PUTTING THE “SOCIAL” BACK IN SOCIAL STUDIESMaking Social Studies Stick: Active Learning Strategies for Social StudiesBy: Chasity Lewis

Agenda

Welcome Chasity Lewis

Overview of PD Chasity LewisMetaphorical Representation Participants

Making Social Studies Stick Chasity LewisAwareness Activity ParticipantsUnderstanding Awareness Chasity LewisAnticipation Guide Activity ParticipantsPoll Everywhere /Exit Ticket Participants

Why Teach Social Studies? Using a metaphorical representation

create a visual explaining why we teach social studies…be prepared to explain your correlation.

Metaphorical Representation

Social Studies: It’s all about people

Encompasses everything people do to: Survive Thrive Evolve

Keys to Making Social Studies Stick…

Restablish human-beings as the central subject of social studies

Create learning environments and using instructional practices that are compatible with the Natural learning process EVERYDAY!!

Incorporate challenging problems, authentic experiences, and real-life tasks.

All Humans learn in basically the same way:AwarenessExplorationInquiryAction

But I teach that….Teaching has not occurred until learning

takes place

So, what do I do?

Focus on the 3 Areas of Instruction in Social Studies:

Content-human beings as central to the story

Learning-strategies that support the natural learning cycle and build life and social studies skills

Outcomes-present challenging problems, authentic experiences, and real life tasks that have consequences

Laurel Schmidt, Social Studies that Sticks: How to Bring Content &Concepts to Life (2007, Heinemann)

Build Interest and Inquiry Find ways to build interest and motivate

students Leave things open for multiple answers. Increase the level of inquiry in the

classroom. Require students to ask questions. Find real world applications for using SS

knowledge and skills. Use an effect-cause approach to

teaching history.

Have a Plan for Teaching & Learning Content & Skills Recommendation 1: Use concepts to

organize and build content knowledge

Recommendation 2: Prioritize content and vocabulary

Recommendation 3: Be sure to have students DO something with the new information

Awareness At your table make a list of words that

come to mind…

Awareness 1st Question – How is this like other

things I’ve already seen and experienced?

2nd Question – How is this thing unique? What is it all about?

The brain must have this before moving on.

What can you do to support this natural occurrence?

Awareness = Engagement

Other Openers Present an unknown Pose a probing, open-ended question Use visuals to set the stage Use props, artifacts, and art Use current events or well known figures Use an anticipation guide Use CONCEPTS & KEY

UNDERSTANDINGS!!

Using Key Understandings to Spark Interest and Awareness

What are they? Critical global, abstract, overarching

questions that drive teaching and learning within a unit of study.

They press learners to think beyond the confines of the content and make real world connections

They become targets for learning

Social Studies Concepts by Strand

Characteristics Concept-based, not fact-based Timeless Provocative Reoccurring Global, universal, abstract 2-5 per unit at the secondary level

Where should I put them? On the board to guide the lesson or

connect lessons within the unit. As a header for notes. All else points at

answering that question = TARGET To guide discussion or to complete a

discussion web

AwarenessThis is the time to tap and build

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGEExamples: How did Lincoln’s calculated actions

provoke conflict? How did the decision to arm slaves

create conflict in the North?

Why Take the TimePrior Knowledge… has a great influence on student

performance, explaining up to 81% of the variance in post-test scores (Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999).

there is a well-established correlation between prior knowledge and reading comprehension (Langer, 1984; Long, Winograd, & Bridget, 1989; Stevens, 1980).

Why Take the Time Stimulating students’ background

knowledge by justifying responses before reading improves the students’ learning of the targeted content.

Struggling students, in particular, benefit from the strategies aimed at building background knowledge.

Anticipaction/Reaction GuideOne easy way to set the stage, tap

and build…

Step 1 – Anticipate Step 2 – Read Step 3 – React Step 4 – Extend with Writing

Anticipation Guide Point of View

Anticipate & Connect Have students respond to each item

based on prior experience, background knowledge, opinions.

Think aloud so that students will understand the how and why.

