physical activity can transform education into an exciting and dynamic experience. Discover new ways to make history memorable and meaningful with fun timeline activities that bring history to life.

1. How to Make a Timeline Board Game

• 3×5 Index cards cut in half or small pieces of paper with historical events written on them
• Large poster board or whiteboard
• Colored pens or paint
• Game pieces or markers
• One game die
• Event Deck Creation: Write historical events on individual cards, ensuring a mix of significant moments and lesser-known facts. Write the date of the event on the back of each card.
• Gameboard: Place your posterboard horizonal and on the top half of your posterboard, divide the board into ten sections. (See example above) Write a different time period in each section based on the time frame you are learning about. Draw a game board on the bottom half of your posterboard. When designing your game board, feel free to get creative. Create challenge spaces on the board where players must answer historical trivia or perform quick activities related to the era to proceed. You could also add spaces that allow players to either skip ahead, go backward, or swap positions with opponents.
• Setup: Place the event cards event side up on the game board. Place all game pieces on Start.
• Players take turns drawing the top event card from the deck and placing it in the correct time slot without looking at the back.
• Once the card is placed, it is flipped over.
• If correct, they roll the die and advance on the board. Incorrect placements results in staying put.
• The first player to reach the end of of the board wins.
• Alternatively, set a specific number of rounds, and the player farthest along wins.

2. Living Timeline Performance

Creating a living timeline performance is a fun and educational way to bring history to life, making it more tangible and memorable for all involved. If you are part of a Frontier Girls troop or a Quest Club creating a living timeline is a great activity for the whole group. If you are working as an individual, enlist friends or family members to participate in a your timeline performance.

Materials Needed:

• Event cards (with dates and descriptions)
• Costumes and props (optional but highly encouraged)
• Large space for performance
• Tape or markers to outline the timeline on the floor
• Scripts or cue cards for participants
• Music or sound effects (optional)
• Select the Historical Period or Theme: Choose a specific historical period you are studying, such as the American Revolution, the Renaissance, or key scientific discoveries. If the badge you are earning requires a timeline, what era(s) will your timeline cover?
• Research and Create Event Cards: Identify key events within your chosen period. Create event cards that include the date, a brief description, and any relevant images. Make sure to include a mix of well-known and lesser-known events to provide a comprehensive overview.
• Assign Roles: Distribute the event cards among participants. Each person or group will represent a specific event. Provide additional information and context to help them understand their event better. If possible, assign roles based on participants’ interests to increase engagement.
• Prepare Costumes and Props: Encourage participants to dress up in costumes representing their assigned events and the era in which they occurred. Props can include anything from flags and tools to historical documents and artifacts. Costumes and props add a visual element to the performance, making it more engaging.
• Develop the Script: Work with participants to create short scripts or cue cards for each event. Scripts should include the date, the name of the event, key figures involved, and its significance. Encourage participants to add interesting facts or anecdotes to make their presentations more captivating.
• Outline the Timeline: Use tape to create a long line on the floor representing your timeline. Mark specific intervals (e.g., years, decades, centuries) along the line to help place the events accurately. As each performer or group of performers act out their event, have them stand at the correct place along the timeline. This way the audience can see the passing of time as each group moves a little further down the line.
• Rehearse: Conduct rehearsals to ensure participants are comfortable with their scripts and the flow of the performance. If you have lots of space you can have each person/group stand on the timeline at the same time and step forward as they present their event. Regardless of whether all groups are always on stage or or just one group at a time practice the transition from one group to the next.
• Add Visual and Audio Elements: Incorporating visual aids such as posters, maps, or slideshows can also enhance the presentation. Background music or sound effects relevant to the events add a dynamic element to the performance as well.
• Perform the Living Timeline: On the day of the performance, have participants stand in chronological order along the timeline or line up in chronological order backstage if your performance area is small. Each participant will present their event, and then step back or leave the stage depending on space available.

3. Storyline Comic Strip Timeline

Transform your timeline into a comic strip, with each panel depicting a key moment in chronological order. Add speech bubbles and illustrations to convey historical events in a visually appealing format.

• Black felt tip pen
• Blank Paper
• Colored markers (optional)

1. Draw Frames: For each event on your timeline, use your ruler to draw a panel of 3 boxes to frame the action within your comic.

2. Sketch Your Story: Using your pencil ( so you can erase), draw a 3 step story for each event using simple comic style drawings. Use humor to engage your audience and story telling tools like speech bubbles, settings, facial expressions and captions to bring the event to life. Focus on key details that make the event recognizable.

3. Label the Panels: Clearly label each panel with the date of the event either at the top border or under the bottom right border of the panel. This helps viewers follow the timeline chronologically.

4. Add the Ink: Once you are happy with your comics, trace over your pencil with black ink to make everything stand out.

5. Erase the Pencil: Erase any pencil marks after inking.

6. Add Color (optional): Add colors to make your comic strip visually appealing. Use colors that are appropriate for the events and time periods depicted.

7. Sign It!: Make sure to add your signature as the artist.

Tips for Success:

• Keep It Simple : Focus on key details and avoid overcrowding panels with too much information.
• Stay Accurate : Ensure historical accuracy by using reliable reference materials.
• Be Creative : Use humor, interesting angles, and engaging dialogue to make your comic strip entertaining.
• Use Consistent Style : Maintain a consistent art style and font throughout the comic strip for a cohesive look.

4. Edible Timeline

Create a timeline using edible materials such as cookies, fruits, cheese or candies. Assign different treats to represent specific events, making learning delicious and memorable.

• Parchment Paper
• Pen or Pencil
• Long counter top, table or piece of cardboard.
• Cookie Cutters
• food items of your choice (cookies, fruit, cheese, crackers, etc.)
• Props (optional): flags, small action figures, etc.
• Create a Food Safe Canvas: Lay parchment paper along a counter top, table, or large piece of cardboard to create a food safe base for your edible timeline.
• Draw a Timeline: Draw a line horizontally down the center of the board to represent your timeline (do not put food directly on the line).
• Choose Your Foods: Will this be a meat and cheese board? A dessert board? A fruit and veggie board? What type foods do you wish to use?
• Create a Symbol for Each Event: Think about elements or symbols associated with each event that can be recreated with food. For example if you are studying the space travel you could make a fruit skewer rocket to represent the Juptior-C, the first succesful U.S. rocket launched into space in 1958. Or you might use a dog cookie cutter to cut some meat and cheese into a dog shapes placed on a crackers to represent Strelka and Belka the first living beings (dogs) to survive a trip to space in 1960.
• Assemble Your Timeline: Place your edible events above or below the timeline drawn from left to right in the order in which the event occured.
• Label the Events: Next to each food item, write the name of each event and the date on the parchment paper. If you prefer, you can print the information on small pieces of folded paper you can place next to each event instead.
• Add Detail and Context (optional): Include additional details that provide context or additional information about the event. This could include small printed cards with historical facts or descriptions placed next to each edible item.
• Enjoy the Food!: Once your timeline is complete, eat up! Discuss each event as it is eaten.

5. Timeline Scavenger Hunt

Hide historical event cards around a space. Players must find and arrange them chronologically.

