TLT 412, Fall 2015 - Course record

Owned by Tom Hammond
Last updated: Nov 23, 2015
13 min read

Navigation short-cut: Session jump by number

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - ... end

Session 1 - Monday, 24 Aug

Before class

  • Buy a copy of the textbook (Maxim, 2014, Dynamic Social Studies for Constructivist Classrooms). Amazon has it; used copies are fine. 
  • Cruise this wiki and the CourseSite.
  • I have paper copies of the syllabus; you don't have to print out a copy yourself.

During class (ppt)

  • 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
  • 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?)
    • Crocco, 2004 (as an overview and critique of the field – if nothing else, this should teach you to be an informed, critical consumer of social studies materials)
    • 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

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
  • Conceptual work
    • Opening activity: Sketchmaps
    • Sketchmaps & schema
    • Examples of how social studies schema are complicated / slippery / layered
    • NCSS on the purpose of social studies
    • Curricular frameworks
    • A proposed, deliberately provocative framework of aims: A three-ring circus
    • NCSS and powerful social studies
    • Digging into geography
      • Standards – analyze these for suggested / implicit curricular frameworks and aims
        • PDE (all via CourseSite)
          • new geography, 3-8
          • new geography, preK-2.
        • C3 Framework – note that for geography, they reach back to the old "Five Themes" of geography.
      • Parsing it a little more simply
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading

    • Maxim, Ch. 3 (Standards), Ch. 8 (Geography)

    • Re-visit NCSS, 2009

    • Brophy & Alleman, 2002

    • optional: Wade, 2002

    • skim: Keeler & Langhorst, 2008 (to get ideas for orig inst materials assigns)

  • Assignments 
    • WTL
    • Complete instructional product #1, bring it to class ready to share!

Session 3 - Monday, 7 Sep

Before class

  • Complete reading. Keep in mind what's required vs. what's optional, what to do a deep read (or re-read!) on vs. skim
  • Complete and turn in your Original Instructional Material #1
  • Complete WTL

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping: Tonight's schedule; any problems turning in or bringing OIM #1? Discuss what's due next week.
  • Conceptual work
    • "Weaving the Globe" = both demo of 3rd approach to geography ed (civic / student-centered approach) AND demo of sharing OIMs. 
    • Sharing OIMs
    • Talking about OIM #2: Check out my SmartBoard-based puzzle map of South America. What approach to geography is it? (Traditional) So: For your OIM #2, try a new-to-you technology (SmartBoard? Google Earth?), a different lens (traditional vs. disciplinary vs. student-centered) – mix it up! Stretch your thinking and your tech skills!
    • Taking a look at standards
      • C3's geography section
      • PDE's straddle of Five Themes and a more disciplinary approach
    • 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
    • Think about your methods toolbox to date. What do we have in there already? Which are discipline-specific (e.g., sketchmaps = geography, usually) and which are generic (list-group-label)?
    • Questions about OIM #2?
    • Questions about HTCE prep? 
    • Next week: Lots of geographic tools work; come prepared to go outside!

After class

  • Reading
    • Re-read PDE geography standards, C3 Framework, geography ed section. 
    • Read Barton & Levstik, 1996 – if you don't have time to dig into the details, at least read to the point where you understand how to do the image-sorting task for the HTCE and therefore how to prep for the activity
  • Assignments
    • Complete WTL
    • Think about what you might do for OIM #2
    • Complete and turn in your HTCE prep. If you have questions, don't forget about the class forum!
  • For next week: Wear good shoes and be prepared to do some walking around the grounds of Iacocca Hall!

Session 4 - Monday, 14 Sep

Before class

  • Complete reading

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
    • OIM #1 graded & returned. Questions? 
  • Conceptual work
    • Re-cap of instructional planning sequence, standards; three stances of history
    • Examples of how social studies is political
      • Any observations / comments on Sep 11th (aka Patriot's Day) observances in schools?
      • Coming up this week: Constitution Day / Citizenship Day on Thurs, Sep 17.
    • Tools of geography ed–there's a lot here, but we're just hitting a few topics
      • Going outside with GPS units
      • Dynamic maps & globes: Highlighting a few dynamic maps
      • Map projections–see bookmarks about projections. (FYI: "Mapping an orange" is an old activity. Here's an equivalent lesson plan.)
      • Age structure diagram
      • GIS (i.e., geographic information systems)
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Read over ELPS, see the social studies-only version Dr. H has prepared. 
    • Optional: Hammond, Bodzin, & Stanlick, 2014
  • Assignments
    • Complete and turn in OIM #2, come to class prepared to share!

