Multisensory Social Studies Instruction

Most Social Studies curriculum is text-based. Visually-rich pictorial accounts of events in books can help visual learners process text more effectively. It is important to use maps as visuals for geography. Showing maps simultaneously, while teaching about countries, helps reinforce locations, geographical features, and important characteristics of each country.

Multi-media presentations provide simultaneous visual and auditory input. There are a large number of history videos available through PBS, like their "Hands-on History" series and other documentary programs. New National Geographic DVDs also cover Ancient Civilizations, Culture & Religion, Exploration, U.S. History, War & Military, and World History. As always, the National Geographic videos provide an exceptionally high quality, visual experience.

Social studies is easy to convert into visual and auditory activities. Hands-on activities can be accomplished through art studies of cultures, going to history museums and historical sites, by creating plays or dramas about historical events, making dioramas, or engaging in reenactments or debates from different countries involved in wars can make learning a realistic experience. Social studies can be very project based, and learning content from different sides of social issues can help build a solid foundation of understanding.