• Index cards
• Prizes (optional)
• Timer (optional)
• Choose Historical Events : Select a series of historical events you want to include in the scavenger hunt. Ensure they are diverse and represent different time periods.
• Create Event Cards : Write each historical event on an index card with the date it ocurred on the front. Include a brief description or key details about the event on the back of the card for participants to learn from.
• Set Up the Scavenger Hunt Area : Determine the boundaries of the scavenger hunt area and set up a timeline table where participants can place cards in chronological order as they are found.
• Hide Event Cards : Place the event cards in various locations around the scavenger hunt area. Cards should be hidden with age and ability in mind. Keep them low and easier to see for younger kids. Older kids can have a more challenging hunt with the cards being higher up as well as hidden in a more difficult manner.
• Start the Scavenger Hunt : On your signal, participants may search the scavenger hunt area for all event cards. Make sure to let them know how many there are in total so they know when they have them all.
• Placing Event Cards : Once an event card is found, it should be brought back to the timeline table. Each time a new card is found, the cards on the table should be rearranged to make sure all cards are in chronological order.
• Review and Discuss : Once the scavenger hunt is, gather everyone together to review the correct answers and discuss the historical significance of each event. Encourage participants to share what they learned and ask questions about the events.
• Challenge #1: To make this more challenging use a timer to see how fast the cards can be found and organized. Then re-hide the cards and repeat to see if the time can be beaten.
• Challenge #2: Turn this into a team event. Double the number of events on the timeline and divide into two teams, each with their own timeline table. On your signal everyone looks for events. Once all events have been found and placed the game ends. The team with the most events in correct order wins. If a team has any events out of order, they only receive points for the cards correctly placed in chronological order up to the error.

6. Timeline Bingo

Creating a timeline bingo game is a fun and educational activity that can help participants learn about historical events in a interactive way. Here’s a step-by-step guide to create your own timeline bingo game:

• Bingo Cards : Create or print bingo cards with a grid of squares (typically 5×5) with a date in each square that corresponds to an event on your timeline. Make sure every card is different. You can use free online bingo card generators to speed up the process such as myfreebingocards.com , or Classtools.net .
• Caller Cards : Index cards or small slips of paper with historical events written on them as well as the date the occurred.
• Markers : Tokens or stickers to mark the squares on bingo cards.
• Prizes : Optional, but consider small rewards or treats for winners.
• Choose one person to be the caller. This person will draw event cards one at a time and read out the historical event to the group.
• Participants then check their bingo cards to see if they have the corresponding date for that event. If they do, they mark the square with a token or sticker.
• The caller continues to draw event cards and read out the events until someone gets a bingo (five squares marked in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
• Alternatively, you can play for a blackout where all squares on the card must be marked.
• When a participant achieves bingo, they call out “BINGO!” and show their card to verify the marked squares. Each marked square should correspond to an event card that was read.
• If playing for a blackout, the game ends when someone successfully marks all squares.
• Provide prizes or rewards to the winner(s) if desired. This can be a small token or treat.

7. Diorama Timeline

Create miniature dioramas inside shoeboxes or on small platforms to represent different historical periods.

• Shoebox or Diorama Base : Choose a sturdy shoebox or a similar container as the base for your diorama.
• Construction Paper or Cardboard : For creating backgrounds and structures within the diorama.
• Scissors and Glue : To cut out shapes and secure elements in place.
• Miniature Figures or Objects : Representing characters, buildings, and objects relevant to each historical event.
• Markers, Paint, or Colored Pencils : For decorating and adding details to your diorama.
• Index Cards or Small Paper Slips : To write dates and descriptions for each event.
• Choose Historical Events : Select a series of historical events you want to depict in your diorama. Ensure they are diverse and cover different periods or themes relevant to your timeline.
• Divide your shoebox or diorama base into sections to represent different time periods or events. You can use cardboard or construction paper to create partitions.
• Sketch a rough layout or map out where each event will be positioned within the diorama.
• Use construction paper or cardboard to create backgrounds for each section of your diorama. For example, a forest scene for ancient events or a cityscape for modern events.
• Decorate the backgrounds with markers, paints, or colored pencils to add details and set the scene.
• Place miniature figures or objects within each section to represent characters and elements relevant to each historical event.
• Use clay, paper, or other craft materials to create buildings, landmarks, or objects associated with each event.
• Write the dates and brief descriptions of each historical event on index cards or small paper slips.
• Place these cards next to or within each section of your diorama to provide context and information for viewers.
• Add finer details to your diorama by painting or coloring figures and objects to match historical accuracy or artistic preference.
• Use textures and materials to create depth and realism, such as cotton for clouds or sand for terrain.
• Review your diorama timeline to ensure that the layout and representation of events are clear and accurate.
• Make any necessary adjustments or additions to enhance the overall presentation and storytelling.
• Once your diorama timeline is complete, present it to others and explain each event depicted.
• Discuss the significance of each event in relation to the overall historical timeline you’ve created.

8. Write a Timeline Song

Writing a timeline song allows you to combine your passion for history with creative expression, creating a unique and engaging way to share knowledge and stories with others.

• Decide on the historical events or period you want to focus on for your timeline song. Choose events that are significant and can be effectively summarized in song lyrics.
• Research the selected historical events thoroughly. Collect key dates, names, and details that you want to include in your song lyrics.
• Organize the events in chronological order to ensure the song flows logically from one event to the next.
• Decide on the overall structure of your song. Typically, a timeline song follows a verse-chorus format, but you can modify it to suit your creativity.
• Plan how each verse will cover different events or periods, and how the chorus will tie them together thematically.
• Start writing your lyrics based on the events you’ve researched. Aim for concise and descriptive lyrics that capture the essence of each event.
• Use rhymes and rhythms that fit the mood and style you want for your song. Experiment with different wordings and phrasings to find what works best.
• Integrate dates and specific details into your lyrics to accurately convey the timeline of events.
• Consider using repetition or patterns in your lyrics to emphasize important dates or events.
• Choose or create a melody that complements the mood and tempo of your lyrics. Consider the tone of the historical events you are covering.
• You can compose your own melody or adapt an existing tune that fits the style of your song.
• Arrange your lyrics and melody into cohesive verses and choruses. Ensure that the timeline of events flows smoothly and logically.
• Refine your song by reviewing and editing the lyrics for clarity, coherence, and emotional impact.
• Practice singing and performing your song to become familiar with the lyrics and melody.
• Rehearse with any accompanying instruments or backing tracks if applicable, to enhance the musical arrangement.
• Record your timeline song if you have access to recording equipment, or perform it live for an audience.
• Share your song with others to educate and entertain them about the historical events you’ve covered.

9. Memory Match Timeline Game

Create a memory card game where players match event cards with their corresponding dates.

Materials Needed

• Index cards or cardstock paper
• Markers or pens
• Ruler and scissors (if cutting your own cards)
• List of events with dates for the timeline
• Prepare the List of Events : Create a list of events that you want to include in the game. Each event should have a corresponding date.
• If you are using cardstock, cut it into uniform cards. You will need two sets of cards: one set for the events and another set for the dates.
• On one set of cards, write the events. Make sure each event is clearly written and easy to read.
• On the second set of cards, write the corresponding dates.
• Decorate the cards if you like, but make sure the writing remains clear and legible.
• You can use different colors or designs to differentiate between the event cards and the date cards.
• Shuffle the Cards : Mix the event and date cards separately to ensure they are well shuffled.
• Set Up the Game : Lay the cards face down in a grid pattern. The size of the grid will depend on the number of events you have chosen. For example, if you have 10 events, you will have a total of 20 cards, which could be arranged in a 4×5 grid.
• Players take turns flipping over two cards at a time. The goal is to match an event card with its corresponding date card.
• If a player makes a correct match, they keep the pair and take another turn.
• If the cards do not match, they are flipped back over, and the next player takes their turn.
• The game continues until all matches have been found.
• The player with the most matches at the end of the game wins.
• To make the game more educational, players can be required to say something about the event or date they match, such as a brief description or significance of the event.

