What is activity-based
learning?
A constructivist learning approach
A hands –on, creative, participative
method of learning
An interactive method of learning
•Self –motivated learning
•Engage students actively to explore
their environment
•Creates an environment that is
conducive for gaining knowledge
The term Discourse identifies and describes written
and spoken communications.
In semantics and discourse analysis, a discourse is
a conceptual generalization of conversation.
In a field of enquiry and social practice, the discourse
is the vocabulary for investigation of the subject, e.g.
legal discourse, medical discourse, religious
discourse, et cetera
Which out of the
following is wrong about
activity?
A. A constructivist learning
approach
B. Self –motivated learning
C. Creates an environment that
is conducive for gaining
knowledge
D. None of the above
Types of activities
included….
Games
Role play/Drama
Workshops
Field Survey
Projects
Debates
Group Discussions
The concept of teaching through games in social
studies teaching can be considered as an effective
teaching method in having students explore and
restructure information and get prepared the child.
The child, who certainly does not permit interference in
this area, plays with his/her own rules.
This characteristic of games, teaches them to comply
with rules.
The child, who learns to comply with rules in the game,
shall also comply with rules of society in the future.
In this context, many behaviors that are wished to be
demonstrated by the student at primary education
level, can be achieved by having the student acquire
them through games.
Stages of Game Teaching
Introducing the Game:
Implementing the Game:
Evaluation of the Game
Historical Charades
Playing Charades can be a fun way to get students thinking
about key historical figures and developments.
How to play: List important names and events covered in
class on strips of paper and place them in a large bowl. Divide
the class into two teams, and have one person from a team pull
a topic out of the bowl. Limit the student's time to act out that
topic, without using words. If time expires before someone
guesses correctly, the other team gets a chance. Continue
playing, alternating teams and actors within each team, until a
certain total time limit or score has been reached.
You can use the Famous People lessons to come up with topics,
and have the class read about short lessons on the people
before the game, after each turn or after the game is over.
Geography Password
Kids can play this game using names of countries, U.S. states,
or cities as well as other geographic areas, like oceans or
landmarks.
How to play: Write names of places on cards, and divide your
students into teams. A student from each group draws a card
randomly and give clues, without actually saying the name of
the place. For example, if a student draws a card for Arizona, a
good clue would be the Grand Canyon. Play for a specified
amount of time and see how many names of places each team
can guess correctly.
Make this game more of a learning experience by showing the
video lessons from the Geography course to teach students
more about each place.
Student-made Board Games
This is a wonderful opportunity to teach students about
countries around the world in a fun and interactive way.
How to play: Split the class into teams, and assign each
team a different country. Have the teams create a board
game, game rules and questions about the country. Each
team will have one class period to teach the rest of the
students about their country.
Give each team helpful resources, like the lessons on the
Countries of the World to learn about the country they're
assigned so they can come up with a variety of questions.
A student from each group
draws a card randomly and
give clues, without actually
saying the name of the
place…Name the Games?
A. Historical Charades
B. Geography Password
C. Student-made Board Games
D. None of the above
Games
Used to bring competition, participation, drills,
and feedback into the learning experience
Used as a motivator
Provides opportunity for the application of
principles.
Advantages
Actively involves learners
Can add or regenerate
motivation
Promotes team learning
and collaborative skills
Provides a challenge that
can lead to confidence in
knowing and expressing the
material
Provides feedback
Can create a “fun” learning
environment
Develops competitive spirit
Develops Social Skills
Makes learning interesting
and comprehensible
Which out of the
following is not the
advantage of game
method?
A. Actively involves learners
B. Can add or regenerate motivation
C. Inhibits team learning and
collaborative skills
D. Provides a challenge that can lead
to confidence in knowing and
expressing the material
Disadvantages
Can create in-group/out-group
feelings
Can demotivate those who are not
competitive by nature
Can create feelings of inadequacy in
those who are not skilled
Can discourage creativity if the
format is very rigid and the focus is
strongly on winning
May result into indiscipline at times
Which out of the
following is not the
disadvantage of game
method?
