EDN 334 Elementary Social Studies Curriculum & Instruction (K-6) Section 003
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Watson School of Education
Instructor: Dr. Carol McNulty
Phone: 962-7759
Email: Mcnultycp@uncw.edu
Office: 218
Office Hours: Monday 10 am-12 pm
Tuesday/ Thursday 10 am-12:30 pm and 1:30 pm-3:00 pm
Many other times available by appointment
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, you must notify Disability Services
(Westside Hall, 962-7555), provide the necessary documentation of the disability and arrange for
appropriate authorized accommodations. Once these accommodations are approved, please identify
yourself to me in order that we can implement these accommodations.
Conceptual Framework
The Watson School of Education develops highly competent professionals to serve in educational
leadership roles. WSE strives to education quality teachers who are proficient as decision-makers and
reflective practitioners. EDN 334 supports this framework through discussions, class activities,
readings, field experiences, projects, and evaluations. All projects require students to take an active
role in data driven decision-making. For example, students develop and execute lessons that require
them to consult a variety of resources and make evaluative decisions in order to incorporate the most
effective strategies and practice. An integral part of this experience is the analysis and reflection on
the outcome. Additional focus is on commitment to ethical and practical standards, knowledge of
academic content and pedagogy, technology competence, use of appropriate communication strategies,
and the ability to meet the needs of diverse learners.
NCATE Standards Addressed
Standard 2.1: Central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of content- Candidates know,
understand, and use the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of content for students
across the K-6 grades and can create meaningful learning experiences that develop students’
competence in subject matter and skills for various developmental levels.
Standard 2.5: Social Studies- Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts and modes of
inquiry from the social studies- the integrated study of history, geography, the social sciences, and
other related areas- to promote elementary students’ abilities to make informed decisions as citizens
of a culturally diverse democratic society and interdependent world.
Standard 2.7: Connections across the curriculum- Candidates know, understand, and use the
connections among concepts, procedures, and applications from content areas to motivate elementary
students, build understanding, and encourage the application of knowledge, skills, and ideas to real
world issues.
Standard 3.2: Adaptation to diverse students- Candidates understand how elementary students differ
in their development and approaches to learning, and create instructional opportunities that are
adapted to diverse students.
Standard 3.3: Development of critical thinking, problem solving, performance skills- Candidates
understand and use a variety of teaching strategies that encourage elementary students’ development
of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
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Standard 3.4: Active engagement in learning- Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of
individual and group motivation and behavior among students at the K-6 level to foster active
engagement in learning, self-motivation, and positive social interaction and to create supportive
learning environments.
Standard 4:Assessment for instruction- Candidates know, understand, and use formal and informal
assessment strategies to plan, evaluate, and strengthen instruction that will promote continuous
intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of each elementary student.
Standard 5.2: Reflection and evaluation- Candidates are aware of and reflect on their practice in light
of research on teaching and resources available for professional learning; they continually evaluate the
effects of their professional decisions and actions on students, parents, and other professionals in
the learning community and actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
Standard 5.4: Collaboration with colleagues and the community- Candidates foster relationships with
school colleagues and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well-being.
Course Description and Purpose
Prerequisites: EDN 301 and 6 hours of Social Studies content. An overview of goals of social studies
education and how this affects various patterns of organizing curricular content. The implications of
learner developmental characteristics for selecting approaches to instruction from as well as the
social and behavioral sciences will be explored. Emphasis on selection and preparation of appropriate
materials including the strategies of inquiry, critical thinking, mapping and graphing, simulation and
problem solution. Field experiences required.
