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Social Studies Teachers Chatboard

Best Social Studies Lesson ever!

by Matt

Mar 23, 2011

I went on [link removed].

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Kev Strange. I went there and found a site selling subpar lessons I could have gotten for free by searching google or talking with other teachers.

On 3/23/11, Matt wrote: > I went on [link removed].

Mar 26, 2011

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looneyteachr mrdonn.org has tons of lesson ideas

On 3/23/11, Matt wrote: > I went on [link removed].

Apr 10, 2011

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What do historians do?

by Kev

Mar 26, 2011

This may seem like an odd question but it is one my department has been grappling with.

In math class our kids problem solve just like a mathematican. In science class our kids do experiments just like a scientist. In English they read, write and analyze - just like an author or editor.

What would they be doing in history to be hi...See More

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Kev Make sense?

Not even a little bit. Quite honestly it sounded like a pie-in-the-sky way of saying we just teach a bunch of random stuff because that is what education is.

Apr 3, 2011

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TeachLikeYoda It’s easiest to think of the elements of classroom instruction in a flow chart:

Foundational Skills --> Comprehension Strategies --> Tasks --> Content

Actually, a four-tier pyramid would be more appropriate (skills at the bottom, content at the top.) The reason you want to think of them this way, is because the upper ti...See MoreIt’s easiest to think of the elements of classroom instruction in a flow chart:

Foundational Skills --> Comprehension Strategies --> Tasks --> Content

Actually, a four-tier pyramid would be more appropriate (skills at the bottom, content at the top.) The reason you want to think of them this way, is because the upper tiers are dependent on the lower tiers for meaningful learning to occur. Case in point: You can throw as much content as you want at a student; if they don’t have the strategies necessary for understanding the texts/discussions, expecting them to truly grasp that concept is unrealistic. Now that you have the pyramid visualization, let’s define each level:

Foundational skills are among the most basic building blocks of intelligent thought. They can be divided into many sublevels, some of which include items like phonemic awareness, fluency, problem- solving, analytical- or critical-thinking, short- and long-term memorization, motor coordination, visual/audio processing, etc. Depending on which researcher or method you follow, there are between 5-10 comprehension strategies which students need to employ so they can create meaning from texts or discussions. These are items like finding main ideas/details, summarizing, inferring, predicting, generating and answering questions, categorization, classification, repetition, and activating background knowledge. I would place vocabulary development in here too, although some would say it is a foundational skill.

Tasks are the activities that allow students to practice those strategies. When I think of these, I think of content and language objectives. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, and performing are the five main types of tasks. You can get even more specific like, “Reading a textbook chapter,” or “performing a pantomime” or “speaking and listening in a debate.”

So far, these tiers are not subject-specific. In other words, EVERY teacher (P-12 at least), regardless of content area, should know exactly what each of these tiers are for every part of every lesson. In my opinion, skill and strategy development should universally be 50% of instruction (give or take, depending on circumstances). Up to this point, all classes look similar.

Only now do we get to content. This is where the disciplines diverge. Using my above examples, we can see how this would look different in a science and social studies class: “Reading a textbook chapter on zygote development” compared to “...the storming of the Bastille.” Or in math and social studies: “Performing a pantomime of the concept of area” compared to “…the concept of international trade.” Or in language and social studies: “Speaking and listening in a debate on the prime motif in Huckleberry Finn” compared to “…on the reasons and legitimacy of the Monroe Doctrine.” Content comprises the other 50% of instruction, and for upper-level high school teachers, could mean as much as 70 - 80%.

You see that, up until the last pyramid tier, all teachers are essentially teaching the same things and having their students perform the same kinds of tasks. Thus, in most respects, a historian is a scientist is a mathematician is a novelist. The skills they use, the strategies they develop, and the types of tasks they perform are essentially identical. The only thing that differs is the content of those tasks.

Apr 3, 2011

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Anne Frank Secret Annex Online - let me know what you think

by Gilleske Kreijns

Mar 28, 2011

The Anne Frank Foundation has developed the Secret Annex Online, a 3D version of the house in Amsterdam where Anne Frank was in hiding during World War 2. Please take a look and let me know whether you would use this in class as a teaching aid? All feedback is welcome!

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Sara On 3/28/11, Gilleske Kreijns wrote: > The Anne Frank Foundation has developed the Secret Annex > Online, a 3D version of the house in Amsterdam where Anne > Frank was in hiding during World War 2. Please take a look > and let me know whether you would use this in class as a > teaching aid? All feedback is welcome!

Your link ...See More

Mar 30, 2011

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looneyteachr i would definitely use cool stuff like that - there is soooo much out there - i assign homework here kids can pick websites to go to and then they write summary paragraphs for what they learn on each website - i put links to cool websites in folder on my Echalk page (school website) you can check out some of the cool stuff i've found - google Haut ...See More

Apr 10, 2011

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timelines

by Christy

Mar 30, 2011

I need help fast! We have a disagreement about timelines. I was taught timelines should show the span of time similar to a numberline. Some teachers just allow the students to place them in a sequence order with no attention to the time span involved. For example, the space for a five year time span is the same space as a ten year of one year time ...See More

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Lynde What I was taught years ago was that there are 11 Thinking Skills (this list includes identifying Main Idea/Supporting Details, Cause & Effect, Compare & Contrast, etc.). But 2 of the items on this "official" list of thinking skills are a) time-lines (what you're thinking of) and b) sequencing of events. So, my understanding (and this is ho...See More

Mar 30, 2011

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TeachLikeYoda I agree with Lynde - depends on your objective(s).

To simply show sequential order of events, flow charts would be better utilized. Timelines are more than just sequencing. They show time relationships between events and their specific position within a broader history.

Depending on the age and cognitive level of the student, thin...See More

Apr 2, 2011

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Revolution Lessons

by Rich

Mar 30, 2011

I am trying to create an engaging lesson revolving around the causes of the American Revolution. Has there been an activity or lesson that has been particularly engaging and enjoyable for students?

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Call for Participation: Congress in the Classroom 2011

by Cindy Koeppel

Mar 31, 2011

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM 2011 - OUR 20TH YEAR

* Deadline: April 15, 2011 *

Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program now in its 20th year. Developed and sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, the workshop is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teac...See More

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New onlie geography resource -anyone else heard of Oddizzi?

by Janet London

Apr 1, 2011

Hello forum members,

I teach geography at a London Primary School in Barnet and often get frustrated by the lack of and often outdated resiources there are for teaching geography and wondered if anyone had any practical alternatives?

I've gone through a number of geography blogs including Geography games and have been hearing qui...See More

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Janet London On 4/04/11, Simon Westmore wrote: > I have seen this site. I wish this kind of thing existed when > I was at School! > > Well done to the team who put it together. > > SW. > > > On 4/01/11, Janet London wrote: >> Hello forum members, >> >> I teach geography at a London Primary School in Barnet and >&g...See More

Apr 6, 2011

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Susan Neilson Hi! I am currently trialing Oddizzi in Melbourne Australia, it is an absolutely brilliant geography resource. Really easy to use and great interactive activities for the children.

On 4/06/11, Janet London wrote: > On 4/04/11, Simon Westmore wrote: >> I have seen this site. I wish this kind of thing existed when >> I was at ...See More

Apr 13, 2011

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whole class motivation

by richard

Apr 9, 2011

In a class with students failing to buy into the learning of history and its uses, what methods have you found that help create an environment that motivates students to not only learn, but to want to learn as well?

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