TOP PICKS | 10 TOOLS

10 Best Social Studies Tools for Middle School

In middle school, students dig deeper into the big ideas that cut through them time and culture. Middle school is when concepts like civilization, colonization, and industrialization start to re-frame how students understand and interpret the world both past and present. Whether your class is studying ancient cultures or debating issues in the latest election, we've curated some of our top-rated social studies tools that help students peel back the layers of society and history, and inspire them to imagine and win a more equitable world.

Top Picks

Print | Save as PDF

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Powerful stories and media centralize African-American history

Bottom line: While there aren't ready-to-go curricular materials, this modern, well-curated, and well-contextualized digital collection is sure to inspire compelling lessons.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free

See full review

Teaching Tolerance

Thought-provoking classroom resources support diversity education

Bottom line: It's an invaluable teacher tool to help reduce prejudice and encourage tolerance in schools, as well as within society as a whole.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free

See full review

PenPal Schools

Give students global perspective with pen pal projects in any subject

Bottom line: A thoughtful, ready-to-go platform that facilitates authentic, cross-cultural collaboration.

Grades: 3–12 Price: Free Free for teachers; however, school- and district-wide plans are available and add integration with learning management systems and student information systems, advanced reporting, and access to premium projects.

See full review

Google Earth

Virtual globe shines with breathtaking features, endless possibility

Bottom line: Outstanding features, interactivity, and astonishing versatility -- the virtual total package for classroom teachers and student explorers.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free

See full review

Geoguessr

"Just one more turn" gameplay jazzes up geography

Bottom line: It's not a typical educational game, but Geoguessr inspires students to explore the world and encourages them to think critically about what defines a place, including culture and geography.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free, Free to try, Paid The optional $2.99 per month (or $23.88 per year) Pro version removes ads and allows players to create their own maps; there's a 10-day free trial. Group plans are available: $39.99 per month for 15 members, $69.99 per month for 30 members, and $200 per month for 100 members.

See full review

National Archives

Access U.S. history with treasure trove of docs, genealogy, and other resources

Bottom line: NARA's website wasn't designed for kids, but they can definitely use it to research and learn about history, genealogy, and the U.S. population and government.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free

See full review

iCivics

Exceptionally well-designed games, lesson plans demystify government

Bottom line: This excellent addition to a civics classroom simplifies complex topics.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free

See full review

Google Arts & Culture

Well-curated art history invites open-ended or directed exploration

Bottom line: An easily explored one-stop shop for a vast amount of compellingly curated and contextualized art and history resources, but it's lacking educator supports.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free

See full review