A. Can create in-group/out-group feelings
B. Can demotivate those who are not
competitive by nature
C. Can create a “fun” learning
environment
D. Can discourage creativity if the format
is very rigid and the focus is strongly
on winning
Key to success
Introducing the Game:
•Choose relevant games at an appropriate level that can be reasonably
expected to achieve the learning objectives
•Motivate children for the game
•Clarify the Rules of the game
•Take note as well as notify the materials to be used in the game , the
duration of the game and duties of the players or characters in the game.
Implementing the Game:
•The game must be tried once by the teacher.
•Game must be played in turns
•Adhering to the rules in the game
•Reinforcements should be used at the end of the game
Evaluation of the Game:
•Children should be regularly monitored by the teacher
Adhering to the rules in the game
falls under which stage?
A. Introduction of the Game
B. Implementation of the
Game
C. Evaluation of the Game
D. None of the above
Taking note and notifying the
materials to be used in the game
falls under which stage?
A. Introduction of the Game
B. Implementation of the Game
C. Evaluation of the Game
D. None of the above
Advantages of role playing
• Students immediately apply content in a relevant, real
world context.
• Students can transcend and think beyond the confines of
the classroom setting.
• Students see the relevance of the content for handling
real world situations.
• The instructor and students receive immediate feedback
with regard to student understanding of the content.
• Students engage in higher order thinking and learn
content in a deeper way.
Role-playing is a social activity.
develop greater involvement with the issues and
knowledge
can also be used to help people understand others, and
the positions of others
The disadvantages of applying
role-plays are:
It requires expert guidance and leadership.
Sometimes participants may feel like
threatened.
Strongly depends on students imagination.
Participants may be too shy.
It becomes difficult for teachers to
evaluate the student individually .
Its a time consuming process.
Its a failure when the group does not
understand.
Role Play: One or more
participants
adopt a specified role and try to
behave in ways characteristics of a
person in that role.
Advantages
Actively involves participants
Adds variety, reality to the learning experience
Develops verbal expression skills
Provides practice to build skills before real-world
application and when “real” experiences are not
readily available
Can provide an entirely new perspective to a
situation and develop insights about feelings
and relationships
Provides teacher’s immediate feedback about
the learner’s understanding and ability to apply
concepts
Improves the likelihood of transfer of learning
from the classroom to the real world
Disadvantages
Puts pressure on learner to perform, which
can create embarrassment and even
resistance
Depends heavily on learner’s imagination
and willingness to participate
Can lack focus unless well planned,
orchestrated, and monitored
Can reinforce ineffective
behaviors/strategies if performance is not
observed by knowledgeable person who
provides appropriate feedback
Can be time-consuming
Which out of the
following is not the
advantage of Role Play?
A. Actively involves participants
B. Adds variety, reality to the learning
experience
C. Develops verbal expression skills
D. Depends heavily on learner’s
imagination and willingness to
participate
Which out of the
following is not the
disadvantage of Role
Play?
A. Puts pressure on learner to perform, which
can create embarrassment and even
resistance
B. Depends heavily on learner’s imagination and
willingness to participate
C. Can lack focus unless well planned,
orchestrated, and monitored
D. Provides teacher’s immediate feedback about
the learner’s understanding and ability to
apply concepts
Key to success
Establish a safe environment for learner to
experiment
Use realistic situations that relate to
learning objectives
Use only when learners have adequate
knowledge and skills (after Practice) to
perform what is asked for.
Provide clear directions and specific time
limits
Observe performance carefully
Conduct a feedback session after the role
plays
Projects
Features and Advantages
Learning becomes fun, an enjoyable
process
Learning is contextual, so it becomes
easy to grasp and turns meaningful
Classroom activities are more
student-centric
•Application of knowledge is more important
than knowledge
•Knowledge is applied through various
activities in this method of learning
•Activities bring variety to the process of
learning. Contrast this with traditional
passive listening
•It's easier to catch and sustain the attention
and interest of the learners when they are
actively involved.
