PEDAGOGY AND PRACTICE IN THE TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES

EDUC 50910 CRN 21650 – Fall 2009

Zenon V. Wasyliw                                                                              

Ithaca College Department of History

Muller 427

wasyliw@ithaca.edu  274-1587                                                            

http://faculty.ithaca.edu/wasyliw                                                            

Office Hours: MWF 2:00 – 3:00 other times and TTh by appointment

Course Objectives

This course emphasizes teaching grades 7-12 social studies on the middle and secondary levels with special reference to the New York State Social Studies curriculum and the five Social Studies learning standards. This course examines and applies subject-specific methods and materials, including the assessment of student work, and teaching middle and secondary school students of varying needs, backgrounds, interests and levels of academic preparation. Conceptualizing, organizing, presenting, and evaluating historical and social science content through curriculum development, instructional planning and strategies is particularly important. This course introduces the practical application of history and each social science in relation to specific curricular demands through the framework of learning processes, motivation, communication and classroom management.  Instructional technology, literacy in the social studies, and the action research process are also integrated through a variety of applications. Mastery of both theoretical concepts and their application in the classroom is essential. This class often meets in a public school setting with a significant field experience component

Humanities and Sciences Program Standards

Standard 2: Planning and Instruction/Implementation – plan and implement effective, developmentally appropriate lessons and curricula based upon sound principles of content knowledge and skill development

Standard 6: Assessment – develop and utilize a variety of assessment tools and techniques designed to evaluate student learning and performance, provide feedback, and shape future lesson planning, programs, and curricula

Humanities and Sciences Education Department Mission Statement

Grounded in the rich traditions of the liberal arts and social sciences, and in keeping with the Ithaca College mission statement, the Department of Education prepares students to take responsibility for citizenship and service in the global community. This preparation takes place in several ways. The department seeks to develop future teachers who are not only well-educated in their disciplines, but are also culturally responsive, caring, and knowledgeable in their interactions with students and their families. The department also reaches out to the larger Ithaca College student body through courses and programs designed to equip them with the necessary skills for well-informed, critically reflective, participatory citizenship and services in their neighborhood schools and communities. In addition, faculty and students in the Department of Education value, support, and engage in collaboration, discussion, and dialogue with a variety of local and regional community partners in order to be of assistance in addressing educational issues of concern and importance to them. In these ways, knowledge, competence, and service come together in our students to nurture a lifelong commitment to the democratic quest for excellence and equity in our schools and society.

Course Requirements

1. Students must engage in quality discussions of assigned readings and must complete all written assignments.

2. Attendance is mandatory. There are no un-excused absences. “Students at Ithaca College are expected to attend all classes, and they are responsible for work missed during any absence from class.” Ithaca College Catalog, 2009-2010).

3. Students complete two unit plans, one in United States history and one in global history both directly related to the spring student teaching assignment. The units must include detailed innovative lesson plans infused with instructional technology and incorporate support for adolescent literacy. Select lessons from these units will be taught in a classroom setting with public school students. Mastery learning - students must make qualitative revisions of submitted units for inclusion in the final portfolio.

4. Students meet with and work closely with their assigned cooperating teachers during this semester in preparation for their student teaching during the professional semester. Students observe their cooperating teachers’ classes and co-teach several classes after close consultation.  A descriptive and reflective journal must be kept both chronicling and assessing this collaboration.

5. A comparative critique of the Loewen and D’Souza books.

7. Research/Special Project: All candidates for the Master of Arts in Teaching are required to complete an action research based project that centers on significant pedagogical practices in the content area. This discipline- based project will be developed and researched in this course, implemented during the semester of student teaching, and assessed and critically reviewed in the seminar that accompanies student teaching and as part of the final portfolio.  This will be done in close collaboration with the Pedagogy and Practice across the Disciplines Seminar. Graduate students will also serve as tutors with the Ithaca High School AVID program Advancement via Individual Determination also in collaboration with the Pedagogy and Practice across the Disciplines Seminar.

8. Agency Project - Graduate students will also select, in consultation with the instructor, one of the following social studies related agencies. They will write an evaluation of each agency’s mission and how they directly relate to social studies curriculum in the middle and secondary schools.

Center for Economic Education at Ithaca College

International Education through Cornell University Einaudi Center Global Area Studies Social Studies Outreach Programs, e.g. Institute for European Studies

Engaging Democracy - Citizenship Education

Urban Education – the Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem

Aging Issues in the Social Studies Curriculum – Ithaca College Gerontology Institute

Public and Local History – The History Center of Tompkins County

Media Literacy – Project LookSharp of Ithaca College

Sustainability Initiatives – Ithaca College-Ecovillage partnership

9. Article evaluation – Graduate students will select two articles from the Knowing Teaching and Learning History book for closer evaluation through respective 2-3 page written analytical critiques of each selected article.

