Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades : A Constructivist Approach

by Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Haas, Mary Elizabeth

• ISBN13: 9780205518876
• ISBN10: 0205518877
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-01
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Summary

Replete with lessons, best practices in teaching strategies, and the latest on the constructivist approach, this text demonstrates how to help diverse students construct important social studies concepts and skills. Packed with activities, up-to-date technology, teaching strategies, and a constructivist approach, this text demonstrates how to use developmentally appropriate strategies to help students construct important social studies ideas and skills. Building on the success of previous editions, Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades discusses flexible strategies for teaching today's diverse learner, the structure of the knowledge to be learned, how to help students reconstruct present ideas, and how to translate theory and recent research into lesson plans and units.Social Studies Methods with a constructivist approach. Designed as a main text for undergraduate and graduate-level courses in both Elementary and Middle School social studies methods in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Table of Contents

Preface
Meaningful Social Studies and the Student	p. 1
Exploratory Introduction	p. 1
Chapter Overview	p. 2
Chapter Objectives	p. 2
Social Studies in the Elementary and Middle School	p. 3
Development: What is Powerful Social Studies?	p. 7
Building on Diversity: Meaningful Social Studies	p. 9
Education for Active Citizenship	p. 10
Using Technology: Deciding Whether and When	p. 12
Social Studies is Essential	p. 13
Defining Social Studies	p. 13
Social Studies Curriculum	p. 14
Expansion: Planning Powerful Social Studies Lessons	p. 17
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: From Tree to Paper	p. 18
Making a Literature Connection: Using Trade Books in Social Studies	p. 23
Summary	p. 23
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 24
Teaching for Meaningful Learning in Social Studies	p. 27
Exploratory Introduction	p. 27
Chapter Overview	p. 28
Chapter Objectives	p. 28
How is Social Studies Best Taught in Today's Classrooms?	p. 29
Development: Applying What We Know About Meaningful Learning to Social Studies Curriculum	p. 29
Using Constructivist Theory in Social Studies Instruction	p. 29
Using Behavioral Learning Theory in Social Studies Instruction	p. 31
An Effective Strategy to Assist Students in Conceptual Change	p. 32
Phases of a Learning Cycle Lesson	p. 33
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Scale	p. 34
Making a Literature Connection: Geography in Literature	p. 36
Exploratory Introduction	p. 38
Development	p. 41
Expansion	p. 44
Lesson Summary	p. 46
Choosing Activities Appropriate to Each Phase of the Learning Cycle Lesson	p. 46
Elementary Lesson Activity Choices	p. 47
Middle Childhood Lesson Activity Choices	p. 48
Building on Diversity: Opportunities to Include Multiple Perspectives	p. 48
Student Assessment in Each Phase of the Learning Cycle	p. 49
Writing Your Own Learning Cycle Lesson	p. 50
The Optimal Length of Time for a Learning Cycle	p. 50
Working With the Learning Cycle	p. 51
Expansion: Principles of Teaching and Learning that Support the Curriculum Standards for Social Studies	p. 54
Summary	p. 54
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 55
Helping Students Learn Through Multiple Assessments and Evaluation	p. 57
Exploratory Introduction	p. 57
Chapter Overview	p. 60
Chapter Objectives	p. 60
Assessing and Evaluating Social Studies Learning	p. 60
When Evaluation and Assessment Are Needed	p. 61
Guiding Principles for Assessment and Evaluation	p. 62
National Testing of Social Studies	p. 64
Assessment and Evaluation Beyond Testing	p. 65
Building on Diversity: Promoting Individual Needs	p. 77
An Interview with Mark High about How He Uses Assessments to Help Improve Instruction	p. 77