If students are reluctant to choose, remind them they can revisit later.

Examples Here’s one example of an anticipation/

reaction guide. They are available EVERYWHERE. They do not need to be fancy. They can be done as a class by

consensus. Just be sure they follow the guidelines.

Creating a Guide Review the text and identify 4-5

important concepts you would like students to learn.

Form opinion statements about the concepts.

Avoid True/False statements Create the guide.

Stamp Act

What are the benefits to building background?

Building Background Poll Exit Ticket

February 4, 2013ECHS

Session 2: Exploration

Exploration Make a list of words that come to

mind….

Problems Activity Using what you know about history, take

the questions and write an answer on the strip

When all questions have been answered sort the strips into 4 categories

Be ready to share your sorting rule

Exploration The inevitable next step. Put as many senses, intelligences, and

learning styles to use as possible! Allow students to formulate new ideas,

pursue hunches, make discoveries and compare learning with others.

You MUST offer multiple avenues as often as possible.

What’s the Big Idea About Problems?

How do we…? Each new question triggered a new area

for exploration. Human life is question –based, moving

from problem to solution, and then repeating the cycle to refine ideas and evolve.

How do I translate That Into Instruction?

Social Studies Instruction Should:

Foster individual and cultural identity Examine the forces that hold society together or

pull it apart. Provide opportunities for participation in the

school and community Address critical issues in the world Prepare students to make decisions based on

democratic principles Teach the skills needed for citizen participation

in public affairsAdapted from the NCSS

Basic Problems and the Brain Its impossible to transfer all the names,

dates, and concepts of social studies to students.

But, the brain will seize upon big ideas that can be examined and applied over and over.

Use for basic concepts for students to use to make sense of the whole of human history, including the present—survive, thrive, evolve, devolve.

How Do People Survive? Paleolithic Era, hunter-gather societies, the

rise of cities The great plagues, dangers and disasters of

exploration Invasions and World wars Voluntary and forced migration Radical shifts in climate Artifacts—tools, weapons, clothing, fire,

animal traps, implements for cooking or discuss fire, heating, shelter, and fortifications

How Do People Thrive? Early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush Development of agricultural technology Rise of cities, trade, commerce Origins of architecture, medicine, formal codes

or laws, Water supply systems Domestication of animals Artifacts—textiles, weaving, furniture, pottery,

baskets, simple machines, boats, plows, carts, and tools to make these things

How Do We Evolve? Development of architecture for distinct

purposes (temples, schools, courts) Invention of writing, paper, books, math,

calendars, art and music. Origins of religions, moral codes,

literature, mythology, science, philanthropy, philosophy, division of labor

Artifacts—maps, musical instruments, pumps, bridges, coins, armor, astronomical instruments

What causes Us to Devolve? Discrimination, slavery, bondage, genocide Invasions and warfare, torture, germ warfare Dropping atomic bombs Anarchy, wholesale looting and riots Holocaust, African Slave Trade, Imprisonment of the innocent Child labor Institutionalized racism, systematic

discrimination, and economic oppression

Retooling Your Thinking: Baby StepsThe French Revolution Peasants, wage-earners,

and bourgeoisie revolted against Louis XVI to achieve economic changes that would allow them to thrive

Nuclear Treaty Faced with the problem of mutually assured destruction, two leaders agreed to stop developing nuclear weapons that could cause widespread slaughter and destruction

Succession Faced with the abolition of slavery, the voters in NC decided that the only way they could continue to thrive was to sever their ties with the U.S. government in order to prevent the emancipation of slaves.

Bricks

What problem were people trying to solve when they invented bricks?

Judges

What problem were people trying to solve when they decided to have judges?

Shelter

What problem were people trying to solve when they invented architecture?

Voting Booth

What problem were people trying to solve when they invented voting booths?

A Dam

What problem were people trying to solve when they invented dams?

Exploration Activity http://www.stixy.com/guest/256758

Exit Ticket3-things you learned2- questions you still have1- thing you definitely take back to use in

class