Social Studies Vocabulary Activities

Do you ever feel like you do the same vocabulary activities over and over again and want to try something new? Or do you feel like you don’t really have the time in the school day to prioritize social studies vocabulary activities? This blog post will give you 8 social studies vocabulary strategies to help you succeed! Even better, many of these activities are perfect to use digitally!

Social Studies Vocabulary: The Struggle

Before we get into the activities, there is some surprising but important information to share that can change our perspective about how we teach vocabulary. While we were doing some research about the best vocabulary strategies to use in social studies, we found this 2018 study from Hannah Chai and V. Lee Welz from Wright State University. This article featured a chart that demonstrated how social studies textbooks expose students to approximately five times the number of words as each of the other core subject areas. For specific examples, take a look at the chart below.

In our teaching experience, we have found trying to do too much or teach too much content, and in this case, too many vocabulary words, does not yield lasting results. Instead of trying to teach all of the vocabulary words shared in a unit or in a textbook, select the most important 20-25 or so words to emphasize more. This is especially important as it takes at least 10 exposures to a word for students to understand it well enough to use it, as cited by Aimee Alexander-Shea in this study. 

Social Studies Vocabulary Strategies

Quizlet

Quizlet is an amazing free resource to help students with social studies vocabulary… simply create a set with your vocabulary words or find a set that already exists and duplicate it. Quizlet is also a great tool to help students practice vocabulary independently. We especially recommend using the flashcards and playing the Match game or Quizlet Live with your students for engaging practice.

Frayer Model

The Frayer Model is a popular graphic organizer tool that can help students build their vocabulary. This vocabulary chart works great on a handout or for Google Slides. Traditionally, the Frayer Model has students incorporate the definition of a word, an image or picture of it, and both examples and non-examples of the word. In our own teaching, we have found that a variation with the official definition, a definition in the student’s own words, an example sentence, and an image or picture are a better fit. You can take a closer look here for a sample version on Google Slides.

Semantic Mapping

Semantic mapping, or a word sort, is a wonderful way for students to make connections between different vocabulary words, especially with social studies vocabulary. In this activity, students can sort words into a chart with some basic categories, such as people, places, inventions, religions, or any other categories that make sense. For a more advanced option, students can decide which categories they would like to create. You can do this on a Google Doc or handout, but our favorite method is using a Google Slideshow with moveable tiles that students can drag into the correct column!

Synonyms + Antonyms

One way to improve our understanding of vocabulary is with synonyms and antonyms. We create self-grading Google Forms with a variety of synonyms and antonyms of different vocabulary words. This helps students make connections between different words, as well as helps them understand the nuance between certain terms.

Related Words

One of our favorite social studies vocabulary activities is using related words. In this type of activity, students look at three sample words that are somewhat related to one of their vocabulary words and must figure out which vocabulary word they are referring to. It is a fun mystery challenge for students and makes for a great game or board race, in addition to a simple activity on Google Forms.

Fill in the Blank

You probably have already used fill in the blank vocabulary activities, as these are commonly provided by textbooks. This type of activity usually contains sentences with a word missing, and students must decide which vocabulary word makes the most sense to fill in the blank. This is a simple activity to set-up (we use self-grading Google Forms) and can help students with context.

Historical Fiction Journal

A fun writing assignment that showcases student creativity is a historical fiction journal! We love using these as impromptu activities in many units, and they also work great for vocabulary. In a historical fiction journal, students take on the role of a historical figure that lived during the time period they are studying. You can have students incorporate as many vocabulary words as they can in their response. This is one of the most advanced strategies listed here as students must see if they can fit the word in the context of what they are writing about.

Vocabulary Bingo

While it is pretty simple, one of our favorite social studies vocabulary activities is some good old-fashioned bingo! This can also be a perfect activity for a Friday or on a transition day between larger activities. Simply have students fill in their vocabulary words onto a bingo grid (5X5 chart with a free space in the middle). Then, read aloud the definitions, and students must figure out which vocabulary word you are referring to.

Social Studies Vocabulary Word Wall

A list of social studies vocabulary activities would not be complete without including a word wall! Displaying a word wall in your classroom can be a great visual reminder of the vocabulary you are studying. While word walls take many forms, we prefer using a version with the word, the definition, and an image.

Next Steps

Now that we have shared all about how we teach vocabulary to our students, we encourage you to give these activities a try! You can either create your own activities following the framework we have described or check out the versions we already have created here! We currently have versions for our Ancient Civilizations curriculum, early American history, modern U.S. history, and more!

We also wrote this blog post about more vocabulary activities that can work for any subject, including any aspect of social studies!

Are you looking for some new teaching ideas to engage your students in your social studies class? If so, you’ll love our FREE guide: 5 Creative Projects to Ignite Student Engagement in Your Social Studies Class. These activities have both printable and digital options and can work for any social studies subject!