Action-oriented learning activities, most drawn from resources in the ERIC system, are designed to stimulate elementary and junior high school students' interest and participation while conveying important social studies content and skills. The activities are organized into six sections. The first section focuses on developing social studies skills. The next five sections deal with the following: student understanding of themselves and others as human beings, citizenship, geography, U.S. history, and global concerns. Examples of activities include having students develop a time line of the history of pizza, search through newspapers for particular items of information, model landforms, map an unfamiliar room arrangement explored while blindfolded, and use primary source material to learn about the lives of children on the frontier. Most of the activities are self-contained; some, however, do require special materials. Information provided for each activity includes an overview, objectives, grade level, materials and preparation, teaching procedures, and follow-up. (RM)