Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons^™

We Shall See: Critical Theory And Structural Inequality In Economics, Neil Graham Shanks

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This paper seeks to provide educators with a critique of dominant narratives through the disciplinary tools of economics. Specifically; issues of race, gender, and geography are addressed via the common economic subjects of fiscal and monetary policy, economic indicators, wages, and economic growth. By providing a practical blueprint for a more critical curriculum in economics, these lessons and the literature that supports them demonstrates the potential of teachers to challenge taken-for-granted notions of what economics is and what it is for.

Teaching Unemployment Across The Curriculum, Natalia Smirnova

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The Economics-Across-the-Curriculum approach encourages the integration of economic concepts into various disciplines. This paper describes several creative lesson ideas about teaching Unemployment which were field-tested by high-school teachers who attended a multi-day workshop at a not-for-profit institution in Massachusetts. We hope that these ideas will inspire high school teachers to try them in their classrooms. Any subject area can be a fruitful ground for the infusion of economics, economic text analyses, or quantitative literacy concepts.

Noodlenomics: Using Pool Noodles To Teach Supply And Demand, Jennifer Leigh Logan, Marsha Clayton

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Supply and demand is a fundamental part of economics at the junior high school, high school and college level. Although it is very important for students to understand and apply this analytical tool, many are turned off by the graph as well as the labels needed. This paper offers techniques for making supply and demand easier for students to comprehend. The classroom activities are mainly designed for teachers of middle school and high school economics, but can also be used as a fun and easy introduction to the concept in a college classroom as well.

Review Of "The Roman Guide To Save Management: A Treatise By Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx", Allison Thomason

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Introduction To The Special Issue Of The Councilor On Economic Education, Mary Beth Henning

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Written by the guest editor, Mary Beth Henning, this is the introduction to the special issue of The Councilor focused on economic education.

Researching The Historical Representations Of Ancient Egypt In Trade Books, Lieren Schuette

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

State and national education initiatives require that historical information be introduced in the classroom through the utilization of multiple diverse texts. The role of non-fiction in the English/language arts classroom, as well as informational texts in the history/social studies classroom, increased considerably. The use of trade books allows teachers to connect the two curricula, while also meeting the standards. Primary sources can assist in filling the informational gap left by trade books and textbooks, which allow students to gain a more balanced view of historical events. Teachers, however, are not given direction as to which specific curricular materials are most …

Historical Representation Of Jackie Robinson Within Primary And Intermediate Level Trade Books, Amy Minor

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Educators today meet national and state initiatives by spending approximately half their time on non-fiction literature. Starting as early as primary grades students are to analyze multiple texts on the same historical topic. Student’s reading levels vary; consequently, trade books can be used to reach each individual child. Due to this, trade book usage has increased. Research indicates trade books can contain possible historical misrepresentations. Few studies have been completed, therefore more research is necessary. My research examined the historical representation of Jackie Robinson within trade books for primary and intermediate grades. After determining events in reading the historical research …

Trade Books’ Representations Of Benjamin Franklin, A Life Of Reinvention, Alyson Diver Thompson

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

State and national education standards require teachers to introduce historical topics through multiple diverse texts, with emphasis on informational texts. Historical based trade books allow teachers to meet both English/language arts standards as well as history/social studies standards. Primary sources help provide students with a balanced view of history that may not be covered in textbooks and trade books, allowing students to gain a more complete and accurate understandings. The standards allow educators the flexibility to select trade books and primary sources for their classrooms. My research empirically evaluated how Benjamin Franklin is represented in children’s trade books, a figure …

Documenting Local History: Using The Library Of Congress Site, Primary Sources, And Community Resources For Teaching Social Studies, Mary Ann Hanlin, Chris Herridge, Katie Janovetz, Cindy Alcaraz, David Mcmullen, Dean Cantù, Sherrie Pardieck

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

In the 2011 academic school year, a central Illinois jr. high school and a private university initiated a partnership to create a local history research project. Through a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Project at the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, teachers and professors collaborated to identify information for research and design the inquiry’s final product for the project. Through the guidance of their teachers, seventh and eighth grade students accessed the Library of Congress resources and town primary sources for research. Historical inquiry included the identification of the town’s origination and important …

