Recently in SSED 430W Category

            Unfortunately, the gravity of high-stakes testing has squeezed some critical components of a social studies program outside of the classroom.  School districts tend to focus on reading, writing, math, and most recently science--subjects that are being tested to reflect the effectiveness of schools.  The question is: what can a teacher do to make sure social studies is taught?  Social studies is a patriotic subject that reflects the history and laws of lands, the attitudes of many peoples, and the sense of civic values in which students are best able to uphold the "...duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy"  (NCSS, 2009).  As a pre-service teacher I know the value of social studies education within the classroom because of my own experiences as a student and my recent knowledge of theory and curriculum.  It is my responsibility to allow my students to experience those opportunities.

            In order to make sure social studies is taught I am a firm believer in the power of subject integration.  Math, science, reading, and writing can all be taught with an emphasis on social studies.  Ideally, I will teach social studies at least three days per week.  However, if this is impossible to do, I will teach social studies within other subjects as a means of integrating subjects.  A wonderful activity that would integrate social studies and writing would be the creation of a classroom Constitution.  This activity would best benefit 5^th and 6^th grade students.  The students would study the Constitution of the United States of America--the people who drafted the supreme law and the historical time period--and then they would create a classroom Constitution outlining the rights of the teacher and the students.  This particular activity aligns with my firm belief in the teacher philosophy of Essentialism.  I believe that there is a certain amount of "core knowledge" that students need to know and understand in order to be productive participants within our ever-globalized nation.  However, my teaching ideologies and beliefs tend to straddle all four of the major teaching philosophies:  Essentialism, Existentialism, Progressivism, and Perennialism.  Overall, social studies cannot be overlooked in the classrooms of today.  I will end with this powerful quote:  "Dynamic social studies is based on a conviction that civic education is fundamental to the preservation of our constitutional democracy and, therefore, the primary component of all education in the United States " (Maxim, p. 211).  Its is paramount to the future productiveness of our citizens.

 Maxim, G.  (2005).  Dynamic Social Studies For Constructivist Classrooms:  Inspiring Tomorrow's Social Scientists

Chapter 6: The Learning Cycle: Teacher Scaffolded Social Constructivism

Summary:

            A detailed vignette of Ms. Rahimi and her sixth grade class introduced the chapter--an example of how constructivism can be the primary educational approach for student learning.  Jean Piaget was a philosopher and scientist who studied the minds of children through their cognitive stages of development (from birth to adolescence).  All children have "specialized mental structures" that they use to classify or organize their knowledge.  This is called 'schemata.'  Piaget found that as children develop, their schema tend to change and adapt to their new knowledge, referred to as 'adaptation.'  However, adaptation does not take place without the following three components:  assimilation, equilibrium, and disequilibrium.

Assimilation- "the mental process that takes place when individuals attempt to integrate new life experiences into an existing schema--in other words, trying to link a new experience to something that already know."

Equilibrium- when a child makes a meaningful connection then their state of "cognitive comfort" is in balance, or stable.

Disequilibrium- when a child is unable to establish a connection  to their already existing schema, then their state of "cognitive comfort" is unbalanced

 Constructivist learning is "strategic problem-solving process by which learners are intrinsically driven to construct meaning from a new learning challenge" (p.267).

Social Constructivism- teacher-peer, peer-peer collaboration, and a variety of materials/tools for exploration that lead to "initiative, experimentation, and collaboration."

-         physical tools versus mental tools  (must be passed from generation to generation)

 Vygotsky- language and learning are intertwined

-         Zones of Development (zone of actual development, ZAD & zone of proximal development, ZPD)

-         Scaffolding = necessary within the ZPD! (adult help/guide/assistance)

 Teacher's Role within a Social Constructivist Classroom?

-          positive interactions, and the classroom is a "community of learners"

-          Learning Cycle- "a commonly suggested teaching approach designed to facilitate learning through a teacher's supportive assistance" (student-centered)

                        1.  Exploration   2.  Concept/skill development   3.  Concept/skill application

 Exploration- makes connections to students' previous experiences, motivates students,       

establish the purpose/goal, WOW factor!