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Free History Worksheets

Here you will find hundreds of free history worksheets designed by professional educators that can be adjusted for elementary, middle, or high school students.

These are nearly 500 student history worksheets in this package that cover all aspects of history, from Ancient Greece to World War One, World War Two, and the Cold War. The worksheets can be modified to accommodate K-12. Please feel free to share these on Pinterest or any other places where teachers’ resources are made available.  Included are full-color and black-and-white worksheets, word searches, quizzes, overviews, info graphs, diagrams, anagrams and activity sheets that provide everything you need to teach your class on any time period in history imaginable. Below are listed our currently available free student worksheets. More are to come.

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Fun History Project Ideas & Hands-On Activities

• Posted by by Maddie
• October 27, 2020

History lessons can be dry and boring if you rely completely on a dry and boring textbook. But there is a better way!

It’s so easy to make history come alive with the right books and resources. One of the best ways to make your history lessons fun and interesting is with well-planned hands-on history projects.

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No matter the time period you’re studying, there are some activity ideas you can easily include. Hands-on history projects are a wonderful way to make history lessons come alive for your kids. Now, you don’t need to do a hands-on project every day – but a few well-planned projects can make all the difference.

Hands-on history activities and projects can: 

• Give you a better understanding of the time and culture.
• Can help you see historical context and how events and people are related.
• Engage kids in their learning.

It’s so easy to become passive learners – read this, fill out that worksheet… blah… blah… blah… However, when we find ways to engage our kids in their learning, it makes such a difference. You can do this will read aloud, interesting assignments, and of course, hands-on projects and activities.

Engaging the minds (and hands) of our kids makes all the difference in their educational experience. Now that you’re convinced to add some hands-on fun to your homeschool day, how should you do it?

Don’t fill your days with meaningless activities. One well-planned and executed activity each week will go much further than a day filled with boring and mindless activities. Best of all, you don’t need a pile of activity books or resources. With just a handful of ideas that can be applied to any time period or culture will be just as useful.

I’ve put together my favourite ways in which we create hands-on learning experiences for History lessons, but as always I’d love to know yours too – so, if there’s one I’ve missed be sure to leave me a comment.

Learn About The Artists Of The Time

When you’re immersing yourself in the culture or time period, take a look at the art from that era or geographical area. Artists, their lives and artwork give us a glimpse of life during that time – how the people dressed and what was important to them.

• Create art using the same mediums as artists from that time period
• Use artwork as inspiration for your own creations
• Read biographies about the artist

Create A Lap Book

Lapbooks and notebooks are a great way to create a capsule of all the things your kids are learning.

They can create little mini-books and interactive booklets filled with details about the time period, the people, the culture… really, anything that interests them. They are a great choice for research assignments.

Kids can research a specific topic and include the information they find in their lap book or notebook. Best of all, a completed notebook or lap book becomes a great addition to your year-end portfolio – displaying everything your kids have studied and learned that year.

Immerse Yourself In The Time Period & Culture

Well-thought-out activities can really immerse you and your kids in the culture and time period of a certain people.

Confession: I know so much about ancient Egyptian history ( believe me, I knocked it out of the park watching a recent episode of Jeopardy and knew the answer to every question for that category! ).

Why did that happen? Because of how we’ve immersed ourselves in our lessons during that subject – researching maps, making our own fruity mummy, reciting a list of important pharaohs, reading the myths and stories of the people.

No matter the time period or country you’re studying you can apply this in a few different ways:

• Researching and creating costumes
• Making a meal using recipes from that country
• Reading the myths or legends of the country

Play A Game

I love to include games whenever I can – they are such a great learning resource – and who wouldn’t rather play a game than fill out a worksheet?

It can get expensive buying games for every time period you study. Instead, you can opt to find online games or purchase downloadable plans for games that you put together yourself (the bonus being it’s a great craft too!)

Tip: we love to listen to audiobooks while we color, cut out, and assemble our game boards.

Some of my favourite history games available include;

• BBC Interactive Games
• KS3 History Games
• Homeschool Giveaways
• Education.com
• Wonderfilled Days

Of course, this is just the beginning, a quick Google will help you find hidden gems specifically related to the person or time period your studying. For example, we did some work on Rosa Parks recently and simply googled ‘Rosa Parks Games’ you can add on a specific age or grade if you’re looking for something specific.

We had thousands of results and the top ten were more than sufficient to keep us going for a couple of weeks! I also found a whole host of new websites to bookmark and use as resources for the future which was a huge bonus.

Create A Map

Understanding how one country fits into the geography of an area brings a whole new level of understanding about that place. Taking time to study that country – its hills, borders, mountains, and other details – can help you see their culture and life in a new way.

You can look at historical atlases or maps. Alternatively, if you’re looking to incorporate crafts then download and print, then color in or even draw your own map of the area.

Consider taking it to the next level and making it even more hands-on by incorporating salt-dough, cookie dough or play dough. We recently covered the Olympics and how they are incorporated into our history both as a nation and worldwide, to make the learning experience more hands-on we followed this incredible salt dough DIY to make some super fun Olympic medals.

Build A 3D Model

Does the country or historical era you’re currently studying have any interesting buildings or inventions? These could be perfect 3D construction models. Either from pre-made kits available online or as a craft.

For example, the 1930s was the decade in which the Empire State Building was built in New York City. The 102-story Art Deco skyscraper is a fantastic demonstration of the architecture in the 1930s and leads onto a discussion surrounding building materials and skyscrapers / high rise building structures.

This free printable allows you to print off a model of the Empire State Building which can be made into a 3D model. Alternatively, consider using construction blocks such as Lego or Duplo .

Create A Timeline

A history timeline is a wonderful project that every middle school child should create. Seeing how historical events and people fit together gives them a better understanding of historical context and how all those events and people are interrelated.

You can create one large timeline for the whole period you are studying or, if that feels a bit overwhelming, smaller topic-based timelines can be just as useful.

Consider displaying this timeline in your homeschooling room, in a bedroom or storing it safely so you can get it out and reference/add to it as your knowledge of historical events improves. These free history timelines are perfect for getting you started .

You can look to take this to the next level with a family tree or family timeline too. This is a great way to discuss important dates such as the years grandparents were born and what special events happened during that year. Get the children to interview the member of the family about what life was like back then – they could even write a report on what life was like which leads us nicely onto our final history project idea.

Do Some Creative Writing

For those kids who love journaling and creative writing, history is a great place to let their creativity run wild. They can journal as if they lived during that time period, ‘interview’ a famous figure of the time, or create their own writing assignment ideas.

This is a great way for children to also improve on their spelling, grammar, research and more…

For a more long-term creative writing project, consider a newspaper. Publish a report once a week as you move through the years week by week. With 52 weeks in a year, you could cover 52 years and of course, this doesn’t have to start when newspapers started. Instead, you could report as though you’re living in Aztec times if you wanted.