The Historical Representation Of Native Americans Within Primary- And Intermediate-Level Trade Books, John Holden Bickford, Lori A. Knoechel

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

State and national education initiatives require significant changes for public schools beginning at the earliest grade levels and within all content areas. Two relevant changes are the increase of non-fiction in English/language arts and the mandate for diverse texts within history/social studies. History-based trade books are a logical resource for both curricula. Teachers must rely on their discretion when selecting trade books because the initiatives do not provide curricular support. Research indicates trade books’ cultural representation and historical representation are inconsistent, yet there is a need for further research as just over a dozen empirical studies have been completed. This …

Historical Representation Of Immigration In Intermediate Elementary And Middle Grade Trade Books, John Holden Bickford, Stephanie J. Meier

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Education initiatives require social studies, history, and civics teachers integrate multiple texts from diverse perspectives and English, reading, and language arts educators spend half their allotted time on non-fiction. The changes are not accompanied with ready-made curricula, which will likely increase the place of non-fiction trade books in various curricula. Historical misrepresentations appear in trade books, yet most topics have not been empirically examined. This inquiry explores trade books’ historical representation of immigration and immigrants’ experiences. The data pool was organized by books intended for students in Intermediate Elementary (3-5) and Middle Grades (6-8), which enabled consideration of spiraling and …

Helping Develop Students’ Civic Identities Through Exploring Public Issues, Jeremiah Clabough

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies teachers need to prepare students for their many roles and responsibilities as future citizens. This includes being able to analyze politicians’ recommendations about public issues and then making informed decisions on candidates and policies to support. In this manuscript, the author provides the steps and resources for an activity that builds students’ civic identity. Through the activity, students examine both Republicans and Democrats’ solutions to healthcare. They use the 2016 party platforms to complete this activity. Through all of the steps of this activity, students start to develop their own political identities about ways to address issues that …

Untold Stories: Using Common Core State Standards To Give Voice To Japanese Americans, Gregory Samuels

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article explores the idea of facilitating the use of Common Core State Standards, more specifically, the Comprehensive Instructional Sequence Model (CIS), in the social studies classroom for the purposes of providing students exposure to marginalized topics or those topics that are frequently overlooked in the dominant classroom discourse. Included in the article is a brief exploration of how the author reflects upon teaching marginalized topics in the social studies and suggestions for implementing the CIS Model, as well as a user-friendly handout to facilitate this model. The provided lesson includes a snapshot of the experiences and daily events of …

What Are We Teaching When We Teach About Religion?, Matthew Paul Schunke

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article examines issues and difficulties with teaching and study religion in the university. Topics discussed include the distinction of religious studies and theology, the problem of apologetics in religious studies, and the role of the scholar of religion in relation to the subject matter.

A Time For Change: Transforming A New Generation Of Students Into Historical Thinkers, Lauren Seghi

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article describes the advantages of teaching students how to think historically in the classroom. I contend that teaching students how to think historically and "do" history as historians do will help them understand better both the past and the present world around them. It also provides insight into the work of Stanford University clinical psychologist Sam Wineburg and educators and authors Frederick D. Drake, Sarah Drake Brown and Lynn R. Nelson. Especially important is my analysis of Drake's 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-Order document approach. My hope is that this article gives history and social studies teachers a new perspective …

Teaching African American History Through Museum Theatre, Julie Anne Taylor

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article examines museum theatre as a means of teaching African American history and culture. After participating in museum theatre experiences in the galleries of the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit, the largest museum of African American history in the country, participants reported having a greater sense of connection to and interest in the past. The study suggests that interactions with professional, costumed actors in theatre sets develop historical empathy and understanding among participants. Historical events seem less abstract, and the impact of those events on people is better understood. This study suggests that collaboration between schools and museums …

Review Of "We Are A College At War: Women Working For Victory In World War Ii", Anne Valk

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Review Of "Saving State U: Why We Must Fix Public Higher Education", Stephen Hansen

