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Tools for the Social Studies Class:
Dipity and Google Docs
Going Digital in the K-12 Classroom
An Advancing Literacy Workshop
Introductions
Starla Morris- 7th Grade Social Studies
Teacher- Stanly County Schools
 Wendy Hager- 8th Grade Social Studies
Teacher- Moore County Schools
 Sarah Owens West- 8th Grade Social Studies
Teacher- Cleveland County Schools
 Matthew Burleson- Right Choices Program
(Alternative Ed/Safe Schools) – CharlotteMecklenburg Schools

Agenda
Welcome to Tools for the Social Studies Class:
Dipity and Google Docs. Here’s what we are
covering in this presentation:
 Using Google Docs as a Teacher
 Using Google Docs with your students
 What is Dipity and how can you use it in
your classroom?
 Independent Practice & Follow Up
Discussion
 Questions & Answers
Learning how to use the
Multiliteracies with Google Docs
and Dipity
Research
 Exploring
 Collaborating
 Creating
 Sharing
 Communicating

Google Documents/Drive

Google Docs is an online site for sharing documents,
spreadsheets and presentations.

It can be accessed from anywhere and is user friendly.

Work can be shared and edited from multiple
users simultaneously. There is also a chat feature
where students and teachers can communicate
together while working.

Students must have a Google email in order to
access this site.
How to use Google Docs in the
Social Studies classroom

Part 1: Teacher’s uses of Google Docs
◦ Activators and Summarizers, Taking class
surveys (KWL)

Part 2: Using Google Docs with Students
◦ Paper writing and group presentation
collaboration
Brainstorming
Brainstorming as a class
1 Share the document with the students in
your class
2 Allow students to write their responses
3 Using the projector, project the document
onto the smart board/screen and discuss
Exit Pass

Students respond to what they have
learned by typing their responses in the
document

They must attach their name to the end
of their responses so that they get credit
for their entry.
Using Google Docs with students
Writing Papers in Google Docs
 How does writing a paper in Google
Docs make a difference? Students can go
through the writing process in 1
document (brainstorming, outlining, drafts,
editing, and final paper)! Students can
share their paper with peer editors and
the teacher for feedback. Google Docs
automatically saves your work so it won't
be lost :)

Getting started (must have a
Google account)…
Once you've title it, share it with
your teacher and peer editors...
Editing: establish editing guidelines with your class (you can
create one for all your teachers to use)
Submitting the Papers
My favorite feature of Google Docs with
paper writing is that students submit them
to me directly online. Once they share it
with me, I have access to it. I can write
notes, highlight points, and edit their papers
WITHOUT having to carry around a stack
of papers with me :)
For writing DBQs I can share documents with
my students and they can have the resources
they need on hand at all times!
Collaboration on Projects
Students who are assigned to work in
groups for projects can use the
Presentation feature to collaborate on.
Students can make 1 presentation that all
the group members can work on
simultaneously. (In fact it is how we
created this project :) )
Select a theme. Just as with creating the
Document, title your presentation, share it
with your group and begin collaborating.
Comment and Communicate

You can see what are called character to
character edits as you work on your
presentation. You can also comment on
the work your members have done.
Questions & Answers
Dipity as a Social Studies Tool
" Dipity is a free digital timeline website. Our mission is to organize the
web's content by date and time. Users can create, share, embed and
collaborate on interactive, visually engaging timelines that integrate video,
audio, images, text, links, social media, location and timestamps."
http://www.dipity.com/
Foundation
Steps to Creating a Dipity
Creating an Event
Adding Information
Editing Information
Communicating: Making Comments
Collaborating

Can follow the topics of others, comment on other
timelines, can even add events to other timelines,
GREAT for group work and creating in class or
outside of class.
Creating and Sharing
The possibilities are
endless and can be
linked to other
websites that a student
uses.
 For Example, giving
students the
opportunity to post
their Civil War Dipity
to their Facebook.

Researching/Exploring

Researching and Exploring/Conclusion- Topics range
from history, people, technology, science, popculture, current events, and personal timelines.

Example: Challenge students to seek out a
timeline covering various historical events or
create one that ties certain events together, such
as the role of Native Americans throughout our
history.
Questions & Answers
Next Steps

Over the next two days try out some of
the tools we’ve shared with you here and
think about how you can use them in
your classroom with your students.
Next Steps

That discussion is at the Teaching & Learning
in the 21st Century Blog at:
http://teach-learn21.blogspot.com/

Scroll down the page to find the discussion
forum for this presentation titled:
Tools for the Social Studies Class:
Dipity and Google Docs
Information about this is included in the
workshop packet we sent out in an email.
For More Information
For more information about this workshop and
others go to the Center for Adolescent Literacies
website at:
http://literacy.uncc.edu/
Presentation materials including this Power Point are
posted at:
http://literacy.uncc.edu/professionaldevelopment
Thank You!
Thank you for joining us today. In about a
week, you will receive a short survey that
helps us evaluate these workshops. Thanks in
advance for filling that out.
For additional questions contact:
Bruce Taylor
Director, The Center for Adolescent Literacies
at UNC Charlotte
bruce.taylor@uncc.edu