Opening Windows to the World for
Middle Grades Students
Fay Gore and Steve Masyada, NCDPI
NC Middle School Association Conference
Monday, March 18, 2013
NCDPI K-12 Social Studies Team:
Section Chief
Fay Gore
fay.gore@dpi.nc.gov
Program Assistant
Bernadette Cole
bernadette.cole@dpi.nc.gov
K-12 Consultant
Ann Carlock
Ann.Carlock@dpi.nc.gov
K-12 Consultant
Steve Masyada
Stephen.Masyada@dpi.nc.gov
K-12 Consultant
Michelle McLaughlin
michelle.mclaughlin@dpi.nc.gov
NCDPI Instructional
Technology Partner
Gail Holmes
Gail.Holmes@dpi.nc.gov
http://ssnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/
During this session we will:
• Understand the intent of the Middle Grades Essential
Standards
• Discuss the shifts in Middle Grades Social Studies
• Explore a curriculum development framework and
organization to support the “shifts” in the new Essential
Standards
• Discuss classroom assessment in Middle Grades Social
Studies
• Discuss resource development and instructional support
tools
The Change Process
“By changing nothing, nothing changes.” Tony Robbins
“All great changes are preceded by chaos.”
-Deepak Chopra
“Sometimes good things fall apart so better
things can fall together.” -Marilyn Monroe
st
21
Intent: Meeting
Needs
Century
• Better and deeper standards.
• Not tied to a textbook.
• Teach to big ideas.
• Move away from simply being a ‘world
history course’ at 6th and 7th grade levels.
The Shifts
• Use of Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Organization around five broad conceptual strands
• Use of a Conceptual Framework
• Sixth and Seventh Grades: Integrated World Studies
• Eighth Grade: Integrated Study of North Carolina
and United States History
• Integration of Common Core Literacy Standards in
History/Social Studies
The Five Conceptual Strands
Conceptual Framework
“Essential Understanding” /
Generalization /
“Big Idea”:
The student will understand
that:
The physical and human
geography of a place
contributes to the identity
of a region, community,
state, nation or the world.
The Sixth Grade Shift
The Roots of Modern Societies
Beginnings of Human Society to the
Emergence of the First Global Age (1450)
Focus: World Geography, History & Culture:
Patterns of Continuity and Change
• First formal look at a study of the world
• Focus heavily on the discipline of geography (five themes)
• Systematic look at the history and culture various civilizations,
societies, and regions
• Various factors that shaped the development of civilizations,
societies and regions in the ancient world
• Comparative study of world regions
• Recognize and interpret the “lessons of social studies” – transferable
ideas
Major concepts
•
Continuity and change (over time and in various civilizations, societies,
and regions)
•
Conflict and cooperation
•
Compromise and negotiation
•
Migration and population distribution
•
Cultural expression/practices and diffusion
•
Human-environment interaction
•
Trade and economic decision-making
•
Societal organization (economic, political, and social systems)
•
Technology and innovation
•
Quality of life
•
Citizenship
Where to start?
National World History Standards:
http://nchs.ucla.edu/Standards/world-history-standards
The periodization of the new Essential Standards for sixth grade social studies is based on
the five eras identified by the National Standards for World History,
Era 1: The Beginnings of Human Society Giving Shape to World History
Era 2: Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral People, 4000-1000 BCE/BC
Era 3: Classical Traditions, Major Religions, and Giant Empires, 1000 BCE/BC-300 CE/AD
Era 4: Expanding Zones of Exchange and Encounter, 300-1000 CE/AD
Era 5: Intensified Hemispheric Interactions, 1000 – 1500 CE/AD
Sixth Grade Sample
The Rise and Fall of an Empire
The Seventh Grade Shift
Global Connections
The Great Global Convergence (1450 - 1800) to the
Present
Focus: World Geography, History & Culture:
Patterns of Continuity and Change
• Expansion of knowledge, skills and understandings about the world
from a more modern perspective
• Focus heavily on the discipline of geography (five themes)
• Systematic look at the history and culture of various world regions
• Various factors that shaped the development of civilizations,
societies and regions in the modern world
• Comparative study of world regions
• Recognize and interpret the “lessons of social studies” – transferable
ideas
• Focus on issues, solutions, and decision-making
Major concepts
•
Global interaction
•
Continuity and change (over time and in various modern societies and regions)
•
Conflict and cooperation (social, economic, military and political)
•
Economic Development/Systems (trade and economic decision-making)
•
Political Thought
•
Power and Authority
•
Compromise and negotiation
•
Migration and population distribution
•
Cultural expression/practices and diffusion
•
Values and Beliefs
•
Human-environment interaction
•
Societal organization (economic, political, and social systems)
•
Technology and innovation
•
Freedom, justice, and equality
Where to start?
