Instructional Strategies for Middle and High School Social Studies

Methods, Assessment, and Classroom Management

Bruce E. Larson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781317539421
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Instructional Strategies for Middle and High School Social Studies: Methods, Assessment, and Classroom Management is an exciting methods-based text that integrates appropriate management and assessment techniques with seven distinct teaching strategies. Writing explicitly for pre-service social studies teachers, veteran teacher educator Bruce E. Larson offers detailed descriptions of a range of instructional strategies, along with guidelines for deciding how and when to use each.

Part I offers the foundations for teaching and learning in a social studies classroom, and explores contextual, theoretical, and policy factors that all teachers need to consider before entering the classroom. Part II delivers a range of comprehensive strategies for providing instruction that is appropriate for particular lessons, student abilities, and classroom environments. The practical strategies in Part II build upon the learning theories described in Part I, positioning Instructional Strategies for Middle and High School Social Studies to be the go-to, all-inclusive teacher's guide to the social studies classroom.

New to this Edition

• A list of goals before each chapter presents an overview of the chapter's content focus, and provides an outline for the chapter review.
• Extensively revised Part I (chapters 1–4) provides an updated review of national standards developed for teaching history, geography, civics, and economics. In-depth applications of the Common Core State Standards for the social studies are also explored.
• New "Reality Check" feature provides directions for integrating field-based experiences into the chapters, and contextualizes the ideas in the book for a classroom setting.
• Each chapter in Part II (chapters 5–11) has been expanded to include a section labeled "Enhancing Student Learning with Technology, " offering websites, links, and other resources for integrating recent technologies into the classroom.
• Chapters 5–11 include a new "Making Your Lesson More Meaningful for ELLs" feature, which provides ideas—based on current research and theories about learning language—for engaging ELLs, specific for each instructional strategy.
• Expanded discussion of the "Understanding by Design" model equips teachers to design learning experiences that promote student understanding by intentionally designing what happens in the classroom, and developing authentic formative assessments of student learning.

Part I
Foundations for Teaching and Learning Social Studies

Chapter 1
The Social Studies

Chapter Goals

In this chapter, you will learn about:

• The definition and overview of the social studies
• The Common Core State Standards
• The National Council for the Social Studies Thematic Curriculum Standards, the College, Career, and Civic Life Framework, and other national standards
• Curriculum influences on teachers, and practical ideas for determining what students learn in your future classroom.

There is no more exciting field of study than that of individuals and society, both women and men, in different settings and cultures, in different time periods, engaging in the ordinary and extraordinary events of daily life. We should make social studies irresistible for students. What drama is more exciting than studying about people who make a difference in our lives past and present?¹

Introduction

The reason the above quotation starts this book is because it is a powerful call to action for all social studies teachers. When you think about your future as a teacher, it is exciting to realize that you will be helping students understand the wide range of social studies topics. You will help your future students in middle school and high school examine themes and ideas, and develop skills and dispositions that will help them make sense of the world around them. The social studies provide many opportunities to explore the world here and now, and to understand the world historically. The content is ready to explore and examine, and you will be able to engage with your future students as they learn.

This probably seems exciting and daunting at the same time. Exciting because of the content, but daunting because you have not had much experience teaching and helping students learn and understand. You are not alone in your effort to be an effective social studies teacher. The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is the largest organization in the U.S. that promotes social studies education. The mission of the NCSS is to “provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators” and for promoting student learning of socials studies knowledge, skills, and democratic attitudes. According to the NCSS, social studies is:

the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. 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.

(From the National Council for the Social Studies, http://www.socialstudies.org/about)

This is a very complex description of social studies in the schools. What this definition highlights is the importance of social studies content and skills, and the use of them for the purpose of being an engaged citizen. Have you considered this before as the purpose of the social studies? The disciplinary knowledge of history or geography or political science provides background and insight for us as we participate with others in our society. Without this knowledge we are unable to make “informed and reasoned decisions for the public good.” However, without the focus of promoting civic competence, knowledge becomes inert rather than active and dynamic.

When we think about civic competence, it is useful to start thinking about what makes an effective citizen in America. The National Council for the Social Studies defines an effective citizen as “one who has the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to assume the office of citizen in our democratic republic” (NCSS, 2015).² We do not often think about citizenship as a political office that we all hold. This is a useful idea, however, because by doing so, you start to think about the duties and responsibilities needed to be a citizen (in the same manner that a mayor or senator would need to be aware of the duties and responsibilities of those offices). John Dewey, one of the leading thinkers in American education, suggested the value of schools as a location for learning the skills, social dispositions, and perspectives needed to engage with other citizens about public issues. In Dewey’s estimation, schools, and as a result your future classroom, could become laboratories of democracy, where you and your students engage in activities aimed at developing civic competence in a democratic society, much the same way that science lab activities are aimed at developing scientific competence.³

