Fall 2009
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
EDML 563: Methods and Materials for Teaching
Social Studies in the Middle School
Wardlaw 110
I. Descriptive Information
A. Course Number and Title: EDML 563: Methods and Materials for Teaching
Social Studies in the Middle School
B. Catalog Description: A study of goals, content, methods, and materials of instruction
in middle school social studies.
C. Course Credit: Three (3) credit hours.
D. Prerequisites: None
E. Intended Audience: Undergraduate and graduate students preparing to teach social
studies in grades 5 - 8.
F. Instructor:
Dr. David C. Virtue
Office:
228 Wardlaw
Telephone:
777-6234
E-mail
virtue@mailbox.sc.edu
Office hours:
By appointment
Tu., Th., 2:00 - 4:30 PM
II. Statement of Course Goals
EDML 563 is a study of the goals, content, methods, and materials of instruction in
middle school social studies. The overarching goal of the course is to prepare candidates
to practice effective social studies instruction, as defined below by the South Carolina
State Department of Education Social Studies Standards.
Social studies instruction is effective when it is meaningful, integrative, active,
and challenging, when it promotes understanding of diversity, and when it uses
local community resources and technology effectively.
III. Statement of Course Objectives
A. EDML 563 candidates will demonstrate their ability to provide instruction at the
middle school level in accordance with national and state curricular standards. They
will use central concepts and tools of inquiry from the social science disciplines as
they develop learning experiences and assessment instruments.
1
B. EDML 563 candidates will develop and use a repertoire of teaching/learning
strategies that are appropriate for young adolescent learners.
Lessons should be developed and used in which middle school students:
- gather data from a variety of sources
- categorize or classify
- interpret and analyze for example primary resources
- establish cause/effect relationships
- determine the validity of information and arguments
- evaluate and present information in well reasoned ways that support better
decision-making for both individuals and society
Students should be able to develop
- diagrams, charts, and tables
- graphs, timelines, pictures, and maps
- a story, narrative, or essay that shows patterns or synthesizes information they
have learned.
C. EDML 563 candidates will make connections between practice and theory as they
reflect on the effectiveness of selected lessons that they and others have taught.
IV. Required Textbooks and Articles
Barton, K. C., & Levstik, L. S. (2005). Doing history (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ : Laurence
Erlbaum.
Powell, S. D. (2005). Introduction to middle school. Pearson.
South Carolina Social Studies Standards
Other readings available on Blackboard or distributed in class.
V. Course Requirements
A. Professionalism and participation (in class and online) (20% UG, 10% G)
B. Midterm exam (20% UG)
C. Meta-teaching/lesson plans (4) (20% UG)
D. Videotape lesson case study (20% UG, G)
E. Final exam (20% UG, G)
F. Research paper (Graduate students) (20% G)
Note: Graduate students (G) are evaluated differently than undergraduate
students (UG).
University policies regarding academic responsibility WILL BE STRICTLY
ENFORCED!
2
VI. Course Evaluation
Final grades will be assigned based on the following scale:
A
B+
B
C+
= 93 – 100%
= 88 – 92%
= 83 – 87%
= 78 – 82%
C = 73 – 77%
D+ = 68 – 72%
D = 63 – 67%
F = < 62%
Five percentage points will be subtracted for each absence after more than one absence
from class. Attendance, participation, and professionalism are very important in this
course!
Date
8/25
Topic(s)
Course Overview
9/1
Social studies: What and why?
 defining “social studies”
9/8
Teaching and Learning Social Studies
 critical thinking
 constructivism
 disciplined inquiry
9/15
9/22
9/29
10/6
10/13
What “Good” Looks Like (And Why)
 building community
 contextual teaching and learning
Asking Historical Questions
Motivation and Management
Technology and Time ManagementMeet at Kelly Mill Middle School
 Webquests
Standards
VII. Tentative Course Outline
The following is a list of topics and readings for the semester. Class will meet on
Wednesdays from 4:30 – 7:15 in W110, unless otherwise announced. Check Blackboard
daily for changes to the schedule and announcements.
