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Putting the “Social” Back in Social Studies

Putting the “Social” Back in Social Studies. Making Social Studies Stick: Active Learning Strategies for Social Studies By: Chasity Lewis. Agenda. Why Teach Social Studies?.

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Putting the “Social” Back in Social Studies

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  1. Putting the “Social” Back in Social Studies Making Social Studies Stick: Active Learning Strategies for Social Studies By: Chasity Lewis

  2. Agenda

  3. Why Teach Social Studies? • Using a metaphorical representation create a visual explaining why we teach social studies…be prepared to explain your correlation. • Metaphorical Representation

  4. Social Studies: It’s all about people Encompasses everything people do to: • Survive • Thrive • Evolve

  5. Keys to Making Social Studies Stick… • Restablish human-beings as the central subject of social studies • Create learning environments and using instructional practices that are compatible with the Natural learning process EVERYDAY!! • Incorporate challenging problems, authentic experiences, and real-life tasks.

  6. All Humans learn in basically the same way: • Awareness • Exploration • Inquiry • Action

  7. But I teach that…. Teaching has not occurred until learning takes place So, what do I do?

  8. Focus on the 3 Areas of Instruction in Social Studies: • Content-human beings as central to the story • Learning-strategies that support the natural learning cycle and build life and social studies skills • Outcomes-present challenging problems, authentic experiences, and real life tasks that have consequences Laurel Schmidt, Social Studies that Sticks: How to Bring Content &Concepts to Life (2007, Heinemann)

  9. Build Interest and Inquiry • Find ways to build interest and motivate students • Leave things open for multiple answers. • Increase the level of inquiry in the classroom. • Require students to ask questions. • Find real world applications for using SS knowledge and skills. • Use an effect-cause approach to teaching history.

  10. Have a Plan for Teaching & Learning Content & Skills • Recommendation 1: Use concepts to organize and build content knowledge • Recommendation 2: Prioritize content and vocabulary • Recommendation 3: Be sure to have students DO something with the new information

  11. Awareness • At your table make a list of words that come to mind…

  12. Awareness • 1st Question – How is this like other things I’ve already seen and experienced? • 2nd Question – How is this thing unique? What is it all about? • The brain must have this before moving on. • What can you do to support this natural occurrence? • Awareness = Engagement

  13. Other Openers • Present an unknown • Pose a probing, open-ended question • Use visuals to set the stage • Use props, artifacts, and art • Use current events or well known figures • Use an anticipation guide • Use CONCEPTS & KEY UNDERSTANDINGS!!

  14. Using Key Understandings to Spark Interest and Awareness What are they? • Critical global, abstract, overarching questions that drive teaching and learning within a unit of study. • They press learners to think beyond the confines of the content and make real world connections • They become targets for learning • Social Studies Concepts by Strand

  15. Characteristics • Concept-based, not fact-based • Timeless • Provocative • Reoccurring • Global, universal, abstract • 2-5 per unit at the secondary level

  16. Where should I put them? • On the board to guide the lesson or connect lessons within the unit. • As a header for notes. All else points at answering that question = TARGET • To guide discussion or to complete a discussion web

  17. Awareness This is the time to tap and build BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE Examples: • How did Lincoln’s calculated actions provoke conflict? • How did the decision to arm slaves create conflict in the North?

  18. Why Take the Time Prior Knowledge… • has a great influence on student performance, explaining up to 81% of the variance in post-test scores (Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999). • there is a well-established correlation between prior knowledge and reading comprehension (Langer, 1984; Long, Winograd, & Bridget, 1989; Stevens, 1980).

  19. Why Take the Time • Stimulating students’ background knowledge by justifying responses before reading improves the students’ learning of the targeted content. • Struggling students, in particular, benefit from the strategies aimed at building background knowledge.