Modes of Assessment	p. 81
Identifying Assessments Within a Lesson Plan	p. 84
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Making Good Rules	p. 85
Action Research and Reflection: Becoming an Effective Social Studies Teacher	p. 89
Summary	p. 94
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 95
Helping Students Develop Social Studies Inquiry Skills	p. 97
Exploratory Introduction	p. 97
Chapter Overview	p. 98
Chapter Objectives	p. 99
Development: Using Inquiry Skills to Develop Students' Social Studies Ideas	p. 99
Early Inquiry Skills	p. 100
Building on Diversity: Early Inquiry Skills	p. 100
Social Studies Inquiry Skills	p. 101
Data-Gathering Skills	p. 103
Data-Organizing Skills	p. 104
Data-Processing Skills	p. 104
Communicating Skills	p. 105
Observations, Inferences, and Hypotheses	p. 108
Observations	p. 108
Using Technology: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy	p. 106
Inferences	p. 108
Hypotheses	p. 108
Developing and Using Guiding Hypotheses	p. 110
Attitudes and Dispositions Promoting Powerful Social Studies	p. 113
Curiosity	p. 113
Respect for Evidence	p. 113
Reserving Judgment	p. 114
Flexibility	p. 114
Responsibility to Others and to the Environment	p. 115
Values, Morals, and Aesthetics	p. 115
Making a Literature Connection: Demonstrating Powerful Attitudes and Dispositions	p. 116
Teaching Lessons in Which Students Use Integrative Thinking Skills	p. 117
Critical Thinking	p. 117
Problem Solving and Decision Making	p. 119
Investigating	p. 119
Creative Thinking	p. 120
Using Technology: Fostering Inquiry Skills	p. 121
Creating Conditions that Promote Student Thinking in Social Studies	p. 121
Lesson Characteristics	p. 122
Planning Activities to Teach Inquiry Skills	p. 123
Expansion: A Learning Cycle Lesson Teaching an Inquiry Skill	p. 124
Exploratory Introduction of the Skill	p. 124
Lesson Development	p. 125
Expansion	p. 126
Assessing the Use of Inquiry Skills	p. 128
Hierarchy of Inquiry Skills	p. 130
Summary	p. 132
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 133
Helping Students Construct Concepts	p. 135
Exploratory Introduction	p. 135
Chapter Overview	p. 136
Chapter Objectives	p. 137
Concept Teaching Starts with Reflection and Practice	p. 137
Development: Facts as Social Studies Content	p. 138
Forming Concepts	p. 141
Identifying All Important Attributes of a Concept	p. 141
Types of Concepts	p. 143
Interrelationships Among Concepts	p. 145
Building on Diversity: Defining Concepts	p. 147
Differences in Complexity and Abstractness of Concepts	p. 150
Making a Literature Connection: Recognizing Its Limitations	p. 153
Powerful Concept Teaching	p. 154
Identifying All Essential Attributes of the Social Studies Concept	p. 154
Identifying Examples and Nonexamples of a Concept	p. 155
Identify Students Everyday Thinking About the Concept	p. 155
Using a Learning Cycle to Teach a Concept	p. 155
Teaching Concepts Differs from Teaching Facts	p. 158
Use Operational Definitions in Teaching Concepts	p. 158
Teaching Concepts of Varying Complexity and Abstractness Differently	p. 158
Teaching Interrelationships Among Concepts	p. 159
Building on Diversity: Cultural Factors and Concepts	p. 159
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Productive Resources	p. 160
Expansion: Assessment of Concept Learning	p. 162
Using Technology: Examples of Resources for Helping Students Build Concepts	p. 164
Summary	p. 164
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 165
Helping Students Use Inquiry to Build Generalizations	p. 168
Exploratory Introduction	p. 168
Chapter Overview	p. 168
Chapter Objectives	p. 169
Development: Forming Generalizations	p. 169
Defining Generalizations	p. 170
Distinguishing Generalizations from Facts and Concepts	p. 171
Using Generalizations to Make Predictions	p. 172
Making a Literature Connection: The Message Is a Generalization	p. 173
Types of Generalizations	p. 174
Teaching Powerful Generalizations	p. 175
Building on Diversity: Using Resources to Support Learning a Generalization	p. 177
Characteristics of the Exploratory Introduction Phase	p. 177
