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Session 1 - Monday, 24 Aug
Before class
- Buy a copy of the textbook (Maxim, 2017, Dynamic Social Studies for Constructivist Classrooms). Amazon has it
- Cruise this wiki and the CourseSite.
- Preview the syllabus. We will discuss it during class.
During class (ppts: main ideas; digression into What is Social Studies for?)
- Housekeeping
- Introductions
- Looking at our toolbox: CourseSite, wiki, bookmarks, etc.
- Reviewing syllabus
- Assignments and grading
- First step: Completing your first WTL entries
- Questions thus far?
- Conceptual work
- What is social studies for?
- Social studies as a set of disciplines vs. social studies as something bigger, more integrated
- Closure
- Review of what's due next week – reminder about filling in info for "Weaving the Globe"
- Review of what's where (wiki, CourseSite)
- Any questions?
- Stick around for portfolio work
After class
- Reading
- Maxim, Ch. 1 (What is?)
- Gaudelli & Laverty, 2017 (as an overview and critique of the field – if nothing else, this should motivate you to be an informed, critical consumer of social studies materials. Also note historical connection with Dewey...and the scholarly record of the Lehigh COE dean !)
- NCSS, 2009
- Assignments
- WTL
- Update your profile in CourseSite to include your picture
- Starting planning out your upcoming assignments: Original Instructional Materials product #1, who you'll interview for HTCE, etc.
- Bookmark class websites on your computer (e.g., CourseSite, relevant wiki pages)
- Fill out the “Weaving the Globe” input form.
Input your portfolio URL ASAP
Session 2 - Monday, 31 Aug
Before class
- Complete reading
- Complete WTL
- Think ahead: What do you want to do for your Original Instructional Materials assignments? Are you able to find a preK-4 student to interview for the HTCE?
During class (ppt)
- Housekeeping
- Conceptual work
- Three stances towards social studies education
- Three quick demo lessons to illustrate
- JamBoard file used in the first two
- Google Earth file used in the third one
- Standards for social studies (just a quick look)
- Curriculum frameworks for social studies (again, a quick look)
- Discussion of student schema in social studies
- Time permitting: Going further on standards & curriculum frameworks, NCSS statement, etc.
- Closure: Can you name and organize the instructional methods we used tonight? I have another JamBoard for this.
After class
- Reading
Maxim, re-visit Ch. 1 section on standards, read Ch. 10 (Geography)
Re-visit NCSS, 2009skim Brophy & Alleman, 2002optional: Wade, 2002skim: Keeler & Langhorst, 2008 (to get ideas for orig inst materials assigns)
- Assignments
- WTL – see forum in CourseSite
Complete instructional product #1, bring it to class ready to share!
Session 3 - Monday, 7 Sep
Before class
- Complete reading
- Complete and bring in your Original Instructional Material assignment #1, have it ready for class. (But don't forget to also upload it to CourseSite!)
- Complete the WTL
During class (ppt)
- Housekeeping
- Original instructional materials work
- Getting ready to share our OIP #1s. I'll be demoing using a map about European settlements in the Lehigh Valley. (If you're interested in the technology, I created this using the university's subscription to ArcGIS Online – your computing account will let you log in and get started in here: lu.maps.arcgis.com.)
- Sharing
- Talking about OIM #2:
- My example: A sequence of instruction on Community Needs & Community Resources.
- Opening worksheet
- Set of QR codes that I put up around the building
- Google Earth overlay that shows these resources in the community
- FYI: I created this with Julie Oltman, who teaches our geospatial tools class. If you haven't checked it out before, it's a great opportunity to learn more about Google Earth, ArcGIS, augmented reality, virtual reality, and more!
- Why not try...
- ...a new-to-you technology – Google Earth? Augmented reality? ArcGIS?
- ...a different lens – traditional vs. disciplinary vs. student-centered?
- ...a different content area (history, econ, geo, civics) – mix it up! Stretch your thinking and your tech skills!
- My example: A sequence of instruction on Community Needs & Community Resources.
- Conceptual work
- What's new in our instructional methods toolbox? Let's revisit our recurring JamBoard of methods. Which of these are specific to geography?