Paul Carr (2008) states that “thin” and “thick” democracy are helpful metaphors when thinking about civic participation and civic competence. Participation in a democracy could be characterized in terms of a representative democracy (where the focus of democratic participation is voting for appropriate representatives) versus participatory democracy (where the focus of democratic participation is critical engagement and social justice). In a representative democracy, a citizen does not engage in the political system, and has little invested in engaging with others about the betterment of society. This is what Carr calls “thin” democracy, because engagement is very basic. In participatory democracy the citizen in engaged in and challenges the current state of affairs to work at improving the status quo: a much “thicker” type of democratic action. James Banks encourages teachers to enable their students to become what he calls “active” and “transformative” citizens, or citizens who take action beyond voting and begin to support, maintain, and challenge laws, conventions, and political structures (2008, p. 136); this is thick democratic work. To this end, Banks proposes a typology of citizens that differentiates the level of participation in society, and it is helpful to look at these types of citizens when thinking about civic engagement and your future students:

The legal and minimal citizen practices thin democracy, and the active and transformative citizen engages in a thicker form of democracy. Engagement as an active or transformative citizen will lend itself to promoting the common good in the broader community.

The quotation at the start of this chapter is more than a motivational statement about the purpose of the social studies in schools. The two social studies educators who made this statement (you may want to flip to it and read it again) remind us that social studies content is compelling and exciting. It carries a reputation with many students, however, of being the opposite. Instead of being “irresistible,” as the quotation states, it is tedious. You may have read that opening quotation and questioned whether it was possible to make the social studies so appealing. To make social studies irresistible, history needs to be much more than you, the teacher, telling stories, or students answering questions at the end of the chapter. Geography needs to be much more than reading maps. Civics and government needs to be much more than reading about the structure of governments. And on and on. In this book, you will explore various instructional strategies that will allow the social studies to come alive with your students, because they will be compelled to think, understand, and participate.

The social studies integrate each of the different social science disciplines, because each provides important insights about our world. To help you understand each of these disciplines, the following section provides statements from the national organizations for history, geography, economics, and civics; four of the disciplines that fit under the heading of the social studies.

History

Setting standards for history in the schools requires a clear vision of the place and importance of history in the general education of all students. The widespread and growing support for more and better history in the schools, beginning in the early grades of elementary education, is one of the more encouraging signs of the decade. The reasons are many, but none are more important to a democratic society than this: Knowledge of history is the precondition of political intelligence. Without history, a society shares no common memory of where it has been, what its core values are, or what decisions of the past account for present circumstances. Without history, we cannot undertake any sensible inquiry into the political, social, or moral issues in society. And without historical knowledge and inquiry, we cannot achieve the informed, discriminating citizenship essential to effective participation in the democratic processes of governance and the fulfillment for all our citizens of the nation’s democratic ideals.

(From the National Standards for History, http://nchs.ucla.edu/standards/dev-5-12a.html)

Geography

Every member of society must be geo-literate. Geo-literacy is the ability to rationally consider and make reasoned decisions about the interconnections between human and physical systems. As environmental systems go through global transitions and more rapid local changes in land cover and land use it is necessary that people make personal, civic, and workplace choices that result in sustainability of both the natural and human systems.

(From the National Council for Geographic Education, http://www.ncge.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3299)

Economics

The inclusion of economics… recognizes the value of economic understanding in helping people comprehend the modern world, make decisions that shape their futures, and strengthen major institutions. The principles of economics bear directly on the ordinary business of life, affecting people in their roles as consumers and producers. Economics also plays an important role in local, state, national, and international public policy. Economic issues frequently influence voters in national, state, and local elections. A better understanding of economies enables people to understand the forces that affect them every day, and helps them identify and evaluate the consequences of private decision and public policies. Many institutions of a democratic market economy function more effectively when its citizens are articulate and well informed about economics.

(From the Council for Economics Education, http://www.councilforeconed.org/ea/program.php?pid=19)

Civics

The goal of education in civics and government is informed, responsible participation in political life by competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles of American constitutional democracy. Their effective and responsible participation requires the acquisition of a body of knowledge and of intellectual and participatory skills. Effective and responsible participation also is furthered by development of certain dispositions or traits of character that enhance the individual’s capacity to participate in the political process and contribute to the healthy functioning of the political system and improvement of society.

(From the Center for Civic Education, http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=stds_toc_intro)

Each of these statements describes the importance of learning specific content. However, when you read these statements it is also apparent that the reason content knowledge is important is so we are all better able to participate with others as members of a society, and be informed as we participate as citizens. Later in this chapter we will explore the specific national standards for each social studies field.

Knowledge/Skills/Dispositions

Teachers need to know course content to effectively help their students learn social studies information. This knowledge centers on key facts, concepts, and understandings that are part of a given social studies course. For example, consider the knowledge needed for teaching a United States history course that focuses on the 20th century. It is also important for you to have skills that will help them learn. Skills such as facilitating group discussion, using assessment strategies validly, and developing a lesson plan are three of the many skills needed to be an effective teacher. Dispositions are also important for you to develop. Dispositions are attitudes or mindsets that will help you and will help your students. The expectation that you can help all of your students learn is a disposition that will help you be an effective teacher. We will explore these more in Chapter 3, when we look at learning targets. Your future students also need to learn knowledge, skills,...