-       -    classroom discussions and questions: existing knowledge, thought association, rapid recognition, quick lesson review, open-ended questions

--         utilizing manipulatives, REALIA (real things), multimedia (gain student interest!)

-          use of diagrams, charts, word sorts, other visual displays/images

-         Make sure the students know WHY they are learning what they are learning (need a sense of purpose for the material to become memorable)

Concept/Skill Development-  "builds on the exploration phase by putting forward the main experience that will develop the concept or skill more fully" (teacher assists students)

-         Teacher must master the basic content/understandings/big ideas prior to teaching

-         Teacher must know how to organize the content in the most meaningful manner for student learning to take place (sequential, chronological, etc.)

-         Factstorming- what is important/relevant to topic?

-         Helping children to acquire skills (map reading, outlining information, using computer programs, planning an interview etc.)

-         Materials/Resources made available (enactive versus iconic versus symbolic)

-          Learning and language are essential- students must be able to communicate their thoughts!  (instructional conversations!) Page 297 lists the "art of questioning"

-         Graphic organizers

Concept/Skill Application Phase- "students have the opportunity to apply and practice a new skill or concept through special projects or independent activities"

-          creativity/choice/alternative projects (students display what they have learned)

-          teacher- "enriching, reinforcing, extending" the concepts/skills ( VARIETY & CREATIVITY)

-        

Quotes:

"A major element of constructivist teaching is to make available absorbing materials and intriguing situations that appeal to the child's spontaneous and real activity" (p. 267).

"Adults or more competent/knowledgeable peers might provide this assistance to enable students to execute tasks within their ZPD" (p. 269).

"The learning cycle is a student-centered teaching approach intended to crate conceptual change through interactions within the social environment" (p. 271).

"The instructional model is based on the idea that learning occurs in a social context; therefore, the classroom must be thought of as a community of learners who build knowledge together" (p. 270).

"Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Rosa Parks" by Loraine Stewart

            This particular article addresses the ways in which teachers can and should provide students with a variety of ways (literature) to examine and analyze the major historical events within our nation.  Too often than not, teachers look at history through a one-way lens and they pass on inaccurate facts and/or myths to the students.  For example, the article focuses on Rosa Parks and the misleading ways that educators often portray her.  It is the "Rosa was tired and passive" myth or the belief that she was set up by others to stage her protest and arrest.  However, none of these are true.  Well before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks was a fervent activist and leader within the African American community.  She was a member of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, one of the few black women registered to vote, and was an optimist supporter of desegregation within the schools.  The fact is, the myths tend to cloud over the facts for some reason or another.  In order for students to gain a broader perspective about Rosa Parks and her involvement within the Civil Rights Movement--not just the Montgomery Bus Boycotts--the newest children's books regarding her story "acknowledge the broader context of her life's story." 

The following books have been recommended by Loraine Stewart:

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni; picture book

Don't Know Much About Rosa Parks by Kenneth Davis; answer and question format (grades 3-7)

Dear Mrs. Parks.  A Dialogue with Today's Youth; compilation of students letters with questions to Parks, 3^rd person account

If A Bus Could Talk by Faith Ringgold; historical fiction that accurately portrays Civil Rights Movement and the Boycott

"The Brown v. Board of Education Decision"

           By middle school the majority of students have encountered the historical case, Brown v. Board of Education.  However, how many of those students can tell you more about the case besides the typical "Brown v. Board of Education overturned Plessy v. Ferguson...stating that separate but equal facilities for whites and for blacks was no longer allowed."  Students understand the case based upon rote memorization of the most basic facts.  This particular articles address that landmark case in more depth.  It also provides wonderful resources for 5^th and 6^th grade students as they study the Civil Rights Movement in America.  Students must be adept at examining and analyzing primary and secondary sources.  History can be told through sources just as much as it can be "retold" through the textbooks.  The websites provide historical background information, in-depth context, a variety of teaching activities and lessons, reproducible worksheets, and a plethora of topics that will teach students (and teachers) about the landmark Supreme Court case!

