Social Studies in the Elementary School
Spring 2008
Instructor: Dr. Judy M. Pounds Class
Time: Monday
Class:
Thursday:
Conceptual Framework Theme
The
theme/purpose of the conceptual framework undergirding
the Department of Education’s programs is: to produce
graduates who are critical thinking problem solvers with the knowledge,
pedagogical, and technological skills, and professional dispositions needed to
function as effective teachers in a diverse world.
Department
of Education
The
Shaw University Department of Education builds on the knowledge, skills, and
values that students acquire through their liberal arts and science
foundations. Candidates graduating from
the department will have the specialty area knowledge, professional skills, and
experiences that will enable them to function as competent and effective
teachers who think critically and demonstrate effective problem-solving skills.
Departmental majors may choose a specific concentration
from four different specialty areas.
Each student is encouraged to choose one of the specialty areas listed
below by the end of his/her sophomore year.
Birth through Kindergarten
Education (B-K)
Elementary Education (K-6)
Graduate students may pursue a Master of Science in
Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Education.
[The Secondary English Education (9-12) and Secondary
Mathematics Education (9-12) programs are housed in the content areas. The University suspended the Special Education:
General Curriculum (K-12) Program, effective in fall 2006.]
Department of Education Goals
The
goals of the Department of Education are:
1.
to align the
institutional mission and goals with state, regional, national, and
departmental standards and
requirements;
2.
to prepare
candidates to work in schools as teachers who know and can demonstrate the
content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions
necessary to help all P-12 students learn;
3.
to implement an
assessment system that collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications,
candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve
the unit and its programs;
4.
to collaborate
with school partners to design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and
clinical practice so that teacher candidates develop and demonstrate the
knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn;
5.
to design,
implement, and evaluate curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire
and apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all
students learn;
6.
to maintain a
qualified faculty that models best professional practices in scholarship,
service, and teaching; and
7.
to maintain the leadership, authority, budget,
personnel, facilities, and resources for the preparation of candidates to meet
professional, state, and institutional standards.
NOTE: The mission statement and goals of the
Department of Education are aligned with the mission statement and goals of
each of its programs.
Required
Text(s)
Chapin, June R. (2006). Elementary social studies: A
practical guide. (6th ed.) Pearson:
Allyn and Bacon.
LiveText/Blackboard
General
Course Description
This course prepares
teacher candidates to teach social studies in elementary schools. This course
requires the candidate to apply critical thinking, problem solving skills, and
information technology skills, and effective instructional strategies to the
extensive literature that deals with the teaching of social studies to diverse
learners Students will apply instructional skills in teaching history,
geography, economics, political science, anthropology, and sociology using
research-based, effective instructional approaches. A library component is
required. To fulfill the library component the candidate must meet with the
media specialist to become acquainted with NC Live and similar programs, which
provide literature on current topics and to review lesson
plans which practicing teachers across the state of NC have developed.
Student
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of this course, students
will be able to:
1.
Demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving, and use of education and
information
technology when preparing and presenting instructional strategies
for diverse learners.
2. Teach and
demonstrate knowledge of the major concepts of social studies for diverse
learners.
3.
Demonstrate a balanced approach to teaching social studies for diverse
learners.
4. Conduct
computer-assisted searches of library resources such as NC Live and other
on-line resources for use in the implementation of
instructional strategies.
5.
Understand and use of the principles of social studies for the design,
implementation,
and evaluation of students’ academic and social performance
in the classroom.
6. Discuss
ethical and professional issues surrounding the use of applied social studies
techniques.
Standards and Indicators for
Elementary Social Studies
Students will demonstrate that they meet the following
state standards:
These standards are taken
from the Standards for Elementary Teachers as approved by the NC State Board of
Education. These standards were derived from Core Standards for the Teaching
Profession and were developed by the NC Professional Teaching Standards
Commission. They are correlated with the NC Standard Course of Study and the
national social studies and English standards, the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards, the Interstate New Teacher Assessment, and the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Core Standards
1.1 Teachers
have a broad knowledge of content
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of how to teach
students.
1.3 Demonstrate ability to teach a diverse
population of students.
1.5 Demonstrate ability to reflect about their
practice.
Diversity Standard:
6.0 Reflective practitioners who are committed to
educational equality
Technology Standards:
1.1 Demonstrate
introductory knowledge, skills related to technology
1.5 Use technology
to enhance productivity and professional practice
Elementary Education Standards:
1.5 Know and understand that reading is taught as a
process of constructing meaning through interaction of existing knowledge,
information, and context
1.6 Understand importance of literacy for personal and
social growth
1.8 Understand written and oral composition process
1.
Reflection
Journal: You are to read the syllabus
and write a reflection paper on your thoughts about the Professional
Disposition and the Course Expectations.
