ENGAGE: Teaching the Social Studies Podcast

18. Healthy Debates, Civically Engaged Students

In this episode of ENGAGE: Teaching the Social Studies, Justin delves into the art of fostering healthy debates and discussions in the classroom.  Amid a polarized world dominated by divisive rhetoric and online insults, educators have the power to create spaces for thoughtful, respectful dialogue.  Justin shares practical strategies for building classroom culture that values listening, empathy, and nuanced thinking.  From icebreaker discussions about “Is a hotdog a sandwich?” to Socratic seminars on weighty political topics like the Electoral College or human rights, this episode is packed with tools and activities to prepare students for civic engagement and critical thinking in the real world.  Tune in for tips, tricks, and inspiration to transform classroom conversations!
Electoral College Discussion
 

17. Turning Rankings into Arguments

In this episode of ENGAGE: Teaching the Social Studies, I share a quick, engaging strategy I recently tried in my classroom: the Tier List.  This activity gets students ranking, debating, and discussing content in a way that’s fun and meaningful.  Hear how it worked with my AP Government class and how it set the stage for deeper argumentative writing.
Looking for a new way to spark engagement?  Tune in and give the Tier List a try!
Adam Moler's Blog Post of Inspiration!  AN AMAZING FOLLOW!
Eric Curt's Blog!  Another great follow!
 

16. Cultivating Civil Classrooms with Sphere Education

In today’s polarized world, classrooms are often the frontline for navigating challenging conversations.  How can educators create spaces where students feel safe to share, learn, and engage critically with diverse perspectives?  In this episode, we dive into practical strategies for fostering civil discourse with John Snoad from Sphere Education.  

15. Level Up Learning Through Competition

Justin Glodowski dives into the power of competition in the classroom as a strategy to boost student engagement and active participation. Justin shares how he makes learning fun and interactive by incorporating competitive elements in everyday activities, from breakout rooms to quiz challenges and review games. He explains his approach to incentivizing students with unique prizes, including creative rewards like sandboxes and leaderboard standings.
Justin describes how he fosters competition through classroom-wide quizzes, role-play debates, and prediction challenges—like forecasting election results—giving students a real-world connection to classroom material. He also shares his “gamified” approach for review season in AP Gov, where students compete for prizes, track their progress on a leaderboard, and see their achievements displayed alongside those of past classes.

14. Summer Adventures in Education: From Ellis Island to the White House

This episode of ENGAGE covers highlights from the hosts' summer travels and professional development experiences. Alisha shares about her time with the Founding Forward program, including a trip to Ellis Island and the Tenement Museum, as well as her immersive experience at the White House Historical Association Teacher Institute. Both hosts discuss their excitement about various professional development opportunities for educators, particularly those related to history and civil discourse. They also reflect on their joint experience at the Sphere Summit in Washington, D.C., which focused on civil dialogue and teacher collaboration.
 
https://foundingforward.org/
https://www.sphere-ed.org/sphere-summit
https://www.monticello.org/research-education/for-educators/monticello-teacher-institute/
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/rubenstein-center/k-12-education-resources-and-programs/professional-development-programs/white-house-history-teacher-institute
https://www.neh.gov/grants/apply-neh-funded-seminar-institute-or-workshop
 

13. Teaching Ideas in an Election Year

Justin shares tips and strategies for teaching social studies in an interactive way during an election year.  He discusses classroom environment changes, strategies for approaching the election, making the election more fun to follow for different high school age groups, and strategies for approaching AP US Government and Politics in an election year as well.  

12. Summer Travel & PD Opportunities for Teachers

Summer has been so busy for Alisha and Justin that it took them a whole month to get this episode published.  Today, they discuss their summer adventures, including Alisha's trip to Washington, DC with her middle school students, her professional development sessions at Founding Forward/Freedoms Foundation in Philadelphia and the prestigious White House History Teacher Institute. They also chat about the Sphere Summit in DC, highlighting how these experiences enrich their teaching and expand their professional networks. 
Founding Forward (Freedoms Foundation)
White House Teacher Institute
Sphere Summit
Teacher PD Opportunities Facebook Page

11. Navigating Civic Education -- The Policymaking Systems

In our third installment on civics education, we dive deep into the structures of government and the policy-making process. Join Justin as he shares innovative classroom activities, including simulations of Congress, creative visual representations of government types, and mini moot court cases. Discover effective strategies to engage students in understanding federalism, the legislative process, the Electoral College, and the powers of the presidency.
 
First Episode on Civic Education
Second Episodr on Civic Education
Mock Congress Template
Sample Bill from Mock Congress
Sample Bill from Mock Congress 2
Electoral College Discussion
Street Law Website
Mini Moot Court Case Instructions WITH Cases!

10. Review Games and Activities in the AP (or any) Classroom

Buckle up for a wild ride through review season mayhem! Justin turns pre-AP exam review into an all-out gameplay extravaganza, complete with leaderboards, calendars packed with mini-games, competitive board game battles, and short answer sprints set to classic 70s-90s rock. 
 
SCOTUS Madness Bracket Example
Make Your Own Connections Puzzles
Codenames
Hexagon Generator
Hexagonal Thinking
Copy of AP Gov SPRINT
Copy of AP Gov TABOO
Blooket
Gimkit
 

9. Teaching the Holocaust: Innovative Methods and Essential Resources

Delve into the intricacies of Holocaust education with Justin on this episode of Engage.  With invaluable resources and innovative teaching methods, this episode equips educators with the tools to engage students deeply in understanding the Holocaust's profound impact and enduring lessons.
 
Teaching about pre-Holocaust genocide/atrocities from the Herero to the Holodomor
Holocaust and Human Behavior by Facing History
Echoes and Reflections Lessons Plans and Resources
Holocaust Education Resource Center
https://teachholocaust.org/
Dimensions in Testimony
USHMM Timeline Activity
USHMM