Rosa Parks Myth: Books for Everyone

            Whether you are looking for a historical fiction book, descriptive biography, brilliant picture book, or a "quick and neat" fact book, there is a Rosa Parks book that fits every one of those categories.  Over sixty-years have passed since the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott.  Rosa Parks has become and will continue to be one of the most historical figures in our nation's history--especially during the Civil Rights Movement.  It does not comes as a surprise to me that she would be the topic of so many adult, young adult, and children's books.  Personally, I have read Eloise Greenfield's Rosa Parks and I was captivated by the amount of information that I had not previously known.  Before reading that book, I myself, was victim to the "Rosa weak and tired myth"--I am ashamed to say.  Therefore, I know the importance of the saying, "you cannot believe everything you hear."  I firmly believe that if you are in charge of your own learning (which all adults should be) then it is up to you to educate yourself using a variety of resources, experiences, and discussions with other people.  As a teacher it is up to me to help my students learn.  I provide the activities, the lessons, the stimulation, and the experiences.  Although one book may read one way, another book about the exact same subject will read another way.  By giving my students multiple resources, viewpoints, and perspectives, I am helping them to become active participants in their learning.  They become more adept at critical thinking, analyzing, and debating.  Overall, I hope I am able to introduce my students to a Rosa Parks unit because of my own interest in her life and the ways that she impacted the world around her.  When that time comes I will already have a handful of resources and ideas.

Chapter 3: Young Historians: Coming Face to Face With the Past

Summary:

History is a narrative or story of the past (historians study the past)

Historical Method (3)

            1.  locating pertinent information about a past event

            2.  examining the informational sources for accuracy

            3.  organizing this information into a well-constructed historical narrative

(written sources)  books, journals, records, newspaper articles, etc. (p. 87)

(nonwritten sources)  physical artifacts, visual images, oral and audio

Primary versus Secondary Sources: children need to the differences!

What should students know/be able to do?  The National Center for History in the Schools (1996) has content standards (4 topics) K-4 grade

            1.  living and working together in families/communities, now and long ago

            2.  the history of student s' own state or region

            3.  the history of the United States

            4.  the history of peoples of many cultures around the world

How to teach the information?  Integration is key!  Literature, documents, media, field trips, special days/celebrations! 

Historical Narratives tell stories through the connections of real world events that have occurred:  historical fiction, biographies, folk literature  (Children should be exposed to narratives but they should also write their own narratives!)  Textbooks can also be forms of historical literature. 

How to select well-written historical narratives?  (5 guidelines on pg. 98)

Resources to consider using: Notable Children's Trade Books for Young People, Social Studies and the Young Learner, An Annotated Bibliography of Historical Fiction

How to write a biography?  1.  Realistic description of the time when and place where the person lived 2. Accurate characterization of the person 3. A careful accounting of the significant events in the person's life  4.  Values and interests influencing the person to act as he or she did

*Writing within social studies is a great way to integrate subjects (reading, writing, and social studies) 

The Storypath Approach by Maria Stanitis (pg. 111 and on)

-       Researching, Rehearsing, Drafting, Revising, Publishing (the story creation process)

Written Evidence:  documents, letters, journal and diaries

Classroom Idea = classroom newspapers (mimic the process of publishing, jobs, duties, etc.)  History writing opportunities (p. 126)

Oral History: interviews

Nonwritten Evidence:  all nonwritten objects "accidental survivors" (very few intentionally preserved to survive)  Museum field trips may be essential!

Chronology- knowing the order of events, need to understand chronology in order to understand historical causality!

            Event Chains, Timelines, Other Sequences

Quotes:

"A historian studies the evidence, examines it for accuracy, and then pieces it together to the best of her or his ability as a written narrative" (p.89).