Characteristics of the Lesson Development Phase	p. 178
Characteristics of the Expansion Phase	p. 178
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Using Technology to Investigate a Problem: Why Are Cities Built Where Rivers Come Together?	p. 179
Formative Evaluation and Assessment	p. 182
Inquiry Teaching and the National Standards in Social Studies	p. 182
Summary	p. 183
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 184
Using Instructional Strategies That Help Students Learn	p. 186
Exploratory Introduction	p. 186
Chapter Overview	p. 186
Chapter Objectives	p. 187
Developing Your Social Studies Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)	p. 187
Teaching Dimensions That Support Meaningful Learning	p. 189
Best Practices: Teaching Strategies That Support Meaningful Learning	p. 190
Using Technology: Creating a Collaborative Classroom	p. 193
An Interview with Mike Yell on Cooperative Learning	p. 194
A Continuum of Knowledge and Instruction	p. 196
Matching Instructional Strategies to Student Needs	p. 197
Expository, or Direct, Instructional Methods: Lower Student Control	p. 198
Guided Discovery Instructional Methods: Mixed Teacher and Student Control	p. 199
Inquiry and Problem-Solving/Decision Making Instructional Methods: Greater Student Control	p. 200
Matching Types of Instructional Activities To Each Phase of the Lesson	p. 201
Useful Instructional Activities for the Exploratory Introduction Phase	p. 202
Useful Instructional Activities for the Lesson Development Phase	p. 204
Making a Literature Connection: Reading Literature	p. 215
Building on Diversity: Prereading Activities	p. 216
Useful Instructional Activities for the Expansion Phase	p. 221
Expansion: Classroom Management Strategies for Powerful Social Studies	p. 222
Advanced Planning	p. 222
Giving Directions	p. 222
Distributing Materials	p. 223
Organizing the Beginning	p. 224
Grouping Students	p. 224
Using Classroom Rules	p. 224
Creating Lesson Smoothness	p. 224
Being a Facilitator	p. 225
Assessment Considerations	p. 225
Summary	p. 226
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 226
Helping All Students Experience Meaningful Social Studies	p. 229
Exploratory Introduction	p. 229
Chapter Overview	p. 229
Chapter Objectives	p. 230
Development: Meaningful Social Studies for All Students	p. 230
An Interview	p. 231
"Best Practices" Giving All Students Greater Control of Their Social Studies Learning	p. 231
Social Studies Education for Students with Disabilities	p. 232
General Instructional Strategies for Inclusive Classrooms	p. 233
Using Technology: Adapting Instruction and Curriculum in the Inclusive Classroom	p. 234
Factors to Be Considered in Adapting Social Studies Curricula and Instruction	p. 240
Social Studies Education in a Culturally Diverse Society	p. 243
Building on Diversity: Variations in Belief Systems	p. 244
Sample Strategies for Multicultural Social Studies	p. 246
Role Models and Relevancy	p. 246
Making a Literature Connection: Role Models	p. 248
Culture and Gender Differences in Student-Teacher Interactions	p. 249
Helping the English Language Learner Participate in Social Studies	p. 250
Recognizing and Scaffolding Language Learning	p. 250
Instructional Strategies for Helping ELL Students Understand Social Studies Content	p. 251
Assessment of Social Studies Learning for All Students	p. 252
Using Technology: Alternative Assessment	p. 253
Summary	p. 254
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 254
Helping Students Relate to Individuals and Communities	p. 256
Exploratory Introduction	p. 256
Chapter Overview	p. 257
Chapter Objectives	p. 257
Respect for Diverse Students and for Oneself as a Teacher	p. 258
The Classroom Environment Encourages Student Control Over Learning	p. 258
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Sharing and Negotiation	p. 259
The Curriculum Respects Diversity	p. 263
Development of Self-Concept in Diverse Students	p. 264
Independence and Responsibility	p. 265
Jealousy	p. 266
Fears	p. 267
Aggressive Feelings, Bullying, and Conflict Resolution	p. 268
