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Social Studies Teachers Chatboard

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by Emma Rose

Dec 14, 2011

I will start internship in Social Studies in Jan. How does one teach this course without lecturing? My advisor has informed me that she is looking for a hands-on approach. Although I find history fasinating, I realize most students do not. Any suggestions on how I can make this internship a success?

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Sara On 12/14/11, Emma Rose wrote: > I will start internship in Social Studies in Jan. How does > one teach this course without lecturing? My advisor has > informed me that she is looking for a hands-on approach. > Although I find history fasinating, I realize most students > do not. Any suggestions on how I can make this internship a >...See More

Dec 16, 2011

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Emma Thank you, Sara. I will be teaching middle and high schoolers.I am not sure of the exact topics as of yet. However, I do know it is U.S. history. My advisor stated that she does not want her interns lecturing. In her opinion, we should only teach about 15 min. and the rest of the class should be student oriented. Is this even possible? 15 min. real...See More

Dec 16, 2011

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Sara On 12/16/11, Emma wrote: > Thank you, Sara. I will be teaching middle and high schoolers.I > am not sure of the exact topics as of yet. However, I do know it > is U.S. history. My advisor stated that she does not want her > interns lecturing. In her opinion, we should only teach about 15 > min. and the rest of the class should be stu...See MoreOn 12/16/11, Emma wrote: > Thank you, Sara. I will be teaching middle and high schoolers.I > am not sure of the exact topics as of yet. However, I do know it > is U.S. history. My advisor stated that she does not want her > interns lecturing. In her opinion, we should only teach about 15 > min. and the rest of the class should be student oriented. Is > this even possible? 15 min. really? I am a little worried.

Some days that can be possible but every day? I'd say no. In fact, I'd say if you do the same thing every class - if you would have students working in groups for half of every class - they will figure that out quickly and the worst thing for normal middle school classrooms is predictability. (special needs is different - there routine and predictability are often necessary) But if she means discussion, I intersperse discussion through the entire class.

Most college advisors have never taught outside of a college classroom - they don't know what they're talking about. It's like a doctor teaching medical students when the doctor has never seen a patient. Ask your advisor to give you a sample lesson plan of just such a lesson or better yet - a tape to watch. Ask her to view a tape of what she thinks is an excellent social studies class. (there are thousands on youtube - youtube is the best! Cadge clips from it, not just ideas. Student projects are there and the kids LOVE watching those)

It sounds just lovely to say - teach for 15 minutes, introduce the lesson and then have a "student-oriented" class for the rest of class. I'd say I treat a class as a community and we learn together.

Here's an example that I use often in 6th grade but I could tweak it to 7th or 8th or down to 5th. I don't use textbooks - ever. I could write a book as to why but I don't. I do give out a one-page handout that I've written and with an eye to being interesting. I ask for volunteers to read it aloud. Because it's written with an eye to being interesting - and often amusing - they're good for that handout. And then together - we explore the subject of the handout.

A handout might be the history of the English language. After reading it, I'll show the wonderful family tree of the world's languages on line. I'll usually give them a copy of that too because some see better what's right in front of them on paper than on the screen up front. They will exclaim over that - the quick ones first - "Hey, English came from German!" "Wow, Chinese and English had a common language ancestor!" (the cut-ups will start in- "Uh, what was English's great-grandmother?")

Or I might introduce a question. Or show them something on the Internet. But there is usually one concept that I am trying to get across that day. > Other examples - I start with asking them - when was writing invented - do you think? (of course we can easily look it up on the Internet but I want them to think. And some of them love to think. They'll guess and I'll write the guesses on the board. Then I might tell them when writing did develop but follow it up with - "What do you think the first writing we can find would say?"

Of course they're guessing and the cut-ups guess wildly but the cerebral ones will be reasoning - well, what would you write about in ancient Sumeria? And they like to guess.

And then in these wonderful days, I go on the Internet and show them an image of the cuneiform tablet that we think is the oldest one in existence and I tell them what's thought to be the translation of it.

If any were close (and some of the cerebral ones often are) there's joyous celebration but there's also a wonderful sense of wonder even from the cut-ups- "wow, the Sumerians were worried about money just like everybody is (the first cuneiform in existence basically says - "I sold you oil, you owe me money."

And they leave having enjoyed class and been exposed to worthy historical concepts. No textbook needed, no memorization of dates needed. Weak readers, strong readers, weak writers - it works for everybody and it works even for the ADHD kids cause they know every day class will be a mix of things and unpredictable but very entertaining. And very respectful of them and their thoughts and ideas. > > > >

Dec 18, 2011

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Kev 15 minutes actually doesn't seem too far off to me since thats about 33% of your time though I disagree at least partly with the breakdown. In my average I have 2 "teacher" days and 3 "student" days. I know it isn't PC to say so but there is simply information kids don't have that somebody needs to shove into their lil brains. Just about any textbo...See More

Dec 29, 2011

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