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weeks: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 -13 - 14 - 15


Week 1 - Tuesday, 29 Aug

Before class 

  • Buy a copy of the textbook (Maxim, 2017, Dynamic Social Studies for Constructivist Classrooms; currently in 11th edition, but earlier editions are fine). Amazon has it 
  • Cruise this wiki and the CourseSite.
  • Preview the syllabus. We will discuss it during class.

During class (ppt)

After class

  • Reading
    • (Borrow something from me! Read or skim it! Talk about it next week!)
    • Maxim, Ch. 1 (What is?)
  • Assignments
    • WTL for this week: What is the purpose of 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) 

Week 2 - Tuesday, 5 Sep

Before class 

  • Complete reading
  • Don't forget to do the WTL in CourseSite!
  • Do the CourseSite updating (it helps me remember names/faces!)
  • Think ahead on your assignments

During class (ppt)

  • Starting off with something fun: A scavenger hunt! About the built environment
  • De-brief of the activity – how is this social studies? What kind of social studies?  
  • Social studies as a set of related social science disciplines – makes it easy for us, largely irrelevant to students. Just make it interesting for students; don't tie yourself up in knots about serving the discipline
  • Among the big four, we are starting with GEOGRAPHY
    • Why start with geography?
    • What is geography, anyway?
    • A look at some geography standards
  • Wading into social studies methods
  • Time for another geography method: Sketchmaps
  • Purpose(s) of social studies
  • Discussion of OIM #1
  • ...can we meet early next week??

After class

  • Reading
    • Maxim, ch. 8 (geography)
    • PDE geography standards (download these to a convenient folder; you'll need to refer to them)
    • C3 framework, geography section (again, download to a convenient spot...)
    • NCSS, 2009 (powerful and purposeful elementary social studies)
  • Assignments
    • Complete & bring in OIM #1; be prepared to show-and-tell!
    • Complete this Google Form for an in-class demo of a lesson called "Weaving the Globe" (form)
    • Complete WTL for week 2

Week 3 - Tuesday, 12 Sep

Before class 

  • Complete Google Form on shoes/textile (link above)
  • Complete reading
  • Don't forget to do the WTL in CourseSite!
  • Complete & bring in OIM #1

During class (ppt)

  • Meet in lobby of Iaccoca at 6:30! We'll start from there
  • First thing tonight = scaffolded geocache. I will share starting materials here; if you want the full set, just ask
    • Handout with simple visual intro to lat/lon
    • List of coordinates for starting point, targets, and finish location
    • Decision-making scaffold, if anyone needs it
    • (If I were teaching this with elementary students: I'd actually start with this photoset to see locations along the Equator & Prime Meridian before going outside) 
    • (Alternatively: Here's a webpage [StoryMap] with info about latitude & longitude. This was written for older folks, not elementary students, but it has the images I would use with elementary students. Note that it also has embedded images on the map.)
    • (Since this activity does lots work in Google Earth: I encourage you to download Google Earth onto your laptop – https://www.google.com/earth/versions/.  It's WAY more powerful as a downloaded program than something that runs in your browser.)
    • (And if you want to get into 'real' geocaching, go here: https://www.geocaching.com/play)
  • Discussing geography standards – quick look at PDE vs. Five Themes
  • Quick look at JamBoard of methods – we have some updating to do!
  • Potentially useful framework for thinking about your instructional decision-making: TPACK
  • (Additional supporting example of how technology can intersect with content and pedagogy: https://arcg.is/0LiKD1)
  • Sharing OIM #1
  • More updating of JamBoard!
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Barton & Levstik, 1996 - skim to get the idea about how to build image set for HTCE assignment
    • Optional: If you liked the scaffolded geocache, save a copy of Hammond et al., 2014
  • Assignments
    • Prepare & turn in HTCE image set; see syllabus for details
    • WTL on school activities that relate to calendar events: Sept 11, Constitution Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, etc.


Week 4 - Tuesday, 19 Sep

Before class 

  • Complete reading
  • Don't forget to do the WTL in CourseSite!
  • Complete & turn in HTCE prep assignment

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping; checking in on any calendar events that tie in with social studies content....
  • Conceptual work: More geography activities, working towards different stances
    • demo: Stack the Countries (see also Stack the States)
    • demo: What's in a (state) name? We'll run this on our JamBoard; I also have some other materials for a slightly different version linked from here: Computational thinking & social studies.
    • Discussion: Teacher stances – what do they think social studies is for? What does this look like in terms of geography education?
    • demo: Weaving the Globe – I'll be showing-and-telling, but feel free to download and play around with this Google Earth file as well. This is adapted from an old lesson that I found in a back issue of Social Education.
    • demo: 'Transforming the Globe', borrowed from this lesson plan. If you want to go further with this idea, try this video: The Impossible Map (1947) 
    • maps as tools for all three stances + maps that exclude as well as include
    • now you produce something: We'll work through the first few steps of the Whose Land? activity
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading: Gaudelli & Laverty, 2017
  • Assignments
    • WTL = complete & share your "Whose Land?" map & reflection
    • Complete & turn in your OIM #2


