Social Studies That Sticks : How to Bring Content and Concepts to Life

by Schmidt, Laurel

• ISBN13: 9780325010595
• ISBN10: 0325010595
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-04
• Publisher: HEINEMANN

Summary

  The announcement that " It's social studies time" often elicits dread from students who mistakenly view the subject as a near-death experience. And who can blame them when this fascinating subject has been stripped of the heartbreak, adventure, conflict, treachery, strategic brilliance, and spectacular foibles - in short, the humanity - that it's supposed to explain? Student apathy and rock-bottom test scores scream that it's time for a change - for unforgettable, not regrettable, social studies. It's time for Social Studies That Sticks.   In Social Studies That Sticks  Laurel Schmidt introduces a brain-compatible approach to integrated, standards-based instruction, using the four elements of the human learning cycle: awareness, exploration, inquiry, and action. This dynamic approach brings content and concepts to life, while sharpening skills in questioning, thinking, reading, writing, and the visual and performing arts. It promotes academic achievement, models the habits of active citizenship, tunes students' ethical antennae to social problems, and teaches tools students can use to advocate for change.   Social Studies That Sticks is a comprehensive, passionate, and user-friendly guide that:   identifies essential social studies themes, standards, and skills models maximum use of primary source documents, eye-witness narratives, biographies, and historical fiction describes how artifacts, objects, art, photography, and architecture can be tools for inquiry and learning explores the community of a social studies classroom tackles matters of cultural perspective, point of view, bias, and propaganda transforms current events into historical investigations maps vital steps for social-justice projects provides guidelines for essays, presentations, oral histories, personal narratives, and original historic writing outlines dozens of authentic assessments introduces theLearning Ledger for student self-assessment pinpoints archival material, hundreds of books and websites, and historical resources for research and classroom use.   Whether you use Laurel Schmidt's ideas to supplement your existing curriculum or you're ready to make your current textbook ancient history, Social Studies That Sticks will transform social studies time into lessons about history and humanity that last a lifetime.

Author Biography

Laurel Schmidt is the Director of Pupil Services for the Santa Monica-Malibu School District and an adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount University.

Table of Contents

Getting the Big Picture
Putting the Social Back in Social Studies: Teaching So Kids Learn	p. 1
What's Your Problem? Human Dilemmas at the Heart of Social Studies	p. 30
Tools of the Trade
Investigations: Discovering the World Through Primary Sources	p. 42
Informants: How to Make Dead People Talk	p. 72
Getting the Picture: Thinking with Things	p. 107
Real World Connections
Community as Classroom: Place-Based Explorations and Discoveries	p. 128
Reading Between the Lines: Cultural Perspectives, Point of View, Politics, and Propaganda	p. 169
Does This Still Happen? Linking History to Current Events	p. 194
Who Do We See About That? Social Justice Projects Beyond the Classroom	p. 215
Resources	p. 240
Works Cited	p. 243
Index	p. 246
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