"The experiences of other times enlighten us with the knowledge required to figure out solutions to present and future challenges" (p.91).

"One reason why history is so tricky to teach is that students are not interested in learning facts unless those facts are embedded in challenging or engaging contexts, but they cannot comprehend the contexts without knowing the facts" (p.93).

"This propensity for imitation is important because replication plays a productive role in students' learning to write in any genre" (p.108).

"Obviously, however, social studies teachers do not simply assign students a report to write and send them on their way.  They must MODEL the process of report writing" (p.114).

"By using the writing process in a context subject such as history, children become more aware of what they know and feel comfortable drawing from their knowledge to express growing ideas through print" (p.122).

"Students understand chronology when they are able to determine the dates of historical events and to sequentially arrange the events in time" (p.138).

Connections:

            The concepts of primary and secondary sources were not stressed within elementary school.  My 8^th grade history teacher loved primary sources and every week we would "investigate" primary sources and talk about why the document said what it said, or what the photograph was representing.  I really liked that activity because it was so subjective.  Just as the chapter states, history is subjective.

            I do believe that historical narratives are essential within a quality social studies program.  I can remember reading literature throughout the elementary years and it really helped me understand the people and places of our history.  For example, we read The Diary of Anne Frank, a biography about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, Mississippi Bridge (as mentioned in the chapter), and other works of historical literature that enhanced the content.  Although I can remember thinking that the books sounded boring (before reading them) I loved them after the first chapter or two.  They were captivating because I knew that they were all true, or based off of a true story that really happened within history.  I cannot remember writing historical narratives but that does not mean that I did not partake in that process.  From the reading in the book, it sounds like an exciting and inviting opportunity for the teacher to integrate subjects.  I would want to reinforce the writing skills of my students through social studies.  Lastly, I am a firm believer of reinforcing the idea of chronology within each unit I teach.  The students must have an awareness and understanding of when events happened in the world in relation to one another so that they may understand why "things" are the way they are today.  Significant events do not occur in a random, unrelated manner.  They are interconnected, just as everything within history is!

Questions:

Chapter 4, Young Geographers: Investigating the People/Place Connection

Summary:

*Geography: "an integrative discipline that brings together the physical and human dimensions of the world in the study of people, places, and environments.  Its subject matter is the Earth's surface and the processes that shape it, the relationships between people and environments, and the connections between people and places" (Geography Education Standards Project, 1994, p. 18).

-       hand in hand with citizenship....an informed citizen must know geography!

-       The essential questions in geography:  where, why, how, what?

-       Geography is a interdisciplinary subject! (integrative experience)

We are living with an ever-connected, globalized world.  It is important for students to understand the people and places around them.  It is a major problem that 1 out of 5 American students cannot locate the United States on an outline map of the world (National Geographic Society, 1992).  Clearly there is a disconnect between school and geography, what is being taught, and what the students are learning.  As a future teacher, geography is essential within the classroom.  The statistics regarding American competence and geography are embarrassing! 

Why study geography?

            1.  the existential reason: where they are in the world

            2.  the ethical reason: physical and human systems and the interdependency of the             living things and the environment

            3.  the intellectual reason:  exciting, interesting, learning the unknown to be better             informed

            4.  the practical reason:  responsibility for the Earth, acquire knowledge about             people/places, make better informed decisions

The 5 Themes of Geography:  location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions

-  The National Geography Standards' 6 essential elements and 18 standards (page164)

Teachers need to be taught HOW to teach geography in an interesting and worthwhile manner/s

-       Teacher-Guided Discovery: role of facilitator, model, leading students

-       Observing by field trips, virtual trips, video, photos, books, maps, etc. (What do you see?)

-       Speculating (questions and thinking about possible answers)

-       Investigating (gathering phase, people and places, research, interviews, doing something constructive)

-       Extending and Reinforcing (share, communicate, maps, models, table/graphs)

-       Evaluating (personal judgments about students' learning, knowledge of terms and concepts)

-       Independent Projects:  class or small groups, in-depth studies of topic(s)

-       Include: opening, investigating or producing phase, and culminating activity

-       Answers what they want to know, how they will find out, how they will showcase their findings!

