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Social Studies Teachers Chatboard

Middle School Elective History Class

by Jami

May 31, 2011

Help!

My principal has asked me to teach an elective class next. It can be of my own choosing as long as I have the credentials to teach it. (I have a social studies endorsement) I am having a difficult time deciding. I'm wondering if anyone out there currently teaches an elective history course for middle school aged students.

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Jami Great ideas!! Thanks for the help to all. :)

Jun 5, 2011

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Evan You have mentioned a number of topics. Choose one that is based on your own interests. Maybe one of these ideas will appeal to you:

1. Teach the decades: What made each decade unique--room for culture, sports, songs, comedians, historical events, technological advancements, etc. 2. History through films. 3. Civil Rights 4. Archaeology 5. H...See More

Jun 10, 2011

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meeting with geography teachers in New York City

by Helin

Jun 9, 2011

Hello.My name is Helin.I'm a geography teacher at a high school in Turkey.I have a master degree.(My issue was air quality).Now, i'm making second master about GIS :) I'm going to go to New York City next week (for 2-3 weeks).I realy wonder teaching geography at high schools in US, other countries as well.So, i would like to meet geography teachers...See More

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What does it take to be a historian?

by Kev

Jun 11, 2011

Next year I've decided to really focus in on skills as opposed to trivial facts with my history classes. I've always tried to do this but in really evaluating myself I still have tilted toward to the "make sure they know stuff" side of things instead of the "make sure they know how to know stuff" side.

So, I'm trying to make a list of skil...See More

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Joe/HS/CT 2nd year teachers in Connecticut used to have to submit teaching portfolios to the state which would be evaluated and ultimately lead to the next level of teacher certification. I used to evaluate the social studies portfolios, which were supposed to be designed around "essential social studies skills." Here is the list of skills from the CT SDE we...See More

Jul 11, 2011

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Kev Interesting. While I'd agree those are all imporant I see them all as a component of analysis (and arguably writing). I'll definitely see how I can incorporate them into that idea.

As far as the "moral component" of the facts, I'm sorry but that is nonsense. Perhaps in a non-political world that might be true but in my world most of the fa...See MoreInteresting. While I'd agree those are all imporant I see them all as a component of analysis (and arguably writing). I'll definitely see how I can incorporate them into that idea.

As far as the "moral component" of the facts, I'm sorry but that is nonsense. Perhaps in a non-political world that might be true but in my world most of the facts are taught because someone told us it would probably be on a test somewhere and they are on that test because some interest group wanted to make sure they were included.

When Constantine gets 2 lines in our textbook and Cesar Chavez, who lived 250 years after the end of the scope of our text, gets two paragraphs I think it is pretty hard to argue we're looking at anything other than a random collection of trivia designed not to offend anyone.

On 7/11/11, Joe/HS/CT wrote: > 2nd year teachers in Connecticut used to have to submit > teaching portfolios to the state which would be evaluated and > ultimately lead to the next level of teacher certification. I > used to evaluate the social studies portfolios, which were > supposed to be designed around "essential social studies > skills." Here is the list of skills from the CT SDE website. I > keep them in mind all the time when I'm developing my > lessons: > > Essential Social Studies Skills > > Effective social studies teachers ensure that all students > have the opportunity to develop essential social studies > skills and know that skills and content should be learned > together. > > They provide students with opportunities to think and > communicate in ways that will enable them to develop a working > knowledge of social studies content. > > > Developing essential social studies skills can occur at any > grade level. Essential skills include but are not limited to: > > a. formulating hypotheses and supporting arguments with > content based evidence; > > b. analyzing information and weighing evidence; > > c. critiquing alternative interpretations of history/social > studies so as to weigh the credibility of different historical > sources; > > d. reading critically in order to recognize the difference > between fact and conjecture, between evidence and assertion; > > e. analyzing primary sources; > > f. analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of political > documents; > > g. evaluating the validity or bias in opposing viewpoints, and > drawing and defending independent conclusions regarding > historical/current events based on an analysis of different > resources; > > Hope this helps! Joe > > On 6/11/11, Kev wrote: >> Next year I've decided to really focus in on skills as >> opposed to trivial facts with my history classes. I've >> always tried to do this but in really evaluating myself I >> still have tilted toward to the "make sure they know stuff" >> side of things instead of the "make sure they know how to >> know stuff" side. >> >> So, I'm trying to make a list of skills a historian uses or >> should have. I'm trying to keep them to one-word titles for >> simplicity's sake. On each assignment we do I want to be >> able to point out which of these skills are required or will >> be built up by it. >> >> So far I have: >> Research (looking stuff up) >> Analysis (interpreting information) >> Technology (using a computer to retrieve or present findings) >> Recreate (use art to remake past events or objects) >> Empathy (put yourself in another person's shoes) >> >> What else might one add?