Session 5 - Monday, 21 Sep

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Complete OIM #2 and bring to class. Don't forget the reflection!

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
  • Conceptual work
    • Re-capping three stances, emph. on geo ed.
    • Digging into geo. ed, this time aiming at human geography (but with some human-environment interaction
      • Families and Food activity --> discussion of pedagogical stances to meet up with our 'aims' stances.
      • Population density activities / materials
        • Set of YouTube videos
        • Population density enactive, adapted from the Teachers Curriculum Institute geography lessons.
        • Other visual materials on population in this place, time.
    • Social studies and (de-)"othering"
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Optional: Hammond & Manfra, 2009
    • Maxim, Ch. 4, 5, & 6 – just get started on this; they expand upon the pedagogical points I was making tonight. You can finish them up later, but give a quick skim for now and maybe drill down on one of the three chapters.
  • Assignments
    • Fieldwork placements? Hoping for an update next week, but there needs to be some flex on that, obviously
    • If you'd like to share your OIM #2 (or #1!), please do so in the forum provided. 

Session 6 - Monday, 28 Sep

Before class

  • Complete reading. Keep in mind that I'm not expecting you to digest all of the Maxim, just get going in it. 
  • Write a brief update of your field work – however far you get, just let me know. Even if this is just 'I wrote an email to the teacher' – let me know!

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
    • Anything to report about field work?
    • Brief advance look at curriculum map, discussion of due dates. (I moved it down toward the END of next week, not the start)
  • Conceptual work
    • Waving goodbye to geography (what makes it special?), and attempting to organize what we've learned: Pedagogical Content Knowledge and/or Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge as ways of thinking of your toolbox of methods (and technologies)
    • Saying hello to civic education
      • Let's start with an activity, or sequence of activities. It's a twist on the classic 'community helpers' topic (see some sample materials, if you need to, or consult this set of lesson descriptions), but it takes a broader frame: 'community needs' vs. 'community resources'
        • If you want to look through the materials
          • The game was created using arisgames.org; I'll be happy to share the game so you can see it and make a copy to tinker on your own.
          • Here's a sample Google Earth overlay I made, focusing on the area around Building 21, in Allentown. Note that you need to create one that is relevant to whatever school environment you would want to run the activity in.
          • Here's the handout (one sheet for classwork, one sheet for homework).
        • How does this activity fit into your toolbox? 
      • Linking community and geography – why do I do things in this sequence?
      • Some standard questions as we encounter a new content area
        • What are the content-area associations that focus on civics ed? Center for Civic Ed (http://www.civiced.org/) is the biggie.
        • What are the standards for civics ed? PDE, C3 Framework (in CourseSite); Center for Civic Ed (CCE) also has their own set of standards
        • What are some resources for civics ed? https://delicious.com/tchammond/TLT412,civics --see also the 'We the People' and 'Project Citizen' materials from CCE
        • What are different approaches to civics ed – traditional? Disciplinary? Community-centered?
        • What's so special about civics education?
  • Closure: Looping back to curriculum map – know what you need to do (required elements, due date), know what your resources are (templates!), know what your options are (partners?)

After class

  • Reading
    • Maxim, Ch. 9 (Civics)
    • Civics standards: PDE, C3 Framework
    • (And keep working on previous Maxim chapters, as needed)
  • Assignments
    • WTL: Getting started on curriculum map
    • Work on curriculum map!

