Smart Skills are daily practice tasks consisting of Maps, Charts and Graphs, Art and Artifact Analysis, Timelines, and Political Cartoons. See "Smart Skills Teacher Overview" PowerPoint for details.
The focus of the skills will most likely NOT align to your current social studies topic. However, the skills activities will serve as a review of content already taught, or a preview of upcoming content.
Instructional Tips
- Each file is a PowerPoint presention for one week.
- Project one slide per day for students to view as they enter the classroom or the period begins.
- Answers to questions and teacher notes are written in the Notes section of each slide.
- Show a different slide each day on the schedule provided in the Overview. As the week progresses, the cognitive challenge of the daily questions increases.
- The questions should promote class discussion and inquiry. There are often no single correct answers, and this provides students an opportunity to explain and defend their thinking.
- Limit daily Smart Skills to 4 - 6 minutes.
Week # Skill Topic Week 1 Maps World Map Week 2 Charts & Graphs Miles of Railroad Graph Week 3 Art & Artifacts Telegraph Insulator Week 4 Timelines Inventions Week 5 Political Cartoons Children Using Devices
Week 6 Maps 1890 Population Density Week 7 Charts & Graphs Climograph of New Orleans Week 8 Art & Artifacts 19th Century Buttonhook Week 9 Timelines The Case of the Amistad Captives Week 10 Political Cartoons Looking Backwards Week 11 Maps Common Source Countries of Immigrants Week 12 Charts & Graphs GDP of the United States (2000-2023)
Week 13 Art & Artifacts Coal Miners Week 14 Timelines Events Leading to WW1 Week 15 Political Cartoons The Vacant Plate Week 16 Maps Population Density Week 17 Charts & Graphs Louisiana Unemployment Rate
Week 18 Art & Artifacts Bread Slicer Week 19 Timelines The Time Between the Wars Week 20 Political Cartoons Debt Peonage Week 21 Maps Population Change Week 22 Charts & Graphs Average U.S. Price for Gasoline Week 23 Art & Artifacts Louisiana Logging Week 24 Timelines Civil Rights Movement Week 25 Political Cartoons Mary's Little Lamb Week 26 Maps Hurricane Map Week 27 Charts & Graphs U.S. Gross Domestic Product 2000-2023 Week 28 Art & Artifacts Computer Disc Week 29 Timelines Conflicts in Southwest Asia Week 30 Political Cartoons Hanoi and Laos Week 31 Maps McDonald's (R) Map Week 32 Charts & Graphs Smartphone Owners Week 33 Art & Artifacts War Memorial Week 34 Timelines Personal Timeline Week 35 Political Cartoons Here They Come