Technology Tools for Social Studies

MEDS206 – Elementary and Secondary Social Studies

Sir Paul Manuel D. Valdezco
Educators are looking for ways to help students 3. Lucidchart is a Chrome add-on 7. CK-12 Flexbooks
participate in a digital world, but the choices for digital that Langenhorst’s teachers allow teachers on a
engagement in the classroom can be overwhelming. often use in conjunction with tight budget to either
Many teachers have little to no money to pay for other Google products, like Docs create their own
premium versions of apps and are looking for quick or Slides. content or look at content that’s already added.
and easy ways to determine how an app works. They The resources are free and high quality, so
must also consider why it might be useful for their 4. iCivics is a free web-based resource that brings teachers can pick what’s applicable to their unit or
teaching practice. interactive and engaging Civics content to needs and package them in one neat Flexbook.
classrooms in the form of games, lesson plans and
Rachel Langenhorst helps teachers in her district find other digital content. Founded by Sandra Day 8. Socrative has long been a
solutions for those issues. O'Connor, iCivics puts students in civic roles and favorite in many classrooms
asks them to solve real-world issues. The games for the easy formative
1. Explee is a video have great audio, decent video assessment it offers. In
scribing tool that and feel like commercial games. social studies, Langenhorst
simulates the effect of “It is phenomenal,” Langenhorst notes, it’s particularly
sketchnoting and allows said. “I can’t wait to share this important to make sure
students to find and add with more people.” students understand how events are building upon
images, text, video clips one another and influencing what comes next. The
or audio to a workspace. 5. Padlet is a digital bulletin app offers exit tickets and quick clicker services,
board that has been around but also a “space race” that Langenhorst likes.
2. Symbaloo is an organizational tool Langenhorst for several years and is often
has found to be helpful in libraries and social cited as a favorite among 9. Kahoot.it creates interactive quizzes that have a
studies classes, especially with younger students. educators. gameshow quality to them. “If your kids are like
The desktop or mobile app helps keep track of ours, and they’re always
websites students are often using, displaying them wanting to interact and be
as an easy-click icon. Kids can competitive, this is great,”
6. Flipsnack allows students to create a short
quickly click on the Langenhorst said.
interactive book (15 pages on a free account).
application they need,
eliminating slow typing and
saving a lot of class time.

1|Page
 10. Educreations is another
presentation tool that can aid
in flipping the classroom or
letting kids explain their
thinking. “Educreations allows
students to record their voice,
draw and import pictures,”
Langenhorst said.
11. Nearpod is great in one-to-
one classrooms of little kids. It
lets the teacher control how
and when the screen advances.
Little kids often want to click or
swipe on everything, but
Nearpod keeps them on task.
12. The PowToon web-based app allows students to
make animated videos. They can choose music
and make it look fairly professional without too
much technical know-how. “This would be a great
way to reenact something,” Langenhorst said.
2|Page
15. The best way to set up a live Mentimeter in the
classroom is to, once you have created your quiz
as per usual, share the
presentation on a big
screen or smartboard
(rather than sharing your
screen in a call with your
students).
13.
16. With Edpuzzle, you can make any video your
lesson in three easy steps: Find a video on
YouTube, upload your own or re-use a video
lesson created by another teacher. Then, edit the
Bitstrips has been around for a long time, but is video to create your lesson. Record your voice to
still a “goodie” in Langenhorst’s opinion. It's a tool personalize it, and hold your students accountable
that allows students to summarize or display what by embedding questions in the video.
they know by choosing characters and
constructing scenes.
14. Pear Deck is an interactive presentation tool
used to actively engage students in individual and
social learning. Teachers can 17. Quizizz is a creativity
use Pear Deck to create software company used
interactive presentations in class, group works,
that allow students to work pre-test review, exams,
independently to respond unit test, and
to various questions impromptu tests.
throughout the 'deck'.
18. Canva is a graphic design platform, used to create
social media graphics, presentations, posters,
 documents and other visual content. The app
includes templates for users to use.

3|Page