Session 7 - Monday, 5 Oct

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Work on curriculum map

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
    • Curriculum map questions? Comments? 
    • Setting up microteaching
  • Conceptual work – more civics
    • More on civics standards: What kind of citizen?
    • More on civics methods: So what does this look like??
      • Materials from the Center for Civic Education
      • Materials from iCivics
        • About page – be sure to check out some of the info under "Our Impact" to get a sense of what grade(s) they think this is for and how they feel they're doing.
        • Scope-and-sequence – just get a sense for what topics and methods they have going on. Note that they don't make any statements about what grade levels should work on which topics!
        • Games – these are all Flash-based and therefore might not work on some mobile devices. I picked a timely one: "Cast Your Vote"
        • ...de-brief
      • And now some other materials, that you'll hopefully have more context for by this point
    • Regardless of what you choose to do, I want to emphasize visual instruction
      • Branches of government 2 different ways
      • Civic enactments: Take the Lehigh Valley – how can we represent its population centers? governmental units? 
  • Closure

After class

Pacing break - Monday, 12 Oct & Tuesday, 13 Oct 

Session 8 - Monday, 19 Oct

Before class

  • Complete reading

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
    • Looking at microteaching schedule, expectations
  • Conceptual work
    • Instructional planning issues
      • Backwards Design, 'learning with understanding' (i.e., stuff you hopefully recall from TLT 407)
      • Essential Questions
      • Writing learning objectives
      • Lehigh required lesson plan format
      • Looking at instructional unit assignment. Step 1 (overview) is due next week! A keystone to the process is the alignment map
      • Instructional unit work session: paired brainstorming
    • Opening up history ed
      • Let's start with images – I have five ways of using images interactively. Try to capture not just WHAT the techniques are but WHY you would want to do this kind of interactive, visual approach.
  • Closure: Who is microteaching next week? What do you need to get done for that? Any questions?

After class

  • Reading
    • Instructional planning materials linked in CourseSite
    • Maxim, history chapter (Ch. 7 – note how this is first in his content-specific chapters?)
  • Assignments
    • IF YOU ARE MICROTEACHING NEXT WEEK: Prep for that
    • Everyone else: Prepare and turn in your instructional unit overview!

Session 9 - Monday, 26 Oct

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Complete & turn in unit overview

During class (ppt)

  • Microteaching
    • Kelly G.
    • Chelsea C.
  • Housekeeping
  • Conceptual work – two topics tonight: assessment & history ed
    • Assessment, social studies, & elementary learners
      • First a little sidebar on the Praxis
        • Here's what's currently required for elementary cert (skip down to p. 3).
        • Sample practice test – social studies items are 20, 34-42; answers are on pp. 58-59.
      • Assessment & schema – i.e., how to keep things focused on INSTRUCTION and not just ACCOUNTABILITY
        • Engaging prior knowledge
          • Memories from elementary?
          • Prior teacher ed coursework?
          • What you've seen in your field placements?
        • Overviewing assessment terms, purposes
        • Assessment resources: see course bookmarks for full listing (delicious.com/tchammond/TLT412+assessment)
    • History ed with elementary learners
      • Why teach history?
      • Three stances: Can tell you WHY...but none of them are perfectly convincing
      • Methods: Some cross over from geography, some are unique to history, and some are things I've been cogitating upon
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading: 
    • A piece to hang onto to expand your thinking about assessment, Schurr, assessment for learning
    • Some articles on examples of high-quality elementary history instruction – skim and dig into what interests you. File away for future reference! These will be handy in your HTCE paper. 
      • Tiemann & Fallace, 2009
      • Jensen, 2008
      • Barton, 1997
    • Assignments
      • Work on HTCE, field paper

Session 10 - Monday, 2 Nov

Before class

  • Complete reading

During class (ppt this week is just continuing last week's – we're doing the history ed stuff that we didn't get to last time)

  • Microteaching
    • Kaitlyn D.
    • Anna Y.
  • Housekeeping
  • Conceptual work – history ed. We're just working through what we didn't get through last week – refer back to that ppt
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
  • Assignments

Session 11 - Monday, 9 Nov 

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • If you can, turn in your HTCE paper

During class (no ppt this week – it all runs through the wiki)

  • Microteaching
    • Coley P.
    • Sofie C.
  • Housekeeping
    • Curriculum map
    • Unit overview – don't forget ELPS!
    • Sirena's questions / comments in Praxis forum
    • Thanks to Ben Carson, one slice of the social studies curriculum is suddenly super-topical!!!
  • Conceptual work – adaptation & accommodation of diverse learners: A lifetime of learning to be done here, but we will focus on building you a "survival kit" of strategies 
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • See CourseSite readings for additional insight and strategies for working with diverse learners. Also check out materials you didn't get a chance to examine during class (e.g., RAFTs, graphic organizers, etc.)
  • Assignments
    • Wrap up final assignments: HTCE, field paper, final unit