The purpose of this course is to develop an awareness of the nature and purpose for social studies
education in the elementary school. Social Studies, as it is conceived in the United States, is the study
of human behavior; past, present, and in some instances, future. The social science disciplines and
humanities contribute to our knowledge of human behavior politically, environmentally, historically, and
in a multitude of interactions. By providing students with tools that can help them interpret their
behavior and the behavior of others, we will move toward making social studies something one does and
uses; not merely something one knows. Methods for Social Studies is designed to provide a bridge
between students’ academic work in history, geography, economics, government, sociology, and in high
school and college and the demands they will face as a classroom teacher. The focus of the course is
instructional design and delivery. The field experience provides the opportunity for applying the
material presented. As new teachers, students will have to decide which content elements to
emphasize, how to organize lessons, which instructional techniques to use, and when and how to
evaluate. This course is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the tools of the
social studies professional as well as to introduce practical techniques for selecting materials and
strategies specific to desired learnings. (Department of Elementary, Middle Level, and Literacy
Education)
Course Objectives
This course will introduce participants to a variety of methods and strategies for teaching social
studies as well as opportunities to reflect in order to become effective decision makers selecting and
implementing appropriate materials and methods through evaluation and reflection. Participants will
also explore national standards and NC objectives for elementary social studies. The following course
objectives will challenge participants to become problem solvers analyzing their practices. Through
class discussions, projects, readings, and field experiences, participants will
1. Locate and evaluate major resources for social studies education and describe trends in
the field relevant to teaching in our changing information age society.
2. Describe and demonstrate logical ways of sequencing social studies strategies to promote
productive learning.
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3.
Develop lessons, individualize materials, identify appropriate assessment strategies, and
plan unit of study using the formats provided.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of basic instructional design and delivery in teaching settings.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the content of the social studies disciplines.
6. Plan strategies to differentiate instruction to accommodate the diversity of students
and learning needs found in elementary classrooms.
7. Use technology as a tool for instruction, using the Internet as a resource and as a tool
for communication.
a. Use web search engines and specific web addresses or bookmarks to find
resources for instruction (e.g., NC Standard Course of Study for specific
content area and grade level, NC Computer Skills for a specific grade, or
professors’ web sites).
b. Create a list of useful Internet addresses (URLs). Students will use the Internet
to acquire resources for use in unit plans and lesson plans.
c. Incorporate materials selected from web sites in the course, unit, and lesson
designs.
d. Familiarize students with key social studies specific websites and software
programs for strategies and content.
e. Discuss in class the social, cultural, ethical, and legal issues involved in using
various types of technology and other resources and incorporate into planning to
promote productive learning.
f. Guide student use of software.
g. Use Task Stream software to design/create lesson plans.
8. Become familiar with the national content standards in history, geography, civics, and
economics and use these standards in lesson development.
9. Become familiar with the elementary social studies objectives in the North Carolina
Standard Course of Study and use these objectives in lesson development.
10. Connect and integrate social studies with the broad curriculum.
Resources
 Chapin, J. R., & Messick, R. G. (2006). Elementary Social Studies (6th ed.). New York:
Longman.
 Copy of or access to the North Carolina State Standards (K-6).
 Taskstream account
 Additional readings may be required, but you will be given plenty of notice to acquire
these materials.
Course Requirements
 Please note that late assignments will NOT be accepted without prior approval from
instructor and may result in 0 points for that assignment. All assignments are due at
the beginning of class.
 In the event that the instructor asks you to submit a revision for an assignment,
please note that all revisions will receive reduced point values to be fair to other
class members. Revisions must be submitted one week after they are assigned.
 Please type your assignments and save them digitally, as I may ask for you to
provide additional copies for various reasons (data collection, use as examples, etc.).
It is YOUR responsibility to make sure this backup is available.
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Please check your UNCW email account frequently. Periodically I will send
information via email for which you are responsible.
 Please make sure to STAPLE all papers. Paper-clipped or folded papers will NOT be
accepted as they tend to get shuffled easily. Make sure your name appears on every
page.
 Attach the rubric for the assignment. Additionally, please read and understand the
UNCW Student Conduct Code.
 Email etiquette: Please note that ALL written communications will adhere to
professional standards. Consider this practice for communicating with the parents
of your students and administrators of your school.