- Taking a look at the geography ed resources you identified after last week's class
- Taking a look at curriculum and standards for geography
- C3's geography section
- NCGE's Geography for Life
- PDE's straddle of Five Themes and a more disciplinary approach
- (What's this about the Five Themes?)
- A resource from Brenda Betts at CSU Stanislaus
- Wikipedia's entry on the Five Themes
- (And because I can never resist: Check out these these user-generated videos on the Five Themes)
- Digging into geography's Big Ideas
- Natural environment vs. built environment
- Physical geography vs. political, economic, or human geography
- Human-environment interaction
- Tools of geographic representation
- Closure: Since we already talked about methods, let's re-visit the concept of the three possible teachers' stances (traditional, disciplinary, community-focused). Which of these do you think is privileged by the standards documents?
After class
- Reading
Review Geography standards: PDE, C3; see other nat’l orgs as you see fit
Read Barton & Levstik, 1996 (at least to the point where you understand context of HTCE assignment)
- Getting more context on social studies curriculum: skim Brophy & Alleman, 2002, and Wade, 2002.
- Assignments
Complete and turn in HTCE prep work
WTL
Work on original instructional materials assignment, product #2
Please consider sharing your OIM #1 by uploading to the Forum in CourseSite for this week’s class
- ...and an invitation! If you'd like to try out the 'community resources, community needs' activity, I have set up a version that you can do at home
- It requires the Collector app from Esri – you'll need to install this on your phone
- ...and the data you input will be visible / viewable on this map.
Session 4 - Monday, 14 Sep
Before class
- Complete reading
- Prepare and turn in HTCE prep
- Complete WTL
During class (ppt)
- Housekeeping:
- HTCE questions? Sharing a favorite image
- OIM look-ahead – make sure you know what's different about submit #2!
- And you have some unusual homework between now and next Monday
- Explore a specific LUAG web exhibit (https://luag.lehigh.edu/exhibitions/doing-democracy-photography-george-stephanopoulos-collection)
- Do some hands-on work with a geospatial app
- Conceptual work – again, we won't get all the way through this....
- Geography framing: Five Themes vs. Four chunks. I prepared a JamBoard (note new features!!) on play a bit with these topics.
- Sample geography lessons / materials
- Community helpers...vs community resources, community needs
- A static lesson (or 'canned' lesson) on lat/lon...vs a scaffolded geocache
- A static data display vs. gapminder.com
- For elementary purposes, the Dollar Street database is particularly awesome
Tools of geography: Lots of stuff here, but with emphasis on...Map projectionsAnd a lesson plan that I've slightly adapted: The Grapefruit Activity. (While you're there: Note that it's billed as social studies AND science. Geography is the place where social studies starts to overlap with earth science / environmental science / physical science.If you want to see the Flickr map I used, it's here: https://www.flickr.com/map – search 'Islam' or something else with a strong cultural gradient: 'mosque', for example.
Physical geography: Not a perfect demonstration, but here's a Google Earth overlay that I created to divide continents into regions.Human geography: Families and Food activity. This is material borrowed from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.Human-environment interaction: Population density activities / materialsSet of YouTube videosPopulation density enactive, adapted from the Teachers Curriculum Institute geography lessons.Other visual materials on population in this place, time.
Social studies and (de-)"othering"Chimamanda Adichie's TED talk. I'll just play a few bits.Single stories in social studies contextsMapsTextbooks
Attending to multiple stories: Lots of different ways are possible, but I'll single out the Families Of the World video series as one way of introducing the idea.
- Sample geography lessons / materials
- Geography framing: Five Themes vs. Four chunks. I prepared a JamBoard (note new features!!) on play a bit with these topics.
- Closure
After class
- Reading
- If you haven't already: Read through PDE ELPS, or at least the stuff I extracted for social studies.
- Assignments
- Complete & turn in OIP #2. (If you need help thinking of something: re-read Keeler & Langhorst, 2008)
- Explore the LUAG website, check out the ‘Doing Democracy’ exhibit. We’ll have a guest speaker next week about this exhibit and LUAG.
- Some hands-on work with the fundamental tool of geography: Latitude and longitude!
- Download and install this app, or an equivalent: My GPS Coordinates (Apple, Android)
- Complete the following exercise (these are opening steps to my 'scaffolded geocache' activity
- Go outside, open up the app. Figure out which way is south. (If you look at Google Maps, you should be able to figure it out)
- Take 10 big steps to the south. Which number (lat or lon) changes and why? What imaginary line are you getting closer to?
