Education Commons^™

Integrating Ncss Notable Trade Books Into Elementary Social Studies Classrooms, Tristin G. Lucas

Student Scholar Showcase

Each year the NCSS Notable Trade Book Committee selects “books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text. Each book is read by several reviewers, and books are included on the list by committee assent” (NCSS, 2023). In this session presenters will show participants how to access the current and previous lists of NCSS Notable Trade …

Interdisciplinary Read Alouds: Building Background Knowledge To Support Learning Across Science And Social Studies, Lyndsey Bensel

Michigan Reading Journal

Science and social studies instruction at the elementary level has diminished in quantity and quality as a result of increasing pressure to maximize English language arts achievement. Research establishes a strong connection between background knowledge gained through content area learning and the ability to comprehend expository texts. Deprioritizing science and social studies instruction limits opportunities to explore disciplinary literacy practices which serve as the foundation for acquiring knowledge in different disciplines. This paper explores interdisciplinary read aloud lessons as an introduction of disciplinary literacy skills to elementary students. Interdisciplinary read aloud lessons can also support students in acquiring background knowledge …

"The Blackbird Girls": Designing A Four Week Novel Unit For Upper Elementary And Middle Grades, While Navigating Teaching In An Ever-Changing Digital World, Ashley Kallhoff

Honors Theses

As a future teacher in an increasing digital world, I wanted to create an online curriculum I could use in my future classroom, students all over the world could use, and other teachers could implement in their own classroom. Taking all of this into consideration, I have designed a digital four-week, 20-day, novel unit for upper elementary and middle grades with social studies and language arts dual focus. The novel I chose was a historical fiction young adult text titled The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. This novel follows the story of two young girls, one that is Jewish and …

Examining Elementary Teacher Perceptions And Experiences Of Transitioning From Knowledge-Based To Inquiry-Based Social Studies Standards, Benjamin Stephen Pinnick

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Elementary educators are responsible for the earliest years of student learning in a public setting. The amount of content students are expected to master continues to grow in scope, and the methods that are utilized shift to align with educational research and social momentum. After a decade of Common Core policies, social studies education in elementary schools has become a deemphasized subject. Reading and math, as well as science, have taken a greater precedence in today’s classrooms.

Yet, expectations for the creation of knowledgeable and participatory citizens continue to serve as a goal in elementary schools. Conceptualization of citizenship form …

A Framework For Interdisciplinary Read Aloud Lessons, Lyndsey M. Bensel

Culminating Experience Projects

Science and social studies instruction at the elementary level has diminished in quantity and quality as a result of increasing pressure to maximize English language arts achievement. This approach exchanges short term gains in reading proficiency for long term deficits across many disciplines. Research establishes a strong connection between background knowledge gained through content area learning and the ability to comprehend expository texts. Moreover, deprioritizing science and social studies instruction limits opportunities to explore disciplinary literacy practices which serve as the foundation for acquiring knowledge in different disciplines. The framework for interdisciplinary read aloud lessons developed through this project, will …

Steam Explores Project Based Assessments, Erica Luvone, Loretta Radulic, Joe Mondanaro, Nicole Acevedo, Erika Dent, Ann Rhodes

STEM Month

This year, our approach to STEAM explores project based assessments in the disciplines of science and social studies. Students work in groups to produce projects that showcase work and proficiency. These projects are presented, displayed, discussed, and revisited or revised at student discretion.

Evaluation Of The Availability And Utilization Status Of Texts In Core Subjects In Primary Schools’ Libraries, Valentine Joseph Owan, Daniel Clement Agurokpon, Abahcham V. Owan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study evaluated primary texts' availability and utilisation status in core subjects (English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Basic Science) in primary schools’ libraries in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State. The researchers formulated six null hypotheses to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population of this study comprised a total of 30,036 teachers and pupils, distributed across the 73 public primary schools. A proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 30% and 5% of the available teachers and pupils in each school, resulting in a sample of 270 respondents. …

K-5 Social Studies Content Standards: Investigating Critical Thinking For Informed Action, Oluseyi Matthew Odebiyi

Teacher Development Faculty Publications

Reform efforts in social studies education such as the College Career, and Civic Life (C3) framework encourage students to consider civic engagement and action based on the understanding of real-life social issues. Few studies have, however, systematically examined the foundational documents representing the official state stance on content selection. Fewer studies have sought to understand the affordances and constraints in the depth of reasoning expected from young students in social studies elementary education. This study explored the dynamics of context-based critical thinking within the frame of states’ Kindergarten-5 social studies content standards in the U.S.A. Employing a quantitative content analysis …

The Counterculture Generation: Idolized, Appropriated, And Misunderstood, Rina R. Bousalis

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Students today possess the impression that all members of the 1960s-70s counterculture generation, or hippies, were long-haired radicals who engaged in deviant behavior. This is attributable to the way media has portrayed youth from this era. Contemporary youth have appropriated the counterculture style without understanding the movement. Businesses transformed the hippies into symbolic commodities, thus reducing their historical significance. This paper describes the implications of this shift and how educators should go beyond the emblematic symbols to teach the counterculture movement in a meaningful way.