10. A minimum of at least one assignment will be submitted using the Live Text assessment system. Live Text will be used in all teacher education courses to assess growth over time in meeting the eight core program standards required in all teacher education programs across campus.

11. Students are expected to become members of a professional Social Studies organization. Possible memberships include - the New York State Council for the Social Studies (NYSCSS), the Middle States Council for the Social Studies, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), and the National Council for History Education (NCHE).

12. Please note Ithaca College policies regarding Standards of Academic Conduct -

http://www.ithaca.edu/attorney/policies/vol7/Volume_7-70104.htm

13. New York State Department of Education Teacher Certification –

http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/part52-21.htm

New York State Education Department. Learning Standards for Social Studies.

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/social.html

14. In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Students must register with the Office of Academic Services and provide appropriate documentation to the College before any academic adjustment will be provided.

15. The syllabus outline and assignments are subject to change.

Grading

Grading for this course (a letter grade, ranging from A through C-and F) will be based on the following:

Two Social Studies unit plans with technology and literacy

infusion - 20% each unit                                                                               40%

Comparative book critique, 5 website evaluations

Cooperating teacher journal                                                                          20%

Agency Project/graduate responsibilities/article evaluation                                20%

Participation and presentations                                                                      20% 

                                                                                                                100%

Books and Materials

D’Souza, Dinesh. What’s So Great about America.

Kottler, Ellen and Nancy P. Gallavan, Secrets to Success for Social Studies Teachers.

Loewen,  James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong.

Stearns, Peter, Peter Seixas and Sam Weinburg, Knowing Teaching and Learning History.

On Reserve

Hilton, Kenneth. Document Based Assessment Activities for US History

National Center for History in the Schools

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs

New York State Social Studies

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/social.html

Noonan, Theresa. Document Based Assessment for Global History

Also refer to: Benjamin, Jules. A Student’s Guide to History

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/history/benjamin

How to Write History Essays

http://legacy.ncsu.edu/classes/hi300001/write.htm

Literacy in Social Studies

http://www.literacymatters.org/content/socialstudies.htm

Course Outline and Assignments

Week   1.   September 2

Introduction to the course.

History and debate over the social studies: "Why Should We Study the Social Studies?"

Student presentation: "Why Do I Want to Teach Social Studies?”

Educ: http://www.ithaca.edu/wise

http://www.eduref.org

http://www.edexcellence.net

Reflections on teacher role models. 

For next week prepare a current events lesson to teach and review next week’s websites         

Week   2.    Sept. 9

Planning in the core subject fields of the social studies: History, Government, Geography and other related academic disciplines and creating communities of learners.     

Kottler and Galavan, Chapter 1.

First student teaching exercise – a current events topic

News: http://www.nytimes.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk   

http://www.pbs.org and other sites

Gov.: http://thomas.loc.gov/

http://civnet.org

History:

http://www.besthistorysites.net

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html 

http://vlib.iue.it/history/index.html

http://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/index.html

http://worldhistoryconnected.org

http://www.rulers.org

http://www.historymatters.gmu.edu

http://womeninworldhistory.com

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/

New York Social Studies Learning Standards.

For discussion – Stearns, et. al. Knowing Teaching and Learning History, Chapters 8, 9, 10.

Week   3.     Sept. 16

An Introduction to the Middle School and Grades 7-8 Social Studies. Content planning in history and the social sciences within the middle school social studies curriculum.

Diversity of historical approaches and an evaluation of social studies websites discussion

Kottler and Gallavan, Chapter 2

NCSS: http://www.socialstudies.org

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/social.html

http://www.nyscss.org

http://www.garlandind.com/nche 

http://www.mscss.net/

http://www.eduref.org

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs    

http://edsitement.neh.gov

http://www.dsharer.org

http://members.aol.com/histxword

An introduction to Middle School social studies – We meet at Boynton Middle School at 3:00!

For discussion – Knowing Teaching and Learning History, Chapters 11 and 18

Week  4.     Sept. 23

A review and evaluation of the New York State Curriculum in United States History and Government

Workshop – the social studies classroom – planning, organization and creativity,  Melissa Seideman, Trumansburg School District

Selection of United States unit topic and format

Discussion Kottler and Gallavan, Chapters 3, 4 and 9

Identifying and developing instructional goals, objectives and assessment strategies for lesson and unit plan development and implementation. 

Discussion – Knowing Teaching and Learning History, Chapter 6

Content and Application Plan on Current Events is due!            