Using Technology: Protecting Children from Predators	p. 271
Friendship	p. 272
Empathy and Helpful Pro-social Behaviors	p. 273
Self-Esteem	p. 274
Values and Moral Education in a Diverse Society	p. 274
Making a Literature Connection: Supporting Development of Self-Respect	p. 274
Building on Diversity: Learning from the Voices of Our Family and Community	p. 275
Three Aspects of Morality	p. 275
Moral Development Theories	p. 276
Teaching Approaches in Values Education	p. 280
Assessing How Diverse Students Relate to Individuals and Communities	p. 287
Using Technology: Stimulating Discussion	p. 289
Summary	p. 289
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 290
Helping Students Become Citizens in a Democratic Society in an Ever More Interdependent World	p. 292
Exploratory Introduction	p. 292
Chapter Overview	p. 293
Chapter Objectives	p. 294
Development: Defining Citizenship in a Democratic Society	p. 294
Developing Political Awareness	p. 296
Citizenship and Standards	p. 298
Key Concepts and Values	p. 299
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Voting Is a Way to Make Decisions	p. 302
Assessing Civic Education in U.S. Schools	p. 307
An Interview with a Teacher: Emily Wood	p. 308
Resources for Citizenship Education	p. 310
Media Resources	p. 311
Making a Literature Connection: Selecting a Trade Book That Stresses Social Studies	p. 312
Law-Related Education	p. 316
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Presidential Oath	p. 318
Participating in Democracy	p. 321
School-Based Community Service Projects	p. 323
Participation in Student Government	p. 325
Building on Diversity: The Challenges	p. 326
Using Technology: Discussions That Promote Greater Understanding Through Combining and Evaluating Ideas Against Criteria	p. 327
Political Participation	p. 328
Summary	p. 330
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 331
Helping Students Understand Local and Global Societies	p. 334
Exploratory Introduction	p. 334
Chapter Overview	p. 334
Chapter Objectives	p. 335
Development: Global Education: An Evolving Definition	p. 335
Approaches to Global Education	p. 339
The Cultural Approach to Global Education	p. 339
Building on Diversity: Finding the Views of People in Other Nations	p. 340
The Problems Approach to Global Education	p. 340
Interdisciplinary Connections	p. 343
Teaching Global Education	p. 344
Resources for Teaching Global Education	p. 346
Computers and the Internet	p. 346
Learning Cycle Unit Plan: Teaching About War to Help Create a More Humane World	p. 348
Making a Literature Connection: What Are the People of the World Like?	p. 356
Book Series	p. 356
Using Technology: Civics Impact of Technology Opportunities	p. 357
Resources for Current Events	p. 358
Summary	p. 358
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 359
Helping Students Interpret History	p. 362
Exploratory Introduction	p. 362
Chapter Overview	p. 362
Chapter Objectives	p. 363
Development: Definition of History	p. 363
History in Schools	p. 365
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Learning from the Paintings and Drawings of Artists	p. 366
Standards for History	p. 374
Benefits of Studying History	p. 377
Students and the Learning of History	p. 378
Using Timelines to Develop Chronology	p. 380
Resources for Teaching History	p. 381
Locating and Using Historical Resources	p. 381
People as Resources	p. 382
Artifacts and Museums	p. 382
The Community as a Resource	p. 383
Documents as Resources	p. 384
Diaries, Letters, and Pictures as Resources	p. 385
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Skills in Picture Analysis	p. 386
Visual Literacy and History	p. 388
Reenactments and Drama	p. 389
Biographies and Historical Literature	p. 391
Building on Diversity: Pitfalls in Selecting Multicultural Books	p. 391
Making a Literature Connection: Using Trade Books to Add Depth to History Units	p. 395
Expanding Your Skills in History	p. 395
Using Technology: An Interview with Jim Shipp	p. 397
Summary	p. 399
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 399
Helping Students Interpret the Earth and Its People Through Geography	p. 402
