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Full-Text Articles in Education
Using Landscapes To Tell Spatial Stories, Sandra Schmidt
Using Landscapes To Tell Spatial Stories, Sandra Schmidt
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This paper repurposes the concept of landscape as a useful way of thinking how we narrate abstract and concrete space. I explore an assignment in my class wherein student embody and narrate a concrete space. I analyze it through landscapes and consider how that discussed positionality, presentation, and layers. I conclude with exploring how the landscape can similarly be used to think critically about how we discuss faraway places in geography classes.
Strengthening Geography Pedagogy With Authentic Intellectual Work, Prentice Chandler Ph.D., Danielle Munch
Strengthening Geography Pedagogy With Authentic Intellectual Work, Prentice Chandler Ph.D., Danielle Munch
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This article examines the use of Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) as a teaching framework in the geography classroom. Authentic Intellectual Work focuses on 1) construction of knowledge, 2) disciplined inquiry, and 3) value beyond school as criteria to inform and drive classroom instruction. This article highlights the applicability of AIW to current geography reform efforts and enacted inquiry pedagogy. Sample teaching ideas are provided.
Teaching The First American Civilization Recognizing The Moundbuilders As A Great Native-American Civilization, Jack Zevin
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
The Moundbuilders are a culture of mystery, little recognized by most Americans, yet they created farms, villages, towns, and cities covering as much as a third of the United States. Social studies teachers have yet to mine the resources left us over thousands of years by the native artisans and builders who preceded the nations European explorers came into contact with after 1492. Several of the Moundbuilder cities grew to sizeable proportions and one in particular, Cahokia, Illinois, not far from East St. Louis became a kind of center for the many peoples inhabiting the surrounding tributaries of the Mississippi …
Introduction, Mark Newman
Introduction, Mark Newman
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
No abstract provided.
The Use Of Discussion Protocols In Social Studies, Prentice Chandler Ph.D., Suzanne Ehrlich Ed.D.
The Use Of Discussion Protocols In Social Studies, Prentice Chandler Ph.D., Suzanne Ehrlich Ed.D.
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This article examines the use of protocols to improve discussion pedagogy in social studies. Discussion protocols, defined as a method of guided discussion, empowers students to engage with social studies content by providing specific and clear roles for participation. This article highlights the pedagogical relevance as well as the practical application of protocols for improved discussion in social studies. Sample protocols and further resources are provided.
Cross Curriculum Lesson With The Aid Of Google’S Ngram, Peggy Hopper, Lindon Ratliff, Willie Brown
Cross Curriculum Lesson With The Aid Of Google’S Ngram, Peggy Hopper, Lindon Ratliff, Willie Brown
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
The paper examines the use of Google's Ngram in the social studies classroom. With the rise of common core standards and a renewed focus for using technology with all of its benefits in the classroom, middle school teachers have the opportunity to embrace the strengths of technology through a relatively new database, Google Ngram. The purpose of the article was to explore Ngram and how it can assist everyday public school teachers. A sample lesson plan is provided.
The End Of A War And The Rise Of A Nation: A Lesson On The American Revolution, Joshua Kenna, William Russell Iii
The End Of A War And The Rise Of A Nation: A Lesson On The American Revolution, Joshua Kenna, William Russell Iii
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
History is a means to categorize past events in order to create meaning for present circumstances. However, teachers; particularly at the elementary level, are not equipping students with the appropriate skills to master and understand history. This article establishes the necessity of incorporating the process of historical inquiry, especially for the upper elementary grades (e.g. 4th and 5th), and it provides a sample lesson on the American Revolutionary War.
Integrating Creative, Critical, And Historical Thinking Through Close Reading, Document- Based Writing, And Original Political Cartooning, John H. Bickford Iii
Integrating Creative, Critical, And Historical Thinking Through Close Reading, Document- Based Writing, And Original Political Cartooning, John H. Bickford Iii
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
State and national education initiatives prescribe diverse thinking through age-appropriate content area literacy tasks at all grade levels. History education researchers encourage teachers to intentionally integrate content, methods, and assessment in discipline-specific ways. This paper—targeting middle level and secondary students—proposes a fusion between scrutiny of juxtaposed texts, evidentiary writing, and creative expression of newly generated understandings. This model elicits students’ content area literacy through close reading and text-based writing; it evokes students’ criticality through historical thinking and creation. Interested teachers are offered a representative sample of student work.