Week   5.    Sept. 30

Workshop - curriculum mapping, literacy, lesson and unit planning, Angela Affronti, Ithaca City School District

Literacy strategies in the social studies. Formal and informal methods of assessing student learning.  

Discussion and application of behavioral objectives and critical thinking development in a social studies/historical context

Develop literacy to build social studies skills

Kottler and Gallavan, Chapter 6

Meeting with Ithaca High School Social Studies Chairperson, Jarett Powers

An introduction to the New York State Regents Examination.

Organizational Development: Connections and Meeting the Standards

http://www.historians.org

http://americanpresidents.org

http://regentsprep.org

We meet at Ithaca High School at 3:00!

Week   6.     Oct. 7

Student teaching exercise in US History and discussion of units.

The United States History Unit Plan is due this week!

Creating a history timeline

http://www.nationalarchives.com

Subscribe to the H-Net Listserve edited for Social Studies Teacher Education Professionals:

http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~highs/                            

Discussion – Knowing Teaching and Learning History, Chapter 15

Week   7.     Oct. 14 Field Experience at the Frederick Douglas Academy in Harlem

Week   8.     Oct. 21

Literacy – http://www.literacymatters.org/content/socialstudies.htm

Applied literacy strategies in the social studies classroom

Literacy and writing in the social studies curriculum; lesson adaptations for struggling readers and writers

Motivating student learning and literacy through clear, interactive and innovative social studies lessons and activities.

Discussion of Kottler and Gallavan, Chapters 5, 6, 7

Curriculum development in Global History. A review of themes and sources.

New York Social Studies Curriculum in Global History.

Creating a Global History narrative

Selection of Global History topic

Discussion – Knowing Teaching and Learning History, Chapters 7, 20, 21

Week   9.     Oct. 28

Schools in rural communities. Planning, assessment and collaboration between faculty, administrators and community.

We meet at Candor High School at 3:00 with Principal Ryan Dougherty

Week   10. Nov. 4

Alternative Education Models and Media Impact on Student Learning of Social Studies.

Lesson planning and alternative assessments an introduction to Media Literacy, Project LookSharp: interpreting varied media in the 7-12 social studies classroom, Chris Sperry

Progress reports on the Global History Unit.

Integrating technology to enrich learning

Kottler and Gallavan, Chapter 10

Meet at the Alternative Community School

Week   11.   Nov. 11

Global History unit plan is due!

Discussion and evaluation of the second Unit Plan in Global History and the New York State

Standards: Themes and Resources. 

An integrated and comparative world historical approach.

Powerful activities to engage learners

Kottler and Gallavan, Chapter 11

Journal Reports on meetings with cooperating ceachers

Global:

http://www.plattsburgh.edu/legacy

http://www.globalisation101.org

http://www.un.org

http://www.nationalgeographic.com

http://memory.loc.gov

The Global History unit plan is Due! Student Teaching Exercise in Global History

Week   12.  Nov. 18

Student centered learning in planning and assessment

Workshop, Josh Borthwick, Ithaca High School

Curriculum Development in Economics Learning Standards. Center for Economic Education at Ithaca College.

Aging studies in the social studies: Intergenerational Collaboration and Older Adults as Sources of History.

Public and Local History – The History Center of Tompkins County

http://www.ithaca.edu/stcee

http://www.ithaca.edu/aging/schools

http://www.thehistorycenter.net

We meet at Ithaca High School                   

For discussion – Knowing Teaching and Learning History, Chapter 14

THANKSGIVING BREAK – NOV 25

Finish reading and begin writing a comparative critique of the Loewen and D’Souza books

Week   13.   Dec. 2  

Competing World Views in the Social Studies Classroom – A Discussion of the Loewen and D’Souza books. The Comparative Book Critique is due!

Instructional Assessment Strategies in the Social Studies: Essays, Objective Question and the N.Y. State Regents Examinations.

Document Based Assessment Activities for US History

Document Based Assessment for Global History

Regents Exam Prep Center: http://regentsprep.org

For discussion – Knowing Teaching and Learning History, Chapters 9 and 22

Week   14.    Dec. 9

Workshop - the first years of teaching and the tenure process, Julie Hempson, Lansing High School

Collaborate with colleagues and reflect on your practices to prepare for the future

Kottler and Gallavan, Chapters 8 and 12

The Social Studies Teaching Profession: Past, Present and Future.    

Complete discussion of the Loewen and D’Souza books and an evaluation of the Stearns book Chapters 1-5. 

Final Revisions of Unit Plans are due!  

Week   15.    

EXAMINATION WEEK

Teaching lessons with your cooperating social studies teachers.

The Final Portfolio is due December 18!