ENGAGING SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.👐

Discover a variety of standards-based resources designed to engage and empower your 3rd-5th grade students!

Get Started

Spark curiosity and encourage critical thinking with engaging resources designed to make social studies come alive for your students.

DO ANY OF THESE SOUND LIKE YOU?

  • It’s really hard to find quality social studies resources.
  • You’re told to teach social studies but are given very few, if any, resources to make it happen consistently.
  • You’re struggling to keep your students engaged and interested in the social studies topics you DO end up teaching.
  • Planning for social studies takes up a lot of your time and you find it to be not worth the output. 

MY MISSION IS TO HELP YOU TAKE SOCIAL STUDIES OFF THE BACK BURNER.

Social studies is crucial for helping kids understand the world. When they learn about history and cultures, they develop critical thinking skills and become informed citizens.

If we don’t prioritize social studies, students miss out on key knowledge and skills. They might struggle with understanding current events and engaging in civic life.

Neglecting social studies can lead to:

  • Poor critical thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Lack of historical and cultural awareness
  • Unpreparedness for active citizenship

I’m here to help you bring social studies front and center! The goal is to make prep time short and sweet while packing in maximum learning, whether you have 5 minutes or 55.

Let’s make social studies engaging and essential for your students! 🌟

JOIN NOW
INTRODUCING
The Smart and Simple Social Studies Membership

A membership packed with a variety of fun and easy-to-use resources for teaching social studies.

This membership is ideal for upper elementary teachers who want to spice up their social studies lessons. You’ll get tools and activities to make social studies lessons fun and meaningful for both you and your students!

  • Feel more confident and prepared with ready-to-use resources
  • Improve student understanding of historical & cultural concepts
  • Experience less stress with minimized prep time
  • Have students more engaged and excited about social studies!
Join Now

HERE’S WHAT’S INCLUDED:

Supplemental Resource Library

Choose from a variety of lessons, and activities, including WebQuests, daily passages, projects, guided notes, mini-lessons, task cards, and more!

Pacing Guides and Lesson Plans

Make planning easy with year-long curriculum maps, pacing guides, and teacher guides for every activity.

Trainings and Workshops

Get access to a host of pre-recorded and live workshops and trainings that will support your social studies teaching needs.

Monthly S+S Surprises

Enjoy monthly bonus social studies resources that are fun to have in the classroom – digital games, classroom posters, and more! The bonus resources can be used to increase student engagement and are useful for your social studies block!

Tutorials and Support

When you join the membership, you’ll have access to membership support videos, tutorials, and content to help you best implement social studies resources effectively.

Search Matrix

Use the membership search matrix to help you find a specific grade level, topic, or type of resource! in the supplemental resource library!

WATCH THE VIDEO

Take a look at what’s inside the membership!

Play

Is the Smart and Simple Social Studies Membership Right for You? 🤔

This is a fit for you if:

✅ You are looking for engaging, supplemental resources for Grades 3-5 to enhance your existing curriculum.

✅ You already have a core curriculum in place and need additional tools like WebQuests, daily passages, and task cards to enrich your lessons.

✅ You struggle with finding high-quality, standards-based resources that keep your students interested and engaged.

✅ You’d love access to workshops and monthly surprises to keep things fresh and exciting in your classroom.

This is NOT A fit for you if:

❌ You’re looking for a complete curriculum—this membership offers supplemental materials only.

❌ You don’t have a base curriculum in place yet, as this is meant to complement what you’re already using.

❌ You’re looking for resources outside of Grades 3-5 social studies or need support for other subjects.

❌ You prefer one-time purchases over a subscription model for ongoing access.

❌ You’re hoping for in-person support or events, since everything here is online.

WORK AND IMPACT

At Smart and Simple Social Studies, we are committed to delivering high-quality curriculum and resources for Texas teachers and students that make a positive impact on upper elementary social studies education.

of members use the resource library on a daily or weekly basis.*
supplemental resources that are low-prep, engaging, and standards-based.
of elementary education experience and expertise.

*Self-reported by members in an annual survey.

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

“This resource has made teaching social studies so easy. My students have always struggled with remembering the information but with the notes and slides, they can easily reference them when needed. “
Megan
Happy Teacher
“I’m loving my experience with the Smart and Simple Social Studies membership. The resources are perfect for my fifth graders and they are engaging.”
Nichole
Happy Teacher
“I LOVE LOVE LOVE this resource! I do not get a lot of time to teach social studies. I absolutely hate that reality, but it is what I am working with. These passages are short and sweet, and help the students learn the information they need to know. I put these in stations and have added transparent shapes for students to highlight their text evidence!”
Jennifer H.
Happy Teacher

Choose a Membership Option!