MAPS:  The Tools of Geographers

-       Students should decode (read) and encode (make) maps...maps are a form of communication among people and places

-       "graphic representation of the Earth's surface drawn to scale, as seen from above"

-       maps are worthless until you know how to read them and use them with meaning!

-       Teachers need to introduce/use maps based upon the cognitive level and skills of the students (younger children have egocentric predispositions

Skills needed to make maps:

1.  Locating places, 2.  Recognizing and expressing relative location, 3. Interpreting map symbols, 4. Developing a basic idea of relative size and scale, 5. Reading directions, 6. Understanding that the globe in the most accurate representation of the Earth's surface

Initial formal mapping experiences (3-D Models to Flat Maps)

-       model communities, story maps, mental maps

Map skills that need to be stressed/strengthened throughout:

1.  map symbols (sign that stands for something) and show a real map with symbols

2.  direction (help us locate places, orientation)

3.  scale (informal way not mathematical, child's sense of proportion still developing)

4. globe (roundness of the Earth, land and ware areas, poles, major cities, USA)

As children move up in grades, they will use maps as a resources.  They will gather information and solve problems..."reading maps to learn," and the level of sophistication of the maps increases!

Place Location and Direction:  latitude & longitude, relative location (physical factors and human life)

Map Selection with the Classroom:  There are a variety of maps out there for specific reasons...each map portrays something different for a purpose           

            - political maps, physical maps, topographic maps, raised relief maps, weather maps, special-purpose maps, historical maps, road maps

Connections: 

It's interesting to read this book from a teaching perspective.  Many of the ideas they suggest, such as the community models and cultural goods maps, I can remember doing throughout elementary school.  I remember liking activities like these because they were "hands on", "not boring" and interesting.  Additionally, I was very interested in travel, although usually within the continental United States, so I loved learning about places.  Not every student travels with his or her family so it is important for the teacher to make geography stand out.  Geography should transport students to those far away places that they may never visit or experience for themselves.  I can remember many students in my class who had never been on an airplane and I was shocked.  In 4^th grade we made travel brochures for specific countries.  In 5^th grade we held a "world's fair" and groups of students were assigned to different countries.  We studied them for weeks leading up to the fair and then debuted our country at the fair (held in our cafeteria one afternoon).  It was an exciting time of the school year.  Something else I remember, which was a bit corny, was singing "It's a Small World" with my grade on the cafeteria steps during the fair.  Social studies is one subject in particular that stands out from reading, writing, and mathematics. 

Quotes:

"..it is even more important to understand why places are located where they are and how they got there" (pg. 150).

"A good geography program helps students better understand their community and our nation, and their relationships to other places and cultures" (pg. 155).

"Regardless of the grade level, something constructive must be done with the results of the students' research" (pg. 171).

"Independent projects do not normally encompass the complete geography program, but in combination with teacher-guided inquiry, projects will complement systematic instruction by responding to the varying need and interests of children" (pg. 175).

"Thinking of a map as a "picture of a place" provides a better foundation for instruction than trying to get children to understand that a map is an aerial view of a place on the Earth's surface" (pg. 180).

Questions:

Do all social studies curriculums require the use of a textbook, a curriculum kit, or are the lessons created by the teacher?