Why do you think they are important to have in a learning environment?
Core 1,2 ,6,14; Technology
3,5; Diversity 4,6; Elementary Education 1,6.14.
2.
Library Component. The librarian
(Mrs. Mair) from the
Core
1.1; Technology 1.1, 1.3
3. Three journal articles on topics
related to teaching math, technology, diverse learners, etc. Journal abstracts
must be aligned with NCDPI/NCATE Standards and Indicators. Read and report on
six current journal articles using the Shaw University Department of Education
format:
A.
Title of Article
B.
Author
C.
Journal
D.
Synopsis (Summary
in your own words, at least ˝ page in length)
E.
Subjects (People
involved in study, ex. fifty ten year old boys)
F.
Instrument (Kind
of test, survey, etc. used to collect data)
G.
Findings
(outcome)
H.
Implications/Applications
(How will or can this information be used?)
I.
Reaction (Your
personal)
All
journal article reviews must be attached to the article. You should make a
template of your article review and keep a backup on diskette. Be sure to
include your name, date and title of course and the instructor’s name on each
review.
Core 1.1; Technology 1.1, 1.5; Diversity
6.0 Elementary Education 1.1, 2.0
4. Unit Plan
One unit plans must be developed.
The unit plan should consist of a social studies unit plan. The unit plans must be aligned with the
NCDPI/NCATE Standards and Indicators for a particular K-6 grade level. The unit plan must contain at least 5 lesson plans each.
Unit plan must contain lists of concepts to show scope
and sequence, behavioral objectives, science and math content for the teacher,
ideas for beginning units and lessons, lists of related children’s books and
websites, list of materials needed, lesson enrichment ideas, bulletin board
ideas, field trip ideas, use of instructional technology, strategies necessary
for working with diverse populations, critical thinking, problem solving,
computer software and audiovisual aids, and lesson plans.
*A demonstration lesson will be done from the unit.
Be sure to document all sources used (at least 10 library references).
Lesson plans must follow
the lesson plan format that is found in the Appendix. Questions to be asked
must be included in the guided practice, teacher input, and closure, which must
include a variety of types of questions (recall to evaluation). Activities must
provide for the multiple intelligences, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Lesson plans must be aligned with and identify at least five NCDPI/NCATE
standards and indicators (core, diversity, technology, social studies
standards). Several indicators should be included and identified.
Core1.1; 2.0, 3.0; Technology 1.0, 3.0
5.0; Diversity 1.0, 2.0 4.0 Elementary Education 1.0, 2.0, 6.0, 8.0, 14.0
5.
Microteaching
Each
student will be given an opportunity to palan and
teach one brief lesson. This activity
will provide an invaluable experiential opportunity to learn how to teach, as
well as to consolidate teaching knowledge and skills. The six point format will be used in
developing the lesson. Microteaching is a scaled down teaching situation in
which a 10-15 minute mini-lesson is taught to a few students. NCDPI standards and indicators must be
included with the presentation.
Core1.1; 2.0, 3.0; Technology 1.0, 3.0
5.0; Diversity 1.0, 2.0 4.0 Elementary Education 1.0, 2.0, 6.0, 8.0, INTASC
Standard 1
Topics
The Elementary Social Studies
Curriculum
Planning for Social Studies
Instruction
Instructional Strategies
Using Multiple Assessments to
Evaluate Students’ Learning
Aiding Our Students to
Interpret History
Teaching Geography and
Economics
Teaching Civic Education
Helping All Our Diverse
Students
Social Studies and Literacy
Connection
Using Technologies for the
Social Studies
Homework/Projects: Homework and semester projects are due at the beginning of the class
period on the day the assignment is due. Assignments not turned in on time will
result in a recorded grader of zero, unless your instructor has agreed in
advance to a late submission.
Evaluation :
·
Two quizzes
·
Mid-term
examination
·
Final examination
·
All assignments
must be saved electronically, placed on Livetext, and
submitted as a hard copy. All assignments will be evaluated on the performance
ratings of: Target (90-100), Acceptable (70-89), Unacceptable (69 and below).
