Social Scientist Teacher Resources

In this social scientist learning exercise, learners respond to 10 matching and short answer questions about the work of economists, archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and political scientists.

Between 1957 and 1962, thousands of infants born in Canada, Great Britain, and Germany had serious deformities due to thalidomide, a drug marketed to pregnant women as a mild sleeping aid and to relieve pregnancy nausea. However, the...

Middle schoolers examine different areas of social studies and tell classmates about what social scientists do. They work in small groups: each group member researches a different social science focus, then presents to the class.

Using video clips along with primary and secondary documents, scholars analyze the life of George Washington Carver, one of America's best scientists and inventors. Class members then create music, posters, and skits about this amazing...

Increased oxytocin helps people read facial expressions with greater accuracy. Video explores the way this hormone impacts social interactions and highlights the way scientists perform research to confirm the findings. Then the video...

Introduce your class to Benjamin Banneker, self-taught mathematician and scientist, with a short video that details some of the many accomplishments of the son of freed slaves and contemporary of Thomas Jefferson.

MIT Professor Cynthia Breazeal is a pioneer in the field of social robotics. Introduce your classes to this amazing woman with a colorful poster that details some of her many accomplishments.

Is peace simply the absence of war, or is there more to the story? Young social scientists define peace in the second installment of a 15-part series. Groups work together to explore cultural concepts of peace and the peacemaking process...

What role does trust play in diffusing a tense situation? Young social scientists explore trust on a personal and global level during a lesson on peace and conflict. After participating in a trust sit, participants work in groups to...

The question of how to balance Fourth Amendment Rights with national security concerns becomes critical in an age of planned terrorist attacks, election interference, and fake news. Get young social scientists involved in the debate with...

A short video interview with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. provides young social scientists with an opportunity to hear directly from King about his commitment to non-violent organized resistance and why he believed it is the most powerful...

Which electricity pioneer made the largest contribution to where we are today? Pupils select a scientist or inventor to research and present to the class. From Celcius in 1701 to Ed Hammer in 1976, many scientists contributed to the...

If a tree is infected with bugs in a forest, can it warn the neighboring trees? Amazingly, this communication happens regularly. Scholars observe the phenomenon and learn how scientists discovered the way fungus works as a neural network...

Help middle schoolers conduct Internet research and develop a working definition for the discipline of social studies. From a list of websites, they develop classification skills and differentiate between primary and secondary sources....

Philosopher John Locke's ideas about tabula rasa, natural rights, the social contract, and how these ideas influenced Thomas Jefferson are the focus of an information packet that also includes worksheets, games, and a writing prompt.

While millennials may consider themselves less prejudiced than previous generations, an interview with a scientist researching racial bias suggests that may not be the case. The short video demonstrates just how unconscious racial bias...

Many are aware of the mummies found in the tombs of Egypt. But in addition to the mummified bodies of the ancient pharaohs like King Tut, archaeologists also found cat mummies, dog mummies, and alligator mummies. In a video interview,...

Alexander Hamilton serves as a model in a lesson that asks young political scientists to consider the strengths and weaknesses of six different leadership styles. They read a brief overview of Hamilton's activities before, during, and...

Scientists study all sorts of things. For example, studies show that it feels good to feel grateful. Feeling grateful also contributes to physical health and strengthen relationships. In the second lesson about gratitude, class members...

Traditionally, a United States President's Inaugural Address establishes the tone and vision for his presidency. It has stressed the goal to unify the country and bring the political parties together after what are often divisive...

Students explore nuclear scientists.  In this nuclear science research lesson plan, students choose a scientist who has contributed to nuclear theory, research his/her life and accomplishments, and write a paper. Students generate...