- Take 10 big steps to the east. Which number (lat or lon) changes and why? What imaginary line are you getting closer to?
- Now predict: If you take 10 steps to the north, which number will change and why? Which way will it change – up or down?
- Predict again: If you take 10 big steps to the west, which number will change and why? Which way will it change?
- If you're interested, here's a website for REAL geocaching: https://www.geocaching.com/play ; you can also get the app (Apple, Android) – note that you don't use lat-lon when doing this...which I don't like (for teaching purposes).
- optional reading: Hammond, Bodzin, & Stanlick, 2014
- Bring to class next week: A citrus fruit, unpeeled! I recommend a clementine, since they're easy to peel....
Session 5 - Monday, 21 Sep
Before class
- Complete reading
- Prepare and turn in OIM #2
During class (ppt)
- We're starting off with a guest speaker! We'll be discussing the Lehigh University Art Galleries, but particularly this exhibit: https://luag.lehigh.edu/exhibitions/doing-democracy-photography-george-stephanopoulos-collection
- A little pause for reflection on methods & geography – we'll re-visit our JamBoard of methods for this
- Tools of geography: Lots of stuff here, but with emphasis on...
- How about the latitude & longitude activity I had you guys do outside of class this past week?
- And a lesson plan that I've slightly adapted: The Grapefruit Activity. (While you're there: Note that it's billed as social studies AND science. Geography is the place where social studies starts to overlap with earth science / environmental science / physical science.)
- What this lesson has to do with: Map projections
- A resource that links that same lesson to a larger discussion of map projections: Flattening Earth
- Here's a wiki page that I use for this topic when teaching the Geospatial Tools class
- A much nicer treatment is here: Map Projections
- ...and if you just want to bathe in beautiful maps, here you go: Map Projections in ArcGIS
- If you want to see the Flickr map I used, it's here: https://www.flickr.com/map – search 'Islam' or something else with a strong cultural gradient: 'mosque', for example.
- Physical geography: Not a perfect demonstration, but here's a Google Earth overlay that I created to divide continents into regions.
- Human geography: Families and Food activity. This is material borrowed from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.
- Human-environment interaction: Set of YouTube videos, plus some web images and materials drawn from the Teachers Curriculum Institute geography lessons
- Social studies and (de-)"othering"
- Chimamanda Adichie's TED talk. I'll just play a few bits.
- Single stories in social studies contexts
- Maps
- Textbooks
- Attending to multiple stories: Lots of different ways are possible, but I'll single out the Families Of the World video series as one way of introducing the idea.
- Closure
After class
- Reading: Maxim, Ch. 4-5-6 – just get started on these, start digging into what Maxim has to say about pedagogy
- Assignments
- Start thinking about the curriculum map assignment!
- WTL on geography & geography education take-aways
Session 6 - Monday, 28 Sep
Before class
- Complete reading
- Since we didn't get to it during class: Please watch Chimamanda Adichie's TED talk.
During class (ppt)
- Let's first re-visit the point I was trying to make at the end of the last class: The danger of the single story
- How does this apply in geography?
- I'm using a couple of maps drawn from here: the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at UT-Austin, specifically their maps on Afghanistan.
- If you want to further explore the map of Virginia Algonquin settlements, see this page from the Virtual Jamestown project: http://www.virtualjamestown.org/ge_indian_groups.html
- How might it apply in history?
- What are some tactics you might use to counteract it?
- How does this apply in geography?
- History education
- We're talking about the "three big tools" of history education via an opening exercise called "The Story of Aaron". The materials in this activity are drawn from the Virginia Center for Digital History (vcdh.virginia.edu/), specifically their Geography of Slavery project (http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/)
- We're also doing a sequence of image-based activities. Several of these images are from the National Archives' collection of child labor photographs by Lewis Hine. See their DocsTeach database for more materials and resources.
