History Stations to engage your learners
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Oct 17, 2023
Using history stations in upper elementary and middle school
History stations offer a fun, interactive way for students to learn about historical events and figures. By breaking up a history lesson into small, manageable chunks, students are able to gain knowledge without feeling overwhelmed. This makes them more likely to retain the information they’re learning.
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Excited to learn more about history stations? Read on to learn about what they are and how you can use them in your classroom!
What are history Stations?
A history station is an activity or set of activities that allow students to explore and engage with different aspects of history. It can be used for any grade level and any topic related to history. Each station focuses on one particular part of the overall lesson plan. For example, if you’re teaching about WW2, then one station might focus on facts about military leaders from that time period. Another station might focus on propaganda posters from the war. Yet another station could be dedicated to researching famous speeches by political figures during that era. By dividing the information into different stations, each student is able to focus their attention on just one aspect at a time rather than trying to digest everything all at once.
For some additional tips for boosting engagement in your history class, be sure to check out our engagement strategies and tips for teaching about Ancient Civilizations!
How can I use History stations with my learners?
Start off by introducing the topic of discussion. Be sure to give an overview of what each station will cover. This will provide context for why the topics being discussed are important. This also helps to build student interest.
Next, assign student groups to each station. You may choose to have them work through the stations independently or as a group. This helps to make differentiation super easy.
Allow plenty of time for each student or group of students to explore their assigned station before moving onto the next one. You want everyone to have enough time to really dig into their research. You want them to be able to complete the assigned activities to the best of their ability.
Finally, have each student or group make a presentation about their findings after completing all the stations. This helps to solidify what was learned throughout class and give everyone an opportunity to reflect on what was covered in detail.
With careful preparation and planning, history stations can be used effectively in any classroom setting as long as there is enough time allocated for each student or group of students to fully explore its contents before moving onto the next topic area. They are a great way to get through a lot of content in a relatively short amount of time. In addition, the movement that is naturally built in by traveling from station to station helps to up the engagement factor.
For more tips on teaching about history, be sure to check out our Ancient History teaching tips and freebies for teaching about Ancient Civilizations!
If Interactive Notebooks are something you like to use in your history classroom, be sure to check out our comprehensive Interactive History Notebook guide!
Interested in trying history stations with your learners?
Check out these fun history station activities by clicking on the images below!
Looking for more information on teaching history?
Check out some of the blog posts linked below!
5 Tips for Engaging History Lessons
The Importance of Teaching about Ancient History
Engaging Activities for Your Next Prehistory Unit
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