Page 282 - Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students 4th Edition

254 Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students
of social studies. For example, reading about and displaying the works of an artist can enhance the study of a historical period. Adding science content related to technology can enrich understanding of social issues. Using a powerful literary source can add interest and empathy to the study of the Revolutionary War (especially if students can relate to the characters in the text) and help develop students’ understanding and appreciation of the origins of U.S. political values and policies.
Literary sources need to be chosen carefully so as to develop topics in ways that pro- mote progress toward major social education goals. For example, if the goal in the early grades is to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of family life in the past, then a book such as When I was Young in the Mountains (Rylant, 1982) would be an appropri- ate selection to include. If the goal is to develop knowledge of pioneer life, a chapter or two from Little House on the Prairie (Wilder, 1935) might be more appropriate. The latter novel describes the efforts and dangers involved in digging a well. It is written from a child’s point of view—very engaging to a youngster—and it presents a powerful glimpse of pioneer life that enriches the social studies curriculum.
Some forms of subject-matter integration are the result of necessity. For example, certain topics are primarily identified with one subject but require applications of another to be learned meaningfully. Map and globe studies are part of geography, and consumer education is part of economics, but both of these topics require mathematical knowledge and skills.
Recent research on literacy learning (Duke & Bennett-Armistead, 2003) suggests that acquiring skills in the use of informational texts results in both more informed citizens regarding content and higher scores on standardized literacy measures. Speaking and writ- ing skills introduced and practiced during literacy and applied in social studies can enhance knowledge and skills development, as well as meaningfulness, in both subjects. For example, students might be asked to interview business people about an urban renewal project as part of a social studies unit focusing on the city. Using the literacy skills (e.g., using language to communicate effectively for different purposes, including questions and answers) in an authentic way results in acquisition of subject-matter knowledge, promotes a sense of efficacy, and makes learning more powerful. See Alleman and Brophy (2010) for more discussion of integration of social studies and literacy.
Accountability Considerations
The focus of the instruction and the accountability pressures placed on students may be on the knowledge, the processes, or both. If students were asked to write to their political repre- sentatives about their legislative roles or policy positions, the assignment would be primarily a social studies activity, although it would include the application of writing skills. In con- trast, students might be asked to write about an imaginary visit to the White House as an exercise in descriptive writing. If the emphasis in structuring and grading this assignment were placed on the functions of the president, it would be mostly a social studies activity. However, if the emphasis were on technical aspects of composition and form, the incor- poration of text patterns, or on how the student sets a purpose and considers audience, it would be mostly a writing activity—and should not count against social studies instruc- tional time. Of course, assessment and grading could be done using criteria drawn from both subjects.
As another example, students who were studying research skills in literacy and the historical topic of the American Revolution in social studies might be asked to write biogra- phies on key Revolutionary figures. This assignment could promote progress toward impor- tant goals in both subjects, especially if the goals were made clear to the students and the reports were graded separately for compositional features and for historical content.
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