Are you worried about planning your first week of U.S. History lessons?
Don’t be! In this post, I will walk you through four tips to get started on the most successful year of history yet.
During the First Week of U.S. History Establish a Routine
It’s no secret that students thrive on routine. I won’t speak for you, but I personally depend on routine in order to get just about anything done.
During the first week of U.S. History establish a routine that can carry you through the year. By taking the extra time to build the routine from the start you are setting yourself up for success.
One idea for building your routine includes using a warm-up activity such as this U.S. History Warm-Up each day. Warm-ups provide students with a way to get settled and get into the right mindset for the upcoming content.
Get Ready for the Year
The first week of U.S. History is the perfect time to get yourself ready for the year. All those little time-consuming tasks are a great way to gently ease into the subject matter.
For example, if you are planning on using interactive notebooks, the first week is the perfect time to set up the table of contents, go over expectations, and prenumber pages. By taking the time to do this at the beginning of the year you will save yourself time further down the road.
Keep reading for a freebie that will make this setup even easier and check out the U.S. History INB Bundle here.
Build Engagement
U.S. History is one of those subjects that students often don’t look forward to. But, this doesn’t have to be the case!
Use the first day or two to build engagement by giving students a small taste of some of the salacious details of our country’s past. You have a lot to work with.
Just remember, kids can handle the truth. There is no need to sugarcoat or leave facts out. It’s vital we teach history from an unbiased perspective that represents the facts.
Dive In During the First Week of U.S. History
Finally, go ahead and dive right into that content! There is so much to do and so little time, so get to it.
You might want to start off with a little review of map skills or you may want to plunge straight in. No matter where your standards and curriculum have you start, just get started.
A Successful First Week of U.S. History
Now you’re ready to knock the socks off your history students!
By establishing a routine and setting expectations for the year while doing a little prep work with your students for what is coming up, you are sure to be successful!
Leap right in, and get excited. It’s going to be a wonderful year!
