Differentiating Social Studies: Real Teacher Challenges + Practical Solutions

[00:00:30] I love sharing ideas and strategies that are low-prep and easy to implement. So let's dive in together 


[00:01:16] So we had over 460 teachers register for this boot camp. We had a ton of giveaways. It was a lot of fun. One of the conversations that stuck out to me was related to differentiation, and I believe the question was something along the lines of what is the number one struggle that you have with differentiation in social studies? 


[00:02:08] So I think this is a really fascinating topic. I wanted to share the different results with you and different themes and patterns. When teachers hear the word differentiation, I'm sure many of us might picture creating multiple versions of the same topic, multiple lessons. You need one for students who need more access or just can't really understand the topic, or they struggle with different skills. 


[00:02:57] And honestly, just the thought of it sounds [00:03:00] exhausting. But after reading the responses and comments from the other boot camp members, I noticed a big pattern. Most teachers are not struggling because they're not working hard enough, or they're not putting in enough effort, or they're not trying all the strategies, because they definitely are. 


[00:03:42] Before we get started, make sure you like and subscribe if you're loving this video or are interested in topics like this. I truly appreciate your support. You can always leave a comment and just follow along. That's the best way to support my channel, and I [00:04:00] truly appreciate it I wanna talk first about one of the main glaring things related to the number one challenge that social studies teachers are facing when it comes to differentiation. 


[00:04:42] They talked about students who will copy down every single word when it comes to note-taking, and then there are some students who just don't write anything at all. And there was that nagging question of, "Am I doing enough?" So I'm gonna be breaking down some of the biggest things that [00:05:00] were in this comment section and what we can learn from them. 


[00:05:28] Others mentioned magazines, primary sources, vocabulary, and even PowerPoint presentations could be overwhelming. One teacher described her slides as giant word walls, and I think that description says a lot. Sometimes we assume that if it is displayed on a slide, like a PowerPoint presentation or Google Slides, that it's automatically easier for students to understand. 


[00:06:25] So an example, students can still learn about the causes of the American Revolution, but they might need the following: a short vocabulary preview, a visual timeline, maybe a simplified summary before reading the original text, important phrases that are highlighted, teacher read-aloud or audio version. And the text chunked or broken into smaller sections. 


[00:07:13] So when a student struggles with reading, it could easily be confused with students not just understanding social studies in general. So we have to make sure to separate the student's ability to read the material with the student's ability to actually understand the material. Another common theme is that teachers are just worried that they're not doing enough. 


[00:07:55] And of course, the word differentiation in general can be used so broadly [00:08:00] that you're not even sure what it means to differentiate. Does differentiation mean changing the assignment, making it shorter, providing extra time? Does it mean creating an entirely separate activity? The answer is that it can include many of those things, but it just depends on the student, and it depends on the learning goal. 


[00:08:36] One teacher actually did say that she thought it meant whenever you differentiate that you put in a variety of different lessons, and of course, that got really overwhelming for her. And in the boot camp, that was one of the things I mentioned of having the core content and then ways to extend, ways to access, but still keeping it the same lesson in general. 


[00:09:23] Another student might listen to the article while following along instead of reading independently. And then another student might read a shorter summary before joining the same class discussion, and they're all still part of the same lesson. You're not teaching four separate lessons individually. Like, you're not taking 10 minutes to, like, teach, teach, teach the same lesson all over again. 


[00:10:04] Students often don't know how to, uh, understand which information matters and which information is important to write down, and that is even more noted if you're having them write down notes on a blank sheet of paper. So when we might say, "It's time to take notes," students assume that you have to copy down every single word that the teacher has on the board. 


[00:10:52] This is something that is a really great starting point if you are not sure how to incorporate note-taking in your [00:11:00] classroom, or your students just don't have the experience in note-taking. I share more about ways you can incorporate guided notes. So with that, something that I also share in this training is what I'm gonna share with you today. 


[00:11:48] All four options can follow the same exact lesson, and you can also teach students what to listen for. Before beginning a section, you can tell students to make sure you listen for two [00:12:00] reasons that the colonists were unhappy, all related to the causes of the American Revolution, or something like, "In this section, we're going to look for a cause and we're going to look for an effect, and we're gonna write both of those down." 


[00:12:37] Maybe an icon every time an important idea occurs, like a, "Hey, let's, let's pay attention to this important part." You can also pause after each section and have students confer with one another. Take about 30 seconds to a minute to have them confer with a partner, make sure they have Kind of compare notes, and you can also do this at the end of a lesson. 


[00:13:42] And I'm going to put that all on my blog post, 'cause I always like to keep my episodes short and sweet. So I think it's a super great read. I highly encourage you to check out the remaining four different themes. I will link that in the show notes and in the [00:14:00] description so you can check out that blog post. 


[00:14:37] For access, you ask yourself, "How will students receive the information? Could they benefit from visuals, audio, shorter chunked sections, vocabulary support, or a simplified summary?" With process, you can ask yourself, "What support will students need while [00:15:00] working with the content? Could they use guided notes, partner discussion, graphic organizer, teacher check-ins, or chunked directions?" 


[00:15:34] Could they compare two sources, defend a position, evaluate evidence, make a connection, or create their own question or set of questions? You do not have to use every strategy in this lesson. Choose one or two supports that best match the barrier students are facing. So making sure you're not just adding differentiation, just say that a lesson is differentiated. 


[00:16:28] The list goes on and on. Using visuals. They're doing all sorts of great stuff to help differentiate for their students. Sometimes teachers do need new strategies, but sometimes teachers just need reassurance That they're doing the thing that they're already supposed to be doing. They're doing the differentiation already. 


[00:17:11] You do not need to create five different lessons. Start with the same essential content, then consider how students will access it, process it, respond to it, and then extend their learning. Keep the strategy simple. Keep the routines predictable. Focus on removing the barriers without removing the thinking. 


[00:17:48] I hope you find it insightful, and just know that you're not alone. I know it is so hard to differentiate with the million other things that we have to do as teachers. So whatever you're already doing [00:18:00] is such a great starting point, and just know you're already doing the best you can for your students. 


[00:18:25] If you enjoyed listening to this episode, hit that subscribe button and leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts. You can also find me on Instagram @thesouthernteach. I can't wait for you to join me in the next episode for more teacher tips and strategies.