Grading Scale: A: 90-100 (Target)
B: 80-89 (Acceptable)
C: 70-79 (Acceptable)
D: 60-69 (Unacceptable)
F: Below 60 (Unacceptable)
Professional
Dispositions
Standards of Professional Conduct
Respect the dignity and worth of each individual; help
students reflect on their learning and apply learning to their experiences
through observations, field experiences, and oral presentations; foster
development through all students by nurturing and providing feedback; creating
a challenging learning environment by allowing group discussions and solving
problems related to child development issues; committed to contributing
learning by allowing students to present oral reports; discussions of the
Conceptual Framework and classroom dispositions are ongoing
Reflected through attendance and punctuality,
preparedness, attitude towards the university policies, dress code, respect and
caring for students, leadership skills, implementing policies that reflects
excellence, the ability to design and deliver instructions that will help the
students to develop the skills in order to think critically and solve problems,
upgrading by attending workshops, meeting timelines, avoid stereotyping by
race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, disability, physical appearance or
social status, invite dialogue, research to increase knowledge, open
mindedness, shows empathy
Advisement of student, daily operation of the program,
student conferences, plagiarism, coursework evaluation, accountability. The educator
shall not engage in conduct involving misrepresentation in the performance of professional
duties.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
·
For all
assignments involving children the Code of Ethics developed by the National
Association for the Education of Young Children and the state of
·
All written
assignments must be typed, double-spaced using a 12 font. Assignments should include a cover page with
the student’s name, date, assignment title, course number, and semester. Each
assignment should be proofread and free of grammatical errors.
·
Blackboard/Live
Text will be used to assess all assignments.
Common rubrics will be used for each assignment.
COURSE
EXPECTATIONS
1. Course
2. Class
Attendance Policy/Excuses from Class:
The
class attendance policy of the University is as follows:
Class
attendance is required for all
Student
Responsibility:
Students
are responsible for adhering to the University’s Class Attendance Policy. It is the responsibility of students to
make-up, in a timely fashion, scheduled class work missed because of a class
absence(s). Absence from unannounced
quizzes, tests and other assignments may be made up at the discretion of the
faculty member. Students who exceed the
maximum number of absences may receive a failing grade for the course. It is your responsibility to provide an
explanation and a university excuse to the instructor.
3. Written
assignments and Projects. All
projects are expected to be completed and
turned in by the assigned due date. Assignments turned in late will be
accepted
only if your instructor has been notified and agrees to the
late submission.
4. Tests.
If you miss a test, you must produce a university excuse. A day at the end of the semester will be
scheduled for make-up tests.
5.
Cheating/Plagiarism. Cheating is the practice of fraudulent and
deceptive acts for
the purpose of improving a grade or obtaining course
credit. Plagiarism is a
specific
form of cheating that consists of the misuse of the published and/or
unpublished works of another by representing the material so
used as one’s own
work. The acts of
Cheating and/or plagiarism will lead to receiving an “F” on the
assignment and the filing of a report with the Dean.
Bibliography
of Suggested
Banks, James A. (1999). An Introduction t Multicultural Education. (2nd
ed.).
Chaffee, J.
(2000). Thinking critically
(6th ed.).
Chapin, June R. (2006). Elementary social studies: A
practical guide. (6th ed.) Pearson:
Allyn and Bacon.
Cooper, J.
D. & Kiger, N D. (2001). Literacy assessment: Helping teachers plan
instruction.
Houghton Mifflin, Co.
Farris, Pamela. (2001). Elementary & Middle School Social Studies.
(3rd ed.).
Education.
Martorella, Peter H., Beal, Candy, (2002). Social Studies for
Elementary School Classrooms: Preparing
Children to be Global Citizens.
McEachron, Gail A. (2001). Self in the
World: Elementary and Middle School Social Studies.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
|
Date |
Topic |
Readings/Assignment Due |
|
|
Introduction to Class Conceptual Framework/
Course Syllabus/Attendance and Participation/Code of Ethics |
Discussion on Conceptual
Framework/ Course Syllabus/Attendance and Participation/Code of Ethics |
|
|
Martin Luther King Holiday |
Read Chapter 1 in Text |
|
|
The Elementary Social
Studies Curriculum |
Discuss Chapter 1 Reflective Journal Due on
Professional Disposition |
|
|
Planning for Social Studies
Instruction |
Read Chapter 2 Journal Article Review 1 |
|
|
Instructional Strategies |
Read Chapter 3 First Social Studies Lesson
Due in Notebook |
|
|
Using Multiple Assessments
to Evaluate Students’ Learning |
Read Chapter 4 Prepare to teach a Micro- teaching
Lesson (Will be video taped) |
|
|
Aiding Our Students to
Interpret History |
Read Chapter 5 Second Social Studies
Lesson Due in Notebook |
|
|
Mid-term |
Quiz |
|
|
Social Studies
and Literacy Connection |
Read Chapter 9 Journal Article 2 Due |
|
|
Helping All Our Diverse
Students |
Read Chapter 8 Reflective Journal on this
Chapter |
|
|
Easter and Spring
Break |
|
|
|
Teaching Geography and
Economics |
Read Chapter 6 Third and Fourth Social Studies Lessons Due in
Notebook |
|
|
Teaching Civic Education |
Read Chapter 7 Journal Article 3 Due |
|
|
Using Technologies for the
Social Studies |
Read Chapter 10 Fifth Social Studies Lesson
Due in Notebook |
|
|
Demonstration Lessons |
|
|
|
Demonstration Lessons |
|
|
|
Final Exam Due |
|