Recent years have seen a growing interest in the field of social studies, which includes the likes of social skills, communities, cultures, traditions and religion, US history, world history, and civics and government.
And in our haste to teach such subjects as math and science, we must not forget to teach kids about human society and culture.
Teaching social studies gives young kids a better understanding of how society works, how it can develop and change, and their own role and duties as a citizen.
And to that end, this article provides the links for a selection of 15 excellent worksheets for teaching social studies, across a range of different levels of ability. Here goes.
This colorful worksheet features a cartoon representation of a whopping 26 different African American visionaries who’ve played a significant role in society.
The child picks which visionary they want to research, heads over to Google and sees what they can find out.
They can then write a few sentences summarizing the visionary’s work.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
This worksheet pushes children’s reading skills, and also helps them to increase their vocabulary with the help of a short glossary to the right of the passage.
And there are questions to check the child’s comprehension of what they have just read.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
In every neighborhood, there are people who serve important roles in the community, and before they even start school, preschoolers should be learning about them.
And to that end, this worksheet provides clues to different roles, and the child is to guess the title of the role (e.g., dentist, doctor, etc.).
And because it’s aimed at preschoolers there are some nice colored images as clues, too.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
This worksheet focuses on a pivotal moment in US history and it is aimed at 5th through 8th graders.
It tests their knowledge of some of the key players and events of the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
And it’s in the engaging form of a crossword puzzle. The worksheet features two historical photos and 10 different clues, and it tests their spelling at the same time.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
As free citizens of the United States, it’s nice for students to go back in time, effectively, and imagine being there when the US was declared an independent country, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
This fun little worksheet starts off with a reading exercise on the subject before asking the student to fill in the blanks of two sentences.
Then at the bottom there are the names of 5 sines of the declaration with the letters of their names jumbled up, and the child is tasked with identifying them.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
The child is to read a short 2-paragraph passage on local government, followed by answering a few questions that check their comprehension of the text.
There’s also a list of typical municipal services, followed by a fun related word search for them to do, testing their spelling.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
In social studies, it’s important for kids to learn about different cultures and religions, whether it’s one they subscribe to or not.
This worksheet is all about the Islam tradition of Ramadan, a tradition observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.
The sheet features 7 different questions on the subject, and the pupil is tasked with heading to Google and researching the answers.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
This is a great worksheet to pull out for Women’s History Month. The sheet is composed of a passage of writing concerning the women’s suffrage movement from the middle of the 19th century through to the passing of the 19th amendment in 1920.
It is designed for 5th grade literacy levels, and it tests the child’s comprehension with the text with a few questions to answer at the bottom.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
Ten amendments to protect personal freedoms, called the Bill of Rights, were added to the Constitution of the United States in 1791.
This worksheet asks pupils to read an extract of primary-source text of the first 10 amendments, and they are then to summarize two amendments using their own words.
Developing both their social studies skills and their English and communication skills.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
It’s also important for kids to learn about social studies outside of America, and that’s where worksheets like this one come in.
There’s a passage for the kids to read about the life of Anne Frank, a Jew living in Germany who chronicled her days hiding from the Nazis during World War 2.
The pupil is required to refer to the passage to complete a chart identifying cause and effect.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
What could be more important to learn as a person in society than to be polite and thoughtful and considerate.
And one of the central tenants in that has to be the use of good manners and common courtesy.
This worksheet features several different images, and the preschooler has to look at each and determine which picture represents good manners or bad manners respectively.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
The right to vote, and voting implications are an important concept for kids to learn both in America and elsewhere in the world.
The opportunity to vote means that you get to have a say in who runs the country and thus the political landscape for the entire country, with implications for everybody in every walk of life.
In this worksheet, the pupil must read a passage on why people vote, and answer some questions to confirm their comprehension on the subject.
It’s aimed at 4th and 5th graders, and there’s a short glossary of terms in the corner of the sheet.
To access this worksheet, simply click on this link.
Final Thoughts
So, here we have an excellent selection of 15 different social studies worksheets that cover the most important things that kids should learn in the field of social studies.
These worksheets predominantly work on the kids’ understanding of social issues, but some of them also test the child’s reading, writing and researching abilities.
As a result of working on social studies worksheets such as these, youngsters will not only be more well informed about the society that they are growing up in, but they will also be more aware of their rights and liberties, and how to be a good citizen.
Hi, my name is Helena Waters and I was a teacher for 40 years before retiring last year.
During my time as a teacher I dedicated the majority of it to making classrooms as fun as possible, with educational parties, fun activities, and low cost entertainment that made the children excited about learning.
I taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students. Now, with the pandemic having uprooted everything that children once knew about school and learning, I think that the need for my ideas is bigger than ever.
That is why I created School Sparks, a place in which I can write down and share all of my ideas on how to get students excited about going to school again. I hope that you’ll find some useful within a school setting, even at home too!
