Page 257 - Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students 4th Edition

Summary
Because of the diversity of social studies content, the subject lends itself to a broad range of teaching strategies in addition to the ones discussed in earlier chapters. Pre- sentation of content can be enriched through lecturettes and demonstrations, storytelling and the use of visuals, and investigation of primary historical sources and arti- facts. A particularly useful strategy in the elementary grades is teacher and student co-construction of learning resources, such as timelines, maps, charts, graphs, or lists of big ideas. Other sources of enrichment include several forms of creative dramatics (dramatic play, role play, simulations, and mock trials). Field trips and case studies provide opportunities for in-depth study of particular examples of concepts or principles emphasized in a unit. Debates provide an engaging way for students to learn and think about enduring issues, especially those that involve conflicts between basic rights or principles
of justice. Inquiry activities call for students to conduct research on a problem or issue, then synthesize the obtained information and develop a well-argued tenta- tive conclusion or position. When used appropriately, these strategies make social studies more powerful by enriching its content base and engaging students in synthesis, analysis, evaluation, or other higher-order thinking about the content.
Think carefully about your selection of teaching strategies to ensure they match your goals, promote understanding of the big ideas, are at the appropriate level of difficulty, do not call for the development of new content and skills simultaneously, and are cost effective in terms of time and trouble. Using a variety of strategies over time acknowledges diversity and estab- lishes the groundwork for an interesting, engaging, and meaningful social studies program.
CHAPTER 10 What Are Some Other Strategies for Teaching Social Studies? 229
performs one assigned step or task). After a certain amount of time, the two groups could compare how many cards each group created and discuss how specialization and division of labor influenced the results. Students could also discuss the economic benefits of an assembly line as well as the tradeoffs (e.g., creativity and craftsmanship).
Geographical Inquiry: Development of Cities. Students can pursue the following question: “How do physical characteristics explain where cities develop?” For data, you can gather a series of “case studies” of U.S. cities that explain their history and show their physical geography. Through their analysis, students will learn, for example, that cities often develop on waterways for purposes of trade, transportation, and defense.
Reflective Questions
1. What strategies do you consider most challeng- ing for students? Why? For teachers? Why?
2. Imagine you are encouraged by your school
leader to consider incorporating all of the strat- egies described in this chapter over the course of the school year. How would you build them into your long-range plans?
3. How would you enliven a lecturette to engage students?
4. Debate and role play are examples of strategies that have been around for a long time, yet they do not typically occur in social studies. How would you explain this? Where might these strategies be used in your curriculum?
5. Co-constructing resources is a relatively recent strategy being used during social studies. What do you see as advantages? Disadvantages? How might you address them?
6. Storytelling, sometimes considered a disappear- ing art, is resurfacing as a powerful strategy
for promoting memorable learning. What
do you view as its inherent challenges?
How will you overcome them in order to incorporate this powerful strategy into your repertoire?
7. Teachers often associate storytelling with the early grades. What modifications, if any, would you propose for fourth through eighth graders? What are content examples where storytelling could be particularly beneficial and why?
8. Describe an optimal inquiry lesson. Be sure you include the roles and responsibilities for both students and the teacher. What makes the lesson exceptional?
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.