EDUC 324 Elementary Social Studies Methods
Dr. DeHart
Date/Topic/Question to Ponder
Tuesday, September 3
Building classroom community
What can students learn about citizenship from
their time in classrooms?
Wednesday, September 4
Beginning the school year and building classroom
community
What is Social Studies? Why is social studies
taught to elementary children?
Tuesday, September 10
Continue to discuss what social studies is and why
it is important for elementary students to learn
social studies
What knowledge, skills, and dispositions does a
“citizen” in a democracy need?
Wednesday, September 11
Social studies textbooks as an instructional
resource
How will you decide what to teach in social
studies?
Tuesday, September 17
Curriculum/lesson planning
How can you stay focused on what is most
important for students to learn in social studies?
Wednesday, September 18
History
What does a person need to know about the past to
be a citizen in a democratic society?
Tuesday, September 24
Behavioral Sciences, Cultural studies
Using multiple resources to teach social studies
What does a citizen need to know, be able to do,
and value to live in a culturally diverse and
interdependent world?
Course Calendar
Reading/Writing Assignment (For class)
No reading assignment
Complete “Me” sheet by next Weds.
Read Chapter 1 in Parker
Bring Parker text to class.
Read Chapters 1 and 2 in Lindquist
Complete graphic organizer for Lindquist, Chapter 2.
Bring Lindquist text to class.
2 strategies for organizing/managing the classroom in Step
Book under Behavioral Sciences
Read Chapter 10 in Parker
Drawing from the reading, write down three reasons to use
a “multimedia” approach to teaching social studies
Complete rough draft of UbD template based on textbook
content and bring to class.
Due: Rough draft of UbD template, Stage 1, based on
textbook content
Read 106 – 125 in Parker
Read Chapters 4 and 5 in Lindquist
Read the History section of the Wisconsin Model Academic
Standards
2 ideas/strategies for teaching history in Step Book
Due: Final draft of UbD template, Stage 1, based on
textbook
Read pp. 140 – 148 in Parker and Chapter 3 in Lindquist
Read the Behavioral Science section of the Wisconsin
Model Academic Standards
2 strategies for teaching culture under Behavioral Sciences
in Step Book
Class Activities (During class)
Introduce Morning Meeting
Discuss citizenship as a focus for social studies
Go over syllabus and UbD approach to thinking/planning
Morning Meeting
Complete Interactive Reading Guide for Parker, Chap. 1.
Read through the Content Standard and the Rationale for
each of the five discipline areas included in the Wisconsin
Model Academic Standards
Morning Meeting
Explore classroom management approaches and their
connection to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for
social studies
Create classroom community contract and assessment plan
Go to the University library IMC to look at social studies
textbooks
Discuss how to develop lessons and units from social
studies textbooks.
Create a rough draft of a UbD template based on textbook
content, focusing primarily on Stage 1
Morning Meeting
Discuss strengths and limitations of social studies
textbooks
Go over rough draft of UbD template
Thinking Like an Historian
Explore strategies for teaching History in elementary
school
Cultural study of Nigeria
Explore strategies for teaching Behavioral Sciences in
elementary school
Wednesday, September 25
Cultural studies
Geography
How does where you live impact how you live?
How can knowledge of geography impact our
decisions as citizens?
Tuesday, October 1
Integrating social studies and language arts.
How can knowledge and skill in reading and
writing enrich learning in social studies?
Read pp. 125 – 132 and 150 - 179 in Parker
Read the Geography section of the Wisconsin Model
Academic Standards
2 ideas/strategies for teaching Geography in Step Book
Wednesday, October 2
Political Science and Citizenship
What does it mean to be a “good” citizen? What
does a citizen in a democracy need to know?
Read Chapter 3 in Parker
Read Chapter 7 in Lindquist
Read Political Science section of the Wisconsin Model
Academic Standards
2 ideas/strategies for teaching political science in Step Book
Read pp. 134 – 140 in Parker
Read Chapter 6 in Parker
Read Economics section in Wisconsin Model Academic
Standards
2 ideas/strategies for teaching economics and 2 for teaching
current events in Step Book
No reading assignment
Bring materials for working on your peer teaching lesson
Tuesday, October 8
Economics
Current Events
How does knowing what is going on in the world
impact our decisions as citizens in a democratic
society?
Wednesday, October 9
Preparation for peer teaching presentations
Tuesday, October 15
Behavioral Sciences and Geography peer teaching
lessons
Wednesday, October 16
History and Political Science peer teaching lessons
Tuesday, October 22
Economics and Current Events peer teaching
lessons
Wednesday, October 23
Reflections on Social Studies
What have you learned about teaching social
studies?
Friday, December 6
Due: Schedule Unit Plan Conference with Dr. DeHart
No reading assignment
Both sections will meet in Dr. DeHart’s classroom from
11:00 – 1:45
2 ideas/strategies for integrating social studies and language
arts in your Step Book- this will be completed in class
No reading assignment
No reading assignment
No reading assignment
Due: Step Book of teaching strategies
Due: Classroom contract assessment for participation
Due: Integrated unit plan should be posted in electronic
portfolio by November 11th.
No assignments due for EDUC 324
Morning Meeting
Continue cultural study of Nigeria
Discuss strengths and limitations of videos and guest
speakers as social studies resources
Explore strategies for teaching Geography in elementary
school
Strategies for integrating social studies and language arts.
Bring your Tompkins textbook to class
Morning Meeting
Explore strategies for teaching Political Science and
Citizenship in elementary school
Explore strategies for teaching Economics and Current
Events in elementary school
Morning Meeting
Curriculum unit groups will meet to work on peer
teaching presentation
Lesson presentations featuring Behavioral Sciences and
Geography
Lesson presentations featuring History and Political
Science
Lesson presentations featuring Economics and Current
Events
Morning Meeting
Sharing Step Book of teaching strategies
Final class wrap-up
Complete course evaluations
Seminar to discuss your practicum experiences