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 West Virginia Counties and County Seats Week 2 Charts & Graphs Climograph Week 3 Art & Artifacts Native American Artifact Week 4 Timelines Colonial Timeline 1625-1750 Week 5 Political Cartoons Pizza Delivery Week 6 Maps Geographic Regions of West Virginia Week 7 Charts & Graphs Levels of Government Venn Diagram Week 8 Art & Artifacts Colonial Artifact Week 9 Timelines Napoleonic Era Week 10 Political Cartoons King George III and Family Week 11 Maps New France Week 12 Charts & Graphs Colonial Occupations Week 13 Art & Artifacts Colonial Engraving Week 14 Timelines Circulating Coins Week 15 Political Cartoons Pitt and Napoleon Divided the World Week 16 Maps Immigrant Home Countries Week 17 Charts & Graphs Miles of Railroad Track 1850-1920 Week 18 Art & Artifacts 19th Century Painting Week 19 Timelines 19th Century Inventions Week 20 Political Cartoons Guilting a Young Man to Enlist Week 21 Maps Percent Change in Population Week 22 Charts & Graphs World War II Era Economy Week 23 Art & Artifacts 19th Century Artifact Week 24 Timelines Events Leading to World War I Week 25 Political Cartoons Anti-Chinese Immigration Week 26 Maps United States Map Week 27 Charts & Graphs U.S. Gross Domestic Product Week 28 Art & Artifacts 1908 Photograph Week 29 Timelines Conflicts in Southwest Asia Week 30 Political Cartoons School Desegregation Week 31 Maps World Map Week 32 Charts & Graphs U.S. Standard of Living Radar Graph Week 33 Art & Artifacts 20th Century Artifact Week 34 Timelines Create a Timeline Week 35 Political Cartoons Draft Dodgers