The purpose of this course is to initiate formal preparation for teaching secondary social studies.

You will:

Begin a professional portfolio and publish it on a website.
Examine critical integrating concepts of the social studies.
Analyze the role of perspective, paradigms, and frames of reference in understanding social phenomena and apply your understanding in a multiple perspective learning activity.
Study models of critical and creative thinking, inquiry and discovery within the context of a secondary social studies classroom.
Learn about History Day Projects and develop and present a standards-based current history project plan.
Build your understanding of current events and their application to teaching social studies.

Students will address the following National Council for the Social Studies Teacher Education and Minnesota Board of Teaching Standards. Students will apply their understanding of:

1. Culture and Cultural Diversity: How human beings create, learn, and adapt culture.

2. Time, Continuity, and Change: Historical roots based on what things were like in the past and how things change and develop over time.

3. People, Places, and Environments: The world within and beyond personal locations.

4. Individual Development and Identity: Personal identity is shaped by an individual’s culture, by groups, and by institutional influences.

5. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: How institutions are formed, what controls and influences them, how institutions control and influence individuals and culture, and how institutions can be maintained or changed.

6. Power, Authority, and Governance: The historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary United States society and others parts of the world.

7. Production, Distribution, and Consumption: How people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

8. Science, Technology, and Society: The relationships among science, technology, and society.

9. Global Connections: The relationship of global connections among world societies to global interdependence.

10. Civic Ideals and Practices: That civic ideals and practices of citizenship are critical to full participation in society and is the central purpose of the social studies.

11. The integration of the social studies disciplines with the understanding of pedagogy, students, learning, classroom management, and professional development.

If you are a student with a documented disability, please see me as early in the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations,, and/or contact the Disability Services Office at (507) 389-2825 (v) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY).

Readings:

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. 1994. Available for sale at the bookstore(s). You will also use this book in Sost 450.
National History Day. Conflict & Compromise in History: National History Day 2008. Available for sale at the bookstore(s).
The Student Manual for the course is available in the Armstrong Hall Copy Shop.
You will also be expected to read the daily paper. http://www.startribune.com/)

Topics

Week 1, January 15: Introductions. Course Overview. Current Events. What’s going on in our world today that your students will need to learn?

Week 2, January 22: We will meet in ACC 125A!

Creating a Web Page. Professional portfolio.

Review: View the social studies portfolios at http://www.mnsu.edu/sost/program/studentportfolios.html

Learning about current events using the internet.

NCSS http://www.ncss.org/ and NHD http://www.nhd.org/

Week 3, January 29:

Thinking like a social studies teacher: Historical and Current Events Inquiry

NCSS Standards with a focus on Strand 2

Introduction to Current History Day Project

Read: Yoshina and Harada in Sost 200 Manual, pgs 8-11

Review: NCSS Curriculum Standards

**Web Pages are due.

Week 4, February 5: Sign-up for Current History Day Project.

Current Events Quiz

Model of Current History Day Project (NCSS Strand 10)

Review: History Day Materials in Sost 200 pages 12-73 and

Conflict & Compromise in History: National History Day 2008

Week 5, February 12: Paradigms, Perspective, Frames of Reference

“The Business of Paradigms”

Work on Current History Day Project

Week 6, February 19:

Paradigms, Perspective, Frames of Reference

Dialectics, Schemata, Gestault, Piaget

Thinking like a social studies teacher: Standards, Results, Evaluation, Curriculum, Instruction.

Work on Current History Day Project

Week 7, February 26: Paradigms, Perspective, Frames of Reference

Perspective Awareness, Perspective Taking

Perspective Posters, NCSS strand 1.

Read: Hanvey, Robert. “An Attainable Global Perspective.” In Sost 200 Manual pages 77-104.

Work on Current History Day Project

Week 8, March 4: Paradigms, Perspective, Frames of Reference.

Looking at What and Where.

Shape of the World Exercise/Three Storey Building Exercise

Read: Johnson, Clark. “The Template of the Investigative Reporter.” In Sost 200 Manual pages 105-113.

Current History Day Presentation, NCSS strand 4.

Week 9, March 18: Paradigms, Perspective, Frames of Reference

Looking at When and Who

Current History Day Presentation, NCSS strand 5.

Week 10, March 25: Paradigms, Perspective, Frames of Reference

Looking at Why and What If

Things ramify; Effect, side effect, surprise effects; Look for the concealed wiring.

Reread: The story of the Papagos Indians in the Hanvey article.

Current History Day Presentation, NCSS strand 6.

Week 11, April 1:

Student Panel: Admission to Social Studies.

Current History Day Presentation, NCSS strand 7.

**Multiple Perspective Learning Activity due.

Week 12, April 8:

Critical and Creative Thinking

Current History Day Presentation, NCSS strand 8.

Week 13, April 15:

Teaching Geography: A presentation by the Minnesota Alliance of Geography Educators.

**Last call for any revised Multiple Perspective Learning Activities.

Week 14, April 22:

Inquiry and discovery revisited. Asking good questions.

Current History Day Presentation, NCSS strand 9.

Week 15, April 29:

Course Reflections: What’s important in teaching social studies? How can we get our students to see the world from multiple perspectives? How can we incorporate inquiry and discovery into our teaching? What does it take to get young people to produce high quality History Day projects? What could be a Geography Day project? What about Civics and Economics?