•The retention of knowledge thus gained is
permanent.
•Bringing subjects down to the level of
students’
experience makes understanding easier
•Inviting active participation helps students
open up.
•Students are not confined to their seats and
classrooms
•Free exchange of ideas
•Children are self- motivated to know, to
•Class rooms become a lively, interesting
place.
•Through pair-work, group-work, whole
class
discussions students are exposed to a
variety of
view points and perspectives.
•The guided discovery approach leads
students to a
clearer understanding of the forms and
underlying
concepts (in grammar)
•make learning challenging and motivating by
selecting appropriate material,
•decide teaching tools, design activities,
prompt
and ask questions that make learning
challenging
and motivating.
Debates are not...
1. Debates are not wars
2. Debates are not arguments
3. Debates do not mean one team
must win and one must lose (both
can be successful or both can be
losers)
Organization of a debate
Debates can be organized in various ways. For example,
1.To ask students to prepare information on both sides of the topic, and
they will only know which side they will be on the day of the debate
(Students have the chance to look at different sides of an issue)
2.To invite two students from previous years to join the debate teams
(More support and exchange of experiences in searching information,
formulating arguments and rebuttals)
3.To ask students to argue for the side which they oppose to (This helps
students to critically think about the flaws of their own beliefs)
4.To arrange a questioning session for the audiences (audience may have
other ideas that may not have been mentioned during the debate)
5.Debates can be video-taped for students (can be used for self-
assessment, peer-assessment of the performance among students, and
for teachers to give some feedback to students)
A debate team usually has
_______ students.
A. 3-5
B. 1
C. 9
D. 2
• In debate, it is ok to yell at the other
team and make fun of them when
they are speaking
A. True
B. False
To be a great debater, it is
important to _________.
A. Speak clearly, loudly, and with good
emphasis
B. Think about what the other team will say
against your argument
C. Learn a lot about your topic by researching it
D. All of the above
• The definition of debate is….
A. An argument with your friends
B. An organized public argument on a
specific topic
C. A public argument on many topics
In debate, which side uses
evidence to support their
argument?
A.The pro (yes) side
B.The con (no) side
C.Both sides use evidence
D.Neither side uses evidence
Benefits of debate :
Gaining broad, multi-faceted knowledge cutting across
several disciplines outside the learner’s normal
academic subjects.
Increasing learners’ confidence, poise, and self-esteem.
Providing an engaging, active, learner-centered activity.
Improving rigorous higher-order and critical thinking
skills.
Enhancing the ability to structure and organize thoughts.
Enhancing learners’ analytical, research and note-taking
skills
Improving learners’ ability to form balanced, informed
arguments and to use reasoning and evidence.
Developing effective speech composition and delivery.
Encouraging teamwork.
Debates can help you practice and demonstrate your
critical thinking skills.
Debates can help you learn to discuss complicated
topics calmly, clearly, and competently
Debates can help you cultivate your persuasion skills
Debates help deepen your understanding of topics
when you "actively" listen to opposing views
Debates help sharpen communication skills – you can
learn to say more with fewer words
Debates can be mind-opening – "actively" listening to
opposing opinions can help you think out of the box –
they can offer a broader range of alternatives, excite
imagination, and ignite creativity
It can enhance the ability to think and communicate
clearly and quickly.
Disadvantages
• Students may not be familiar with debates
as an assessment method
• Debates are time-consuming (e.g. time for
research and preparation, time for
presentation of each group)
• Students who do not like public speaking
would be less motivated in participating
https://mrnussbaum.com/games/soci
al-studies-games
https://mrnussbaum.com/interactive-
world-map-and-world-map-games