Exploratory Introduction	p. 402
Chapter Overview	p. 402
Chapter Objectives	p. 402
Development	p. 403
An Interview with Billy Fitzhugh, A Second-Grade Teacher	p. 403
Defining Geography	p. 406
Standards for Geographic Education	p. 406
Geography and the National Social Studies Standards	p. 407
The Five Themes of Geography	p. 407
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: People Change Their Environments	p. 409
Geography Education Standards and the Six Elements of Geography Education	p. 412
Resources for Teaching Geography	p. 414
Using Technology: An Important Contributor to Learning Geography	p. 415
Developing Geographic Concepts, Generalizations, and Skills	p. 415
Research Findings on Geographic Education	p. 421
Making a Literature Connection: Books Provide Different Cultural Perspectives	p. 423
Research on Map and Globe Skills	p. 425
Helping Students Learn and Use Map and Globe Skills	p. 426
Shapes and Patterns	p. 428
Symbols	p. 429
Direction	p. 429
Distance	p. 429
Grid Systems	p. 431
Remote Sensing and Digital Maps in the Teaching of Geography	p. 431
Numbers: The Amount or Quantity on Maps, in Atlases, and in Textbooks	p. 433
Reading and Maps	p. 435
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Latitude and Longitude	p. 436
Summary	p. 442
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 442
Helping Students Make Economic Decisions	p. 445
Exploratory Introduction	p. 445
Chapter Overview	p. 445
Chapter Objectives	p. 446
Development: Economic Literacy	p. 446
An Interview with Nancy Braden about Teaching Economics	p. 447
Defining Economics	p. 449
National Social Studies Standards Related to Economics	p. 451
Voluntary National Standards in Economics	p. 451
Economic Concepts and Values	p. 452
Microeconomic Concepts	p. 452
Making a Literature Connection: Trade Books Illustrating Economic Concepts	p. 457
Macroeconomic Concepts	p. 458
International Economic Concepts	p. 458
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Economic Interdependence	p. 459
Measurement Concepts and Methods	p. 463
Economic Decision-Making Skills	p. 463
Economic Goals and Values	p. 466
Children and the Learning of Economics	p. 469
Approaches to Teaching Economics	p. 470
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan: Advertisements and Making Good Choices	p. 472
Using Technology: Investigating How to Use a WebQuest with Your Students	p. 476
Resources for Teaching Economics	p. 477
Summary	p. 477
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 478
Planning Units of Various Lengths and Formats	p. 480
Exploratory Introduction	p. 480
Chapter Overview	p. 480
Chapter Objectives	p. 481
Development: Planning the Appropriate Focus for Social Studies Units	p. 482
Descriptive-Focused Units	p. 484
Thinking Skills-Focused Units	p. 484
Conceptual and Thinking Skills-Focused Units	p. 485
Units that Integrate School Subjects	p. 485
Theme Units	p. 485
Issue and Problem-Solving Units	p. 489
How to Choose Appropriate Topics for Integrated Units	p. 491
Planning Integrated Units	p. 492
Building on Diversity: Units Incorporate Diversity	p. 494
Developing Integrated Units	p. 494
Generating Ideas for the Topic of a Unit	p. 494
Researching the Topic	p. 494
Developing Focus or Guiding Questions	p. 495
Identifying Special Needs Among Students and Making Accommodations	p. 496
Naming the Unit	p. 496
Developing Intended Learning Outcomes	p. 496
Categorizing Intended Learning Outcomes	p. 497
Creating an Idea Web	p. 497
Developing a Rationale and Goals	p. 500
Beginning the KWL Chart	p. 500
Developing Learning Objectives	p. 501
Developing an Assessment Plan	p. 501
Developing Lesson Plans	p. 504
Developing Accommodations for Technology	p. 504
Making a Literature Connection: Incorporating Social Studies Trade Books into Units	p. 505
Implementing the Unit	p. 506
Evaluating Student Learning	p. 506
Reflecting on the Unit	p. 506
Using Technology: Databases and Spreadsheets	p. 507
Summary	p. 509
Expanding On This Chapter	p. 510
References	p. 512
Index	p. 522
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