Great Social Studies Projects for Kids

When it's time to do social studies projects, it's usually pretty easy to come up with a subject, since there are so many to choose from. The tricky part is coming up with a fun and clever way to present your information. Once you've got a topic, then what? Try the following ideas to help you create project that will really stand out.

• Dioramas: Dioramas are an old favorite of teachers and students everywhere. Generations of students have made use of this popular social studies activity. You can create a diorama for any subject, in any size, from a variety of materials. This is the time to let your creativity and artistic skills shine. Cut papers, recycled materials, polymer clay, latex rubber, wood and more can be combined to illustrate an important moment in history or to show how something works. There are lots of examples of great dioramas on the Web, many with helpful instructions on creating your own.
• Digital Slide Show: Computer technology makes it easy to create an impressive video presentation for your social studies project. Using a simple program such as PowerPoint or iMovie, you can combine images, text and music to create an entertaining and educational presentation for your class.
• Dramatic Presentation: For those with a dramatic flair, a fun project idea is to perform a monologue or scene based on an historic event or character. Choose your subject, make period costumes and write a script. Don't forget to rehearse! If you're really ambitious, you can follow your presentation by taking questions from your audience, and answering them in character.
• Create a Scrap Book: The great thing about scrap books is they allow for lots of individual creativity. You can make yours as simple or as complex as you like. Assemble pictures, writings, drawings, copies of historic documents or other social studies materials. Arrange them in a store-bought album, or make your own with heavy paper, card stock, a hole punch and string.

Whatever project you choose, be sure to allow plenty of time to complete it. Waiting until the last minute will not let you give your best effort. The most important thing to remember is to choose a project that is interesting to you, so you can really have fun with it.