- Closure
After class
- Reading
- Read over history standards in CourseSite
- Read the history ed chapter in Maxim (ch. 9)
- Assignments
- Complete and turn in the curriculum map. Don’t forget the reflection! Note that if you need more time: I will also accept submissions by Monday, Oct 12
- WTL to get us started on history ed
Session 7 - Monday, 5 Oct
Before class
- Curriculum map: Remember that I'm offering the option to complete it and turn it in this week...or next week. But the deal is this: Please work in it in advance of this class (Mon, 5 Oct) so you have a sense of how this assignment flows.
- Complete WTL in CourseSite
During class (ppt)
- Housekeeping
- Abject apologies on my tardiness in grading OIP #2!
- Discussion of curriculum map assignment
- Conceptual work
- Making sure that we see the goalposts in history education
- Methods: Let's re-visit that JamBoard of methods...should we add a new page? Maybe label it 'Methods for teaching history'? (Hint: The answers are 'Yes' and 'Yes')
- (And who can recall the three history education tools I was emphasizing last week?)
- Standards: What are the big ideas within the standards?
- PDE standards (in CourseSite)
- C3 standards (in CourseSite)
- National Center for History in the Schools (NCHS), focusing on their K-4 standards
- Content standards: https://phi.history.ucla.edu/nchs/standards-grades-k-4/standards-k-4/
- Historical thinking: https://phi.history.ucla.edu/nchs/standards-grades-k-4/historical-thinking-standards/
- Methods: Let's re-visit that JamBoard of methods...should we add a new page? Maybe label it 'Methods for teaching history'? (Hint: The answers are 'Yes' and 'Yes')
- A couple of history ed methods. For these activities, I'm drawing from the National Archives' collection of child labor photographs by Lewis Hine. See their DocsTeach database for more materials and resources.
- Conceptual frame for teaching history (and everything else): Giving, Prompting, and Making (Hammond & Manfra, 2009)
- Illustrating Giving, Prompting, and Making in history ed: A JamBoard about triangular trade
- Making sure that we see the goalposts in history education
- Closure
After class
- Reading
- Maxim, Ch. 3 & 4– these expand upon the pedagogical points I was making tonight, but with a much better theory base.
- Maxim, Ch. 5-8 – keep working through these.
- Hammond & Manfra, 2009 (skim) – this is the giving-prompting-making piece
- Read 1 additional history ed piece among what's in CourseSite
- Assignments
- If you didn't already: Complete and turn in your curriculum map. Don't forget the reflection!
- There's a WTL about Wikipedia in CourseSite...
Session 8- Monday, 12 Oct
Before class
- Complete reading
- Complete and turn in the curriculum map
- Complete WTL in CourseSite
During class (ppt)
- Housekeeping
- Conceptual work: Tying up history ed (or so I hope!)
- (If you're interested in examples of historical nonsense, I try to keep a running list...)
- We're going to be doing an activity tonight using Wikipedia, specifically the entry on the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Towards the end of this, we're also going to take a look at a primary source, the 1892 Youth's Companion. (PDF drawn from an article about it, might be of interest: The Radical Author Behind the Pledge of Allegiance (Saturday Evening Post, 2015))
- Closure
Assignments
- Reading: Download and read through instructional planning materials in CourseSite
Session 9- Monday, 19 Oct
Before class
- Complete reading – it's the instructional materials files in CourseSite
During class (ppt)
- Housekeeping
- Talking about microteaching
- Talking about instructional unit; overview is due next week
- Conceptual work: Getting started in civics ed
- We're going to refer to the citizenship test – here it is online, if you're interested.
- Branches of government activity – I run this using a ppt I created; feel free to ask for a copy
- Closure
After class
- Reading
- Civics standards in CourseSite
- Maxim, Ch. 9
- Assignments
- Write up unit overview and turn it in
- Sign up for a microteaching time slot – see sign-up form linked from CourseSite
Session 10 - Monday, 26 October
Before class
- Complete reading (civics standards in CourseSite, Maxim Ch. 9)
- Complete and turn in unit overview
During class (ppt)
- Previewing the microteaching schedule
- ...and anticipating no class on Monday, 23 November. Thoughts? Objections?
- Conceptual work: Advancing our civics ed discussion
- ...ok, first we'll look back at last week's big ideas: Civics is special because... (I prepped a JamBoard for this...)
- The three stances when it comes to civics
- 'What kind of citizen?' as an organizing point of focus in figuring out what to do in civics
- A new look at the giving-prompting-making framework
- A resource for civics ed: iCivics (anyone use this before?)
