Social Studies
and
Reading in the Common Core
Presenters:
Beth Roberts, Jen Minnis,
Jennifer Reeder, and Stephanie Ladd
Agenda
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Overview of the Common Core
Triangle Factory Fire “history lab”
Decades project-Culminating assessment
Q&A
Resources
Goals
• Gain an understanding of the Common Core
and how it will impact social studies learning
and teaching
• Take away a practical lesson example to use in
implementing Common Core practices in your
classroom
• Begin developing a list of resources to utilize
in your own classroom
Common Core State Standards
• Define the knowledge
and skills students
need for college and
career
• Developed voluntarily
and cooperatively by
states; more than 40
states have adopted
• Provide clear,
consistent standards in
English Language
Arts/Literacy and
Mathematics
Source: www.corestandards.org
The Common Core will…
• replace the Show-Me Standards
• eventually transition to from the EOC testing
model to Next Generation Assessments
• initially assess students English/Language Arts
and Mathematics
4 pillars of the Common Core
• Reading: Text complexity and the growth of
comprehension
• Writing: Text types, responding to reading, and
research
• Speaking and Listening: Flexible communication and
collaboration
• Language: Conventions, effective use, and vocabulary
Next Generation Assessments
• More rigorous tests measuring student progress toward
“college and career readiness”
• Have common, comparable scores across member states,
and across consortia
• Provide achievement and growth information to help make
better educational decisions and professional development
opportunities
• Assess all students, except those with “significant cognitive
disabilities”
• Administer online, with timely results
• Use multiple measures
Source: Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 68 / Friday, April 9, 2010 pp. 18171-85
Myth v. Fact
• Myth: Adopting
common standards will
bring all states’
standards down to the
lowest common
denominator
• Fact: The Standards are
designed upon the most
advanced current
thinking about
preparing all students
for college and careers.
This will result in even
the best state standards
moving to the next
level.
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts
Myth v. Fact
• Myth: The Standards
only include skills and
do not address
importance of content
knowledge.
• Fact: The Standards
recognize that both
content and skills are
important
• Examples: classic myths
and stories, America’s
Founding Documents,
foundational American
literature, and
Shakespeare
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts
Myth v. Fact
• The Standards are just
vague descriptions of
skills; they don’t include
a reading list or any
other similar reference
to content
• The Standards do
include sample texts
that demonstrate the
level of text complexity
appropriate for the
grade level. The
examples are high
quality texts at each
grade level.
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts
Myth v. Fact
• Myth: English teachers
will be asked to teach
science and social
studies reading
material.
• Fact: Teachers in
science and social
studies will focus on
reading and writing to
build knowledge within
their subjects.
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts
How can Social Studies teachers
support the Common Core?
• become knowledgeable about the college and
career readiness standards and expectations
in the Common Core
• implement learning and teaching strategies to
support the Common Core goals
• design lessons centered around the 10 ELA
Standards which relate specifically to
History/Social Studies.
Reading Standards Handout
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
Reading Standards Handout (con’t)
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
U.S. Entry into WWI
Essential question:
Why did the United States
enter World War I after it had
previously proclaimed
neutrality?
Causes of WWI
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Militarism
Alliance system
Imperialism
Nationalism
Causes video segment (8:45)
Alliances
Allied Powers (Triple Entente)
• France
• Russia
• Great Britain
• Italy (1915)
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Central Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
Early years of the war
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Trench warfare
Stalemate
Mass death
Destruction
New weapons/technology
Historic ties to British and French
U.S. neutrality
Essential Question
• Why did the United States enter World War I
after it had previously proclaimed neutrality?
Woodrow Wilson
• Election of 1912-won less than 50% of the
popular vote because of Republican split
• Wilson, a Democrat from NJ won traditional
southern Democratic votes as well as
Progressives for opposition to political machines
• Progressive reforms as President: Child Labor
Act, Clayton Antitrust Act, Federal Trade
Commission
• Supported segregation, screening of “Birth of a
Nation at the White House”
Sources to consider
• Secondary source-Your textbook pages 377-380.
For homework, you finished the graphic organizer
filling in details about the events leading to WWI.
• Primary sources-With a partner, you will read
excerpts from two speeches from President
Wilson. One delivered to Congress August 19,
1914 and the other Wilson’s war address from
April 2, 1917.
• Secondary source-An excerpted article from
Howard Zinn a social historian.
Work to do
• With your partner, decide who will read each
of the two speeches.
• Answer question #1 or #2 based on the
speech you read.
• Share your opinion/summary of your speech
with your partner.
• Together, answer #3 and #4 on Wilson’s
speeches.
Next…
• With your partner, using the graphic organizer
filled in using your textbook, answer guiding
question #1 and #2.
• On your own, read the Howard Zinn article.
Be sure to read and consider question #1 prior
to reading the article. Answer the remaining
questions when you finish the article.
• Discuss your reading with your group of four.
Essential Question
Why did the United States enter WWI?
With your group of four, formulate a position
statement with 3-5 pieces of evidence.
Consider the following evidence:
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Your textbook
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Howard Zinn’s article
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Wilson’s speeches
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Prior knowledge you may have of WWI
Homework
Write an op-ed piece for the Kansas City Star to
run on April 6th, 2017, the 100th anniversary of
US entry into WWI. You should answer the
essential question of “Why did the United
States enter World War I after it had
previously proclaimed neutrality?”in your
editorial. Be sure to include specific evidence
you can cite from the sources you read during
this investigation.
Culminating Project -- Decades
For the culminating project in US History, students will
look at the decades of the 20th Century. Working in
teams or as an individual, students will research
information on one decade of the 20th Century. From
their research, the teams will create a web site or
PowerPoint about that decade. Your project must
satisfy the criteria listed below. Teams/Individuals must
also create a Bibliography page citing the resources
(both printed and digital) that are used to create your
finished project. Students will have the opportunity to
present to community members and/or a Middle
School History Club.
Q&A
Helpful resources
• http://www.corestandards.org/assets
/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
• http://www.corestandards.org/
• http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh Reading
like an Historian, Historical Thinking
Matters
• http://edsitement.neh.gov/
• http://www.gilderlehrman.org/
• http://teachingamericanhistory.org/
• "Why Won't You Just Tell Us the
Answer?": Teaching Historical
Thinking in Grades 7-12