Introduce students to anthropology and world history using the Chinese abacus, which has been used since ancient times to count, add and subtract. The Chinese abacus has a center bar of beads and different colored rows of two beads above and five beads below the bar. Have students create an abacus of their own using cardboard frames, string and colored macaroni pieces. Break students into groups to solve a variety of addition and subtraction equations using the Chinese abacus.
While studying the Industrial Revolution, students learn its effects on productivity and workers. Divide the class into groups of five to design and assemble paper models of hot air balloons. All but one group will have each student working on only one step. One draws the balloon bags on construction paper and cuts them out, the next glues decorations to the bags, another cuts baskets out of construction paper and the fourth measures and cuts the strings. The last student attaches the basket to the balloon with the strings. The remaining group of five assembles the balloons according to the cottage system of labor (working alone) to assemble as many balloons as they can. Give students 10 to 15 minutes to assemble balloons. Divide the total balloons made by the number of workers involved for an average number per worker for each system. Discuss which system made the most balloons, the quality of balloons made, and then the advantages and disadvantages of working alone or in groups. Discuss the effectiveness of each system.
The Bill of Rights is a topic covered in middle school social studies classes. Use group activities to aid students in seeing the application of these rights in their daily lives. Provide students with a copy of the First Ten Amendments to the Constitution. Separate into groups of three or four and have each group write the subheadings "Rights in School," "Rights at Home," and "Rights in Public" on a sheet of butcher paper. Groups then list ten rights for each heading and then which number of the list of First Ten Amendments corresponds to each right they've listed and add a right from the Amendment not used in their lists. Each group presents its list to the class. Discuss which right students feel is more important. As the groups discuss, students should realize that the rights are equally important depending on the circumstances.
Social studies lessons cover a variety of topics including history and multiculturalism. Divide students into small groups and ask each group to research an historical event from a different country. The groups create a play or a puppet show that depicts what happened at that point in history. Challenge students to determine the effect the event had on society today and to show this in each presentation. Each group presents its play or puppet show to the class. This project familiarizes students with not only their own history, but the histories of other cultures.