Chapter 5

Summary:

- Service learning "encourages active assistance through student projects that meet the needs of groups within the community"

- Civics aka Political Science aka Government (secondary school and up)

"study of our political and legal systems, about our rights and responsibilities as citizens, and about how our government works"

-         An effective social studies program should allow students to be "young political scientist" and to work on being effective citizens (social studies prepares them for the real world)

-         The USA is unlike any other nation because of its strong patriotism (Constitution of the United States, federal law)

-  Role of a responsible citizen?  Hold a body of knowledge and have a set of participatory skills

-         Civic Content Standards (page 213)

  Informal Civics Instruction-  "classroom management techniques teachers employ to create a spirit of democratic community"

-         Teachers should establish trusting, respectful, and caring relationships with students.  This will ensure a more positive learning experience for all.  Rules are necessary but there are a few recommendations when enacting classroom rules.   (clear, fair, consequential, and posted) 

-         Hold classroom meetings to ensure constructive solutions to problems/disagreements also a great outlet for frustrations/feelings

-         Symbols for classroom community (can be built into a unit about state and national symbols) and Classroom Holidays and Games

Formal Civics Instruction- "understanding of civic life, politics, and government...a basis for understanding the rights and responsibilities as citizens in America's democracy"

-         Constitution of the United States and how it impacts students' lives

-         National Symbols--patriotism and research and choosing resources wisely

-         Elections and Voting (discuss process and then engage in debate/conversation about what they will be voting for, then allow them to decide) - ideas are poll children, construct name graphs, and secret ballots

Civics responsibility is essential for effective civics education  (cooperating learning)

-         Values are "civic dispositions and virtues) list on page 237

-         How to develop character/civic responsibility/values?

-         Literature (specifically biographies) with heroes/positive qualities

-         Guiding students towards critical thinking

-         Helping students distinguish and understand fact versus opinion within resources

-         Graphic Organizers, Political Cartoons and Editorials

Connections:

                  I thought that this chapter was most informational and interesting to read.  As a former student in many social studies classrooms, I had never really considered the main goal or purpose of social studies education in my life.  If I had, I think that I would have said something about learning about the world and different types of people.  I cannot remember citizenship and civic responsibility being stressed to the students.  I was memorizing The Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address, but I remember thinking "why am I doing this?"  I didn't feel as though I was getting anything out of that.  I would say that many Americans today (adults) feel as though they are entitled to citizenship of the United States.  But, as stated by the NCSS, an effective citizen is "...one 'who has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to assume the "office of citizen" in our democratic republic'."  I can name many citizens of the United States who, in my opinion, do not assume the role of the "office of citizen."  Instead, they belittle the United States of America in every way possible.  I don't understand it.  If they speak so poorly about the country they live in, why don't they go to another one?  The truth is, I believe, there is no country like the United States.  "Of the people, by the people, and for the people"--this is a nation that has been built upon trust, faith, and respect. 

                  As a teacher, I want my students to understand that because they are living in the United States they have opportunities that millions of other children can only dream about.  I want to stress to them that they have a responsibility to their nation, just as I have a responsibility to them.  For young children, I know that these concepts may be too confusing or unfathomable.  That is why I must align my goals and big ideas to match the mindset of an elementary student.  I can stress the importance of civics by utilizing classroom strategies, lessons, and activities that will make learning a stimulating, critical thinking process.  The vignettes throughout the book provided me with glimpses into other social studies classrooms and I was impressed by the enthusiasm and the creativity of the teachers.  I feel inspired after reading this chapter because it really makes you appreciate the freedoms and rights that you have as an individual of the United States.  Additionally, it really makes you think about what you have to do, what you have to "give back" to your nation, as a citizen.

Quotes:

"Dynamic social studies is based on a conviction that civic education is fundamental to the preservation of our constitutional democracy and, therefore, the primary component of all education in the United States " (211)

"As children experience the dynamics of a democratic classroom and learn about the US Constitution, they should become involved in activities that help them apply their understandings to the classroom community, in general" (225).

"'growing national sense of moral crisis and what people speak  of as a steady moral decline'" (237).

"...stuck in a state of 'me-ism'" (243) - demise of citizenship linked to individualism

"For students to develop citizenship skills appropriate to a democracy, they must be capable of thinking critically about complex societal problems and global problems...Continually accelerating technology has created and will continue to create rapid changes in society.  Children need to be equipped with the skills to cope with change"  (244) - NCC Task Force on Early Childhood/Elementary Social Studies