Alternatively, you could adapt the reports depending on the time of year. For example, New Year’s eve in the 1930s, Halloween in the 1970s or Christmas in the 1870s.

If your kids are fond of being in front of the camera, consider getting them to record the report on a video camera instead of writing it down. They could even dress the part too.

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Leonardo da Vinci Art Projects For School Kids

Everything you wrote here is so inspiring! From my experience I know that using games is way more fun than flashcards or worksheets! And, as a bonus, most games require at least the skills of strategy and/or speed, too. Each parent should carefully watch their child and adjust the number of tasks to their abilities. It is better to do less practice than force your child to solve tasks which they no longer want to do and which can. We want our children to develop through play. Chess is the perfect example for this matter. Don’t try to play entire game from the very begining of your chess adventure. Use diagrams like those – net-bossorg/chess-puzzles-for-kids-by-maksim-aksanov. Perfect diagrams for the perfect start 🙂

Thank you for making this.

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• BookWidgets Teacher Blog

14 Creative Ideas to Take your History Classes to the Next Level

Teaching in an engaging, meaningful way is a challenge for all teachers. Fortunately, teachers now have many more resources than they did 15 years ago. History classes can now be more comprehensive but also interactive, engaging, and - dare I say- fun if the right strategies and activities are used.

In this blog post, I’ll share fourteen creative ideas to take your history classes to the next level . Some ideas can be implemented on paper or even using digital tools you already know and love. I have created mine using widgets, which are activity templates for teachers to add their own content.

Before I move on, remember you can use these history lesson activities for free by making a copy into your free BookWidgets account or by navigating to the BookWidgets Blog group folder with even more ready-to-use lessons.

Without further ado, let’s get to it! Below are my fourteen ideas to make your history classes more fun and engaging. 👇

1. Timeline

This type of history activity is extremely valuable, particularly for visual learners. Arranging information in a timeline, especially when we add visual resources, gives students a more comprehensive understanding of the subject we’re teaching. In this example, you can see a timeline activity about inventions. Students have to consider when each of the objects was invented. It’s a handy activity to teach about different eras of history, wars, dynasties and kingdoms, great eras, and any topic with a relevant chronological order.

💡 Pro tip! In BookWidgets, there are two types of timelines. One student can adapt, and one that’s static, solely used for learning. Check out this blog post with 39 more ready-to-use timeline widgets.

The example below shows the main topic ― World War I ― and its various ramifications. This mindmap makes students think about the multiple ramifications of the war and its consequences in several areas. Students have no trouble understanding that war is terrible and many people die. But how does it affect people’s daily lives? What are the consequences on the economy and the welfare of the countries involved?

Organizing the information helps students understand it more and draw parallels with contemporary times instead of memorizing who invaded whom and when.

💡 Pro tip! Check out other ways to encourage your students to organize information in this blog post .

3. Crossword puzzle

Who doesn’t like a good old crossword puzzle during a history lesson? There are many different reasons for using them in the classroom, such as introducing a new topic or reinforcing a subject learned in class, encouraging student collaboration and self-assessment. My suggestion today is to use a crossword puzzle for reviewing a topic previously learned. It is an effective way to refresh a topic your class has seen a while ago in a fun way. In this example, the descriptions of the words are facts that students have already learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

💡 Pro tip! There are endless possibilities of history and non-history topics to use in a crossword puzzle. Take a look at this blog post for more inspiration.

4. Word search

Similarly to the crossword puzzle, a word search activity has many possible uses. I use this word search history activity to introduce a new topic in this example. This digital word search combines the word search with a picture background that also gives the students a hint of the topic. If they look closer at the picture, they will see that the bridges and many buildings are destroyed. This visual aid helps them realize the topic is some war. But what war? To find that out, they’ll have to search for the words.

💡 Pro tip! With BookWidgets, teachers can display the words that need to be searched or hide them. Also, you can decide if you want the words also to be written backwards (from right to left) or diagonally so you can make it more challenging for your students. Want to make your word search more interesting? Take a look at this blog post and be inspired.

5. Flashcards

After this process is completed, the teacher can either give each student a set of paper cards for them to create their own. It has its pedagogical value but might be time-consuming. Alternatively, the teacher can make a Flashcards activity and share the link with the class. Students are more likely to go over the cards more often if they can access the set of flashcards on their phones, so having this digital resource is quite handy.

💡 Pro tip! You can let your students print the flashcards if needed! Just enable that option in your Flashcards widget. Find out even more about how you can use flashcards in your lessons. Check out this flashcards blog post to see how they can fit your lesson purposes.

Moreover, this interactive approach fosters social interaction, making learning more enjoyable and inclusive for diverse learners. Making it digitally with BookWidgets is time-saving for you as a teacher. You have to write (or copy-paste) a list of words you want on the cards, and BookWidgets will automatically generate different cards with as many words as you wish. Remember creating 30 different bingo cards by hand? How glad are you to be living in the digital era, huh?

💡 Pro tip! Use both text and images on your bingo cards. If you want more inspiration on using bingo in the classroom in 25 different ways and other subjects, check out this bingo post .

7. WebQuest

With a WebQuest, you give students flexibility and freedom, which motivates them. In history classes, WebQuests are perfect to allow students to go deeper into a topic that you, as a teacher, might need more time to go over.

WebQuest combines independent learning and microlearning, allowing students to learn effectively. In this video , you can see some more use cases of teaching with WebQuests.

I believe WebQuests and history classes are a match made in heaven to teach history creatively. Do give it a try. If you don’t know how to start, check out this WebQuest video tutorial . With this, you will bring your history classes to the next level. In the example below, you can see a WebQuest created to teach Greek Mythology.

💡 Pro tip! Use WebQuests to encourage self-regulated learning for your history lessons. Want to give SRL a try? Check out this blog post and ready-to-use SRL blueprint . All you have to do is add your history lesson materials.

8. Before/After

A great way to encourage students to reflect on the consequences of past events in our present lives is by making them compare how things ― for instance, a city, a neighborhood, or a continent ― were before and after that specific event. I’m a big fan of using visual aids with students and love how easy it is to find pictures online that I can use with students.

In this Before/After history activity, you can see two maps of Europe - one before and one after World War I by simply sliding the bar at the bottom of the picture. It is an innovative activity for the students to point out what’s different and to bring meaningful discussions about the consequences of losing or gaining territory and cultural influence after a war.

💡 Pro tip! In this blog post , we give you some ideas on where to find images and how to use them to boost your lessons.

9. Video quiz

Videos can be a fun resource to bring innovation into your classroom. Since we can find videos about virtually any topic, we can also use them in our history classes.

However, showing videos in class should ideally have a pedagogical reason or goal. Creating a quiz based on the video watched is an engaging history-teaching method. It tests students’ understanding of the topic and gives a lot of flexibility to you as a teacher.

I love combining video quizzes, in which students work alone, with group discussions so they can share their understanding and their opinions about the topic.

I’ve created the video quiz below to teach the Women’s Suffrage March in Washington. I’ve chosen four out of 35 different question types to complete this quiz and added questions to specific parts of the video. The video will then automatically stop so the students can answer the questions.

For instance, this fun activity can be used to celebrate International Women’s Day. Consider looking for original footage of important events like speeches by famous politicians and personalities.

💡 Pro tip! Video quizzes can have up to 36 different question types! You can even ask your students to answer multiple questions at the same point of time in the video. Get the most out of this Video-Quiz widget by checking out this blog post with 10 more video quiz lesson examples .