Assisting Novice Teachers With Promoting Democratic Education In The Social Studies Classroom, Rory Tannebaum, Margaret Peterson, Molly Tierney
Assisting Novice Teachers With Promoting Democratic Education In The Social Studies Classroom, Rory Tannebaum, Margaret Peterson, Molly Tierney
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
The purpose of this essay is to provide new social studies teachers with an array of effective and plausible strategies for infusing a democratic education into their classrooms. The presented lessons are grounded in the theories and ideals taught at the university level, but they have been constructed in a practical and realistic manner as such that the often-overwhelmed teacher who is removed from their academic backgrounds can achieve the oft-referenced aims of the field of education. In this sense, the article seeks to bridge the gap between the theories and practices of social studies education and, in doing so, …
Social Studies And English Unite: Teachers Collaborate To Promote Literacy, Kayla Davenport Logan
Social Studies And English Unite: Teachers Collaborate To Promote Literacy, Kayla Davenport Logan
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
Collaboration among teachers of social studies and English can yield positive effects for students and professionals alike. Back-to-basics reading strategies such as oral reading and think-alouds are beneficial to the development of critical thinking and writing confidence in both subjects.
Using Sources To Examine The American Constitution And Events Leading To Its Construction, Daniel Cowgill Ii, Scott Waring
Using Sources To Examine The American Constitution And Events Leading To Its Construction, Daniel Cowgill Ii, Scott Waring
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
In this article, the authors present an approach for how history educators can teach students about the United States Constitution through the use of the SOURCES framework. With the SOURCES framework, students are asked to critically examine the past in a structured way that replicates the methods conducted by historians and other social scientists. Students were given the opportunity to analyze conflicting information from a variety of sources, identify multiple perspectives about how the Constitution should be constructed, explore multiple avenues of causality, and draw conclusions about how and why the Constitution was actually written.
History Literacy And Visual Informational Texts: Scrutinizing Photographs Beyond Their Borders, John H. Bickford Iii, Molly Sigler Bickford, Cynthia Waldman Rich
History Literacy And Visual Informational Texts: Scrutinizing Photographs Beyond Their Borders, John H. Bickford Iii, Molly Sigler Bickford, Cynthia Waldman Rich
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
State and national initiatives prescribe, among other things, increases in students’ reading of informational texts and uses of diverse literacies. History educators must purposefully integrate informational texts with literacy strategies that facilitate historical thinking. Students are to analyze and scrutinize, not simply read or view. This paper refines previously suggested photograph analysis methods to consider a photographer’s influence both within and beyond the photograph’s borders. Our modification centers on the diverse, and hitherto unexplored, ways in which the photographer influences the viewer’s understanding of the photograph and the historical event that is captured. We offer informational texts and discipline-appropriate methods …
Clashing Cultures In Conversations: Engaging Students In The Study Of The Convergence Of Three Civilizations, Kristy Brugar
Clashing Cultures In Conversations: Engaging Students In The Study Of The Convergence Of Three Civilizations, Kristy Brugar
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This paper describes fifth-graders engagement associated with a curriculum intervention focused on the interdisciplinary (history, literacy, and the visual arts) teaching about issues 15th and 16th century migration. I address the question: In what ways do students demonstrate engagement about larger historical themes (e.g. interaction, treatment of others)? In order to answer this question, I observed a fifth-grade classroom over an eight-week period and documented student interactions in field notes. Students demonstrated procedural and substantive engagement during this instructional unit.
Historical Writing, Speaking, And Listening Using Informational Texts In Elementary Curricula, John H. Bickford Iii, Dylan Dilley, Valerie Metz
Historical Writing, Speaking, And Listening Using Informational Texts In Elementary Curricula, John H. Bickford Iii, Dylan Dilley, Valerie Metz
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
State and national initiatives have accentuated the significance of distinct instructional procedures and content. The (re)emphasis includes a strong focus on informational texts and diverse literacies, including writing, speaking, and listening. In short, history and social studies content will likely have a more prominent position within English/reading curricula. Beginning in the elementary grades, the required cognitive tasks foster historical thinking in age-appropriate ways. Students are to evaluate multiple texts representing diverse perspectives of the same event or era. Teachers, however, are not provided with practical curricular guides. To guide elementary educators, this research scrutinizes potential curricular supplements and proffers content …
Feature Films In History, Bryan Jack
Feature Films In History, Bryan Jack
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This essay discusses the use of feature films as historical sources and introduces readers to the ongoing debate among professional historians about films as history, highlighting the strengths and weakness of films as teaching tools. The essay also includes the author's experience with developing a class using historical films.
Excavating The Past: An Archaeology Simulation For The Elementary Classroom, William Russell Iii, Ph.D.
Excavating The Past: An Archaeology Simulation For The Elementary Classroom, William Russell Iii, Ph.D.