Social Studies In The Primary Classroom: Why They Are Important, Katie Simkanin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to focus on the importance of social studies topics taught in the primary classroom. I will examine the main social studies and historical topics teachers focus on under the framework of the Ohio Common Core State Standards (OCCSS). I will also examine a local school district’s primary social studies curriculum and interview a primary and high school teacher for their thoughts on the benefits of teaching social studies in the classroom, and what topics they think are the most important to cover for their students’ education and success in the higher grades and in …

Facilitating Experiential Learning Experiences Through A Class Pioneer Day, Ronald Vaughan Morris

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Students experience a reenactment of life on the frontier created by the interaction of their teachers and community volunteers. Students in elementary social studies learn content, skills, values, and dispositions through engaging in experiential learning. The classroom environment is described through a case study of one classroom of fourth grade students with an experienced teacher with deep roots in the community. Teachers develop skills in negotiation with volunteers to accomplish tasks that support student learning. Descriptions of student and teacher preparations in addition to budgetary constraints describe how to replicate the experience. Examples and assessments are provided as well as …

Planning For Student Initiative: Creating A Digital Textbook, Ronald Vaughan Morris

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Undergraduate students enrolled in a university class created an elementary social studies book delivered to computers, personal communication devices, and tablets. Students worked in an interdisciplinary team to create the interactive platform. The students worked with both university and community partners to create the text. The study presented described both the content and the process of student generation of material followed by community member review, and the revision cycle used by the students to create features and components of the text materials. A variety of false starts and marketing challenges reflect the obstacles undergraduate students face when creating marketable products …

Hello From The Other Side: Social Studies Faculty Teaching Biography Within State History Courses, Aubrey B. Southall Phd, Lauren Y. Bradshaw Phd

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This paper explores the opinions and interests of pre-service social studies students at two universities enrolled in a state history course taught by a socials studies faculty member. Findings include similar motivation for learning state history and opinions on interactive history lessons, while showcasing different interests in historic figures.

We Are History Too: Using Text Sets To Honor Latinx Stories In Social Studies And Ela Integrated Instruction, Sara B. Demoiny Ph.D., Jessica Ferreras-Stone Ph.D.

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Recognizing the need include more Latinx voices and experiences in elementary social studies curriculum, the authors discuss using texts sets as a way to develop integrated and meaningful social studies instruction. The authors define text sets, provide resources for creating Latinx text sets for integrated social studies and ELA instruction, and include a specific example of how to use a text set focused on Latinx activism in the classroom.

Up Against A Wall: Combating Fatigue And Oppression In Antiracist Education, Erika Horwege

Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice

No abstract provided.

Fostering Critical And Creative Thinking In The Elementary Social Studies Classroom: Teaching Social Justice Through The Lenses Of Power And Oppression And Site-Based Experiences, Julia R. Wilkins, Chelsea D. Witwer

Dissertations

This joint study in the elementary school social studies setting enacted the explicit intention of facilitating student understanding of social justice. The first study was conducted in a second grade classroom to assess how exploring historical neighborhoods in St. Louis impacted students’ understandings of diversity. Student writings, interviews, artwork, and adult interviews and surveys provided evidence of the impact the curriculum had on the school community and larger city. This study revealed that it is possible for young students to explore hard histories and present day social justice topics through the use of place-based learning and community partnerships. Their learning …

Elementary School Entrepreneurs, Annie Mcmahon Whitlock

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In this paper, I describe the implementation of a project-based economics unit in a fifth-grade classroom in Michigan, titled One Hen. One Hen is a curricular unit designed to teach students about social entrepreneurship as a way for students to learn economic concepts while developing their own civic efficacy by engaging in a project where they design and run their own social business. These findings are part of a larger case study that examines one fifth-grade class’s experience with One Hen and what these students learned about the economic concepts of loans and entrepreneurship. Through the authentic experiences of project-based …

Teaching For Global Citizenship With Young Adult Literature In The Social Studies, Casey Holmes

Educational Considerations

The rapid increase in communicative and technological integration through the late 1990s and early 2000s has reanimated the discussion surrounding the need to prepare young people to be global citizens. While the exact definition of global citizenship is difficult to pinpoint, the global community has identified several competencies that comprise responsible global citizenship. Although this idea has not yet saturated the American educational system, it will now be tested on an international scale when the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation conducts the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) this year. When the 2018 results are published in 2019, “global competence” will …

Teaching The Civil War With An Interdisciplinary Approach, Megan Riehle

Honors Projects

When creating a unit for middle school students in Social Studies, getting students to do more than memorize facts and dates is always my number one goal. Students need more than memorization of facts to fully grasp and have a handle on historical content that is vastly multifaceted. The Ohio standards have deemed eighth grade as the point when students intensely study the Civil War. However, how teachers instruct students on the Civil War is entirely up to them. There is an immeasurable amount of ways to go about teaching such a heavy and difficult topic; however, I chose to …

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

The Florida Joint Center For Citizenship, A Joint Project Of The University Of Central Florida And The University Of Florida, Stephen Stewart Masyada

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework, recently released through the National Council for the Social Studies, offers social studies teachers and leaders a way forward for the development of standards and curriculum as well as serving as a guide for quality social studies instruction. This article discusses connections between the C3 Framework and NCSS's vision of powerful social studies teaching and learning, as well as how the framework and the vision serve together to guide students towards active inquiry and civic engagement.