Project-based social studies ideas students never forget — from 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year Megan Philbrook, whose students secretly nominated her for the award.

Megan Philbrook teaches social studies to grades 5 through 8 in rural New Hampshire, where her students wrote, directed, and filmed their own play on Ancient Rome, podcast about the American Revolution, and research WWII veterans buried fifteen miles from their school. In this conversation she shares how project-based learning and civic engagement make history unforgettable — and the classroom moves that made her students love her enough to nominate her for Teacher of the Year without telling her.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to reuse last year's student projects to inspire this year's students
A 30-second door-greeting ritual that starts every class with connection
The "look through the window" rule for teaching controversial history without taking sides
Where to find free state-level resources for America's 250th birthday
Why "close your mouth but open your ears" is her best advice for new social studies teachers

Full show notes and every resource mentioned: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e952

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