Session 12 - Monday, 16 Nov 

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Wrap up final assignments

During class (ppt)

  • Microteaching
    • Kim M.
    • Nicki J.
  • Housekeeping
  • Some thoughts on HTCE work, curriculum & assessment
  • Conceptual work: Digging into economics
    • What is economics and why isn't it in our textbook?
    • 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 materials
      • Day, 2006: What is Economics?
      • VanFossen, 2003: suggestions for teaching econ in elementary SS 
      • Council Economic Education
      • The classic: Play Doh Economics (to be demo'd in a few minutes)
    • Some econ activities
      • Warm up: The economics of candy consumption
      • And now for a slam-dunk: A lesson adapted from Play-Doh economics.
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Maxim, ch. 11
    • LOTS of econ materials in CourseSite. You don't need to read these immediately, but do save them for future reference. They're extremely useful, and they're rare!
  • Assignments
    • Wrap up whatever you haven't finished: HTCE, field paper
    • Work on final unit


Session 13 - Monday, 23 Nov

Before class

  • Complete reading

During class (ppt)

  • Microteaching
    • Sirena H.??
    • (Lara W.  – moved to next week)
  • Housekeeping
    • Portfolio how-to time at end of class
  • Conceptual work: Social studies and integration
    • Fine arts
      • PDE standards for fine arts and humanities: These are actually some of the finest standards I've seen. VERY thorough, fantastic attention to multiple aspects of the art experience (production, response, analysis), very deep social studies background! Respect.
      • Arts and social studies ed: Great match or perfect match? 
      • Focusing on Haitian art and music
        • Video of field workers singing.
        • Video of rara band from 2005. You might want to skip ahead to the halfway point, since the first part of the video is shot at night, very limited visuals. Awesome music, though. 
        • Two short folksongs (and accompanying discussion) from Mimi Barthelemy
        • De-brief: What did we learn? How was this important? Could we / should we have explored this content through other means? 
    • Groupwork on integration
      • Integrating social studies and fine arts
        • Links
        • Google Doc for arts integration: Put 2 or more ideas here–just a paragraph or so for each that describe the activity that you have in mind, the standards/objectives to be addressed, and links to relevant resources. PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
      • Integrating other content areas into social studies
        • Links
          • Brainstorm a lesson using this source material. (If you feel it's too easy or can't think of any ideas, try this version.)
          • Feel free to design something based off of our Weaving the Globe activity (kml file).
          • Pick any lessons from our 'Microteaching Materials' forum in CourseSite
          • Take a look at what PDE provides in its portal. For example, click on the link for 'Social Studies videos' from the Instruction page. You can also try looking in the 'Materials and Resources' section of the portal, but from what I've seen, there's not much there....
          • Look at any other repositories for social studies lesson plans/materials: Gateway to 21st Century Skills, Thinkfinity, SASPathways, etc.
        • Google Doc for integrating other content areas --> SS: Put 2 or more ideas here–just a paragraph or so for each that describe the activity that you have in mind, the standards/objectives to be addressed, and links to relevant resources. PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
      • Integrating social studies into other content areas
        • Links
          • Adapt this lesson plan.
          • Instructional materials available from the PDE/SAS portal
            • Videos linked from the 'Instruction' page
            • A smorgasbord of items linked from the 'Materials and Resources' part of the portal. I've linked you to the 'Advanced Search' page within this section – specify a grade level and content area, see what you get for math / science / ELA / etc.
          • Select any activity from this page of the NLVM and adapt it.
          • (etc.)
        • Google Doc for integrating SS –> other content areas: Put 2 or more ideas here–just a paragraph or so for each that describe the activity that you have in mind, the standards/objectives to be addressed, and links to relevant resources. PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Re-visit Maxim, Ch. 6 – hopefully you now have a MUCH more nuanced reading of this chapter
    • Lovorn, 2009
    • Gonzalez et al., 2011
  • Assignments: Wrap up your assignments! Make sure you know how to work your portfolio!

Session 14 - Monday, 30 Nov

Before class

  • Complete reading

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
  • Conceptual work
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
  • Assignments

 

 

...go back to top?

end