9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize1 Meaningful Social Studies

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize2 1. Describe the characteristics of powerful social studies. 2. Explain the model for meaningful social studies instruction. 3. Describe participatory citizenship in a democracy. 4. Define social studies as an integrated school subject with the goal of promoting civic competency.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize3 5. Describe how the structure for social studies instruction demonstrates the use of best practices by teachers who have social studies pedagogical content knowledge. 6. Evaluate a social studies lesson plan by identifying the degree to which it applies social studies pedagogical content knowledge

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize4  Social studies is about our social world  It is about people ◦ What they do ◦ How they interact with each other and with the world. ◦ Social Studies happens every time a child figures out a short cut to take home ◦ Asks a question about whether the classroom rules should be changed

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize5  Powerful social studies is meaningful, integrative, value based, challenging and active (National Council for Social Studies, 1994).

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize6  Social Studies leaning is personal ◦ Students take information they get through their senses and from interacting with others and interpret it in terms of their prior knowledge of the social world.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize7  Students reconstruct their prior knowledge, so it becomes more powerful in helping them to make decisions (Scheurman & Newman, 1998; Sunal, Sunal, & Haas, 1996).

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize8 Powerful Social Studies Is Integrated Is Challenging Is value Based Is meaningful Is Active

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize9  The view that students construct their own knowledge has great implications for social studies education. ◦ Students must have information to act on: evidence developed through their own experience that they can be related to the ideas and skills being taught. ◦ Students collect this evidence by making observations of, and interacting with, people, educational materials, and objects.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize10  Students think about information, relating it to their prior experiences and knowledge.  They consider the information they acquire using familiar ways of thinking.  They make predictions and encounter challenges.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize11  It is through such challenges to our present way of thinking that we come to understand new ideas (Sunal, Sunal, & Haas, 1996) Students need to classify and describe the materials, experiences, and information they observe

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize12 Student are in a safe and supportive learning community, rich with experiences and materials Students brings everyday experiences with the social world into the classroom Students reflect on everyday objects and events - exploration Students gathers evidence, discovering patterns and relationships New meanings for everyday experiences result in meaningful learning Students reflects on experiences in a new way, deciding what is really important to the student, the family and the community With new skills and knowledge, student sees experiences in a different way

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize13  Many teachers understand that classroom instructions take place along a continuum instructional activities.  Greater Student Control Greater Teacher control

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize14  Greater Student Control Greater Teacher control  At one end of the continuum are instructional activities with greater teacher control that allow students little opportunity for input.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize15 Greater Teacher control At the other end of the continuum are instructional activities with greater student control that involve students as active participants who decide what issues they will and how they will collect data on questions they have regarding those issues.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize16  As teachers, we need ◦ content knowledge specific to social studies and the general pedagogical knowledge used in teaching all subject areas, such as classroom management skills. ◦ To be working to build our pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), the knowledge of how to teach social studies (Shulman, 1987 Pajaras, 1992).

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize17  To teach social studies well ◦ We must have PCK that helps us to select appropriate instructional strategies that will best help our students learn social studies content and inquiry skills.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize18 Greater Teacher Control Greater Student control Students respond to the initial question and ask some questions Students present initial questions Students answer all questions Teacher helps students generate questions and adds additional questions and resources Teacher presents the initial question stimulus and accepts some student suggestions Teacher asks all questions

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize19  A general goal for school curriculum should be facilitating students’ development of an awareness, appreciation, and understanding of key social studies concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity (National Council for Social Studies, 1994b, National Research Council, 1996

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize20 Social studies content General Pedagogical knowledge Pedagogical Content Knowledge

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize21  Citizenship ◦ Active participation in community and national decision making (Barr, Barth, & Shermis, 1977; Goodman & Adler 1985)  Being an active, participatory citizen means ◦ students ask questions ◦ decide on answers to questions based on related information ◦ act to bring about changes in their everyday social world.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize22  Making thoughtful decisions requires citizens to have content knowledge in many areas and to know how to use and evaluate the evidence their knowledge gives them.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize23 Individual educators place a greater emphasis on any one of the following six view points. 1. Teaching history and geography 2. Understanding social science 3. Facilitating cultural transmission 4. Supporting personal development 5. Developing reflective thinking skills 6. Encouraging rational problem solving, decision making, and social action.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize24  Social studies has been called “the great connection” by Goodman and Adler (1985).  It is the core to which all parts of the elementary and middle school curriculum can be tied.  Social studies can integrate mathematics, science, art, music, physical education, health, reading, language arts, and all the other content areas.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize25  Social studies is an interdisciplinary approach that relies heavily on the content of social science and history to achieve its goal of preparing people to be active citizen of a democracy.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize26  Social studies is the integrated study of social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize27  The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.

9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize28 SOCIAL STUDIES Anthropology Economics geographic History Archeology Law Religion Philosophy

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 Illustrate your ideas about primary school social studies teaching.  Include social studies knowledge, meaningful learning, exploration, social studies and students, gathering evidence, and everyday experience. Group and order your ideas, indicating relationships with arrow  Discuss: the similarities and differences between your webs.  Do you think differences in the grade level you are teaching, or anticipate teaching, might be a contributor to the differences? 9/12/2015 Kevin G. Tucker/University of Belize30

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