National World History Standards:
http://nchs.ucla.edu/Standards/world-history-standards
The periodization of the new Essential Standards for seventh grade social studies is based on the last five
eras identified by the National Standards for World History,
•
Era 5: Intensified Hemispheric Interactions, 1000 – 1500 CE/AD
•
Era 6: The Emergency of the First Global Age, 1450 – 1770 CE/AD
•
Era 7: An Age of Revolutions, 1750 - 1914
•
Era 8: A Half-Century of Crisis and Achievement, 1900 – 1945 CE/AD
•
Era 9: The 20th Century Since 1945: Promises and Paradoxes
National Geographic Resources:
•
•
Xpeditions Archives: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/
–
Lesson Plans
–
Atlas Maps
–
Standards
–
Xpedition Hall (virtual museum)
New Education Beta Site: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/?ar_a=1
The Seventh Grade Unit Example
Unit focus: The Age of Exploration – Reasons and Impact
Throughout the unit, students could explore the quest for trade,
innovation, power, authority and wealth among European nations
led to increased global interaction throughout the world. Included in
this inquiry, could be the implications of these global interactions i.e.
cultural diffusion (goods, religion, cultural practices, ideas, etc.),
colonization, wealth, slave trading, etc. And, finally, how these
global interaction specifically led to European exploration and
inhabitation of the Americas.
From a more modern perspective, students could study implications of
global exploration today i.e. exploration for new natural resources,
new source of labor, etc.
The Geographic Perspective
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/geographic-perspective/?ar_a=1
The Eighth Grade Shift
Historical Study of NC in the context of the US
North Carolina and the United States:
Creation and Development of the State and Nation
The Revolutionary Era to the Present
Major Concepts:
•
Historical Thinking
•
Conflict, Compromise, & Negotiation
•
Change and Continuity
•
Migration and immigration
•
Technology and innovation
•
Individuals/Groups (economic, political, social)
•
Historical & Contemporary Issues
•
Geographic Influence (five themes)
•
Cooperation and Competition (economics)
•
Democratic Ideals
•
Citizen Participation
•
Cultural Influence
HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO ORGANIZE
CONTENT?
Curriculum Frameworks:
 Concept-based Curriculum and Instruction
(Erickson)
 Understanding by Design
(Wiggins & McTighe)
Possibilities
• Traditional chronological approach
• Thematic approach
• Regional
Traditional Chronological
• ‘Old school’ approach
• Covering the development of civilizations
over time
• Global connections
Thematic
• Unifying themes across content
• What positives would this approach offer?
• What difficulties might this approach
offer?
Regional
• Focus on different regions of the world or
nation.
• Could connect chronological with
thematic.
• Connect regional approach to big ideas.
Example Outlines
• Example 6th Curriculum Organization
• Example 7th Grade Curriculum
Organization
• The 8th grade course could be organized
along similar lines (even regionally!)
UNPACKING STANDARDS
What does "unpack" a standard mean?
– Dissecting what is written in a standard, goal or objective
 “What does the standard say, EXACTLY. “
– It is the process of identifying what students will know, understand
and be able to do once they have mastered the standard.
Steps:
•
Identify The Big Ideas/Concepts
•
Identify What A Student Must Be Able To Do
•
Identify Core Tasks
•
Identify Critical Content
•
Identify Any Possible Misconceptions/Misunderstandings
UNPACKING STANDARDS
7.G.1.3
Explain how natural disasters (e.g. flooding,
earthquakes, monsoons and tsunamis), preservation efforts
and human modification of the environment (e.g. recycling,
planting trees, deforestation, pollution, irrigation systems and
climate change) affect modern societies and regions.
7.G.2.1
Construct maps, charts, and graphs to
explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g. migration
patterns and population and resource distribution patterns).
INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH
 Center around central concepts and
generalizations, supported by selected facts
and information.
 Promote student inquiry by using essential or
guiding questions to lead students to enduring
understandings or generalizations.
The student will understand:
Various NGOS (local, national and international) and government agencies respond
to natural disasters.
Natural disasters may have positive and/or negative consequences.
Preservation efforts may cause positive and negative changes.
Human modifications to the environment may have positive and negative
implications.
The student will know:
Strategies and steps that various non-governmental organizations and
governmental agencies may undertake in order to response to environmental
disasters.