Week 5 - Tuesday, 26 Sep

Before class 

  • Complete reading
  • Complete WTL in CourseSite – keep in mind it's a little different than usual
  • Complete & turn in OIM #2 – don't forget that there's a reflection component! (See syllabus for details) 

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
    • Anything to comment on about OIM #2? 
    • Let's check in for a second about your field placements & the field placement assignment
  • Conceptual work
    • Re-capping big ideas thus far...
    • Where we want to go tonight: Curricular planning for social studies. As usual, I'll say it's a little bit different
    • Where our attention has been
      • Geography ed
      • Methods (via JamBoard)
    • What we want to do next: Look at curricular planning, plus get into civics ed
    • Curricular planning: What is expected and what can never be; example of BASD curriculum, other curricular frames
    • Discussion of curriculum map assignment
    • Civics ed
      • Let's jump into things with a quick demo activity, as per usual – this time, an image annotation activity focusing on a very specific event...
      • Discussion of standards: PDe, C3, Center for Civic Ed
      • Another activity: A neighborhood walk about the functions of government, adapted to Google StreetView
      • Circling back to standards....
    • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Maxim, Ch. 9 (civics)
    • Civics standards: PDE & C3 (in CourseSite – see folder of standards)
    • optional: Brophy & Alleman, 2002 (this is a quick intro to their idea of cultural universals; FML has some of the supporting materials for this curriculum approach)
  • Assignments
    • WTL on civic ed – play an iCivics game and report back! ...OR... WTL on geography
    • Think ahead on your curriculum map assignment


Week 06 - Tuesday, 3 Oct

Before class

  • Complete reading
  • Complete WTL on iCivics games
  • Work on curriculum map! It's a big assignment, and it's due soon!

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
    • Field work discussion
    • Curriculum map / instructional planning assignments
  • Conceptual work
    • Step back for a second – what is the purpose of geography? What is the purpose of civics?
    • Question at the heart of civics: What kind of citizen?
    • ...so: Let us all be aware that civics is special
    • (Pause to do a learning-about-government thing – note that this isn't necessarily something that you would do with your students or even teach them; this is more a conceptual thing for us, as adults engaged in social studies: a JamBoard about governmental structures -  https://jamboard.google.com/d/1JfM6Kz7wrrtG5ag1w3CYMR4ydsjDVwbnSTRF0i3rES8/viewer?f=0 )
    • Civics as education for democracy
    • Stepping back to pedagogy / civics ed instructional activities
    • Looking in classrooms for civics instruction
    • Challenges / opportunities of teaching civics 
    • Civics & games (and models and simulations)
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Maxim, Ch. 4-5-6 (at least get it started, can finish later)
    • skim: Westheimer & Kahne, 2004 (what kind of citizen?)
    • optional: Westheimer & Kahne, 2009 (should social studies be patriotic?)
  • Assignments
    • Turn in fieldwork assignment, first steps
    • Work on fieldwork! Don't let it sit!
    • Do WTL on civics standards
    • Move forward on curriculum map assignment

Week 7 - Tuesday, 10 Oct

Before class 

  • Work on reading Maxim chapters – highly worth it but may take you some time
  • Skim / download Westheimer & Kahne articles
  • Do WTL
  • Work on curriculum map
  • Work on fieldwork; turn in update

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
  • Re-setting on big ideas about Civics
    • Digression about the DART mission
  • Methods for teaching civics; games, simulations, and models have a special place...
    • Re-visit looking in a classroom #2 (Jane Elliott)
    • Looking in a classroom #3: Mr. Salvaterra
  • ...and I have taken this special connection to an extreme: perhaps civics & games are mirrors to one another??
    •  Gerrymandering game
    • Playground rule-making
  • "Doing Democracy", Project Citizen (Center for Civic Education) – https://www.civiced.org/project-citizen
  • And a pedagogical thing about civics...but it also applies more broadly: Giving, Prompting, Making
  • And one last digression, about demographic change as a challenge to teaching civics (and other social studies content...)


After class

  • Reading
    • Finish off Maxim, Ch. 4-5-6
    • optional: Hammond & Manfra, 2009
  • Assignment
    • Complete and turn in curriculum map (+ reflection!)

Week 8 - Tuesday, 17 Oct

Before class 

  • Complete and turn in curriculum map assignment – don't forget the reflection!
  • Finish reading

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping – questions / comments about curriculum map? Touching on next upcoming assignment, instructional unit overview
  • Some stage-setting as we sneak up on history ed...
  • ...but not before some last comments about civics ed
  • Getting into history ed
    • First, an experience for us as adult learners: The Story of Aaron
    • History vs. history education – some attempted demonstrations of the differences
    • "History of immigration to America" activity
    • History education...is either pro-democracy or pro-authoritarian?? 
    • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Maxim, ch. 9 (history ed)
    • History standards (see folder in CourseSite)
    • Optional readings
      • 1619 Project,
      • 1776 Project
      • Any of the history ed pieces under this week’s material in CourseSite – lots of great ideas / models for elementary history ed
  • Assignments
    • Starting working on instructional unit overview
    • WTL on citizenship test
    • WTL on instructional objectives

Week 9 - Tuesday, 24 Oct

Before class 

  • WTLs
  • Complete reading
  • Work on instructional unit overview (at least read the specifications in the syllabus, no?)

