HOW TO MAKE INTEGRATION WORK IN ELEMENTARY SOCIAL STUDIES WEAVING LEARNING TOGETHER

Our goals for today: Understand integration of ELA and Social Studies Plan for dynamic and effective integration Explore ways to teach both ELA/Social Studies with fidelity Discuss time management and scheduling Spark historical literacy with primary sources Use great picture books for effective integration

WEAVING OURSELVES TOGETHER Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. Chief Seattle Pick a piece of yarn from your table. Get to know your table mates by:  explaining why you picked the piece you did  tying one end of each of your pieces together  become better acquainted by braiding or weaving your yarns together…each time you intertwine, tell them something else about you  share your finished group braid with the large group

INTEGRATION: WHAT IT IS AND IS NOT AND WHY INTEGRATE? Talk with your table mates and discuss this. Jot your ideas for what it is and what it is not, one on each sticky note. Pick one table talker to share your ideas and post them on the group chart. If a group puts one of your ideas up, you don’t need to add the same. Compare the elements on the chart with the definition on the next slide.

INTEGRATION: WHAT IT IS AND IS NOT Part 1 There is a designated time for Literacy instruction each day. Within that time, much of the background information (for social studies and science) can be provided via informational text, vocabulary work, guided reading and writing group skills, and speaking and listening opportunities. The focus during the Literacy block is the CCGPS for ELA.

INTEGRATION: WHAT IT IS AND IS NOT Part 2 There is also a designated time for science and social studies each day (although some grades and schools alternate schedules daily/weekly/or by unit to cover these two subjects in meaningful ways). The focus during that time is the GPS for the subject area. This is the time that teachers would guide simulations, primary source analysis, dramatizations, research, experiments and other “hands-on” content area instruction.

INTEGRATION: WHAT IT IS AND IS NOT Part 3 Integration does not mean that everything is taught within the ELA block. It also doesn’t mean that every ELA lesson integrates science or social studies. Where it can be done effectively we should try to integrate in order to connect the learning and to be able to teach all of the standards for which we are responsible.

LOOKING AT INTEGRATION IN ACTION View and discuss the video clips below: To Look For: What standard is driving the train in each lesson? How are the different segments integrated?

INTEGRATION: REWARDS & CHALLENGES We have delved into integration, both the HOW and the WHY. Let’s think about the Rewards and Challenges of integrating our teaching and learning. Work individually or in a small group for one last sticky note activity: jot one reward or challenge on each sticky note. Rank order them in order of importance. Wait to share with the large group & we’ll place items on the chart in rank order from most to least importance.

SCHEDULING AND TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS What are some things to consider in order to fit it all in? What might need to stay the same? What might need to change? How could you find time in your schedule to teach in a more integrated way?

DEBRIEF/Q & A

WEAVING IN PRIMARY SOURCES What are they and why use them? How can we use them with young learners?

A PRIMARY SOURCE IS: Raw material of history – original documents and objects written or created at the time under study May be objects or documents Helps students develop historical understanding Promotes critical thinking and analysis. Gives them something real about which to write Using a primary source:

POSSIBLE PRIMARY SOURCES... Photographs, drawings, or paintings Documents Coins or paper money Artifacts Flags Maps Journals

PRIMARY SOURCES QUICK EXPLORE Examine the artifacts and think about how writing tasks could be fashioned around them. Tips for segmenting images: Use a card viewer. Segment the image by cutting or masking it. If projected, use magic pop-out on the screen.

MAGIC POP-OUT

DEBRIEF/Q & A

WEAVING IN PICTURE BOOKS Picture books – a natural bridge from Social Studies to ELA Why? Let’s explore a title together and talk about how we could use it in multiple ways for both subjects. You will then have the chance to read a title or two new to you and use it to brainstorm ideas. We will share out so that everyone hears about multiple titles. You will receive a booklist of these titles. Our first title to look at together is:

MY NAME IS NOT ALEXANDER By Jennifer Fosberry Illustrated by Mike Litwin

HOME PLACE By Crescent Dragonwagon Illustrated by Jerry Pinckney

TIME TO WEAVE YOUR OWN PLANS Start with the standards for both ELA and Social Studies Go through the Social Studies standards one at a time and put a sticky flag by the standards that could connect with ELA in some way. Now do the same with the ELA standards that could connect with Social Studies. Now pick the Social Studies and ELA standard(s) you want to plan with today.

Begin to sketch out a unit plan, working in groups or individually, and jot down some assessment tasks that would let students show their mastery of both ELA and Social Studies skills. Think about picture books and primary sources you could connect. If time, extend the plan to the activity or lesson level. Share out “Ahas!” TIME TO WEAVE YOUR OWN PLANS (CONTINUED)

SHARE OUR WORK Jot down the good ideas that you hear. How could we capture the good ideas that we have had today?

CLOSING “Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it.” Horace Mann In closing, let’s think beyond tests, standards, lessons, and units to the most important reason we are teachers. I want to end with this:

CLOSING EACH KINDNESS BY JACQUELINE WOODSON ILLUSTRATED BY E. B. LEWIS