Readings
6-1
6-2
LE
6-3
Course syllabus
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Barton & Levstik, Preface, chapter 1
Parker (2005) (on Blackboard – 4 mb)
NCSS Position Statement (URL on Blackboard)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 2
Duplass & Ziedler (2002) (on Blackboard – 2.8
mb)
Gibson & McKay (2001) (link on Blackboard)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 3
Foster & Field (2004) (on Blackboard – 283 kb)
White, O’Brien, Smith, Mortensen, Hileman
(2006) (on Blackboard – 1.6 mb)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 4
Metzger (2000) (on Blackboark – 233 kb)
Van Sickle (1996) (on Blackboard – 1 mb)
Kennedy (2004) (on Blackboard – 2.58 mb)
Milson (2001) (on Blackboard – 79.7 kb)
Rose (2002) (on Blackboard – 1.66 mb)
Van Fossen (2004) (on Blackboard – 3.66 mb)
6-4
6-5
6-6
GL
7-1
7-2
Family Histories
Planning Instruction and Assessment
 formative assessment
1. Barton & Levstik, chapter 5
2. Garrison (2006) (on Blackboard – 2.57 mb)
 rubrics
 Lesson Plan #2 due
Midterm Review
Midterm Exam
7-3
7-4
3
10/20
World History & Global Connections
10/27
Historical Research
 formative assessment
 rubrics
Reading & Writing in Social Studies
11/3
11/10
Inquiry in Social Studies
Reading & Writing in Social Studies
Narrative History
Discussion & Debate
Issues-centered Social Studies
 Lesson Plan #3 due
1.
2.
Barton & Levstik, chapter 6 (req.)
Gross (1996) (on Blackboard – 180 kb) (rec.)
1.
2.
Barton & Levstik chapter 7 (req.)
Sandmann & Ahern (2002) (on Blackboard – 1.1
mb) (rec.)
Virtue & Vogler (2009) (on Blackboard – 494.4
kb) (rec.)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 8 (recq.)
McCoy (2003) (on Blackboard – 2.27 mb) (rec.)
Ricklin (2006) (on Blackboard – 1.58 mb) (rec.)
Vardell (2003) (on Blackboard – 1.05 mb) (rec.)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 9 (req.)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 10 (req.)
Engle (1996) (on Blackboard – 196 kb) (rec.)
Harris (1996) (on Blackboard – 1.08 mb) (rec.)
Passe & Evans (1996) (on Blackboard – 415 kb)
(rec.)
Totten & Pedersen (1996) (on Blackboard – 561
kb) (rec.)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 11 (req.)
Hoge & Foster (2004) (on Blackboard – 1.49 mb)
(rec.)
Roach (2004) (on Blackboard – 4.39 mb) (rec.)
Barton & Levstik, chapter 12 (req.)
Field, Wilhelm, Nickell, Culligan, & Sparks
(2001) (on Blackboard – 2.06 mb) (rec.)
Hernandez & Metzger (1996) (on Blackboard –
1.79 mb) (rec.)
Holliday & Grskovic (2002) (on Blackboard – 135
kb) (rec.)
Taylor & Larson (2000) (on Blackboard – 317 kb)
(rec.)
3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
11/17
Analyzing Perspective
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
11/24
Diverse Perspectives
Social Studies for All
3.
4.
5.
12/1
12/9
Arts and Social Studies
 Lesson Plan #4 due
1.
7-5
7-6
Barton & Levstik, chapter 13; Epilogue (req.)
Final Exam
4
7-7
8-1
8-2
8-3
8-4
8-5
8-6
8-7
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Allen, M.G., & Stevens, R.L. (1994). Middle Grades Social Studies. Boston: Allyn &
Bacon.
An abolitionist cartoon, 1830. (2005). Middle Level Learning, 24, M16.
Barber, B. R. (2000). Challenges to the common good in the age of globalism. Social
Education, 64(1), 8-13.
Brown, C.S. (1994). Connecting with the Past. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Crook, J.B. (1994). The social studies teacher as curriculum creator: Reflections on
teaching middle school social studies. In E. W. Ross (ed.), Reflective Practice in
Social Studies. NCSS Bulletin No. 88 (pp. 13-22). Silver Spring, MD: NCSS.
Duplass, J. A., & Ziedler, D. L. (2002). Critical thinking and logical argument. Middle
Level Learning, 15, M10-M13.
Engle, S. H. (1996). Forward. In R. W. Evans & D. W. Saxe (Eds.), Handbook on
teaching social issues: NCSS bulletin 93 (pp. v-viii). Washington, DC: National
Council for the Social Studies.
Field, S. L., Wilhelm, R., Nickell, P., Culligan, J., & Sparks, J. (2001). Teaching middle
school social studies: Who is at risk? Social Education, 65(4), 225-230.