  20. Anticipaction/Reaction Guide One easy way to set the stage, tap and build… • Step 1 – Anticipate • Step 2 – Read • Step 3 – React • Step 4 – Extend with Writing • Anticipation Guide Point of View

  21. Anticipate & Connect • Have students respond to each item based on prior experience, background knowledge, opinions. • Think aloud so that students will understand the how and why. • If students are reluctant to choose, remind them they can revisit later.

  22. Examples • Here’s one example of an anticipation/ reaction guide. • They are available EVERYWHERE. • They do not need to be fancy. • They can be done as a class by consensus. • Just be sure they follow the guidelines.

  23. Creating a Guide • Review the text and identify 4-5 important concepts you would like students to learn. • Form opinion statements about the concepts. • Avoid True/False statements • Create the guide. • Stamp Act

  24. What are the benefits to building background? • Building Background Poll • Exit Ticket

  25. Session 2: Exploration February 4, 2013 ECHS

  26. Exploration • Make a list of words that come to mind….

  27. Problems Activity • Using what you know about history, take the questions and write an answer on the strip • When all questions have been answered sort the strips into 4 categories • Be ready to share your sorting rule

  28. Exploration • The inevitable next step. • Put as many senses, intelligences, and learning styles to use as possible! • Allow students to formulate new ideas, pursue hunches, make discoveries and compare learning with others. • You MUST offer multiple avenues as often as possible.

  29. What’s the Big Idea About Problems? • How do we…? • Each new question triggered a new area for exploration. • Human life is question –based, moving from problem to solution, and then repeating the cycle to refine ideas and evolve. • How do I translate That Into Instruction?

  30. Social Studies Instruction Should: • Foster individual and cultural identity • Examine the forces that hold society together or pull it apart. • Provide opportunities for participation in the school and community • Address critical issues in the world • Prepare students to make decisions based on democratic principles • Teach the skills needed for citizen participation in public affairs Adapted from the NCSS

  31. Basic Problems and the Brain • Its impossible to transfer all the names, dates, and concepts of social studies to students. • But, the brain will seize upon big ideas that can be examined and applied over and over. • Use for basic concepts for students to use to make sense of the whole of human history, including the present—survive, thrive, evolve, devolve.

  32. How Do People Survive? • Paleolithic Era, hunter-gather societies, the rise of cities • The great plagues, dangers and disasters of exploration • Invasions and World wars • Voluntary and forced migration • Radical shifts in climate • Artifacts—tools, weapons, clothing, fire, animal traps, implements for cooking or discuss fire, heating, shelter, and fortifications

  33. How Do People Thrive? • Early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush • Development of agricultural technology • Rise of cities, trade, commerce • Origins of architecture, medicine, formal codes or laws, • Water supply systems • Domestication of animals • Artifacts—textiles, weaving, furniture, pottery, baskets, simple machines, boats, plows, carts, and tools to make these things

  34. How Do We Evolve? • Development of architecture for distinct purposes (temples, schools, courts) • Invention of writing, paper, books, math, calendars, art and music. • Origins of religions, moral codes, literature, mythology, science, philanthropy, philosophy, division of labor • Artifacts—maps, musical instruments, pumps, bridges, coins, armor, astronomical instruments

  35. What causes Us to Devolve? • Discrimination, slavery, bondage, genocide • Invasions and warfare, torture, germ warfare • Dropping atomic bombs • Anarchy, wholesale looting and riots • Holocaust, African Slave Trade, • Imprisonment of the innocent • Child labor • Institutionalized racism, systematic discrimination, and economic oppression

  36. Retooling Your Thinking: Baby Steps

  37. Bricks What problem were people trying to solve when they invented bricks?

  38. Judges What problem were people trying to solve when they decided to have judges?

  39. Shelter What problem were people trying to solve when they invented architecture?

  40. Voting Booth What problem were people trying to solve when they invented voting booths?

  41. A Dam What problem were people trying to solve when they invented dams?

  42. Exploration Activity • http://www.stixy.com/guest/256758

  43. Exit Ticket 3-things you learned 2- questions you still have 1- thing you definitely take back to use in class

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