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Review Of "The Death And Life Of The Great American School System" And "America’S Public Schools: From The Common School To No Child Left Behind", Michelle Stacy

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Voices Of Cooperating Teachers And Preservice Teachers: Implications For Elementary Social Studies Education, Mary Beth Henning, Eiu-Kyung Shin

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Examining the current beliefs and practices of elementary social studies teachers and preservice teachers suggests that there are similarities and differences between how they perceive their roles as curricular-instructional gatekeepers (Thornton, 1991). Using both survey data and focus groups, cooperating teachers describe their contemporary elementary social studies teaching practices as a blend of stand-alone activities and integrated instruction. Elementary teachers recommend more hands-on activities and literacy development strategies be taught in social studies methods classes. Preservice teachers also reported their preferred teaching practices and rationales in social studies, showing some significant differences from cooperating teachers.

Boosting Chicago: Bird’S-­‐Eye Views As Maps Of Progress, Mark Newman

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Boosting Chicago explores the nature of bird's-eye views, the public face of Chicago views depicted between 1857 and 1916, and offers ideas on using these unique documents in the classroom. Bird's-eye views were popular lithographs of urban communities in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Subjective and incomplete documents, they were artifacts of civic pride. Though little studied by scholars or used by teachers, they offer unique windows into the perceptions of residents regarding their community. Boosting Chicago suggests that views of this city consistently pictured it as a bustling, growing metropolis that acted as a hub and tied its …

Using Historical Court Cases To Explore Prohibition, Kristina Maldre

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The intrigue of prohibition tales and the intricacy of court records present a unique opportunity for classroom use. Integrating historic court records into your social studies curriculum can help strengthen students’ literacy skill set and build historical understanding of social tensions and cultural conflicts of the 1920s.

Rethinking The Social In Social Studies, Jeffrey Manuel

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article reviews new approaches in history, social sciences, and science studies that suggest a rethinking of the social. The article begins by situating the social within a long history of social thinking throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It then examines how these new critical approaches to the social offer useful insights into current intellectual problems in the social studies curriculum.

Review Of "Why School?: Reclaiming Education For All Of Us", Susan Breck

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Review Of "Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City On The Mississippi", Rowena Mcclinton

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Teaching Students To Challenge The Status Quo: Recognizing Oppression In African Film, Roberta Di Carmine

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to share experiences and strategies about teaching race and oppression with African films and promote the use of non-Western films in the classroom. By referring to bell hooks' and Richard Dyer's works, the paper discusses how teachers have a responsibility to create a learning environment in which students learn to be open minded and to challenge the status quo.

African films offer an opportunity to achieve this goal. Films such as Black Girl demand students’ attention but also require in-depth discussions if we want to raise students’ awareness of films as political weapons …

Ten Illinois Oral History Projects Waiting To Be Assigned, Lindon Ratliff

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The article presents ten oral history projects which could be taught by a high school social studies teacher in Illinois. The author discusses the importance of oral histories as well as teaching strategies which can be used.

Review Of "The Making Of Americans: Democracy And Our Schools", Lauren Seghi

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This is a review of education advocate, E.D. Hirsch, Jr's latest book, The Making of Americans: Democracy and our Schools. It provides an analysis of his thesis and content (ie. sources) with a look at each individual chapter. In addition, I provide both praise and criticism for the work and suggest who might benefit from reading this book.

Review Of "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human", Jennifer Rehg

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Grooming Tomorrow’S Advocates: Preparing Elementary Social Studies Teachers Today, Rachel Finley-Bowman

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) upon teaching and learning social studies at the elementary level are already well known. In light of the discipline’s increasing marginalization in the schools, the methods used to prepare elementary educators for teaching social studies and developing professional advocacy must be reexamined. This article, with reference to relevant scholarship, discusses eight key strategies to promote more effective teacher preparation, including a pledge of advocacy, meaningful pedagogy, pre-service professional development, knowledge of curriculum standards, content expertise, curriculum integration, significant field experience before student teaching, and reevaluation of NCLB.