Foster, S. J., & Field, S. L. (2004). An introduction to contextual teaching and learning
methods. In J. D. Hoge, S. L. Field, S. J. Foster & P. Nickell (Eds.), Real-world
investigations for social studies: Inquiries for middle and high school students
based on the ten NCSS standards (pp. 1-5). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Furin, T. L. (2003). High-stakes testing: Death of our democracy? Social Studies and the
Young Learner, 15(4), 32.
Garrison, C. (2006). More than paper load: What does all this student work tell us?
Middle Ground, 9(3), 12-15.
Gibson, S., & McKay, R. What Constructivist Theory And Brain Research May Offer
Social Studies. [Online] Available
http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/css/Css_35_4/ARconstructionist_theory.htm
Gross, R. E. (1996). World history and issues-centered instruction. In R. W. Evans & D.
W. Saxe (Eds.), Handbook on teaching social issues: NCSS bulletin 93 (pp. 161163). Washington, DC: National Council for the Social Studies.
Harris, D. (1996). Assessing discussion of public issues: A scoring guide. In R. W. Evans
& D. W. Saxe (Eds.), Handbook on teaching social issues: NCSS bulletin 93 (pp.
289-297). Washington, DC: National Council for the Social Studies.
Harwood, A. M., & Chang, J. (1999). Inquiry-based service-learning and the Internet.
Social Studies and the Young Learner, 12(1), 15-18.
Hernandez, H., & Metzger, D. (1996). Issues-centered education for language-minority
students. In R. W. Evans & D. W. Saxe (Eds.), Handbook on teaching social
issues: NCSS bulletin 93 (pp. 111-120). Washington, DC: National Council for
the Social Studies.
Hoge, J. D., Field, S.L., Foster, S.J. & Nickell, P. (2004). Real-world investigations
for social studies. Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Hoge, J.D. (1996). Effective Elementary Social Studies. Cincinnati, OH: Wadsworth.
5
Hoge, J. D., & Foster, S. J. (2004). Mandatory school uniforms: A real-world exploration
of power, authority, and governance. In J. D. Hoge, S. L. Field, S. J. Foster & P.
Nickell (Eds.), Real-world investigations for social studies: Inquiries for middle
and high school students based on the ten NCSS standards (pp. 121-148). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Holliday, D. C., & Grskovic, J. A. (2002). Using political cartoons: An activity for
students of every ability. Middle Level Learning, 15, M8-M9.
Howard, J. (2001). Graphic Representations as Tools for Decision Making. Social
Education, 65(4), 220-223.
Kennedy, S. (2004). The well-constructed webquest. Social Studies and the Young
Learner, 16(4), 17-19.
Massialas, B.G., & Allen, R.F. (1996). Crucial Issues in Teaching Social Studies K-12.
Cincinnati, OH: Wadsworth.
McCoy, M. M. (2003). Incorporating effective writing strategies. Social Education,
67(4), 200-202.
Metzger, D. (2000). Young citizens: Partners in classroom management. Social Studies
and the Young Learner, 12(4), 21-23.
Milson, A. J. (2001). Exploring Latin America with webquests. Social Studies and the
Young Learner, 14(2), P1.
National Council for the Social Studies. (1994). Expectations of excellence:
Curriculum standards for social studies. Bulletin 89. Washington, DC: NCSS
http://www/socialstudies.org/standards
O'Brien, J. E., & White, S. H. (2006). Recapturing the history standards: History inquiry
in the middle grades. Middle School Journal, 17(4), 11-16.
O'Mahony, C. (2003). Helping students understand their own global connections. Social
Studies and the Young Learner, 15(4), 9-10.
Parker, W. C. (2005). Social studies education: What and why. In Social studies in
elementary education (pp. 2-27). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Passe, J., & Evans, R. W. (1996). Discussion methods in an issues-centered curriculum.
In R. W. Evans & D. W. Saxe (Eds.), Handbook on teaching social issues: NCSS
bulletin 93 (pp. 81-88). Washington, DC: National Council for the Social Studies.
Ricklin, L. P. (2006). Poems for two voices: An interdisciplinary activity. Middle Level
Learning, 25, M14-M15.
Roach, P. S. (2004). Defusing hate: With malice toward none, with charity for all. In J. D.
Hoge, S. L. Field, S. J. Foster & P. Nickell (Eds.), Real-world investigations for
social studies: Inquiries for middle and high school students based on the ten
NCSS standards (pp. 87-120). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Rose, S. (2002). Using currents events media in the classroom. Social Studies and the
Young Learner, 14(3), P1-P2.