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
Archaeology is a branch of anthropology that studies the material remains of past societies. Through the study of material remains archaeologists 1) obtain a chronology of the past, 2) reconstruct the many ways of life that no longer exist, and 3) give some understanding of why human culture has changed through time. The purpose of this article is to help educators explore and encourage the use of simulations and the teaching of archaeology related content and skills in the elementary classroom. More specifically, this article provides educators with a classroom tested, practical, cost effective and hands-on archaeology dig simulation lesson …
Elementary Students’ Attitudes Toward Social Studies, Math, And Science: An Analysis With The Emphasis On Social Studies, Sahin Dundar, Anatoli Rapoport
Elementary Students’ Attitudes Toward Social Studies, Math, And Science: An Analysis With The Emphasis On Social Studies, Sahin Dundar, Anatoli Rapoport
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
The purpose of the study was to compare upper elementary students' attitudes towards social studies, science, math, and to find out whether there si a significant difference between 4th and 5th grade students' attitudes towards social studies. The participants of the study were 4th and 5th grades students (n=348) from three elementary schools in a Midwestern state. Results showed that students held less positive attitudes towards social studies than science and mathematics, and fourth graders hold more positive attitues toward social studies than fifth graders.
Effectively Meeting The Needs Of Military-Connected Children Through Literature In The Elementary Social Studies Classroom, Hillary Anderson, Stacey Cutter, Bethany Hill-Anderson
Effectively Meeting The Needs Of Military-Connected Children Through Literature In The Elementary Social Studies Classroom, Hillary Anderson, Stacey Cutter, Bethany Hill-Anderson
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
There are two million military-connected children, and every school district in the United States has at least one military-connected student (Operation Educate the Educator, n.d.). The stresses on military children have increased in the post-9/11 era, and many educators are not prepared to provide an appropriate school environment to effectively meet these children’s needs. This paper examines some of the challenges military children face in schools and offers suggestions to enable educators to provide a safe and nurturing environment. An annotated bibliography of children's literature that is aligned with the NCSS Ten Primary Themes is provided.
Teaching Justice As A Personal Virtue And Civic Value: What’S An Elementary School Teacher To Do In A Highly Politicized Environment?, James Duplass Ph.D.
Teaching Justice As A Personal Virtue And Civic Value: What’S An Elementary School Teacher To Do In A Highly Politicized Environment?, James Duplass Ph.D.
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
The article provides guidance to elementary school teachers about teaching values and virtues in the current highly politicized enviornment. It provides an analysis of key concepts such as justice, social justice, liberty and ideology and introduces teachers to the concepts of authenticity and autonomy taken from the philosophical counseling movement.
Dear Senator: Young Citizens Explore Civics Through Literacy, Daryl Saunders, Ilene Berson, Michael Berson
Dear Senator: Young Citizens Explore Civics Through Literacy, Daryl Saunders, Ilene Berson, Michael Berson
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This article reviews the components of an integration model for infusing literacy and social studies and provides an example of a civics lesson implemented with first grade students. The gradual release model and research-informed literacy practices are embedded in the delivery of instruction. Throughout the learning experience students use informational texts to develop social studies vocabulary, explore civics concepts, and engage in discussion focused on the content in the text. Students acquire skills in supporting their conclusions with information drawn from a variety books and represent the knowledge they have gained through writing activities. This developmental approach harnesses evidence-based strategies …
Read The Past: Write Now! Responding To Historical Fiction Through Writing, Rebecca Giles Ph.D., Karyn Tunks Ph.D.
Read The Past: Write Now! Responding To Historical Fiction Through Writing, Rebecca Giles Ph.D., Karyn Tunks Ph.D.
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
From the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond, fictional characters enrich social studies by bringing the past to life for young readers. Historical fiction offers a great variety of topics in various formats, including novels, short stories, picture books, poems, and plays that provides useful background knowledge through a glimpse into the details of daily life during a particular time. This articles offers specific examples of how teachers can encourage writing using quality historical fiction picture books.