During class (ppt)

For next week

  • Reading
    • (Finish off anything from last week that you didn't get to. This might be a good time to re-visit the 1619 project.)
    • Optional reading: Schweber, 2008 - “What Happened to Their Pets?”: Third Graders Encounter the Holocaust. One of my favorite pieces of research ever
  • Assignments


Week 10 - Tuesday, 31 Oct

Before class 

  • Complete and turn in instructional unit overview
  • Complete reading
  • Fill out form for microteaching

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
  • Since it's Halloween...let's talk holidays! 
  • Wrapping up history ed
    • Timelining activities 
      • On paper: Text & images
      • On paper: Text & dates ...but try to arrange them spatially
      • Digital: Re-order these slides into the correct sequence; write in your reasoning
    • Re-visiting JamBoard of methods
    • One last Big Idea about history education: Danger of a Single Story
      • Implications for inclusion & pro-democracy history ed?
      • Example of this in a history ed context: Jamestown & its neighboring settlements. What happens when you add/subtract layers? How does it change the story? 
      • Example in a contemporary (and historical!) context: maps of Israel & Palestine / Occupied Territories 
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading: Schur, assessment that emphasizes learning
  • Assignments
    • Prep microteaching
    • Work ahead on remaining assignments 
    • Complete WTL on Veteran's Day / inclusion

Week 11 - Tuesday, 7 Nov - NO CLASS; Lehigh Civic Engagement Day (aka Election Day!) - don't forget to vote!


Week 11 - Tuesday, 14 Nov

Before class 

  • Prep microteaching (if it's your turn)
  • Complete reading

During class (ppt)

  • Housekeeping
  • Microteaching
  • Assessment & social studies...plus something extra: looking at assessing complex thinking skills (for example: systems thinking) using a performance task (such as: pizzeria scenario)
  • Closure

After class

  • Re-read Schurr – what are you picking up differently after our discussion this evening? 
  • Optional reading: Fournier & Wineburg, 1997 (I was drawing on their work for the gender issues discussed tonight)
  • Work on end-of-semester assignments (HTCE interview & report, instructional unit, fieldwork paper)
  • If you're microteaching next week, prep it!
  • If you just finished microteaching: Write up reflection and turn it in (no rush) 
  • Complete WTL on assessment ideas for your unit

Week 13 - Tuesday, 21 Nov

Before class 

  • Complete reading
  • Don't forget to do the WTL in CourseSite!
  • Work on final assignments
  • If you're microteaching, prep! If you already went, work on your reflection!

During class (ppt)

After class

  • Reading
    • Pick one of the two multilingual learner pieces (Cruz & Thornton, 2009 or Zehler, 1994)
    • Look through folder of inclusion materials
  • Assignments
    • Work on end-of-semester assignments! (Fieldwork paper, HTCE interview & report, instructional unit), but nothing is due next week unless...
    • If you're microteaching, prep your lesson!!
    • If you just finished microteaching, write up a reflection and email it to me! Not a rush, just do it in the next week or two
    • Complete WTL on accommodating your diverse learners

Week 14 - Monday, 28 Nov

Before class

  • Work on end-of-semester assignments! 
  • If you're microteaching, prep your lesson!! If you finished, write up your reflection and email it to me!
  • Complete WTL 

During class (ppt)

  • Microteaching! Just one person up tonight; don't forget to look in CourseSite for the feedback form
  • Conceptual work: Economics education ...and integration
  • Closure

After class

  • Reading
    • Skim through Econ standards in CourseSite
    • Read Maxim, Ch. 11 (econ ed)
    • DOWNLOAD the econ ed resources and save them – you’ll need them at some point in your career!
    • READ at least one of the econ ed resources
  • Assignments
    • Work on end-of-semester assignments! (Fieldwork paper, HTCE interview & report, instructional unit), but nothing is due next week unless...
    • If you just finished microteaching, write up a reflection and email it to me! Not a rush, just do it in the next week or two
    • BRING IN SOMETHING FROM YOUR UNIT TO SHOW-AND-TELL NEXT WEEK

Week 15 - Tuesday, 5 Dec

Before class

  • Bring in show-and-tell for your unit!
  • If you haven't already, write up & submit microteaching reflection
  • Complete & turn in end-of-semester assignments
  • Complete reading
  • Download econ ed resources

During class (no ppt)

  • Checking in on end-of-unit assignments
    • Does anyone need some refreshers / reminders on portfolio updating??
  • Show-and-tell time!
  • One last soapbox moment from me: Science and social studies should be friends!
  • Bringing us to closure on our semester
    • (Brief discussion of the importance of ritual / marking transitions)
    • Prompts for us
      • Why become a teacher? 
      • What will help you stay a teacher for all or most of your working career?
    • And a silly ritual that I like to employ at the end of classes 

After class

  • Wrap up final assignments! Get them turned in!


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