6) Social Studies teachers should possess the knowledge, capabilities, and dispositions to organize and provide
instruction at the appropriate school level for the study of Power, Authority and Governance.
Describe and provide examples of how you have planned, organized and evaluated learning experiences for the
study of Power, Authority and Governance. Critically evaluate the extent to which you feel you were successful in
addressing Power Authority and Governance as a social studies teacher. How will you continue to incorporate this
theme within your teaching?
French Revolution
Latin American Revolution
Enlightenment Philosopher’s Lesson
Natural Rights and etc. Limit the Power of the Monarchy
Final Exam Question 6 Response
The theme of Power, Authority, and Governance is illustrated in many
lessons that I have created during both my early field experience and my student
teaching. Power, Authority, and Governance can be illustrated in lessons during
my early field experience on the French Revolution, Latin American Revolutions,
and the lesson on Enlightenment Philosopher’s. In my student teaching I have
created a lesson based on the United States becoming a world power or superpower
after World War II a lesson that takes place during the Cold War on how the
United States intervenes militarily around the globe.
During my early field internship the first lesson that I created that directly
links to Power, Authority, and Governance is the lesson on the French Revolution
where I talk about the proletariat and the bourgeoisie and how French citizens were
tired of the extravagant expenditures made by the monarchy and how they wanted
to place limits on monarchy. The second lesson that relates to the French
Revolution is the lesson on Latin American Revolutions and the American
Revolution. These two lessons also reflected the notion of Power, Authority, and
Governance. In these lessons I had students pick out the important historical
figures and explain to me what they believed in regarding Power, Authority, and
Governance. I had students tell me who the revolutionary was, who they fought
for, and why they were considered revolutionary. I also had primary source quotes
from Simon Bolivar and Father Hidalgo and various other Latin American and
American Revolutionaries. I then had students analyze and evaluate the quotes and
tell me who said what, why, and in what context. I also created a lesson on
Enlightenment Philosopher’s where I had students compare and contrast their
philosophical ideas on Power, Authority, and Governance. I also had students
analyze primary source excerpts from the Enlightenment philosophers so that they
could explain to me who, what, when, where, and why the Enlightenment
philosophers wrote the quote.
During my student teaching I created a lesson plan on the United States
becoming a world power or superpower after World War II in relation to military
interventions to stop the spread of Communism during the Cold War. I talked in
depth about the transformation and change of the United States from being a
country that was isolated from direct conflicts and then becoming involved in
major conflicts. I also talked about the idea that the United States primary purpose
of being a superpower is to protect and spread democracy in other countries while
the Soviet Union wanted to protect and spread communism to other countries. I
had students during the lesson label on a map the locations where the US tried to
intervene or prevent the spread of communism. I also had them label a map of the
world and I had them label the countries either communist or democratic.
All of these lessons I started out when planning them with a big question or
objective I wanted students to understand. With this theme I aimed for students to
understand the intricate relationship between a government and its people, a
government of country with other countries, and etc. When I organize a lesson
especially a lesson that deals with more than one country I like to include a map or
some sort of visualization so that students can see the overall impact that the one
country has had around the world. I also like to include as many primary sources as
possible especially when an individual writes something about Power, Authority,
or Governance like in the case of the Enlightenment philosophers.
All of these lessons turned out fairly well. Especially the lesson on the
Enlightenment philosophers and the Cold War ideologies. Students really liked the
idea of being able to connect a philosopher with their ideas and works. Students in
during the Cold War ideologies lesson liked the fact that they could visually see
the impact or influence that the Soviet Union and the US had on various countries
at the beginning of the Cold War. Students also found the idea that the US has
intervened in other countries since World War II to protect and promote
democracy to be interesting they liked the accompanying map that showed the
locations of various countries that the US intervened in during the Cold War.
The theme Power, Governance, and Authority can be illustrated in future
lessons by using various social study skill building strategies such as mapping,
interpreting primary sources, and etc.