Arts Integration In The Social Studies: Research And Perspectives From The Field, Julie Anne Taylor, Timothy Monck, Sanaa Ayoub
Arts Integration In The Social Studies: Research And Perspectives From The Field, Julie Anne Taylor, Timothy Monck, Sanaa Ayoub
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
Teaching with primary sources has long been recognized as a vital practice, yet only recently have the educational merits of arts integration come under examination in the social studies. The objective of this study was to examine the use of art by practicing social studies teachers. The findings show that educators are teaching with a variety of art forms with some frequency in instruction, and they view the study of art as having positive effects on students’ motivation and learning. The social studies teachers, who participated in the study by completing surveys, reported that studying images of art improves students’ …
World Views: Creating Significance Of Learning In The Classroom, James Zucker
World Views: Creating Significance Of Learning In The Classroom, James Zucker
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This paper asks why so many students today seem to rely upon memorization of facts and details over critical thinking in the classroom. The paper argues that the current environment is one that privileges a scientific definition of education. This has led to a testing environment based narrowly upon methods of quantitative assessment. The paper connects this problem back to the definitions of education and knowledge of the Cartesian method of Rene Descartes. The paper further argues that recent philosophers of knowledge like Nietszche have challenged this notion of knowledge arguing for a broader qualitative form of knowledge. The author …
Gaming In The Gilded Age, Brian Mullgardt
Gaming In The Gilded Age, Brian Mullgardt
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This article presents both a lesson on and research about using a video game to teach history, specifically the game Railroad Tycoon 3 and its use in teaching about the Gilded Age.
Historical Thinking And Common Core: Facilitating Adolescents’ Scrutiny Of The Credibility Of Slave Narratives, John H. Bickford Iii, Cynthia Rich
Historical Thinking And Common Core: Facilitating Adolescents’ Scrutiny Of The Credibility Of Slave Narratives, John H. Bickford Iii, Cynthia Rich
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
History education researchers encourage teachers to intentionally integrate content, methods, and assessment in discipline-specific and age-appropriate ways. State and national initiatives prescribe such integration across curricula and within all areas of the social studies from early elementary through high school. The stipulation, however, does not provide a map for interested yet overwhelmed educators. This is especially true for elementary and middle level teachers as the majority of historical thinking research and methodological guides targets older students. To address this concern, we propose teachers fuse the content, methods, and assessment with specific historical thinking skills, or heuristics. We model our theoretical …
Channeling Your Inner “Ken Burns”: Research, Films, & Student Voices, Robin Wanosky
Channeling Your Inner “Ken Burns”: Research, Films, & Student Voices, Robin Wanosky
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
Asking students to create a documentary film is one way for high school students to reinforce existing research and critical thinking skills. As they develop their research question, they control their project and therefore decide the direction it goes. An unintended, yet rewarding, outcome from this project has been watching seventeen year olds discover their voice.
Teaching Illinois History Through Primary Sources, Laura Fowler
Teaching Illinois History Through Primary Sources, Laura Fowler
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This articles looks at three major themes in Illinois history: settlement, slavery, and the growth of Chicago. Each theme presents a primary source that helps deepen a student's understanding of the historical issues. Through maps, documents, and census data, students can use digital repositories to better understand the history of Illinois in the nineteenth century.
Uncovering Marginalized Topics Using Webquests: From Atlanta To The Zoot Suit Riots, Gregory Samuels, Michael Berson
Uncovering Marginalized Topics Using Webquests: From Atlanta To The Zoot Suit Riots, Gregory Samuels, Michael Berson
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
A critical part of social studies instruction is involving students in making sense of social issues in the past and present to help inform their decisions in the future. Through engaged inquiry students can tackle relevant topics associated with race, class, culture, gender, language, and nationality and explore how these challenging issues mitigate people’s experiences. Moreover, these issues reflect similar tensions that students encounter in their everyday lives. Although these social issues have historical and contemporary relevance, they often are marginalized in state standards and textbooks.
A Holocaust-Based Investigative Project: Historical Research For Secondary School Students, David Lindquist
A Holocaust-Based Investigative Project: Historical Research For Secondary School Students, David Lindquist
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
Personalizing the Holocaust, that is, moving a study of the event beyond the staggering numbers that often play a central role in units about the Shoah to a focus that is meaningful for students, is a necessary factor in planning effective curricula about the topic. This article outlines an internet-based research project in which a personal bond develops between students and individuals whose lives were changed forever by the Holocaust. In addition, the project allows students to practice research skills that can be transferred to the study of other historical topics.
Teaching Lincoln K-12 Workshop: Knowledge Gains And Teaching Intentions, Caroline Pryor, Brandt Pryor
Teaching Lincoln K-12 Workshop: Knowledge Gains And Teaching Intentions, Caroline Pryor, Brandt Pryor
The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies
This mixed methods study evaluated a professional development workshop for teachers funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH’s online evaluation found that most teachers believed the workshop to be an extraordinary learning experience, but information about teacher knowledge gain and their intended use of this knowledge was needed. An in-house study evaluated the workshop’s four major areas: (a) content scholars, (b) advance readings, (c) museum scholars, and (d) Lincoln Landmarks. For each area, the study measured (a) the utility for the teacher’s instruction, (b) the amount of knowledge gained in the workshop, and (c) the likelihood that …