Grading
Course Requirement
Points
Points Received
Possible
Lesson Plan Write Up
100
Field Experience Notebook
200
1- Log of dates and time spent in school
2- List of relevant resources available in school
3- Observations of lessons in field (3)
4- Reflections of lessons taught
5- Summary of what you learned
Chapter “take-aways”
40
Cultural Learning Experience and Write-Up
50
Midterm Examination
50
Final Examination
60
Total
500
Pts. Received = %= Final Grade
500

Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
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Equivalent Percentage
94- 100%
90-93
87-89
84-86
80-83
77-79
74-76
70-73
60-69
59 and below
4
Course Requirement Description
Attendance and Participation
Your promptness and active participation is expected at every class. Students can miss one
class session without penalty. (This is a “freebe” save it for an emergency.) Additional
missed class sessions (regardless of the reason/excuse) will result in the loss of 15 points
per class from the total points earned for the semester.
Chapter “Take-aways” (40 points)
During the semester you will be asked to respond to the readings and class discussions by
submitting the five most important things you learned, or will “take-away,” from each
chapter. Give a brief overview of the concepts. Each “take-away” is worth one point.
Maximum page length: 1 page per chapter
Cultural Learning Experience (50 points)
The cultural learning experience will give you an opportunity to briefly explore another
culture and your own ideas about your ethnicity, gender, race, or socio-economic status.
During this experience, you will visit a place that you would not normally go- a place in which
your ethnicity, gender, race, or socio-economic standing is not readily represented. This
experience should take you out of your comfort zone! You may consider going to a grocery
store with a recipe, a friend’s home, a worship service, etc. After the experience, you will
complete a short write-up of your impressions and reflections. You will write about an
experience during this semester, even if you have found yourself in similar situations in the
past. Please note that you need to plan ahead in order to find a suitable destination—don’t
wait until the last minute to plan your outing! Maximum page length: 3 pages
Integrated Lesson Plan (100 points)
As a way to demonstrate your effectiveness in developing social studies lessons, you will
develop an integrated instructional plan and submit it for my review via taskstream. It will
follow the 6-point lesson plan and will be graded by a rubric.
Field Experience Notebook (200 points)
The field experience notebook consists of 5 parts:
1- Log of dates and time spent in school
2- List of relevant resources available in school
3- Observations of lessons in field (3)
4- Reflections of lessons taught
5- Summary of what you learned
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Midterm Examination (50 points)
At the midpoint in the semester, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate what you
have learned! The midterm will consist of multiple choice, matching, true/false, and short
answer questions.
Final Examination (60 points)
At the end of the semester, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate all that you have
learned! You will take a final exam that synthesizes all of the information from the course.
The final will emphasize the last half of the semester, but will also include material from
the first half.
Tentative Schedule
Please read BEFORE coming to class so that you will be prepared for the discussion.
Date
Th., Aug. 24
Tues., Aug. 29
Th., Aug. 31
Tues., Sept. 5
Th., Sept. 7
Tues., Sept. 12
Concepts Addressed
Meet and Greet- Mapping Activity
Review class syllabus
Introduction, Overview
What is Social Studies? Our memories of Social Studies
What do you already know about planning for SS instruction?
Standard-Driven Planning and Integrative Instruction
Example of integrating the Social Studies with other content
areas. Why use an integrative approach?
Activity- “Whole world in my hands”
Long term and short term planning-Units and lesson plans
Thematic webbing as a way to brainstorm
Instructional Strategies in Social Studies Education
Active, Discovery, Cooperative/ Collaborative, Inquiry learning
Role playing/Simulations
Children as researchers
Planning Integrated Lessons
Brainstorming ideas- thematic webs
Relating Social Studies to the larger curriculum
Components of an effective lesson plan – the 6 point lesson
Sample of a lesson plan
Continue with lesson planning
Observe integrated lesson - “The Homestead Act”
Lesson plan associated with “The Homestead Act”
(Covers standards in social studies, language arts, mathematics)
Assessment of Student Learning
Assessing standards
Alternative/ Performance-based assessment
Ways to assess student learning
How do I know students are learning? Evidence?
