EDUC454/554 Social Studies Methods
Instructor: Doug Bocaz-Larson Email: [email protected]
Meeting Time:
Phone: 287-6656 Office: 124
Office hours/Tutoring:
Course Description: Methods
of
Focus on social studies curriculum and instruction including student-centered approaches, active learning, educational technology, nontextual curriculum, integration, multicultural education, "authentic" assessment, and practical applications.
Text: Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen and My Brother Sam is Dead by Collier and Collier
Instructor
Availability:
I will be happy to work with you in a computer lab at NMSU-Grants at
scheduled times. Please call my cell phone (505-290-1739) or my office (505-287-6656)
or email me ([email protected]) for questions or to arrange a time to me. Email is actually the quickest way to reach
me followed by leaving a message on my cell phone. I check my office phone the least often. Feel
free to ask questions anytime. Most importantly, turn your assignments in on
time and don't get behind.
Attendance:
Your attendance directly affects your grades. Again and again, I see that students with
high attendance learn more and achieve higher grades than students with low
attendance. The most successful student
will be at every class meeting. Students
are asked not to bring children to class.
Students who are not able to follow the NMSU attendance policy are
asked to drop the course to avoid receiving a failing grade. On a positive note, students who show up
on time and have perfect attendance will NOT have to take the
mid-term or final exam. Perfect
attendance means no absences for any reason. Make-up quizzes and assignments will not
receive full credit. 10% will be taken
off for each class period the assignment or quiz is not completed. If
you are absent, you must complete the in-class activity on your own and you
will need to complete an extra credit assignment to make up for missing
in-class participation.
Evaluation:
In-class
Participation 15%
In-class
Activities 15%
Assignments 15%
Homework
15%
Projects 15%
Attendance* 15%
Midterm
Exam* 5%
Final Exam* 5%
Grading scale:
100-90%
A
89-80%
B
79-70%
C
69-60%
D
>59% F
Important Dates:
January 14 Classes Begin
January 19 MLK – No Class
March 11 Last day to drop
March 22-26 Spring Break– No Class
Structure of Class:
Introduction: Start class with current event, seminar discussion, Q&A on any ed topic
Mini-lesson: Teach a mini-lesson created the previous week
Planning: Write mini-lesson plans in class to use the next week
Homework: Do research, find educational websites, and preparing theme related items (such as art projects, food, etc.)
Graduate students (EDUC 554):
Students taking the course
for graduate credit will chose one of the following options: 1) If you have
teaching experience, you may act as a team leader for group lesson planning
activities and critique the lesson plans of the group members; 2) If you do not
having teaching experience, you may write two five page papers (due 3/15 and
5/5) that discuss current research in teaching social studies in the classroom;
3) Create a lesson plan binder that has 120 social studies lesson plans for an
entire school year [you may use lesson plans off the internet, from books, and
from other teachers]. EDUC 454 students
may do any of these options for extra credit.
|
Class Dates |
Topics Covered |
|
1/26 |
Citizenship
(get to know each other, lesson plan format, lesson plan folder) |
|
2/2 |
Citizenship
|
|
2/9 |
Civilization
and Culture
|
|
2/16 |
Civilization
and Culture
|
|
2/23 |
Pioneers
|
|
3/1 |
Pioneers
|
|
3/8 |
Freedom
(using novels in the classroom)
|
|
3/15 |
Freedom
|
|
3/22 |
NO CLASS Spring Break March 22-26
|
|
3/29 |
Midterm
project (based on novels from class)
|
|
4/5 |
Midterm
project (based on novels from class)
|
|
4/19 |
Current Events and Media
Literacy
|
|
4/26 |
Media Literacy |
|
5/3 |
Present Final Projects (any topic, age
appropriate)
|
|
5/10 |
Final Exam
|
Important Notes to Students (the fine print):
If
you have, or believe you have, a disability that would benefit from any
accommodation(s), you may wish to register with the Student Services Office on
the first floor of Martinez Hall. All
medical information will be treated confidentially. After you have registered, please make sure
that I receive a copy of the accommodation memorandum from Student Services
within the first two weeks of class. It
will be your responsibility to inform me or the office of Student Services (in
a timely manner) if the services/accommodations are not meeting your
needs. If you have a condition that may
affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that
may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns
with Ms. Irene Charles-Lutz, Campus Student Services Officer at 287-6629, or
with me at 287-6656.
Any
student found guilty of academic misconduct shall be subject to disciplinary
action. Academic misconduct includes,
but is not limited to, the following actions: cheating; plagiarism;
unauthorized possession of examinations, reserve library materials or
laboratory materials; unauthorized changing of grades on an examination,
instructor’s grade book or grade report; nondisclosure or misrepresentation in
filing out applications or other college records; or violation of computer use
policies. The following disciplinary
actions and sanctions may be imposed for any of the above infractions of regulations:
disciplinary probation, disciplinary suspension, dismissal, expulsion.