10. Split Worksheet

Not only videos but also authentic texts can be the source for an exciting history activity. In this split worksheet, we have on one side an article published in 1918 by The Sun, a New York paper, about women spies. On the other half of the split worksheet, we added seven different types of questions that the students should answer as they read the article.

The fact that both sides of the worksheet are independently scrollable makes this activity very convenient ― no need to turn the pages back and forth to go from the text to the questions. On a split worksheet, you can add articles or other PDF texts, pictures, embedded videos, and even audio.

💡 Pro tip! Here are 20 ready-to-use classroom activities to celebrate Women´s History Month.

11. Randomness

Randomness is a tool that can elevate the quality of history instruction. It can both test what the students have learned about a particular topic or prompt research on a topic you will address in the future. I’ve created a randomness game about women in history in the example below.

The idea is to divide the class into teams to compete against each other. The teams take turns, and by clicking on SPIN, they’ll get the name of a woman who has made history in the past (or is making history now) and two different questions about that person.

In this scenario, the names shown should already have been learned by the students, so this game works as a review.

If a group answers all questions correctly, it gets two points. If a group doesn’t know the answer to both questions about that person, the group sitting on its left has the chance to answer. If done correctly, they will get the points instead.

You can use it as a prompt to have the students do some research about those people as a class project.

💡 Pro tip! The randomness activity is so versatile that we’ve dedicated an entire blog post to it. Go check it out to grab some more history lesson ideas.

12. Memory Game

Using memory games in history class engages students in an interactive and enjoyable learning experience, making historical facts and events more memorable.

Additionally, seeing the information on the cards several times helps them retain information. If done in groups, they promote teamwork and collaboration, enhancing students’ social skills.

Memory games also cater to various learning styles, accommodating visual and auditory learners. You can use audio instead of text or images in case you want to make it accessible for students with visual impairment.

In the example below, students must match the revolutions’ names with their leaders.

💡 Pro tip! In the example above, I chose text-to-text, but you can add audio and images too!

13. Jigsaw Puzzle

Do jigsaw puzzles ever get old? Some students might like it more than others, but let’s face it, puzzles are easy to enjoy. I love using puzzles in history class to introduce a new topic.

You can assign a puzzle activity like you usually would, giving the same puzzle for all students to do. If you work with a digital tool, however, you can have students sit in groups and provide a different puzzle that depicts the same topic for each student.

For instance, if you are teaching about the Division of Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall, you can have your class divided into groups of three and give one different puzzle to each student of each group. After they do the puzzles separately, they should discuss as a group what topic those three pictures together might represent.

Check out the puzzle I’ve created with this image. There is also this puzzle and this other puzzle that depict the division of Germany.

💡 Pro tip! Add a reward word/ question or sound for when your students complete the puzzle! It can be something that brings extra value to your lesson. Ask them to reflect on the image they get when the jigsaw puzzle is completed.

Last but not least, a quiz is one of the most beloved activities for history classes. In this one, I’ve created five meaningful history questions to test students’ knowledge about the Age of Exploration.

There are 35 different question types to choose from on BookWidgets, which gives us a lot of flexibility and lets us get our creative juices flowing. Please take a look at the one I’ve created and let me know what other question types you think might be suitable for this topic.

💡 Pro tip! Did you know you can transform you own handouts to digital and fun quizzes? Read all about it here .

As you can see, there are a lot of ideas you can bring to your history class to take it to the next level. Your students will certainly appreciate the change of pace and challenges some of those activities bring. I’d like to know which of these activities is your favorite and what other ideas you have, so do share with us. Let us know on Twitter - X - and join our Facebook community to share your first history BookWidgets activity with other teachers.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn . I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

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HISTORY at Home Lessons & Activities

HISTORY at Home is a free video series of brief history lessons designed to teach, inspire and motivate. Check here Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings to see what new presenters can teach you about history, and be sure to download our “lesson plan” worksheets to test your knowledge after watching each video. Share your answers on our social media channels with #historyathome

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Fun Ways to Teach Historical Thinking Skills

6 activities & strategies that engage & build skills .

History class must be more than just studying events and figures from the past and memorizing dates- and thank gosh for that! Really exploring history and engaging students in history classes means that they genuinely explore the past and investigate, wrestle, and face the lessons of history in meaningful ways. This demands that students develop historical thinking skills.

Luckily, it can be incredibly engaging to do so. However, it can also be daunting to develop those higher order thinking skills! This can be especially challenging if you teach in an inclusion class with mixed ability learners who really struggle with critical thinking skills. These are some fun activities I have used to teach historical thinking skills and build them during the year.  I hope they help!

SKILL: Historical Interpretation & Synthesis

Historical Interpretation means that students can combine various sources and evidence to develop insight into the past and make original connections to it. It can be one of the most challenging to teach, but also the most fun!

ACTIVITY 1: Scavenger Hunt

This can be done at the end of pretty much any unit. I recently did it for a Progressive Era unit. Students did a “Progressive Era Legacy Scavenger Hunt” around campus and had to take 3 pictures of things that could be seen as having a clear connection to the progressive era.  Students made a quick powerpoint presentation and had to explain the connection. Some connections were quite a stretch- like the school garden being a legacy of Roosevelt’s conservation, but it helped them look at the present with a critical eye towards the past and its impact and develop some synthesis skills! 

SKILL: Comparison

Comparison is a skill that students develop in most of their classes but is essential for understanding history, recognizing trends, and analyzing figures, periods, and events. But to make it more meaningful to history- make sure to pull the story and personalities out of the comparison!

ACTIVITY 2: Dinner Party 

This is a fun one that seems light and easy to pull students in but will get them to really think critically about differences between historical figures and their ideas.  With a simple image of a table with four to six seats on each side of the table, have students create seating arrangements based on which people would work and get along best together and who would likely get into fierce arguments and should sit far apart. After studying any unit with multiple figures like the Renaissance, Antebellum Era, the Civil Rights Movement, or Ancient Civilizations, give students a list of people they have studied and have them make their arrangements and justify their choices.  This goes so much beyond a venn-diagram while still being a relatively simple activity to create and complete that is still fun and rigorous!

SKILL: Chronological Reasoning &  Change Over Time

History is fundamentally the story and study of change and continuity over time. While memorizing dates is not essential, understanding how events build and develop over time is a fundamental historical thinking skill.

ACTIVITY 3: Spicy Timelines

Timelines can be used all the imte in history class, but keep them interesting and spicey by mixing it up!

1) Bell Ringer Timelines:

Quick and easy- post a series of events from the unit or last class and have students make a ‘quick & dirty’ timeline. 

2) Presidential Timelines:

This could also build some ‘periodization’ skills as students not only sort events in order but organize them in order but also by President. You can give students a bank of important events and have them organize and sort them or for more advanced learners, have them work from scratch.

3) Illustrated Timelines:

As easy and fun as it sounds- students draw images for the events of the timeline to foster some creativity and deeper connections.

4) POV Timelines:

This one builds another historical thinking skill- understanding point-of-view and some historical empathy as well.  I did this last year for the “ Road to Pearl Harbor ” and for each event, they not only summarize it, but then there are two boxes to explain how the Japanese and Americans viewed this even differently. Two birds, one stone, and some engaging history!

BONUS : When kids really need a break and some fun- grab big chalk and do these outside on sidewalks or on the parking lot.