Sandmann, A. L., & Ahern, J. F. (2002). Part one: Using literature to teach social studies.
In Linking literature with life: NCSS bulletin 99 (pp. 9-29). Silver Springs, MD:
National Council for the Social Studies.
Shaver, J. P. (1996). Afterword. In R. W. Evans & D. W. Saxe (Eds.), Handbook on
teaching social issues: NCSS bulletin 93 (pp. 380-386). Washington, DC:
National Council for the Social Studies.
Taylor, D. B., & Wood, K. D. (2005). Activating study skills in the middle school
6
classroom. Middle School Journal, 36(5), 51-55.
Taylor, H. E., & Larson, S. M. (2000). Teaching elementary social studies to students
with mild disabilities. Social Education, 64(4), 232-235.
Tennenbaum, I. M. (2000) South Carolina Social Studies Curriculum Standards.
Columbia, SC: South Carolina Department of Education.
http://www.myscschools.com/offices/cso/Social_Studies/socials.htm
http://www.sde.state.sc.us/offices/cso/social_studies/social.htm
Theisen, R. (2000). Social studies education: A challenge, a choice, a commitment.
Social Education, 64(1), 6-7, 63-64.
Thornton (1994). Perspectives on reflective practice in social studies education. In E.W.
Ross (ed.), Reflective Practice in Social Studies. NCSS Bulletin No. 88 (pp. 5-13).
Silver Spring, MD: NCSS.
Totten, S., & Pederson, J. (1996). Issues-centered curricula and instruction at the middle
level. In R. W. Evans & D. W. Saxe (Eds.), Handbook on teaching social issues:
NCSS bulletin 93 (pp. 237-246). Washington, DC: National Council for the Social
Studies.
VanFossen, P. J. (2004). Using webquests to scaffold higher-order thinking. Social
Studies and the Young Learner, 16(4), 13-16.
VanSickle, R. L. (1996). Questions of motivation for achievement in social studies. In B.
G. Massialas & R. F. Allen (Eds.), Critical in teaching social studies K-12 (pp.
81-110). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Vardell, S. M. (2003). Poetry for social studies: poems, standards, and strategies. Social
Education, 67(4), 206-211.
Virtue, D. C., & Vogler, K. E. (2009). Pairing folktales with textbooks and nonfiction in
teaching about culture. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 21(3), 21-25.
Wade, R. C. (2000). Beyond charity: Service learning for social justice. Social Studies
and the Young Learner, 12(4), 6-9.
White, S. H., O'Brien, J. E., Smith, A., Mortensen, D., & Hileman, K. (2006). A history
lab environment in the classroom brings the standards to life. Middle School
Journal, 17(4), 4-10.
7
Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
National Council for the Social Studies
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/stitle.html
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of
culture and cultural diversity.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the
ways human beings view themselves in and over time.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of
people, places, and environments.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of
individual development and identity.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of
interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how
people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how
people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and
services.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of
relationships among science, technology, and society.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of
global connections and interdependence.
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the
ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic.
8
Learning Plan Template
EDML 563
Topic: State the topic of the lesson; be sure to connect it to the broader unit of study of
which it is a part.
Time: How long will it take to teach this lesson? Be realistic! Be sure to allow time for
attendance, assigning homework, etc.
Standards:
What national, state, or district standards are met by this lesson?
Objectives/Goals:
Clearly state what you expect your students to know and be able to do as a result
of the lesson. State your objectives in such a way that they are explicitly linked (a)
to the standards you will meet in the lesson and (b) to the evaluations you will use
to assess student learning.
Rationale:
Why is this lesson important? How does it meet the goals of the course you are
teaching (e.g., state or national standards; departmental or district goals and
objectives)? How does it connect with the broader unit of study of which it is a
part?
Materials:
List all materials you expect to need, from chalk and scissors to overheads and
DVD players. Think this through carefully as you plan the lesson!
Procedure:
List the step-by-step procedure for carrying out the lesson. Remember that
someone else may have to teach your lesson in the event of a flat tire, a sick child,
or some other unforeseen emergency.
Evaluation:
How will you know that each and every one of your students has met the
objectives of the lesson?
Reflective notes:
What are some concerns that you have? How might you differentiate the plan for diverse
learners? What were the most effective aspects of this lesson? How will you improve the
lesson when you teach it again?
9