- Warm-up activity: Sortify: U.S. Citizenship
- Breaking out into groups
- Responsibility Launcher
- Cast Your Vote
- Win the White House
- (or pick one that you like: https://www.icivics.org/curriculum/play/all)
- Closure
After class
- Reading: Re-visit civics standards in CourseSite. You should now have a more critical eye for this...
- Optional reading: Westheimer & Kahne, 2004 ('What kind of citizen?')
- Assignments
- Work on microteaching! Even if you're not presenting next week!
- HTCE paper: Turn it in if you can. If you need more time, not a problem. Just let me know
Session 11 - Monday, 2 November
Before class
- If you can: Complete and turn in your HTCE
- Re-visit the civics standards – what kind of citizen are they aiming for?
- Microteaching: Prep it or at least work on it!
During class (ppt)
- Microteaching: Thank you to our inaugural microteachers
- Erin
- Joe
- Conceptual work for tonight: Civics ed, focusing on elections. Couple of web resources that I will reference
- Closure
After class
- Microteaching
- If you taught, reflect on it!
- If you haven't taught yet, prep it!
- WTL on civics ed & "standing dates" for civic engagement (elections, yes, but also inaugurations, Constitution Day, Patriot's Day, etc.)
- Reading: Great Washington Post article about the challenges of election-related teaching – the point is, there is no one right way to do it... -https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/trump-civics-teaching-election-divisive/2020/10/28/9d14be9a-13cc-11eb-ad6f-36c93e6e94fb_story.html
- Work on final assignments
Session 12 - Monday, 9 November
Before class
- Microteaching prep / reflection
- Complete reading
- Complete WTL
During class – no ppt tonight
- Microteaching
- Gaby
- Emma
- Joe
- Talking about next week & Thanksgiving week content. Focus will be assessment, with some attention to the Praxis.
- Sample practice test – social studies items are in Module 2, items 20, 34-42; answers are on pp. 58-59.
- Fun test of something that I've become more and more convinced of over time: Look at the science items (Module 3); how many of them overlap with social studies? (My answer to that question: A lot! Science and social studies should be friends!)
- Discussion of election – how does it change the way you think about social studies? Civic ed? What are the implications for elementary education?
After class
- Microteaching prep/reflection
- Work on major assignments
- Take a look at Praxis materials posted in CourseSite
Session 13 - Monday, 16 November
Before class
During class
- Microteaching
- Julie
- Rachel
- Miki
- Joe
After class
Monday, 23 November?
...no class, but do see materials on assessment posted in CourseSite
Monday, 30 November
Before class
- Work on instructional unit. If you can: Turn it in! If not: Turn it in next week or (worst case scenario) by December 10
- Complete any other remaining assignments (ex: History Through a Child's Eyes) and turn in ASAP
- Don't forget to check out the assessment materials in CourseSite!
During class (ppt)
- Conceptual work: Digging into economics
- What is economics and why isn't it more prominently featured?
- A couple of counter-examples. One isn't really economics, and the other one is...painful. It's econ, but it's painful.
- And an example, albeit an outside-the-box out: Re-purposing children's literature. Two examples here
- A selection from Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?
- A book written to explain what microfinance is: One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
- Why this is a crying shame: Econ is fun, econ is practical, econ is important, econ integrates beautifully. (And it's in the PDE standards)
- Some econ resources
- Ohio State University Research Foundation (OSURF) materials
- Day, 2006: What is Economics?
- VanFossen, 2003: suggestions for teaching econ in elementary SS Council Economic Education
- website.
- standards.
- lesson plan database: EconEd Link.
- The classic: Play Doh Economics (to be demo'd in a few minutes)
- Some econ activities
- Warm up: The economics of
candy consumption– sticker selection - And now for a slam-dunk: A lesson adapted from Play-Doh economics.
- Warm up: The economics of
- Putting our class sessions to bed
- What is economics and why isn't it more prominently featured?
After class
- Read one or more econ pieces; stow the rest away for future reference!
- Complete remaining major assignments
- Is anyone interested in office hours / bonus session next Monday? I'll be online if you want to consult / discuss
(Any final outstanding work due: Monday, 10 December)