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Do you want to know more about social studies? Maybe you don't have the time or don't know where to start because so much falls under social studies like US history, world history, geography, sociology, and government.

A Samoyed husky turning its head to the side in confusion.

Unsurprisingly, it can be hard to find a starting point on what to learn. In the United States, there are no national standards for social studies — instead, all 50 states set their own standards.

This is where ChatGPT can come in handy. When you learn how to create the right ChatGPT prompts, the system can assist you in learning more about social studies topics.

Did you know?

61% of US teachers believe that ChatGPT has "legitimate educational uses that we cannot ignore".

1. Be Narrow

A student holding a posterboard. She says, 'Um, I narrowed it down to a few options.'

Since social studies is very broad, you need to focus on what topics you want to learn and give ChatGPT specific prompts.

But how?

Let's say you want to learn more about the US government. What topics do you want to focus on? Branches of government, civil liberties and rights, or checks and balances?

When you've decided on what you want to learn, it's time to go to ChatGPT. For this example, let's use branches of government.

Instead of telling ChatGPT, "Tell me about the US legislative branch", try the following ChatGPT prompt: "Can you give a condensed version of how the US legislative branch works?"

A screenshot of the answer to a ChatGPT prompt about the US legislative branch (audio description available below).To hear an audio version of the text in the image above, click play on the audio player below:

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Maybe you're thinking, "Does it make a difference in how I phrase my ChatGPT prompts?"

Yes, it does! If you ask ChatGPT to explain how the US legislative branch works, it will go into a very detailed explanation when you just want something short and sweet.

Quiz

Zara wants to learn more details about the US judicial branch, specifically the lower courts. Which ChatGPT prompts can she use to get this result? Select all the correct answers:

2. Go Interactive

 A 'Hey Arnold'  scene. A tour guide at a museum says, 'My tour group starts in five minutes.'

A great way to learn more about social studies is to simulate scenarios where you can give ChatGPT prompts to get more context. Think of it as traveling to a museum or historical association without leaving home.

Maybe you want to learn more about geography or battles throughout history. ChatGPT can help with this by turning it into your personal tour guide.

Use the following ChatGPT prompt:

A screenshot of the answer to a ChatGPT prompt asking about ancient Greece (audio description available below).To hear an audio version of the text in the image above, click play on the audio player below:

To truly get a feel for that particular time period, consider asking the following ChatGPT prompts:

  • "What's the social life like in ancient Athens?"

  • "What type of food do you eat?"

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You can even have ChatGPT act as a historical figure and ask them questions to learn more about them.

Use the following ChatGPT prompt:

A screenshot of the answer to a ChatGPT prompt asking about Abraham Lincoln (audio description available below).

You could ask, "President Lincoln, what did you mean by a more perfect union in the Gettysburg Address?"

The possibilities are endless when you decide to use ChatGPT prompts as interactive learning tools. They also allow you to hone your problem-solving abilities.

3. Study Buddies

Trevor Noah at an awards show saying, 'Pay attention to this, this is really important.'

ChatGPT can also be used as a study aid. You can use it to create study guides or even quiz yourself on topics to make sure you understand.

Maybe you've been learning about the Civil Rights Movement and want to make sure you know the major events that took place. Try the following ChatGPT prompt:

A screenshot of the answer to a ChatGPT prompt asking about the Civil Rights Movement (audio description available below).To hear an audio version of the text in the image above, click play on the audio player below:

When you answer the questions, ChatGPT will grade your answers and provide more explanation.

By using ChatGPT as a study aid, you can get real feedback to make sure you truly understand the material.

Did you know?

While ChatGPT can be a useful resource, keep in mind that it's still important to verify the information you receive. You could ask a teacher or conduct further research by double-checking dates and information.

Take Action

A woman says, 'What's next?'

Now, that you know how to use ChatGPT prompts to learn social studies topics, it's time to take the next steps. You'll be on your way to learning social studies topics in no time!

License:

This Byte has been authored by

BJ

Brianna Johnson

High School Librarian

English

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