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Using Hexagons to Build Critical Thinking Skills in Social Studies



As a teacher, it's always important to find new and innovative ways to engage students and develop their critical thinking skills. Social studies, in particular, provides ample opportunity for students to learn about the world around them and develop their analytical abilities. In this blog post, we'll explore how using hexagons can be a fun and effective way to build critical thinking skills in social studies.



What are Hexagons?

Hexagons are six-sided shapes that can be used as a visual tool to help students understand complex concepts and relationships. They are an excellent way to organize information, create connections between ideas, and encourage students to think critically about the information they are learning.

How Hexagons Build Critical Thinking Skills

Encourages Active Learning: By using hexagons, students are actively engaged in the learning process. They are required to organize and analyze information, think critically about relationships, and draw conclusions. This type of active learning helps students retain information better and develop their critical thinking skills.


Supports Visual Learning: Visual learning is an important aspect of education, especially in social studies. Hexagons provide a visual representation of information, making it easier for students to understand complex concepts and relationships. This visual approach helps students see patterns, identify relationships, and make connections between ideas.


Develops Analytical Skills: Hexagons provide an excellent opportunity for students to analyze information and make connections. By organizing information into hexagons, students are able to see relationships between ideas and draw conclusions based on their analysis. This type of analysis is critical for developing analytical skills, which are essential for success in social studies and beyond.


Enhances Collaboration: Hexagons can be used as a group activity, where students work together to organize information and draw conclusions. This type of collaboration helps students develop communication and teamwork skills, and encourages them to think critically about the information they are learning.

Examples of Using Hexagons in Social Studies

Understanding Historical Relationships: Hexagons can be used to understand the relationships between different historical events, people, and ideas. For example, students can create a hexagon map that shows the relationship between different historical events and the people and ideas that influenced them.


Analyzing Political Systems: Hexagons can be used to analyze different political systems and the relationships between different components, such as government structure, power distribution, and the role of citizens.


Studying Cultural Traditions: Hexagons can be used to study the relationships between different cultural traditions, beliefs, and values. For example, students can create a hexagon map that shows the relationships between different holidays, celebrations, and rituals.


In conclusion, using hexagons is a fun and effective way to build critical thinking skills in social studies. By encouraging active learning, supporting visual learning, developing analytical skills, and enhancing collaboration, hexagons provide students with an excellent opportunity to deepen their understanding of the world around them. So, why not try incorporating hexagons into your social studies curriculum and see the positive impact they can have on your students' critical thinking skills!

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