If you have any other awesome timeline ideas, I would love to hear them. I’m always looking to add more spicy to my timeline activities!  😉

SKILL: CAUSATION

Cause and effect are fundamental skills in the study of history and even in high school, its surprising how much students struggle with it. It took me years to realize that students actually need a lot of support in developing this skills! Here's an easy way to build this into your class any day of the year.

ACTIVITY 4 : Simple Sentence Starter

This can be used for any topic and its simple but can be powerful as well.  Simply project or write this sentence frame and watch as students come up with many different effects and answers.

“If _______ never happened, than _______.” The simplicity is what makes this interesting.  For the Columbian Exchange, World War II, Neolithic Revolution, or Revolutionary War, students first have to consider what did change and then have to brainstorm how things would be different without that event. I sometimes then have students share with their neighbors or in small or groups, or even more fun- have everyone stand up and they can only sit down after reading there’s. All students can share and be successful! 

Activity 5: Scaffolded Cause and Effect Chart 

For a given event, print out 3-4 causes and effects each one on a full size paper (its more fun that way!) and scramble them. Give them to students in groups and first have them sort them into cause and effects. (Starts simple!) Next, have students put them in order of greatest significance- what was the main cause and most important effect? (Building complexity). Lastly, have students justify their answers- “X was the most important cause because ____”.  This helps diverse learners build skills one step at time without being overwhelmed and while being mostly hands on it also gets students writing and thinking critically.

SKILL: SOURCING DOCUMENTS

The shift to prioritizing primary sources has been vital in enriching our social studies classes.  It really gets students wrestling with the past on its own terms! And learning how to source documents and think critically about the document itself- the elements behind the document is essential. One of the most popular ways to do this is using SOAPS- which is excellent but make sure to introduce SOAPS with a little spice!

ACTIVITY 6: Spicy SOAPS

To ensure students enjoy doing SOAPS and learn the skills involved, give students rich and accessible sources to start with.

This could be an advertisement for a Coke from the 1920s, cave paintings, a medieval knight’s armor, a receipt from a silk road merchant, or a Picasso painting, just don’t give them a long-winded convoluted text from another century! Analyzing the the Lascaux cave paintings, or a magazine ad for a coke, students will enjoy considering the S ubject, O ccasion (understanding context!), A udience and who would be influenced by it, P urpose, and identifying what we know about the S peaker (or artist).  If student’s first experience with an analysis strategy like SOAPS is positive, they are much more likely to enjoy it when they are given a really challenging document next time.  SOAPS could be used weekly as its a vital skill and essential to multiple historical thinking skills.

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Click to learn how to make history to come alive while bringing the joy back to teaching & learning!

retired teacher – supervise Student teachers now – my students loved creating Concert T’s timelines – front was name of band/tour with graphic (all related to the time period covering) on back – dates/events in order can even have them create the title of a song that goes with the event/date/person listed

How I use a timeline in class: In both history and math I start the school year having students create a timeline of their life (birthday through first day of this school year). 10 personal events on bottom and 10 world events on top. Showing an example of my timeline gives me an opportunity to share myself. I then get to know a bit about my students. In math I emphasize relative placement of events (9/11 is closer to 2002 than 2001) and in history it’s a good way to help students realize they are living in historical times now.

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5 Super Fun History Project Ideas: Bring the Past to Life with Creativity

Uncovering the Past with Creativity and Fun for Curious Learners

History is awesome! By adding creativity and incorporating art into your history lessons, teachers can engage and inspire their students to get excited about the past. In this article, we'll share five super fun history project ideas that you can use in your classroom to bring the past to life with creativity:

Medieval European Society and the Coat of Arms

Explore the origins, development and significance of the coat of arms in medieval times and how it played a vital role in shaping the identity and legacy of early medieval European society, particularly the noble class.

Lesson suggestion:

• Research: Students will learn what coat of arms are and what symbols they can have. They will understand that coat of arms were used in medieval times to show who a person was and what family they belonged to.
• Analysis: Students will learn about how people in medieval Europe used coat of arms and why it was necessary. They will know that different colours and symbols on a coat of arms have different meanings.
• Creation: Students will create their own coat of arms by choosing symbols and colors representing themselves. They can also create a coat of arms for their family.
• Presentation: Students will present their coat of arms to the class, explaining what their symbols and colours represent.
• Reflection: Students will think about what they have learned about medieval times and coat of arms, and how people today use symbols to represent themselves.

This project is meant to give a general idea on how the subject of coat of arms can be introduced to elementary students, but as every class is different, the teacher might want to adjust it to the level and interest of the students.

Incorporate art and creativity into this history project idea by using our creative printable worksheet below:

History of Time Keeping, Clocks and Watches

The history of timekeeping is intriguing for various reasons—particularly the progression of timekeeping devices and the advancement of technology and precision throughout the centuries.

• Research: Students will learn how people have measured time throughout history, such as through sundials and clocks. They will also understand how time has been used in different cultures and historical periods.
• Analysis: Students can explore how people use timekeeping devices in their daily lives and how people use the concept of time in their daily activities, such as scheduling, planning, and punctuality.
• Creation: Students can design a clock or watch representing a specific historical period or cultural style
• Presentation: Students will present their clock or watch to the class and explain what they have learned about timekeeping.
• Reflection: Students will think about how knowing how to tell time is important in their daily lives and why it is essential to measure time.

The History of the US Postal Service

Throughout its history, the US Postal Service has played an essential role in the expansion and development of a young United States by connecting people and businesses across the country and helping to bind the nation together.

• Research: Students will learn about the history of the Postal Service in the United States, such as when it started, key figures and milestones, and how its role has changed over time.
• Analysis: Students will learn how the Postal Service helps people and businesses communicate and send things to each other. They will learn about the different types of mail that can be sent, and how mail is sorted and delivered.
• Exploration: Students will learn about new technology and how it has changed how we send mail today, such as email and online messaging. They will explore new ways of communicating and sending things in today.
• Creation: Students will create a picture or a craft that represents the future of the US Postal Service and what it will do.
• Presentation: Students will present their creations to the class and explain what they have learned about the Postal Service.
• Reflection: Students will explore the role of the Postal service in their own lives and how it continues to be important in the modern era.

Incorporate art and creativity into this history project idea by using our creative printable worksheet to tie up your project with an activity involving a reimagining of the US Postal Service:

History of Chinese Ceramics and the Ming Period

The history of Chinese porcelain is rich and varied. This ancient craft stretches back thousands of years. One of the most significant and notable periods in Chinese porcelain was the Ming dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644.

• Research: Students will learn about Chinese ceramics, what they are and how they were made. They will learn about the different types of Chinese ceramics and the patterns, colours and designs that are used.
• Analysis: Students will learn about how Chinese ceramics have changed over time. They will also explore why ceramics were important in the past for people in China.
• Creation: Students will create and design their own ceramics inspired by the Chinese ceramics from the Ming period.
• Presentation: Students will present their ceramic designs to the class and explain what they have learned about Chinese ceramics from the Ming period.
• Reflection: Students will think about how Chinese ceramics have changed over time, how they were used in ancient China, and also how different cultures have different ceramics.

Ancient Egypt: Famous Sites, People and Icons

Ancient Egypt is one of history's most iconic and fascinating ancient civilizations. Its hieroglyphs, mummies, and impressive monumental architecture have captured the imagination of people for centuries and continue to be a source of fascination and study for historians, archaeologists, and the general public alike.