**Last call for completed Web sites (Links to MPLA at Skill #3 and appropriate knowledge standard must be complete.)

Final Exam: There will not be a final exam for this class. I will be available in my office from 4:00 to 5:00, Tuesday, May 6 to give you your grade and/or chat with you about your experience in the class. Contact me if you if you want to meet with me but have a conflict with a final exam from another class at this time.

Grading/Evaluation 300 points (detail of assignments follows)

Web Site	40 points
Current Events Quizzes	40 points
Participation	40 points
Current History Day Project	110 points
Multiple Perspective Learning Activity	70 points

A..........90-100%

B..........80-90%

C..........70-80%

D..........60-70%

F...........<60%

Assignments

Web Site (40 points)

You will need to establish a web site. You will have a homepage and linked to your home page will be your professional portfolio. The portfolio needs to be structured using the following:

Knowledge

1. Culture and cultural diversity.

2. Time, Continuity and Change. Ways human beings view themselves in and over time.

3. People, places, and environments.

4. Individual development and identity.

5. Interactions among individuals, groups and institutions.

6. How people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance.

7. How people organize for production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

8. Relationships among science, technology and society.

9. Global connections and interdependence.

10. Ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic society.

Skills

1. Read critically and actively, social studies literature.

2. Effectively apply information technologies to teaching secondary social studies.

3. Apply multiple perspectives to understanding the social world in teaching secondary social studies.

4. Develop strategies for promoting social responsibility among secondary social studies students.

5. Apply an integrated understanding of concepts in the social sciences and history to teaching secondary social studies.

6. Plan and provide a variety of learning opportunities to meet the developmental needs of diverse learners that challenge secondary social studies students to think critically and creatively, be active learners, and interact with fellow students.

7. Design and use multiple assessment techniques that demand high level of performance among secondary social studies students.

Part I. Your web site will be assessed for a total of 20 points on:

A. Is accessible to the public (in other words I can read it).

B. You have a homepage and has a link to your portfolio.

C. The portfolio is outlined using the above outline of knowledge and skills.

D. Each page in your website has your name on it.

Due Week 3

Part II. Your Links to your MPLA will be assessed for a total of 20 points:

A. Your MPLA is linked to Skill #3.

B. Your MPLA is linked to the appropriate knowledge standard.

C. The MPLA includes a title and your name.

D. The MPLA identifies the NCSS Standard and Performance Expectation(s) that are addressed.

Due Week 15

Participation (40 points)

If you are not present you cannot participate; therefore 30 points will be based on your attendance.

Present

14-15 times....... 30 points

13 times............ 20 points

12 times............ 10 points

The overall quality of your participation in class will be evaluated for an additional 10 points.

Quality participation:

-demonstrates that he/she has read and thought about the reading assignments;

-contributes to all class sessions, in small and/or large groups;

-listens well and does not dominate discussion; is appropriately assertive, not aggressive;

-builds upon other ideas presented in class and deepens the discussion.

Current History Day Project (110 points)

You will work in small groups to complete a plan for current history day project which

Focuses on one of the major NCSS social studies strands (each group will select a different strand)
Incorporates one of the National History Day annual themes
Emphasizes a current events topic

Your group will:

Conduct a primary and secondary research on topic which is demonstrated in an annotated bibliography of research materials used for the project (30 points)
Develop a “blueprint” of topic research and analysis based upon an exhibit, performance or media documentary (40 points)
Write a “process paper” explaining (1) the identification of selected NCSS strand and performance expectation, NHD theme and topic; (2) your research; (3) current and potential historical importance of your topic; (4) connection of the topic to the theme and the NCSS strand and performance expectation. (Limit 500 words) (20 points)

As a group you will present your blueprint to the class (about 30 minutes). (20 points) Each group member is expected to participate in the presentation. You will be evaluated on your clarity, comprehensiveness, organization, and how well you

Summarize your process paper
Explain your blueprint so that your peers have a good understanding of your plan for the current history day project.

Multiple Perspective Learning Activity (70 points)

You will design an inquiry/discovery/active learning exercise through which secondary students would examine perspective, paradigms, or frames of reference. It should be a one to three day activity. In this inquiry you will need to:

1. Identify a NCSS social studies curriculum standard and performance expectation(s) to which it relates. {Appropriate to your teaching strategy.}

2. Identify what would be the expected result(s) of the learning for the student. {In the form of “The Students will….” Clear, well written, active verbs. I can see the results. To the point. Doable. Appropriate to the assignment. Students will address multiple perspectives.}

3. Express how you will assess or evaluate whether the results are achieved. {Thorough. Clear. Connects to the results. Descriptions and criteria exist that point students toward a high level of learning and performance.}

4. Explain how the activity would fit into a secondary social studies class. {Appropriate. Identifies a class (i.e. American History or Global Studies) in which it could be included and expresses where it would fit with the curriculum. Makes sense.}

5. Clearly outline in a series of steps that students would do to complete the activity. {Clear explanation. I could do it. Consistent. Appropriate sequence. Anticipated results would emerge. Thorough. Structured or scaffolded so all students can succeed.}

6. List discussion questions that will help students reflect on the activity. {Clear. Questions fit the activity and the assignment. Students are asked about multiple perspectives. Appropriately sequenced. Sufficient number to get a good discussion going.}

7. Explain how this learning activity will engage students in analysis of multiple perspectives. In your explanation appropriately use some of the terminology we used in class in discussing paradigms, perspective and frames of reference.

Assessment: Each of the above will be evaluated for a maximum of 10 points each..

Due Week 11.

Current Events Quizzes (40)

Throughout the semester there will be several announced and unannounced quizzes on current events. Material for the quizzes will be taken from the StarTribune.