Road Lessons

Summer vacation can be the perfect time to engage your children in hands-on social studies activities. Research has made it clear that parents who are actively involved in their children's learning at home, help their children become more successful learners in school. As many families will be cutting back on vacations this season, road trips or day trips can be a great opportunity to engage your children in a social studies lesson.

Weather it’s history, geography, economics or citizenship, teaching children core social studies subjects is essential to civic competence. It is also essential for the maintenance of a democratic society. So what can you do? Use this summer as a way to keep your child engaged in American history and geography with these fun activities to do on vacation.

1. If you are driving to your vacation destination, and will drive through one or more new states, review each state’s unique history and background as you pass along. Quiz your kids on the state capital, state symbols (animal, bird, flower, etc.), and the state’s flag. The colors, symbols and messages on each state’s flag can tell a lot about a state’s history. Also quiz the kids on who the current Governor is and other cool facts about the state’s economy, geography, culture and history.

2. Bring an atlas on the drive and discuss the different topography of states or the climate of the region in which you are visiting.

3. Pay a visit to the statehouse of the places you visit or to your own statehouse! Most statehouses have kid-friendly exhibits and offer tours. Pay special attention to the types of statues, pictures and plaques that you find throughout the statehouse. What people/events are remembered? What people/events might not be remembered?

4. If you are on a budget, take a day trip to some important historical landmarks in your state or take the time to visit or re-visit one special place that you remember from your own childhood.

5. Typically the summer provides more time for families to spend together. Watch/listen to the news and read the paper or surf online with your children this summer. Discuss what is happening in your local area, around the country and around the world and why.

6. Teach your children about the meaning and the significance behind summer’s civic holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day (4th of July), and Labor Day. Explain what each means and why we celebrate these special days.

7. Learn about some summer holidays especially important to certain groups of Americans such as: Juneteenth (June 19th), Canada Day (July 1st), Urabon (Festival of Lanterns July/August), Assumption Day (August 15th) or others.

8. If you are fortunate enough to be able to take a summer vacation trip, remind your children that not all children and families can do so. Use this opportunity to talk about the economic challenges we face as a nation. Discuss the values of hard work, equal opportunity and fairness.

9. Try to be as “green” as possible during your summer vacation. Remind children of the importance of recycling, re-using and reducing as you travel. Help them see the benefits to your local community, the communities you visit and the world around them.

10. If your child has a long summer break from school, remind them of the origins of the “summer vacation”. This custom began in our agricultural past when all hands were needed to help bring in the crops during the summer months. Remind your children of our country’s proud agricultural past and present.

Kevin P. Colleary, Ed.D, teaches education classes at Fordham University, including history, philosophy and elementary social studies methodology. A published author and frequent speaker regarding elementary social studies teaching and learning, Dr. Colleary is also an author of Macmillan/McGraw-Hill TimeLinks, an elementary social studies program for Grades K-6.