• Research: Students will learn about ancient Egypt, and some of its most famous landmarks, such as the pyramids and the sphinx. They will also learn about some famous people from ancient Egypt, such as the pharaohs, and some symbols and art such as hieroglyphs.
• Analysis: Students will learn about how ancient Egyptians lived and how they built their famous landmarks. They will also learn about some of the most famous pharaohs and their accomplishments.
• Creation: Students can draw famous sites, people, or symbols from ancient Egypt and understand the symbolism and meaning behind different elements in these artworks.
• Presentation: Students will show their illustrations to the class and explain what they have learned about ancient Egypt and its famous sites, people, and symbols.
• Reflection: Students will think about how the ancient Egyptians built the famous landmarks and discuss which the landmarks, people and icons today will last a thousand years.

The five super fun history project ideas shared in this article are just a starting point and can be adapted and expanded upon to suit the needs and interests of your students. By making history come to life, we can help students develop a love for learning and an understanding of how the past shapes the world we live in today.

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PBL and Genius Hour Supplement Printable Bundle (K-3) - 2023 Edition

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An excellent resource for teachers, subs, parents and caregivers looking for fun and creative activities to keep kids busy and learning. It's perfect for use in the classroom, at home or on the go. With so many activities to choose from, kids will never be bored!

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100+ American History Lessons and Activities for Homeschoolers

You won’t run out of ideas for teaching history with this list of 100+ American history lessons and activities .

Exploring the history of the United States can easily be much more than just reading dry text books and memorizing a bunch of dates from the past.  It doesn’t have to be boring! Many of our fellow homeschoolers would agree that it can easily be filled with fun American history activities , living books, field trips, and more.

There are so many interesting people and notable events to learn about when studying American history in middle school.

That’s where this ultimate list comes in. I want to help you make your history lesson plans as engaging as possible. Use these ideas, which include unit studies, note booking pages, crafts, recipes, and DIY projects to make history come to life for your middle schooler.

See what exciting things you can do in history this week.

Table of Contents

American History Lessons and Activities Make History Fun

Colonial america.

• 5 Easy Colonial America Map Activities for Kids
• 6 Resources for Studying Famous Women in History
• 10 Living Books to Teach Early American History
• 13 Colonies Travel Brochure
• Colonial Games for Children
• Colonial Hands-on History Projects
• Discover the 13 Colonies Notebooking and Activity Unit  
• Exploring the 13 Colonies – Books, Videos, and Movies
• Hands on History: American Revolution Activities
• Hands on History Ideas for Colonial Times
• Historical Cooking: Native American Corn Recipes
• Jamestown Resources
• Jamestown Unit Study with Food and Building Projects
• Native American Unit Study
• Pilgrim and Wampanoag Daily Life
• Resources for Studying Jamestown
• Studying Early American History at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
• The First Thanksgiving: Myth or Facts
• DIY Wattle & Daub House 

American Revolution

• American Revolution Steps to War Lesson Ideas
• American Revolution Timeline Resources
• Ben Franklin: Inventions and Hands-on History
• Benjamin Franklin Lesson Ideas
• Ben Franklin Notebooking Pages
• Homeschooler’s Guide to Benjamin Franklin
• Betsy Ross Notebooking Pages
• Declaration of Independence Unit Study
• Freedom at Last Unit Study
• Historic Philadelphia Learning Guide
• Liberty Bell Notebooking Pages
• The Liberty Bell Timeline & Trivia
• The Shot Heard Round the World Lesson Ideas
• Study the American Revolution by Combining Art and History
• War is Brewing Unit Study

Westward Expansion   

• 6 Easy Pioneer Recipes to Make with Your Teen
• 6 Pioneer Crafts for Teens to Make
• American Pioneer Books and Resources for Middle School
• American Pioneer Hands-on Activities
• American Pioneer Notebooking and Activity Unit for Middle School
• Books for Westward Expansion and Early Industrial Revolution
• California Gold Rush Notebooking Unit for Middle School
• Celebrating Lewis and Clark
• Covered Wagon Learning Activities
• Gold Rush and Wild West Reading List for Teens
• Hands on History: Early American Quilting
• Homeschool History Helps: The Alamo
• Learning About Annie Oakley, a Wonderful Women of the Wild West
• Lewis and Clark Animal Discovery Journal
• Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea Unit Study
• Lewis & Clark Learning Resources
• Oregon Trail Unit Study
• Pioneer Life – 8 Learning Activities for Kids
• Pony Express, Gold Rush, and the Transcontinental Railroad Unit Study
• War of 1812
• Westward Expansion Unit Study

The Civil War

• Civil War Hands-on Activities for Kids
• Civil War Notebooking Pages
• Georgia Civil War Field Trips and Resources
• History Quest – Habeas Corpus & the Civil War
• Slavery and the Civil War Unit Study
• Underground Railroad Simulation

Late 1800s to Present

• 5 Notable Black Inventors
• 10 Living Books to Teach Modern American History
• Balto and The Iditarod Trail Unit Study
• Experience the Great Depression Through Movies
• High School Modern American History Course Ideas
• Historical Fiction Series – The Titanic
• Lessons from Thomas Edison
• The Life of George Eastman – Founder of Eastman Kodak Company
• Martin Luther King Jr. Unit Study
• Resources for Studying World War II
• Statue of Liberty Notebooking Pages
• The Story of Tin Lizzy Unit Study
• What Caused World War I?
• World War I – How Did the US End Up There?
• World War I Writing Assignment
• World War II Movies to Watch with Your Kids

American Presidents

• Homeschool History Helps: The American Presidents
• Learning About Abraham Lincoln
• Learning History with Disney Education American Presidents DVDs
• Lincoln and Washington President Cookies
• Presidents of the United States Unit Study
• Presidents Notebooking Pages
• United States Presidents Fun Fact Cards
• Using a Presidential Election to Teach Civics

General American History Resources

• 10 American History Books Kids Will Love
• 10 American History Read Alouds
• 10 Hands-On History and Geography Activities for Kids
• 4 Shortcuts to Teach Hands-on History
• 5 American History Resources for Middle School
• American Girl Meets Minecraft
• American History Timeline Resource
• Board Games Make History Fun
• Hands-on Ideas for Studying Democratic Rule
• How to Get Your Kids to HATE History
• How to Use American Girl to Study History
• FREE State Notebooking Pages
• Social Studies Actual Size
• Sure Fire Secrets to Bring American History to Life
• Teach Early American History Using Videos
• Teaching Life Skills: Flag Etiquette
• Virtual Field Trips to Washington DC
• Women’s History Unit Study Resources

American History Curriculum

• America Themed Literacy Packs, Fun Facts Cards, Notebooking Pages and more!
• Exploring Government Curriculum Review
• History and Geography Curriculum Resources & Reviews
• Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers History Studies
• Homeschool Moms Share – Favorite History Curriculum
• What I’ve Learned Homeschooling with Tapestry of Grace

What are your family’s favorite American history lessons and activities?

Looking for 100 more ideas?  The bloggers of iHN are sharing 100 posts, each with 100 ideas!

Fabulous round-up! Thanks!

