1. The Three (3) Structural Changes In The K-12 Social Studies Essential Standards
{Time: 2 min.}
Good Afternoon and welcome to the Elementary (K-5) Social Studies Session. Over the course of the two day’s, the social studies session will focus on assisting you with developing a deeper understanding of the Social Studies Essential Standards so that you may assist your district in developing your local curriculum. Whether you will be the person who helps develop the local curriculum or are here simply to take back information to the district, you may want to consider taking on two roles while you are here: (1) learner and (2) trainer. While you may be listening to gather information for your own professional development and understanding, your main role will be to gather information to inform your team about the development of the social studies curriculum in your district and/or school.
Note:
One of us should be responsible for keeping time in order to better inform the next training session.
One can be monitoring the community, especially the parking lot
Others making sure that everyone is in.
Making sure we are monitoring the paper parking lot as well and capturing any questions that the participants ask that are not recorded in the room or in the community. We could possibly add to our FAQ sheet.

2. Pre-Assessment
What are the critical changes in how the new social studies essential standards have been written?

3. Begin with the basics:
When you go back to your LEA or Charter School to start organizing how you plan to roll out your initial training with social studies teachers there are some basic components that you want to make sure everyone understands …
The content changes (where content has changed from one grade to another or where content has been added to a course or taken away)
The changes in the organizational structure of the standards
Use of Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy
Use of Conceptual Strands
Shift to a Conceptual focus
{Time: 5 min.}
Today, we will be focusing on the organizational structure of the K-12 Social Studies Essential Standards.
At the end of today’s session you should be able to summarize the three key structural differences between the 2010 K-12 Social Studies Essential Standards and the 2006 North Carolina Social Studies Standard Course of Study: the use of Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy or RBT, the organization of the standards around five broad conceptual strands, and the use of a conceptual framework.
Secondly, you will be able to apply your understanding of these three structural differences to develop district level training for your curriculum development team.
In the near future, you will have access to several online modules to support your training efforts. Two of them directly support’s the information you will receive today. One is, Understanding the Standards and other is Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy.

4. Provides common language for all curriculum areas
Change #1 The New Social Studies Essential Standards Are Written Using The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy
Provides the cognitive framework used for all of the North Carolina Essential Standards
Provides common language for all curriculum areas
Use of one verb in a standard/objective
{Time: 3 min.}
The primary reasons Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT) was selected as the taxonomy to use for the development of the NC Essential Standards is that, one, RBT provides a clear and concise framework for thinking about standards in terms of the cognitive processes students use to learn and the kind of knowledge students are expected to master. Secondly, the use of RBT provides a common language for teachers and curriculum designers from different curricular areas as they translate and discuss the Essential Standards, develop curriculum and plan lessons together. For example, analysis in social studies is the same as analysis in art, PE, Science, etc. Thus, when teachers are planning interdisciplinary units of instruction; they can easily understand how their subjects may overlap and how they may teach the same conceptual and procedural knowledge in multiple subject areas simultaneously.
Finally, the standards were written using only one verb per essential standard and clarifying objectives which helps to ensure the alignment of local curricula, instruction and assessment with state standards. So, as you begin to plan training for your district, you may consider purchasing this Book by Dr. Lorin Anderson et. al because it is useful as a “more authentic tool for curriculum planning, instructional delivery and assessment.”
It is important to also note that a common taxonomy such as RBT was not used in the development of the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics.

5. {Time: 5 min.}
Any taxonomy system, whether Original Bloom’, Revised Blooms, or Marzo’s, is intended to be used as a classification system. In the case of original Bloom’s Taxonomy on the left, it is a multi-tiered model used to classify thinking according to the six cognitive levels of complexity shown here. Six levels have been depicted as being hierarchical in nature in that a student must master material at the knowledge level before they can move from the comprehension level to the application level, etc. And, the levels were divided into lower-level and higher level cognitive functions with knowledge, the bottom three levels being classified as lower level and the top three classified as higher level functions, leading teachers to challenge students to “climb to a higher level of thought.”
On the other hand, the revised taxonomy is not hierarchical in nature. Instead, the verbs are discussed in terms of cognitive complexity. Students do not have to master one level of cognitive processes before advancing to another. Instead, students may engage in a process that is more complex before they engage in one that is less complex.
Another important difference is that RBT is two dimensional in nature with the addition of the knowledge dimension.

6. Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy uses the 25 verbs below.
Do not add to the 25 verbs
When you begin adding the specificity needed in identifying the cognitive behavior and use of a common language loses its fidelity.
Along with understanding the standards through the lens of RBT, you should a
Assessment methods should match learning targets & the intended use of the information
We placed an asterisk in this box because although, it can be used in some cases, it is not the best way assessment method to assess knowledge.
{Revise slide to include generalizations as the learning target; Knowledge = critical content on your web; Reasoning = understand; and the Skills are the “do” on your web. And the “ability to create products” is your authentic performance task.}
Slide Adapted from Arter, Judy, Jan Chappuis, Stephen Chappuis, and Richard Stiggins. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right-Using It Well. Educational Testing Service, 2006.

7. This two dimensional table is used to help determine the type of knowledge and targeted cognitive behavior of a standard.
The knowledge dimension tells you the type of knowledge that the standard wants the student to acquire.
The cognitive dimension tells you the verb which, in turn, informs you of what the student is supposed to do with the type of learning.
The majority of the total K-12 clarifying objectives have been written to the understand level of RBT and at a level of conceptual knowledge.
{Time: 5 min.}
Bloom's original cognitive taxonomy was a one-dimensional form that focused only on cognitive processes; however with further research, the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy takes the form of a two-dimensional table that you see here. One of the dimensions, The Cognitive Process Dimension, identifies the process used to learn while the second, The Knowledge Dimension, identifies the kind of knowledge to be learned. The Knowledge Dimension on the left side is composed of four levels that are defined as Factual, Conceptual, Procedural, and Meta-Cognitive. The Cognitive Process Dimension across the top of the grid consists of six levels that are defined as Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. The Cognitive Process Dimension levels are also subdivided so that there are only 25 total verbs that will be used in developing the Essential Standards and each verb has a very specific meaning. You will find a document in the community that defines both the types of knowledge as well as the verb. And the red dot on the chart represents the most common type of standard you will see in the new essentials and that is understand conceptual knowledge.
So, when you return back to your district, you should poll your teaches to see how familiar they are with RBT and have discussions about implications for curriculum development, instructional design, and assessment.

8. that are important for understanding
Change #2 The New Social Studies Essential Standards Are Organized Around Five (5) Conceptual Strands
In order to develop fewer standards, which was the charge from the NC State Board of Education, NC SS consolidated the 10 national thematic strands 5 conceptual strands.
The strands provide a framework by which to organize concepts, generalizations and critical content
that are important for understanding
the disciplines of social studies.
In order to develop fewer standards, which was our charge from the State Board, we consolidated the 10 thematic strands to the five conceptual strands shown here. Research of state standards across the nation indicates that many Departments of Education have begun writing standards to these five (5) primary strands as well.
The organization of the new essential standards also provides a framework by which to organize critical content, concepts, and generalizations that are essential for understanding the disciplines of social studies. Writing standards that are specifically targeted to each conceptual strand ensures that students will receive a greater understanding of each discipline of social studies as well as the relationship among the disciplines. While we have elected to use five strands, students will still be able to draw upon the themes of social studies such as time, continuity, change, power, authority, global connections etc. because these themes are also concepts. As we crosswalk (click on each of the national strands) these five with the 10 Thematic Strands you will see that we have not eliminated anything, just combined. Global connections are embedded in all the strands.

9. National Thematic Strands
You may be familiar with the ten Thematic Strands provided by the National Council for the Social Studies. If not, we have provided a link to this site on the resource page in the community. These thematic strands provide a consistent framework for students to study and analyze the ever increasing amount of subject level content at each grade level. When establishing a framework for the new essential standards, we relied heavily upon these 10 thematic strands to provide the major concepts for which to base the standards. So, you will see these themes appearing throughout the standards K-12.
Add weblink to use as a resource.

10. Global Connections Global Connections Global Connections
Click to see the consolidation of the 10 national strands into the 5 conceptual strands.
Global Connections
Time, Continuity & Change
Individuals,
Groups & Institutions
Individuals,
Groups & Institutions
Science, Technology & Society
People, Places & Environments
Global Connections
Global Connections
Civic Ideals & Practices
Culture
Power, Authority & Governance
Individual Development & Identity
Global Connections
Production, Distribution & Consumption
Global Connections

11. Change # 3 The New Social Studies Essential Standards Are Written To A Conceptual Framework
The old standards and curriculum are topic-based and are written to focus primarily on facts.
The new conceptually-written standards and curriculum are broadly stated and focus on concepts and transferable ideas.
The topics and facts still have to be taught; however, the new essential standards are designed to move beyond the topics and facts to focus on conceptual ideas and generalizations that transfer.