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Assignments Due
Read Ch. 2
Due: 5 “take-aways” from
chapter
Read Ch. 3
Due: 5 “take-aways” from
chapter
Th., Sept. 14
Tues., Sept. 19
Th., Sept. 21
Tues., Sept. 26
Th., Sept. 28
Tues., Oct. 3
Thurs., Oct. 5
Tues., Oct. 10
Th., Oct. 12
Tues., Oct. 17
Th., Oct. 19
Tues., Oct. 24
Analyzing Student Data
Collecting and aggregating student data to direct teaching
How to read student data
Practice tests and small group analysis
Contrasting Social Studies in Younger vs. Older Elementary Grades
Curriculum integration
Discussion of centers- what makes a center effective?
Controversial issues
Visit to the Curriculum Materials Center (Ms. Batten)
Determining available resources for lessons through the
Watson School of Education
Secure possible topics for lesson plan
Diversity/ Multiculturalism
Issues and self-reflections
Dr. McNulty’s teaching experiences and subsequent research
Terminology
White privilege
Are we or aren’t we diverse??
Stereotypes and bias
Activity- are we on a “level playing field”?
Diversity/Multiculturalism
Oprah videos and reactions
Complete a quick write on reflections
Diversity
Sharing of cultural learning experiences
Midterm Exam
Fall Break
Making History Come Alive!
Oral Histories
“Andy Griffith Show” clips to teach social studies
Conducting surveys and interviews
Timelines
Community resources
“Re-creatable” histories and “living” histories
Primary Sources
Primary vs. secondary sources
Objects, images, audio, statistics, text, community
Activity- Photo analysis guide and document analysis guide
Citizenship education and democratic values
Defining citizenship and activism in class, school, community
Democratic issues, Global citizenship
Activities- “Inside the Voting Booth”/ ”The Democracy Project”
Political Science and Current Events
Using student interests/What news is important news?
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Due before end of class:
5 “take-aways” of how you
might use the resources
discussed tonight
Read Ch. 8
Due: 5 “take-aways” from
chapter
Due: Cultural learning
experience paper
Read Ch. 5
Due: 5 “take-aways” from
chapter
Read Ch. 7
Due: 5 “take-aways” from
chapter
Th., Nov. 16
Facts vs. opinions
Activity- The Mock-Trail of Goldilocks
Lesson Plan Workshop
Bring your first draft of your lesson plan for your peers and me
to review if needed. We will work collaboratively to offer
suggestions, and provide feedback on what you’ve done.
Lesson Plan Workshop- Meet in Computer Lab
Continue working on integrated lesson plan
Geography and Map Skills
The 5 themes of geography
Mental maps
Reading and drawing maps
Activities- Geography posters, rainforest activity, edible maps
Economics
Important terminology
Issues of scarcity, means of production
Activity- Production in assembly lines vs. “cottage industries”
Linking Social Studies and Literacy
Literacy as fundamental
Integrated approaches
Multicultural literature considerations
Selected book examinations
Social Studies and the Arts
Research supporting arts
Use of art, music, theater to teach SS
Lesson sharing of integrated Social Studies strategies
Tu., Nov. 21
Lesson sharing of integrated Social Studies strategies
Th., Nov. 23
Thanksgiving Break
Tues., Nov. 28
North Carolina Geographic Alliance
Resources you will want to know about as interns and as
practicing teachers
Field Experience Reflections
Th., Oct. 26
Tu., Oct. 31
Th., Nov. 2
Tues., Nov. 7
Th., Nov. 9
Tues., Nov. 14
Th., Nov. 30
Tues., Dec. 5
Tuesday, Dec. 12
3:00-6:00 pm
Course review – Game to review content
Course and instructor evaluations
Final exam
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Bring 1st draft of lesson
plan.
Read Ch. 6
Due: 5 “take-aways” from
chapter
Integrated Lesson Plans
Due on Taskstream by
3:30 pm
Read Ch. 9
Due: 5 “take-aways” from
chapter
Due: Field Experience
Notebooks