We enjoy History and Geography in our home school. In fact my oldest was in an American Girl Doll play at our co-op and super surprised us with her performance. My husband and I also created a new version of the 50 States and Capitals song in which we started in the NE and moved our way west very methodically. We thought it would be easier to learn that way and be more mentally appealing for kids and grown-ups. Hop you get a chance to listen! Thanks for the resources! Stephanie

Stephanie – I love the song!! I will be sure to share it, I know other homeschool families will find it fun and helpful too. Great job!!!

Thank you for your feedback Susan! It means a lot, and thank you for sharing. We hope home schools everywhere will really find it effective.

• Pingback: Our Favorite Homeschool American History Resources - The Curriculum Choice

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Top World History Resources for the Classroom

By The TFA Editorial Team

January 11, 2017

Whether you’re looking to kick your lesson planning into high gear or just need a few extra fun factoids and anecdotes to cap off your world history curriculum this school year, TeacherPop has a few suggestions to make the history of the world even more interesting for your students. Check out these top world history resources to keep your students at the edge of their seats!

SHEG’s World History Lessons

From Stanford History Education Group, these  world history lessons  are a great resource for students and teachers to use to learn and create engaging curriculum surrounding the history of the world. From the pyramids of Egypt to China’s Cultural Revolution, teachers can access detailed lesson plans on any number of interesting historical topics from all over the world. The fine folks at SHEG already have nearly 40 world history lessons available, and even more are on the way.

Children & Youth in History

There’s no better way to teach the history of the world to your students than from the perspective of children their own age.  Children & Youth in History  provides teachers the opportunity to scour primary sources about youth in history and even offers a  handy guide  for students on how to get started accessing the vast array of resources that have been collected.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The  online exhibitions  housed on the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are a valuable resource for teaching students about the Holocaust. Teachers can create lessons around important topics like  anti-Semitism  and what  Jewish life  was like in Europe prior to the Holocaust. There are also a number of  online activities  and research projects students can participate in by accessing the museum’s collection of resources.

KidsPast.com

KidsPast.com  offers students and teachers the opportunity to “take a blast through the past” with a number of interactive games and online activities that make learning about history fun and engaging. And whether you’re creating a history lesson on prehistoric humans or the French Revolution, you’ll find KidsPast.com’s free online textbook to be an important tool.

History Channel

Looking to complement your history lessons with  video clips and audio  from celebrated speeches and interviews of the 20 th  and 21 st  centuries? The History Channel features a great collection of audio clips from some of the most famous recorded moments of recent history.

Teaching History

TeachingHistory.org  is perfect for students and teachers interested in learning how to think like historians. This site features plenty of lesson plan guides and other teaching materials to help teachers shape their world history curriculum into one that’s fun and engaging for both teacher and student. Be sure to check out their  website reviews  section for even more valuable resources for teaching your children about the history of the world.

PBS LearningMedia Crash Course

PBS offers the best in digital education with its  Crash Course  series on world history. Students can watch engaging and imaginative videos ranging in topics from the dawn of human civilization to the fall of the Roman Empire.

National Geographic

This famed magazine hosts a  wide array of articles on its website covering almost every imaginable facet of world history from the fall of the Soviet Union to the face of a 9,500-year-old-man. Take some time to browse its collection of engaging stories and features for great material to round out your world history lesson planning.

Do you have a favorite world history resource you utilize in your classroom? Share your suggestions on Facebook and Twitter and let us know. 

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15 Activities & Websites to Teach Kids About Historical Timelines

Chain-links, roadmaps, and more.

Events in our history, however important, can be a bit challenging for students to grasp. This is especially true when the story is complex. Visualizing the chain of events can help bring concepts to light. We’ve come up with this list of amazing and engaging ways for you to teach historical timelines to your students.

1. Make a Chain-Link Timeline

Students can transform strips of paper into an exciting and informative chain-link timeline of events!

Learn more: The Owl Teacher .

2. Use Felt Animals for Pre-History

Re-use the felt over and over again!

Learn More: The Ophoffs.com

3. Create a Virtual Timeline

Create engaging historical timelines for elementary students on this website tool.

Learn more: Read, Write, Think . 

4. Storyboard a Timeline

Each box can include an orienting heading and illustration to create a fun historical timeline! 

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5. Explore The Knotted Line

Check out this artistic and interactive timeline that allows students to explore freedom in U.S. history.

Learn more: The Knotted Line . 

6. Use an Online Timeline Maker

This tool makes creating historical timelines very simple, which is great for younger students! 

Learn more: Softschools . 

7. Craft a Clothesline Timeline

Kids can draw or cut out photographs and hang them to create a historical timeline that’s easy to rearrange. 

Learn more: Second Grade Smiles .

8. Use This Printable Road to History

Take your students on a road trip through some of the most notable moments in history. 

Learn more: Sabrina’s History Corner . 

9. Craft a Colorful Road Map Timeline

Using poster boards, students can draw a road and create street signs for dates. Then, they can use cars to represent the events!

10. Create Timeline Pennants

There’s just something so fun about using pennants to retrace history. 

Learn more: Literacy in Focus .

11. Make ‘My Life’ Timelines

One of the best ways to teach students about timelines is to have them tell their own story!

Learn more: MsT Makes Things .

12. Incorporate a Basic Timeline Template

This basic template is the perfect blank template when it comes to teach historical timelines.

Learn more: Josie’s Classroom .

13. Use Sutori

This imaginative and interactive tool is an easy and flexible solution for all kinds of classrooms. 

Learn more: Sutori

14. Collaborate With Visme

Teachers and students can easily collaborate with these timeline templates!

Learn more: Visme

15. Put Together a Puzzle Timeline

Let students put the pieces of history’s puzzle together with this creative historical timeline!

Did we miss any activities or websites that help teach historical timeline? Share your favorites by leaving a comment!

Keep the historical fun going with these  10 Primary Source Lessons Every American History Teacher Should Teach .

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Each lesson, you can choose how you learn: watch a documentary, engage with historical sources, research online or read high-quality articles. No matter which you choose, you will have a specific worksheet to help you complete the lesson. Afterwards, test your knowledge with a short quiz and then enjoy extra activities to fuel your interest in the past.

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https://www.historyskills.com/2017/01/23/letting-students-choose-their-own-lesson/

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Leutze, E. (1851). Washington crossing the Delaware. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Item No. 97.34. Public Domain. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze,_MMA-NYC,_1851.jpg

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The Vikings Task Cards Ancient Civilizations Fun Activities

Subject: Primary science

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

27 October 2024

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Embark on an educational adventure in “Social Studies, History” with our captivating “The Vikings Task Cards Ancient Civilizations Fun Activities”, expertly crafted to engage and enlighten students in grades 5, 6, 7. This collection boasts up to 60 Color and B&W task cards, each offering a distinct and compelling scenario designed to stimulate young learners. Centered around “Choose the correct answer” activities, this set ensures a comprehensive exploration of “Social Studies, History”.

What’s Inside?

Discover 60 Color and B&W task cards within this package, each featuring scenarios that will maintain student interest and motivation. The “The Vikings Task Cards Ancient Civilizations Fun Activities” product aims to foster critical thinking and deepen understanding of the subject matter.

Flexible Use

These task cards are adaptable at their core, making them ideal for any educational environment. These cards excel in every situation, perfect for small group learning, invigorating large group discussions, or individual practice. They are a great addition to daily centers and can be used for homework, extra practice, or classroom activities, ensuring an enjoyable and productive learning experience.

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