100 Experiential Learning Activities for Social Studies, Literature, and the Arts, Grades 5-12

"This unique contribution is both a wonderful source of teaching ideas and a reminder that authentic learning involves engaging experiences that encourage inquiry."
―Dan Thompson, Assistant Professor of Education
Penn State University

"Educators are always looking for interesting activities that challenge students to think beyond the ordinary. The authors have done a great job of compiling a variety of activities for different subject areas."
―India Meissel, Social Studies and English Teacher
Lakeland High School, Suffolk, VA

Encourage critical thinking while teaching meaning through learning experiences!

Learning in secondary school classrooms involves much more than students reciting the "right" answers on high-stakes tests. This activity-packed book encourages educators to move beyond traditional models of teaching and learning and provides them with the tools for getting started.

100 Experiential Learning Activities for Social Studies, Literature, and the Arts, Grades 5–12 focuses on using active learning to engage students in critical thinking and reflection about complex content knowledge in the humanities and the arts. Through easy-to-use matrices, the authors link lessons investigating history, economics, literature, music, and visual arts to McREL, NCTE, and NCSS standards. The 100 activities address significant social issues, including social justice, culture, language, and diversity. Teachers can emphasize comprehension, encourage creative thinking, and promote transfer across disciplines to help students:

• Explore primary sources to uncover practical and relevant information
• Construct careful arguments to integrate new learning with prior knowledge
• Question deeply held assumptions to arrive at authentic understandings
• Approach new ideas with confidence

Take your students through meaningful learning experiences and make knowledge come alive!

Gene Provenzo is one of the nation’s leading scholars in the foundations of education. He holds the rank of full professor at the University of Miami. He has won numerous awards throughout his career in both teaching and research and sits on many editorial boards. He has authored over ten books and has contributed chapters to many more. He has authored scores of articles in a wide range of areas in education. His recent projects include Teaching, Learning, and Schooling (Allyn & Bacon, 2002), a critically-oriented introduction to the foundations of education textbook, and the forthcoming Readings in Educational Thought (SAGE, 2005).

Dan W. Butin is the founding dean of the school of education at Merrimack College. He is the editor and author of over fifty books, articles, and book chapters, including the books Teaching Social Foundations of Education and Service-Learning and Social Justice Education. Dr. Butin’s research focuses on issues of educator preparation and policy and community engagement. Dr. Butin has been the assistant dean of the school of education at Cambridge College and a faculty member at Gettysburg College. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Butin taught middle school, in an adult GED program, and was the chief financial officer of Teacher For America. More about Dr. Butin’s teaching and scholarship can be found at http://danbutin.org/.