Jul 12, 2011

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returning to teach after leave of absence

by Linda

Jun 12, 2011

Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching three social studies subjects (economics, government, and state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my certification is social studies grades 6 through 12. Any thoughts...See More

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Sara On 6/12/11, Linda wrote: > Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from > teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching > three social studies subjects (economics, government, and > state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to > teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my > certificat...See MoreOn 6/12/11, Linda wrote: > Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from > teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching > three social studies subjects (economics, government, and > state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to > teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my > certification is social studies grades 6 through 12. Any > thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

You're going to have a busy first year - I transitioned several times in my career and that first year is always a doozy and we need to burn the midnight oil.

But it can be done and successfully! It's tiring and it's good to set aside other things in that transition year - sleeping was one of them for me... but I motivated myself by saying I was building a new future and I was and it worked.

Start this summer or start now. Read the textbooks for the classes you'll be teaching. But every night you'll be spending a chunk of time preparing lesson plans for the next day.

If you'll have a room with a computer and video projector, use youtube. You'll be amazed at the interesting stuff on youtube and kids respond very well to it. Teachers videotape their class having a lesson - kids love watching the antics of another classroom. Every day punch in your next lesson on google with the word 'video' or 'lesson' and see what comes up - there's a WEALTH of material online these days.

State History sounds like the easiest of the three - and risks being the most boring. For any high school class especially when you're new and uncertain, don't make it worse by piling on the homework and creating whole classrooms of angry, resentful teenagers. NEVER give homework on weekends or holidays. Never give an assignment when you don't have the previous assignment handed back to them already and tell them that. Parents like to hear it actually. "I have to give these a professional evaluation - I don't like to rush through papers you've worked hard on so I'm not giving more homework until I've done my homework and gotten these back to you."

That single statement will save you a lot of work and hassle.

For government, do simulations. Simulate various structures of government - I do monarchy, oligarchy, pure democracy and for representative democracy we have a mock election. I 'select' a monarch to give them the feel of how it feels to just have a monarch dumped on you.

Then I pretty much teach history - the results of government. I do do parliamentary government because major countries have such a government. But then I look at the results of our government from the beginning with a lot of focus on the Constitution which is NOT boring.

Economics - I'd start with the current debacle. How did we get into this mess? That will get their attention and it's a relevant and timely way to start an economics class.

I hope that helps. And since your background is really geography, I'd end the year in all three classes with a unit on global warming - whether you or I believe in it or not doesn't matter. It's a Hot Topic - if it's true what are the economic impacts of that? What impact is the belief in global warming having on government? (what was the very first initative President Obama took?? Global warming.)

For State history, start with state geography to give yourself a break and help you to feel on familiar ground.

Good luck - you're building a new future! Mine paid off and yours will too. Post back - let us know how it goes.

Jun 14, 2011

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Linda Sara, Thanks so much for your response. You've provided a lot of helpful information. I've already pulled the textbooks and am slowly working my way through them. I've also looked at several short YouTube videos and found a few interesting ones. I'll search for more. This position is quite different from what I am used to, but not impossible to tac...See MoreSara, Thanks so much for your response. You've provided a lot of helpful information. I've already pulled the textbooks and am slowly working my way through them. I've also looked at several short YouTube videos and found a few interesting ones. I'll search for more. This position is quite different from what I am used to, but not impossible to tackle. Discipline and faith in my abilities. Yes, I'll keep you posted. Thank you again!