12. Remember Concepts Have The Following Attributes
Concepts Are…
Timeless
Universal
Transferable
Abstract and broad
Examples share common attributes
Represented by 1-2 words
{Time: 1 min.}
They are Timeless, Universal, Abstract…
For example: Why is the term “Revolution” a concept? Because revolutions have happened, are happening, and probably will continue to happen all over the world. No matter what type of revolution some common attributes include: significant change in thinking and/or behavior, relatively brief period of time, there is some type of conflict.
What are some examples of “Revolution” that share common attributes?
There may be different types of revolutions such as those that result in war i.e. the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, cultural revolutions, industrial revolution, etc.

13. Practice Activity: Concept vs. Topic
Practice Activity: Concept vs. Topic? Keeping in mind the attributes on the previous slide decide if these words are concepts or topics.
Environment
Manifest Destiny
Computer Age
Great Depression
Culture
Supply and Demand
Movement
System
Civil War
Environment C
Manifest Destiny T
Computer Age T
Great Depression T
Culture C
Supply and Demand C
Movement C
System C
Civil War C
{Time: 5 min. including time to think}
Let’s assess your ability to distinguish between a concept and a topic. Take a few moments and decide which you think are concepts and which you think are topics. You may do this individually or with your table/pod partners. Think about the characteristics of a concept that we just discussed. These characteristics are also in your packet.

14. Traditional Standards and Curriculum…
have been topic-based and focused mostly on the facts
History: Colonial Era, Lost Colony American Revolution, American Civil War
Cultural Geography: South America and Europe, Swahili, Aborigines, Buddhism
{Time: 1 min.}
Now that you have a better understanding of the structure of knowledge and the importance developing conceptual understanding we will explore the implications this has for understanding the new Essential Standards. Let’s start by looking at the familiar. Traditional Standards and curriculum are topic-based and are written to focus primarily on specific facts. For example, in the 2006 standards, we identified specific content topics such as what you see here and teachers taught specific facts to support the topics.
Civics & Economics: American Revolution, U.S. capitalism, Brown vs. Board of Education, mercantilism

15. Conceptual Standards and Curriculum… are concept-based and focused on “transferable ideas”
History: continuity and change, leadership, revolution, war, conflict
Cultural Geography: climate change, location, resources, environmental challenges, human migration, cultural development
Civics & Economics: scarcity, justice, freedom, authority, trade
{Time: 1 min.}
Conversely, conceptually-written standards and curriculum are broadly stated and focus on concepts and transferable ideas. While we will still teach topic and facts in the new essential standards, we will move beyond the topics and facts to focus on conceptual ideas such as leadership, environmental challenges, justice, etc.

16. Q. Where are the facts? A. The facts are still there.
The facts are a supportive tool…
Teacher Note:
“Concept-based instruction first requires that the teacher has made the mental shift from teaching to facts alone, to teaching to conceptual ideas using the facts as a supporting tool.”
Concepts
and
Generalizations
(1 min.)
In summary, we are not getting rid of facts and topics; however, on order to narrow our focus we are placing more emphasis on conceptual ideas that transfer and using the topics and facts as supporting tools to show examples of the concepts under study.
By moving from a traditional topic-based/fact-based model to a more conceptually focused standards framework it does not mean that we won’t be teaching certain content, but rather we are doing it in a more focused way. Given the time constraints of the school year, we are not able to teach it all and students are not able to learn it all in one year or semester. However, by moving to a more conceptual framework, we are able to focus on the big ideas and lessons of social studies that we want students to transfer from one grade level to the next, K-12 and beyond. Additionally, conceptual standards will give teachers and districts more flexibility in the content examples that they may elect to use in order to support the big ideas rather than feeling as though they have to share every possible example with students.
Factual Content
Erickson, H.L. (2007). Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom. p.98.

17. Post-Assessment
Q. What are the critical changes in how the new social studies essential standards have been written? A.
Written using RBT (Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy)
Organized around 5 conceptual strands
History
Geography & Environmental Literacy
Economics & PFL
Civics & Government
Culture
Written to a Conceptual Framework (Based on the work of Lynn Erickson and Concept Based Curriculum & Instruction)