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How to Make & Use Foldables for 8th Grade Social Studies

The eighth grade social studies curriculum is jam-packed with details revolving around American history. Students sometimes have difficulty remembering all the key dates and information about the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the abolishment of slavery and the United States' foreign policy. Organizing foldable activities can help eighth-grade students learn, organize, remember and review social studies concepts. Provide them with the materials, but do not make the foldables for them -- students who complete their own foldables will be able to directly immerse in the learning process.

Things You'll Need

  • Construction paper or card stock
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Pencils, pens or markers
  • Glue
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Instructions

  1. Timeline Foldable

    • 1

      Tell the students they will be creating a timeline foldable to help remember key dates pertaining to a specific event, such as the Civil War.

    • 2

      Fold a piece of construction paper or card stock in half.

    • 3

      Measure the longest side of the folded card stock, and draw perpendicular marks to divide the length into equal parts. The number of parts should coincide to the number of years in the timeline. For example, a Civil War timeline would have five tabs, one for each year (1861 to 1865).

    • 4

      Cut along the perpendicular markings on the cover of the foldable to create tabs; do not fully complete the cut so the tabs can still remain attached to the foldable.

    • 5

      Write the applicable year or date on the front of each tab.

    • 6

      Write the key details of events pertaining to that date underneath each flap on the second page of the booklet. Students also can glue applicable pictures to the underside of the flaps to serve as visual reminders.

    • 7

      Encourage students to refer to their foldable during class discussions and when they study for tests.

    Pocket Book Foldables

    • 8

      Tell students they will be creating a pocketbook foldable; this is something they can continuously add new information to throughout the term. For example, they can label a book with three pockets; one pocket would be labeled "constitutional amendments of the 18th century," one the "19th century" and one the "20th century."

    • 9

      Fold an 8 1/2-inch piece of card stock in half for a two-pocket book or an 11-by-17-inch piece of card stock in thirds for a three-pocket book. Press down on the creases.

    • 10

      Fold the bottom 2 inches of the piece of card stock upwards to create pockets.

    • 11

      Press down on the fold, and glue the seams of each of the pockets.

    • 12

      Label each section with the appropriate title. Encourage students to continuously add index cards with information, articles and other resources to the appropriate pocket of their foldable.

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