On 6/14/11, Sara wrote: > On 6/12/11, Linda wrote: >> Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from >> teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching >> three social studies subjects (economics, government, and >> state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to >> teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my >> certification is social studies grades 6 through 12. Any >> thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome and appreciated. > > > You're going to have a busy first year - I transitioned > several times in my career and that first year is always a > doozy and we need to burn the midnight oil. > > But it can be done and successfully! It's tiring and it's > good to set aside other things in that transition year - > sleeping was one of them for me... but I motivated myself by > saying I was building a new future and I was and it worked. > > Start this summer or start now. Read the textbooks for the > classes you'll be teaching. But every night you'll be > spending a chunk of time preparing lesson plans for the next > day. > > If you'll have a room with a computer and video projector, > use youtube. You'll be amazed at the interesting stuff on > youtube and kids respond very well to it. Teachers videotape > their class having a lesson - kids love watching the antics > of another classroom. Every day punch in your next lesson on > google with the word 'video' or 'lesson' and see what comes > up - there's a WEALTH of material online these days. > > State History sounds like the easiest of the three - and > risks being the most boring. For any high school class > especially when you're new and uncertain, don't make it worse > by piling on the homework and creating whole classrooms of > angry, resentful teenagers. NEVER give homework on weekends > or holidays. Never give an assignment when you don't have the > previous assignment handed back to them already and tell them > that. Parents like to hear it actually. "I have to give these > a professional evaluation - I don't like to rush through > papers you've worked hard on so I'm not giving more homework > until I've done my homework and gotten these back to you." > > That single statement will save you a lot of work and hassle. > > For government, do simulations. Simulate various structures > of government - I do monarchy, oligarchy, pure democracy and > for representative democracy we have a mock election. > I 'select' a monarch to give them the feel of how it feels to > just have a monarch dumped on you. > > Then I pretty much teach history - the results of government. > I do do parliamentary government because major countries have > such a government. But then I look at the results of our > government from the beginning with a lot of focus on the > Constitution which is NOT boring. > > Economics - I'd start with the current debacle. How did we > get into this mess? That will get their attention and it's a > relevant and timely way to start an economics class. > > I hope that helps. And since your background is really > geography, I'd end the year in all three classes with a unit > on global warming - whether you or I believe in it or not > doesn't matter. It's a Hot Topic - if it's true what are the > economic impacts of that? What impact is the belief in global > warming having on government? (what was the very first > initative President Obama took?? Global warming.) > > For State history, start with state geography to give > yourself a break and help you to feel on familiar ground. > > Good luck - you're building a new future! Mine paid off and > yours will too. Post back - let us know how it goes.

Jun 14, 2011

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focus walls

by tracy

Jun 22, 2011

HI - I teach 7th grade world history and want to implement an interactive focus wall next year. Does anyone have any good ideas?

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Digital Maps

by Connie

Jun 26, 2011

My school has agreed to buy access/software for digital maps. I know there are various providers, any recommendations? I teach 5th grade social studies.

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Please help!

by abateacher

Jul 13, 2011

Hi, I am currently taking a class on co-teaching and collaboration. For this class, I need to conduct a quick survey (9 questions) on co-teaching and would appreciate your help. It's completely anonymous. Thanks!!! [link removed]

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IPOD, IPHONE template

by Kelley

Jul 15, 2011

Does anyone know where I can get an IPOD or IPHONE template to use for a getting to know you activity.

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Kev On 7/15/11, Kelley wrote: > Does anyone know where I can get an IPOD or IPHONE > template to use for a getting to know you activity.

Not really sure what you're asking for but "ipod template" in google images gave me a ton of options.

Jul 16, 2011

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IPOD, IPHONE template

by Kelley

Jul 15, 2011

Does anyone know where I can get an IPOD or IPHONE template to use for a getting to know you activity.

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TEXES World History Exam

by Danna

Jul 22, 2011

Any suggestions for passing the TEXES World History exam? I have taken it twice - first time received a 213, second time a 220 - going through the competencies one by one and also using an additional study guide - help!

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