Education Commons^™

How Teachers Can Guide Library Book Selection To Maximize The Value Of Independent Reading Time, Sherri Weber

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

This article shares a classroom application to support literacy development through a teacher-librarian guided book selection program. Twenty students participated in the program which demonstrated the importance of the relationship between the school librarian and classroom teacher. These professionals worked together to guide students to choose library books at their recreational level for independent reading time. The guidance program appeared to impact students' confidence in their reading and in their ability to choose appropriate books. Suggestions for teachers and librarians are discussed.

Supporting Primary Students’ Story Writing By Including Retellings, Talk, And Drama With Strategy Instruction, Zoi A. Traga Philippakos, Sarah Munsell, Logan B. Robinson

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Story writing and story grammar have been studied extensively in an effort to improve students’ reading comprehension. Instruction on story structure and on elements of stories can improve the writing quality of students’ papers. This paper explains a process of supporting primary-grade students’ story writing. The approach is based on strategy instruction and incorporates talk and dramatic play as ways to support the development of characters, descriptions of characters and events, and dialogue between characters. Guidelines are provided and step-by-step directions for teachers to use this work with their students.

Children’S Negotiations Of Visualization Skills During A Design-Based Learning Experience Using Nondigital And Digital Techniques, Shaunna Smith

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In the context of a 10-day summer camp makerspace experience that employed design-based learning (DBL) strategies, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to better understand the ways in which children use visualization skills to negotiate design as they move back and forth between the world of nondigital design techniques (i.e., drawing, 3-D drawing with hot glue, sculpture, discussion, writing) and digital technologies (i.e., 3-D scanning, 3-D modeling, 3-D printing). Participants included 20 children aged 6–12. This research was guided by Vossoughi, Hooper, and Escudé’s (2016) call for explicit attention to pedagogical practices during the integration of “making” activities. …

Barriers To School-Based Parent Involvement While Living In Public Housing: A Mother’S Perspective, Stephanie Lechuga-Peña, Daniel Brisson

The Qualitative Report

Parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. This qualitative study explored school-based parent involvement barriers experienced by nine low-income mothers. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from mothers participating in a community-based program offered in a large public housing neighborhood. Findings included three main barriers: (a) cultural and language differences in their children’s school, (b) undertones of racism from teachers and parents, and (c) being the primary caregiver or sole provider for their children. Although all parents experience challenges to school involvement, low-income mothers face additional obstacles preventing them from engaging in their …

Tinkering With Logo In An Elementary Mathematics Methods Course, Keri Duncan Valentine

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

With an increased push to integrate coding and computational literacy in K–12 learning environments, teacher educators will need to consider ways they might support preservice teachers (PSTs). This paper details a tinkering approach used to engage PSTs in thinking computationally as they worked with geometric concepts they will be expected to teach in K–5. Experiences programming in Logo to construct authentic artifacts in the form of two-dimensional geometric graphics not only supported PSTs’ understanding of core geometric and spatial concepts, but also helped them to make connections between mathematics and computational literacy. Artifacts and discourse are discussed as they relate …

An Alternative Pathway To Elementary Teaching, Lotta Larson, Tom Vontz

Educational Considerations

This article describes an alternative pathway to elementary teaching through the MAT online program at Kansas State University.

Responding To Interactive Troubles – Implications For School Culture, Gro E. Lund, John M. Winslade

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Responding to interactive troubles in schools can create processes of exclusion and marginalization. Certain basic assumptions can become knitted into school culture in ways that give rise to specific exclusionary practices. However, it does not have to be this way. Inclusionary ways of responding to interactive troubles can also be produced, given a school culture that nurtures relational ways of engagement. This article presents such relational practices and argues thoroughly for their use.

Lewis, Bengt-Oves, And Thobros' "Textbook Violence" (Book Review), Elizabeth Pearson

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Review Of "The Age Of The Crisis Of Man: Thought And Fiction In America, 1933-1973", Tim Lacy

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

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

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.

The Green Book: Race, Geography, And Critical Understanding, Mark Pearcy Ph.D.

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies teachers face a number of disciplinary challenges--for instance, insufficient geographic knowledge, fewer opportunities for critical analysis amid shrinking instructional time--and, in terms of confronting discrimination and disparity, an increasingly racially segregated society. Teachers can, however, make excellent use of historical resources and modern mapping tools to empower students in their analysis of the Jim Crow era and segregation in American daily life. This article describes the use of The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide produced from 1937 to 1963 for African-American drivers which detailed American businesses which catered to black travelers. Using the data from these books, …

Review Of "1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed", Jessica Mills

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract 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

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 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

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.

Review Of "Eclipse Of Man, Human Extinction And The Meaning Of Progress", Michael Palmer

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

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

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.

Review Of "A War For The Soul Of America: A History Of The Culture Wars", Tim Lacy

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

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

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

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

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 …

Review Of "A Lakota War Book From The Little Bighorn: The Pictographic "Autobiography Of Half Moon"", Rowena Mcclinton

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

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.

Culturally Responsive Teaching With Visual Art In The Social Studies, Julie Anne Taylor, Okezie Iroha, Vito Valdez

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article explores high school students’ perceptions of visual arts integration in the social studies. In an all-boys, public school in a major metropolis in the Midwest, lessons on art by African American and Mexican artists were introduced in a social studies classroom. To assess the impact of the program, the students’ anonymous responses to two surveys and their work on a collaborative, digital portfolio were analyzed. The findings of this study suggest that arts integration in the social studies increases students’ interest in learning, appreciation of culture, and understanding of history.

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

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.