For example: Tsunami of 2004 impacted nations around the world and in the
region. NGOs from a wide variety of nations sent supplies, resources and, human
capital to assist in the search and rescue phase immediately following the disaster
and the search and recovery phase that occurred later on. Additionally, people and
resources were sent to help with medical needs and the rebuilding of infrastructure
in the countries impacted.
Assessment
• Variety in assessments
• Include performance tasks that target CO and allow students to
demonstrate understanding and skills that’s supported by facts
• Students should be provided learning experiences that contribute
to successful completion of assessment (alignment!)
• Connect to Common Core through writing and informational text
• Measures of Student Learning/Common Exams are conceptually
driven
What If, During Instruction This Was The Work
You Were Given To Support What Was Taught
About The 13 Colonies?
The Directions:
Classify the 13 original colonies according to which were
New England, Middle or Southern.
New England
Colonies
Middle
Colonies
Southern
Colonies
Directions:
…Then You Were Given An
Assessment That Looks Like This
Using this map label the 13 colonies by matching each with the correct alphabet. Then list the
chronological order each was established/settled 1 to 13.
Chronological Order Of
Colonial Settlements
Key:
Middle Colonies
New England Colonies
Southern Colonies
6th Grade Classroom Assessment
• Grade: 6
• Standard: 6.H.2 Understand
the political, economic and/or
social significance of historical
events, issues, individuals and
cultural groups
• Primary Objective: 6.H.2.4
Explain the role that key
historical figures and cultural
groups had in transforming
society (e.g. Mansa Musa,
Confucius, Charlemagne and
Qin Shi Huangdi)
•
Choose a key historical figure that
transformed a society (e.g., Genghis
Khan, Confucius, Mansa Musa).
Construct a cause and effect graphic
that shows how this historical figure
helped to transform a society
economically, culturally, and politically.
Using this cause and effect graphic
and the conclusions that you have
drawn about how this figure
transformed society, create a ‘profile’
of the figure that summarizes at least
three of the personal characteristics
that may have allowed him or her to be
a transformative figure and answer the
following question: What is the most
important characteristic of leadership
that can help transform a society?
7th Grade Classroom Assessment
• Grade: 7
• Standard: 7.G.2 Apply the
tools of a geographer to
understand modern societies
and regions
• Primary Objective: 7.G.2.1
Construct maps, charts, and
graphs to explain data about
geographic phenomena (e.g.
migration patterns and
population and resource
distribution patterns)
• Construct a map illustrating the
migration patterns from five
North African/Middle Eastern
countries to Europe since
1970. Then, identify the
number of migrants who left
each North African/Middle
Eastern country and the
number of migrants who
entered Europe. Use the data
in the chart to explain
population changes in Europe.
8th Grade Classroom Assessment
• Grade: 8
• Standard: 8.C&G.1 Analyze
how democratic ideals shaped
government in North Carolina
and the United States
•
Primary Objective:
8.C&G.1.3 Analyze differing
viewpoints on the scope and
power of state and national
governments (e.g. Federalists
and anti-Federalists,
education, immigration and
healthcare)
•
primary and secondary sources on
Federalist and Anti-Federalist
viewpoints (e.g., Federalist Papers,
Jefferson’s papers, Hamilton’s papers)
•
Select the main points from the
Federalist and Anti-Federalist
viewpoints on the power of
government presented in the
documents and use them to create a
graphic organizer. Then, use the
graphic organizer to prepare
arguments for and against passing
state immigration laws that restrict
immigrants from receiving and
enjoying the privileges of citizenship.
NCDPI Resources
• Essential Standards:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/newstandards/#social
• Support Tools:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/supporttools/
• Google folder:
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B4smePWOzEViMjd
GMWJQd2UwSDQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Wiki: http://ssnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/home
Additional Reources
• http://smithsonianeducati
on.org/
• http://www.fordham.edu/h
alsall/
• http://free.ed.gov/index.cf
m
• http://publications.newber
ry.org/k12maps/
• https://www.cia.gov/librar
y/publications/the-worldfactbook/
• http://www.civics.unc.edu/
resources/intro.php
• http://avalon.law.yale.edu
/default.asp
• http://edsitement.neh.gov/
ANY QUESTIONS?
Exit Ticket
1. How could the NCDPI K-12 Social Studies Section assist you?
2. Would you like to be added to the K-12 Social Studies listserv? If so, please include:
a. your name
b. School
c. grade level responsibility
d. Role in your school/district i.e. curriculum coordinator, teacher
e. email address.
3. Any additional questions you would like answered?
4. Other comments?