About this episode

This episode discusses effective methods for teaching history skills to upper elementary and middle school students.

Quick note: This episode is a repost, but it’s a great one to revisit as you plan simple, engaging ways to help students build stronger history skills. Welcome to Part 2 of the Social Studies Summer Series! In this episode, we’re talking all about how to teach history skills in a way that feels meaningful and engaging for upper elementary and middle school students. History is more than memorizing dates and people from the past. It’s about helping students make connections, ask questions and understand how events and decisions shaped the world we live in today. I’ll share straightforward tips and activity ideas to help students connect history to the present, explore primary sources, think like detectives and reflect on the lessons we can learn from the past. Whether you’re mapping out your social studies plans for next year or looking for fresh ways to make history more interactive, this episode will give you practical ideas you can use in your classroom. Episode Highlights In this episode, you’ll hear ideas for: Connecting history to today Using primary sources with upper elementary students Helping students explore history like detectives Bringing historical events and people…

People in this episode

Host: Kirsten Hammond

Topics covered

• teaching history skills
• upper elementary education
• middle school education
• engaging students
• critical thinking
• primary sources

Keywords

• history skills
• engaging history
• primary sources
• critical thinking
• social studies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Southern Teach LLC

More episodes of The Social Studies Teacher Podcast

• 10 Must-Have Teacher Supplies for the Upper Elementary Classroom · July 15, 2026 · 21 min
• 5 Mistakes New Social Studies Teachers Make (and How to Fix Them) · July 8, 2026 · 24 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 5: How to Teach Economics Skills · June 19, 2026 · 19 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 4: How to Teach Government/Civics Skills · June 18, 2026 · 17 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 3: How to Teach Culture and Society Skills · June 17, 2026 · 18 min
• Social Studies Summer Series Day 1: How to Teach Geography Skills · June 15, 2026 · 20 min

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