Activities That Integrate Social Studies & Physical Education Skills

Physical education can be integrated into a social-studies curriculum.

Physical education benefits students in many ways. They get exercise, learn teamwork and develop healthy habits. Social studies benefit students through academic knowledge, learning geography, history and government. Normally these two subjects do not come together. However, integrating physical education into a social studies curriculum is a great way to teach children academics while giving them the physical activity they need.

Walk the State Line

In this activity, students will practice balance while learning the states and capitals. Materials for this lesson are one long jump rope per child, a laminated map of the U.S. or laminated maps of each state. Each student will take a long jump rope and select a state to form with the rope. They must then walk along the rope shape without falling off. Once they have completed this task, have the children walk, skip or jump to each state, naming the state and capital and balancing on each rope shape as they go along. For an extra challenge, have children name what region of the country each state is in or walk their ropes backwards or sideways.

Nineteenth Amendment

This activity requires no materials, but is best suited for a gym or outdoor area. Students will practice large motor skills and review the struggle of women in the U.S. to gain the right to vote. After a study of the 19th Amendment, divide the class into two teams. Two thirds of the class will be a team representing those in favor of the amendment. The other third, on the opposite end of the gym, represent the ones who are not in favor of the amendment. When given the signal, the larger team will try to move to the other end of the gym without being tagged. If tagged, the pro-voter must freeze until tapped by a teammate. The teacher will decide which motor skill the children will use when moving from one end of the gym to the other (i.e., running, skipping, hopping, large steps, etc.). The goal is to get the majority over to the other side of the playing area.

Presidential Race

For this activity, you will need a cutout of each state with the number of electoral votes written on the back and a large playing area with boundaries. This activity will use movement to help children understand electoral votes and the Electoral College. Choose three children to be "presidential candidates." Each of these children will stand in the middle of the playing area. Give the rest of the students one of the cutouts representing a state (these can be name tags, small cards, etc.) and have them line up at one end of the gym. When the "candidates" shout "the race is on," the other students will try to run past the candidates without getting tagged. If they do get tagged, they join with that candidate to try to tag other students coming by. At the end of the game, each candidate and his group will tally up their electoral votes and the presidential winner will be announced.

State Tag

Students in grades three and up can practice state capitals with this version of freeze tag. Scatter children around the playing field. Select approximately two thirds of the group to be "it." On the teacher's signal, the students all start moving and chasers begin trying to softly tag other players to freeze them. To become unfrozen, a free runner must stand in front of the frozen player. The frozen player names a state and the free player says the capital. If it is correct, the student is unfrozen and may continue to play the game. If it is not correct, the pair must keep trying or a new free runner may choose to take over. The free runner can't be tagged while naming, or trying to name, the capital.

References

• PE Central: Integrated lesson ideas