Secondary Social Studies Methods

Tuesdays 1:00-4:00
SZB 278
Fall 2001

Office hours:

SZB 428E Mondays 10:00-12:00, or by appointment, 512-471-4611, msblack@mail.utexas.edu

Rationale:

Welcome New Social Studies Teachers! This course is an introduction to practical methods for teaching content and skills in the secondary social studies classroom. Because learning and teaching are life-long endeavors, it is impossible to acquire all the necessary ideas and knowledge in one course. Therefore, this course forms a continuum with EDC 667, the student teaching internship, where you will have the opportunity to practice many techniques and strategies introduced in EDC 370S. In your teaching career, you will be required to participate in continued professional development each year, so you should expect your knowledge and skill to continue to grow over time. This is just the beginning of what I hope will be a long and satisfying experience for you.

Purpose:

to acquire an introduction to the skills and resources necessary to teach secondary social studies

Objectives:

• to gain skill in classroom facilitation and presentation
• to gain knowledge of social studies resources for teachers, including the Internet
• to practice new pedagogical methods designed to engage diverse students
• to design one unit to be used during your teaching internship
• to acquire professional pride in yourself as an educator

Requirements:

Required text:

• Teachers’ Curriculum Institute. (1999). History Alive: Engaging All Learners in the Diverse Classroom. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute.
• Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Required supplies:

• one single-subject spiral notebook (70-100 pages), one set of colored markers

Required communications:

• E-mail is required to facilitate communication in this course and in your internship. UT students can set up an email account by contacting the UT Microcenter.

Highly encouraged attendance:

• Texas Council for the Social Studies annual meeting in Galveston, Oct. 6,2001.

Assessments:

• Daily activities (TEKS quiz, seating charts 30% various dates draft of culminating project and rubric, etc.)
• Professional Development 25% continuous (includes IN assignments and participation)
• Final Unit Plan 45% Draft due Nov. 1, Final product due Before "Total Teach"

EDC 370S Class Activities:

Policies:

No late assignments will be accepted. All assignments must be typed or word processed. Any student missing more than three classes can be withdrawn from class and will not continue with teaching internship this semester.

Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty:

Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. You should refer to the Student Judicial Services web site at http://www.utexas.edu/dept/dos/sjs/ to access the official University policies and procedures on scholastic dishonesty as well as further elaboration on what constitutes scholastic dishonesty.

The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.

Important: You are required to complete 10 weeks of student teaching for certification. You are required to be at your assigned school no later than 30 minutes before the first bell each day. Normally, you can expect your day to be from about 8:30 to 4:00, with some variation among schools.

Suggested Readings:

Available in the PCL or from the National Council of Social Studies website

• Ankeney, Kirk, Richard Del Rio, Gary B. Nash, and David Vigilante, (Eds.). (1996). Bring history alive: A sourcebook for teaching United States history. Los Angeles: National Center for History in the Schools, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Dunn, Ross E. and David Vigilante, (Eds.). (1996). Bring history alive! A sourcebook for teaching world history. Los Angeles: National Center for History in the Schools, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Evans, Ronald W. and David Warren Saxe, (Eds.). (1996). Handbook on teaching social issues. NCSS Bulletin 93. Washington, D.C.: National Council for the Social Studies.
• Geography Education Standards Project. (1994). Geography for Life: National geography standards. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Research and Exploration.
• Center for Civic Education. (1994). National Standards for Civics and Government. Calabasas, CA: Center for Civic Education.
• National Center for History in the Schools. (1996). National standards for history. Los Angeles: National Center for History in the Schools, University of California, Los Angeles.
• National Council for the Social Studies. (1994). Expectations of excellence: Curriculum standards for social studies. Washington, D.C.: National Council for the Social Studies.
• Roupp, Heidi. (1997). Teaching world history: A resource book. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. Social Education, the journal of the National Council of Social Studies (in PCL)
• Texas Education Agency. (1999). Texas Social Studies Framework, K-12: Research and Resources for designing a social studies curriculum. Austin: Texas Education Agency.