1. Teaching specific social studies terms.

2. Abbreviation stick puppets. Many abbreviations are part of the material which students read in social studies. Fasten two stick puppets with a brass brad. Place the abbreviation for words on one and the complete word or words on the other. Illustrations may be used to go with both puppets. Have the abbreviation appear "on stage" first. As the audience identifies the appropriate matching word/words, shift the second stick puppet over so that it rises above the stage and reinforces the correct answer given.

3. Paper Sack Problem Solvers

Use a lead puppet to identify and define a problem. Have the puppet share known information about the situation. Give each student in the group a paper bag puppet. Allow individuals to share what they know about the problem "through" their puppet. Then have all review what is known and plan how to study the situation. As students locate and gather information have them write it on the back of their paper sacks. Share, interpret, and evaluate what has been found and draw tentative conclusions about the situation. Let puppets discuss how they can use the information found and written on their sacks, as well as that shared by others, to solve the problem.

4. Have puppets give directions about movement in the classroom or on a map. Use terms related to cardinal and intermediate directions as well as relative terms of location such as up, down, over, beyond, and others.

5. Use a map as the "stage" for a region that is being studied. Cut holes in a variety of places. Let finger puppets poke through the holes and talk about the areas.

6. Use two puppets to discuss and compare the information found on two different maps.

7. Have puppets describe what it is like to travel at various elevations indicated on a map.

8. Place a small, nine-volt battery inside of a puppet. Run the electrical wires from the battery through the arms of the puppet. Use the puppet to match map related ideas on a question board. The questions could deal with location, using scale and computing distances, identifying symbols, learning and making comparisons and inferences.

9. Use stick puppets in the shape of grandfather clocks to talk about the time of day and events related to those times.

10. Label simple puppets with names of the days of the week. Use poetry or discussions to learn the order of the days and activities related to them.

11. Label simple puppets with names of the months of the year. Use them to discuss the months and activities related to them.

12. Cut holes in a calendar and use it as a stage. Have finger puppets tell about events on particular days.

13. Use simple stick puppets to give a description of rotation and revolution of the sun and the planets.

14. Have puppets dramatize the meaning of definite and indefinite terms related to time and chronology.

15. Use prehistoric creatures to talk about time and chronology as it relates to ecological time periods.

16. Use puppets to talk about feelings and experiences during various decades or centuries.

17. Use puppets to give a presentation about the sequence of events in personal experiences.

18. Let puppets arrange other puppets in sequential order and talk about the exercise.

19. Use the words first, second, third, and so on as puppets are arranged in sequence.

20. Have puppets talk about feelings related to the passage of time. Durations such as a second, minute, hour, and others could be discussed.

21. Have past, present, and future puppets that discuss experiences in each time period.

22. Use stick or rod puppets to demonstrate change on a bar graph. Attach an appropriate symbol to the end of the stick or bar and move it up and down in a column as discussion takes place.

23. Cut holes in a table giving statistical information. Use finger puppets to poke through the holes and discuss the facts and figures on the table.

24. Use a magnet on the backside of a graph to move a metallic puppet around on a line graph. Let the magnetic puppet talk about what the line graph shows.