MONTHLY

$12/month

  • Growing Supplemental Resource Library
  • On-Demand Workshops and Trainings
  • Monthly Social Studies Surprises
  • Texas/TEKS membership option available!
  • 1 Personal use license for single classroom
  • Cancel at any time

ANNUAL – BEST VALUE!

$120/year

  • Pay for the year and get 2 months FREE!
  • Growing Supplemental Resource Library
  • On-Demand Workshops and Trainings
  • Monthly Social Studies Surprises
  • Texas/TEKS membership option available!
  • 1 Personal use license for single classroom

MONTHLY

$12/month

  • Growing Supplemental Resource Library
  • On-Demand Workshops and Trainings
  • Monthly Social Studies Surprises
  • Texas/TEKS membership option available!
  • 1 Personal use license for single classroom
  • Cancel at any time
SIGN UP TODAY

ANNUAL – BEST VALUE!

$120/year

  • Pay for the year and get 2 months FREE!
  • Growing Supplemental Resource Library
  • On-Demand Workshops and Trainings
  • Monthly Social Studies Surprises
  • Texas/TEKS membership option available!
  • 1 Personal use license for single classroom
SIGN UP TODAY
GRADE LEVEL TEAMS, SCHOOLS, AND DISTRICTS

Multiple teacher license discounts available!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

Smart and Simple Social Studies is a teacher membership designed for upper elementary social studies teachers. It provides engaging and comprehensive resources for 3rd-5th grade students.

Yes, all resources in the membership are standards-based. The resources primarily align to the Texas TEKS standards. The resources are organized by social studies domain and topic so that it’s easy to find and align to other states as well.

Smart and Simple Social Studies is open to upper elementary social studies teachers who are looking for high-quality resources. Whether you’re a new teacher or a seasoned educator, this membership can benefit you!

Upon checkout, you can select a subscription option based on whether or not you live in Texas. If you live in Texas, it is recommended to select the “Texas/TEKS” membership option to receive additional Texas-specific history resources. If you do not live in Texas, you can select the default option upon checkout. The only difference between the two options is that one has added Texas resources, and the other does not.

This membership was designed for upper elementary students. I highly recommend this membership for educators who teach social studies to students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. If you are not a teacher in 3rd-5th grade and decide to join the membership, you’ll have to make the necessary modifications to make the resources work for your students.

Yes! This membership grants you one license for personal use in the classroom or at home. You can use this as part of your homeschooling curriculum or as a supplement to what your child is learning at school.

Absolutely! The Southern Teach prides itself on being a professional, researched-based, and innovative company. I have over a decade of experience teaching in the classroom and hold an M.Ed in Elementary Education. I strive to make sure that my curricula and resources are of the highest quality, based on the latest research in social studies education. You can learn more about me here.

Once you become a member, you will receive login credentials to access the membership platform – ThriveCart Learn. From there, you can explore the videos, resources, and other exclusive features.

Absolutely! You can easily access and download the supplemental resources you need and utilize the on-demand training and workshops available.

Yes! While there are resources in my membership that are also in my TPT store, there are also a host of resources that are not sold or found anywhere else. And you’ll have unlimited access to all of them as long as you are a part of the membership!

Due to the digital nature of the content and resources, I do not offer refunds.

If you join the membership and decide that it’s not the right fit for you, you can cancel before your next subscription charge date and you will not be charged again.

Please note that if you choose to cancel the membership at any time, you revoke your personal license in the membership and the ability to use any of the resources associated with the license. 

MEET THE FOUNDER

HI, I’M KIRSTEN!

I’m a former upper elementary teacher who has taught in multiple districts in Texas. I’ve taken my 11+ years of experience along with my M.Ed in Elementary Education and applied my expertise to each resource I create. I’ve totally been there –

  • Searching all over the internet to find the right social studies resources that align with my state’s standards and weren’t too easy or boring for my students 
  • Scrambling at the last minute to come up with a lesson or activity that aligns with a current event or holiday 
  • Trying to figure out a schedule that fits social studies with all the 150 million things I had to cover before state testing

This membership is here to change that. No more fighting to fit social studies into your schedule or wasting precious time looking for activities (only to end up with bored students).

Instead, you’ll have access to high-quality social studies resources that will help you feel prepared for your next lesson. 

With these engaging resources, students will get to share in the joy of learning with you – while also retaining more information and making meaningful connections.