TLT 412, Fall 2021 - Course record

Owned by Tom Hammond
Last updated: Nov 29, 2021
20 min read

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Session 1 - Monday, 23 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 (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
    • What is social studies? Starter activity
    • Social studies as a set of disciplines vs. social studies as something bigger, more integrated
    • Why we need to push ourselves in this class: Take a brief visit to the teacher store
  • 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 – what is the purpose of the curriculum??
    • 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)

    • Input your portfolio URL ASAP

    • PICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
      • Show up early & in-person (!) to next week's class: meet at 5:30 in the front lobby of Iacocca to do an outdoor activity. 
      • Do the 'at home' version, sort of
        • Download and install this app on your phone: My GPS Coordinates (Android, iOS)
        • Go outside and start the app.
        • Figure out which way is north; take ten big steps. Which way did your latitude change? Why?
        • Take ten big steps to the east. Which way did your longitude change? Why?
        • If you are really committed to this bit, get some sidewalk chalk and draw out a compass rose. Include the coordinates. Then go find a target and note its coordinates. Get a friend or family member to start at the compass rose with you and then go locate the target, using the coordinates.
        • If you'd like to find a target placed by someone else, go to geocaching.com, create an account, and look up nearby geocaches. Note: The accuracy of the cellphone app is probably not good enough to actually locate a geocache – you'll be searching over too large of an area. Instead, you might need to use an actual, dedicated GPS unit. I have some that you can borrow if you like. 

Session 2 - Monday, August 30

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)

  • Conceptual work
    • Scaffolded geocache de-brief
    • Touching back on last Monday's concepts: What is social studies?
    • Getting started in GEOGRAPHY
    • Three stances towards social studies education
    • Three quick geography methods to illustrate
    • 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, 2009

    • skim BASD curriculum guides for grades 3 & 4 – what kind of a curriculum is this? 

    • optional: Hammond, Bodzin, & Stanlick, 2014 (this is a how-to about the scaffolded geocache)

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

  • Assignments 
    • WTL – see forum in CourseSite

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


Session 3 - Monday, 6 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 
    • Sharing 
    • Talking about OIM #2:
      • My example: A sequence of instruction on Community Needs & Community Resources.
        • Opening worksheet – the needs I have in mind are on the second page... – the needs I have in mind are on the second page...
        • 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!
  • 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
    • 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: maps and globes, yes, but also GPS, GIS, remote sensing, etc.  (For example, here's a map of flood gauges I made for students at a school I'm working with – super, super interesting stuff that I never thought about before this latest storm: https://arcg.is/1HiqTW)
  • 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


Session 4 - Monday, 13 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!
  • Conceptual work – again, we won't get all the way through this....
  • 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)
    • WTL – this is a two-part process
      • First, make a 'Whose Land?' map, following my instructions. (This requires you to use your Lehigh account to log into lu.maps.arcgis.com)
      • Save your map and either link or place a screenshot in this week's WTL forum. I'll model it. 
    • Bring to class next week: A citrus fruit, unpeeled! I recommend a clementine, since they're easy to peel....

Session 5 - Monday, 20 Sep

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Complete WTL
  • Prepare and turn in OIM #2

During class (ppt)

  • A little pause for reflection on methods & geography – we'll re-visit our JamBoard of methods for this, plus dip into your WTL work on geography, your OIMs, etc.
  • 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
  • Physical geography: Not a perfect demonstration, but here's a Google Earth overlay that I created to divide continents into regions.
  • Human-environment interaction: Set of YouTube videos, plus some web images and materials drawn from the Teachers Curriculum Institute geography lessons
  • And a thing I'm introducing about the intersections of science & social studies, focusing on the bar-headed goose. I made a Google Earth overlay, if you want to play with it. 
  • 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, 27 Sep

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Complete WTL
  • Work on curriculum map assignment – it's due next week!

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping: Curriculum map assignment
  • Getting started with civics education
    • Why civics is special – I'll be referring to the practice questions for the USCIS test – go to https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/2020test
    • Two civics activities to discuss
      • Government game for Southside Bethlehem – see map of locations; this is played using the app ActionBound (ActionBound.org)
      • Community needs, community resources – we've referred to this before; see output map: 

        https://arcg.is/0HDuaC; I built it using ArcGIS Online. 

  • Closure

After class 

  • Reading: Standards + Maxim, Ch. 9 (civics)
  • WTL on civics ed standards
  • Complete and turn in the curriculum map assignment – don't forget the reflection!


Session 7 - Monday, 4 October

Before class

  • Complete and turn in your curriculum map assignment – and the reflection!
  • Complete reading
  • Complete WTL

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
    • Anything to report on the curriculum map assignment? 
    • And: We are now officially on our own for the Field Work assignment. We need to find a replacement...so let's discuss?
  • Moving ahead with civics ed
    • Why is civics special, again?
    • Thinking a bit on civics methods ...let's start building out a new section of our JamBoard file, no? 
    • And a new demo, this time looking at branches of government two different ways
    • A general pedagogy thing: Giving, Prompting, Making
    • Civics ed stances (traditional vs. disciplinary vs. community-oriented)
    • 'What kind of citizen?' framing for civics standards
    • Putting together Giving-Prompting-Making and civics ed / civics stances / what kind of citizen
    • One more civics ed resource (getting back to games!): iCivics.org
    • Civics ed as the essential discipline
      • Historical assertions
      • Civics and engineering? 
      • Civics as the guardrail against a failed society
  • Closure

After class

  • No class meeting next week!
  • ...but please do look ahead at the instructional unit assignment and check out some of the resources I've posted under the following week
  • WTL on the purpose of civics ed, assuming that we got to that point
  • Reading
    • skim over Hammond & Manfra, 2009 (Giving-Prompting-Making)
    • optional: Westheimer & Kahne, 2004 (What kind of citizen?)


Monday, October 11 - no class!


Session 8 - Monday, October 18 

Before class

  • Complete readings
  • Look at instructional planning materials I posted in CourseSite for the week of October 11

During class – no ppt tonight, just running things from this wiki

After class

  • Complete WTL about civics, civic education
  • Fill out form to sign up for a microteaching time slot
  • Complete and turn in your instructional unit overview
  • Watch for an email from me about next Monday's history game on the Northside; respond to let me know who's coming

Session 9 - Monday, October 25

Before class

  • Complete WTL
  • Fill out microteaching sequence form
  • Let me know if you plan to meet up for the augmented reality game at Moravian Academy! It's used for teaching 2nd graders about colonial history

During class (ppt)

After class

  • Reading
    • History standards (see folder in CourseSite)
    • Maxim, Ch. 9 (history ed)
    • Read 1 additional history ed piece (see options in CourseSite)
  • Assignments
    • If you’re due up for microteaching, prepare!
    • WTL on Wikipedia…I have a thing for Wikipedia.


Session 10 - Monday, November 1

Before class

  • IF YOU CAN, prepare and turn in your HTCE paper
  • Work on Field Work replacement assignment – as a refresher here are the instructions
  • If you're microteaching, prep! Please share your materials ahead of time in the forum provided in CourseSite
  • Complete WTL on Wikipedia
  • Complete reading

During class (no ppt – just running from the wiki for tonight)

After class

  • There's a WTL to complete on 'Why teach history?'. Don't let this question drive you crazy – just jot down some thoughts
  • If you're due up to microteach, prep it!
  • Work on your final assignments! Move forward with whatever is remaining; turn it in when you can...earlier is better than later
  • And here's an OPTIONAL article on history education, my favorite piece of social studies research ever: Schweber, 2008: “What Happened to Their Pets?”: Third Graders Encounter the Holocaust. It's long but well worth the read. Really demonstrates the challenges and complexities of teaching history ambitiously, whether at the elementary level or even in the older years!

Session 11 - Monday, November 8

Before class

  • Work on final assignments!
  • Complete WTL on history ed ('Why teach history?')
  • Prep for microteaching, if you're due
  • If you already did your microteaching: Write up a reflection and email me!
  • Take a look at the optional reading. It's well worth your time.

During class (no ppt; again just running from the wiki; note that there are some embedded slideshows here)

  • Microteaching: Marlena, Denise
  • Wrapping up history ed
    • First, let's reflect on what we've done thus far in discussing / encountering history education
      • Some work with images (examples)
      • Some work with maps (examples)
      • Some discussion of primary sources (list of heuristics)
      • Some work with timelines
      • ...and an oddball thing with Wikipedia. That's a 'Dr. Hammond' thing; pretty much no one else thinks this is a good idea
    • Next, let's pause to process where we our with our toolbox of methods – let's add to our JamBoard of methods, specifically building out the history section
    • Now let's put history ed to bed. Two big ideas, and two recommendations

After class

  • Microteaching: If you just finished, write your reflection! If it's coming up, prep it!
  • Work on final assignments
  • WTL: How to prep a Veterans' Day lesson...that's inclusive

Session 12 - Monday, November 15

Before class

  • Microteaching: Either write your reflection, prep your lesson, or bask in the fact that you're all done with it already!
  • Work on final assignments: HTCE, instructional unit, fieldwork paper
  • Complete WTL

During class (ppt)

After class

  • Reading
    • Re-visit Maxim, Ch. 2 – section on assessment
    • Schurr, 'Assessment that emphasizes learning'
  • Assignments
    • WTL on assessment in your instructional unit
    • Work on final assignments! Field paper, HTCE, final unit

Session 13 - Monday, November 22

Before class

  • Microteaching prep or reflection, depending
  • Work on final assignments
  • Complete reading
  • Complete WTL in CourseSite

During class (no ppt; just working from the links here in the wiki)

  • Conceptual work: Discussing inclusion / adaptation & accommodation for diverse learners
    • I am by no means an expert on this, but this is a HUGE topic for social studies, for at least two reasons
      • Practicality: Given that social studies isn't a high stakes-assessed area in Pennsylvania, it's the content area in which LEAs are most eager to show inclusive practice.
      • Ideology: If social studies is about preparing citizens...we need to have an inclusive classroom. In fact, an inclusive social studies classroom in which adaptation & accommodation need to take place is a SUPERIOR environment for social studies ed, rather than a more homogeneous classroom. 
    • Here's what I have for you: Four different approaches to the topic. I'll have you explore one of these as part of a group. Discuss within your group: What about this is familiar? What about it is new? Think back to the microteaching lessons your group members have done – how would / should you change it to include this approach? 

After class

  • Review links & documents from this week's discussion!
  • Skim through the readings provided in CourseSite – they put some of the ideas discussed tonight into greater depth
  • WTL: Share one idea you have for accommodating one of the diverse learners in your unit
  • (And I forgot to move this into last week's materials: Let me know if you have any questions about the Praxis! I added a WTL forum in CourseSite for this week)
  • Complete and turn in any remaining assignments!
  • We're going to do an economics activity next week...and it will require Play-Doh (or something equivalent). Please have some handy for while we're on Zoom!
  • Bring in something to share from your instructional unit – think of it as the show-and-tell portion of the 'original instructional materials' assignments that started the semester



Session 14 - Monday, 29 Nov

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Work on final assignments

During class (ppt)

  • Sharing items from your unit
  • Conceptual work: Digging into economics
  •  Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Maxim, Ch. 12
    • Read, or at least save, the 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
    • Complete final unit. BE SURE to read the rubric. And if you need extra time, ask for it!