EDMS 471
SOCIAL STUDIES IN A
MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
[Spring
2007]
| Instructor: Norman
Rose, PhD |
E-mail
[email protected] |
Phone
664-2403 |
|
(Note: If I'm not in my office, you'll get faster results with e-mail
instead of voicemail) |
Office:
Stevenson 2010G
Mon. 11:45am-1:45pm |
|
Class Web
site:
http://whizkidz.org
|
|
|
|
 This
space reserved for important announcements.
Always
check here before scrolling down for assignments.
My Offices: Stevenson 2010G and Via E-mail
If you want to meet with me, you can drop by during
my office hours, but it's best to schedule a time. Send me an e-mail
and allow for time to get my reply, or talk to me during a class
break to arrange a time.
My "virtual" office is open most days from early morning until
early evening. You can ask me about the assignments or schedule a
meeting. Just click the e-mail link above to reach me.
In case of
emergency or early dismissal...
In some rare cases, class
may need to be cancelled or dismissed early. For cancellations, turn
in all homework that is due via e-mail attachment. Always put
your real name and 471 as part of the subject line so I know the
attachment is safe! Then come to this website to find any
further instructions on class work.
For early dismissal, you
will turn in homework in class and we will have a normal but
shortened session. Then come to this website for further
instructions on how to fulfill the rest of our class work.
About this syllabus
Don't
print out this syllabus. It's still under construction. It's
probably good down to Class 2, except the Assignment percentages
might change. We'll talk about it all in class, and I will let you
know when the schedule and assignments are in finished form in class
and/or in this announcement box.
Here is a
link to download a Word document on writing with more analysis:
Including Analysis in Your Writing
|
Required Texts
Recommended Texts/Readings
·
Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New
York: W.W. Norton
·
Slapin, B., & Seale, D. (Eds.) (2003). A broken flute.
Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira.
Please suggest Social Studies websites— including
weblinks to websites that provide alternative curricula, and multiple current
and historical perspectives—and other ideas for the site to your professor.
Course Overview/Philosophy
This course asks you to develop your own theoretical
framework for elementary social studies education, including your own view of
what the content for elementary social studies education should include. You
will use this theoretical framework to evaluate the California curriculum
content framework and standards in social studies, and official social studies
text, as well as an alternative text. You will develop a sense of how to
integrate the California social studies framework and standards with alternative
content within a critical multicultural social studies unit that emphasizes
social justice, caring, and equity. You will also be encouraged to explore
integrating social studies content with other academic discipline areas.
This course will help you to plan, develop, and teach (if
possible) the social studies lessons that you will develop over the semester as
a member of a grade level group. You will work individually or in pairs to
critique an official social studies text and an alternative text. Also, based
on the premise that the most effective teaching and learning begin with
students’ own “funds of knowledge,” you will be encouraged to continue to
explore your own cultural scripts, taken-for-granted assumptions, and
identities. Indeed, the reflective course assignments are geared towards
helping you to see yourself more clearly as a cultural being, participating in a
historical context, with particular knowledge that relates to the groups with
which you identify, and your regular social practices. As a teacher-researcher
and historian, geographer, economist, political scientist and all round student
of the community, society, and world in which you live, you will be encouraged
to continue to step outside of what is “familiar” to you, and begin to look at
your cultural world “through different eyes.”
NB:
·
Several of the course objectives will be realized by on-line
activities so you need access to a computer and the internet.
·
Collect your course reading notes, class notes, deliberations on
theories, ideas for teaching social studies, lesson plans and final unit in a
binder that you can use in your future teaching career.
Course Goals:
Through in and out of class activities and assignments
you will:
·
Develop your own theoretical framework for elementary social
studies education, including your own view of what the content for elementary
social studies education should include.
·
Recognize the multiple perspectives from which people interpret,
write and teach historical and other social studies
knowledge and social studies texts, including a greater recognition of
your own cultural scripts and biases.
·
Analyze and evaluate the
California Curriculum Content Framework and Standards in Social Studies, an
official social studies text, as well as an alternative text.
·
Become more aware of the historical nature of your own thoughts,
feelings and actions in the classroom and elsewhere.
·
Help students to learn and use existing social science concepts,
basic analytical skills in history and social studies, study skills, case
studies, and active forms of critical multicultural, social studies learning,
including research, cooperative projects, simulations, and debates.
·
Develop, in groups, a
culturally-responsive, integrated critical multicultural studies social studies
unit that emphasizes social justice, caring, and equity, and construct
individual lesson plans within these group-created units.
·
Use the internet and software such as Power Point to develop and
present these units and lessons.
Graded Assignments:
The four main assignments in this course are outlined
below. Full descriptions, instructions, and rubrics for carrying out the
assignments may be found in the Appendix to this syllabus. (Click each
assignment link to go directly to its description.) All of the
assignments are connected, and each assignment builds on the preceding one.
Assignments are graded on the basis of rubrics that you may also find in the
appendix.
|
ASSIGNMENT 1 |
PURPOSE |
DUE DATE |
% GRADE |
|
A.
Personal cultural history reflection of social studies, and responses |
Designed to help
students become more aware of how historical public cultural scripts,
like their social studies experiences as children, shape their thinking,
feeling, believing and acting, including their choice of social studies
pedagogy and content. |
Class 3 (responses) |
5 % |
|
B. Personal
reflection on course |
Class 15 |
5% |
|
ASSIGNMENT 2 |
PURPOSE |
DUE DATE |
% GRADE |
|
|
|
Bring hard copy of
your weekly response to class. Hand in responses in course binder on
Weeks 6 & 11 |
|
|
ASSIGNMENT 4 |
PURPOSE |
DUE DATE |
% GRADE |
|
Social
Studies lesson plans & unit (40%)—4
out of 8 possible individual lesson plans. Begin to construct from week
3. Develop and include one of the lessons in your final group unit.
|
|
|
40 % |
|
ASSIGNMENT 5 |
PURPOSE |
DUE DATE |
% GRADE |
|
Midterm/Inter-active Assessment |
|
|
5
% |
|
ASSIGNMENT 6 |
PURPOSE |
DUE DATE |
% GRADE |
|
Course Attendance and Participation |
|
|
5
% |
Expectations
It is expected that all assignments will be carried out
and will reflect dialogue and thinking about how we as well as others embody
culture, in particular the core cultural and Social Studies issues of this
course. If you have any concerns about the demands of the course, please bring
them to the instructor. You are expected to enjoy and get the maximum out of the
course. To this end, the instructor will work with you to help you complete your
assignments.
Your attendance at every class is important, not only to
your own experience, but also to that of your fellow students. Normally, you
are allowed one absence before your grade is affected. Please notify me
PRIOR to the class that you will be unable to attend, unless of course this is
impossible. When you are in class, I expect your participation in dialogue and
class activities within cultural limits.
If necessary, you will learn how to use WebCT during the
first class session. You will post certain assignments to WebCT so that they can
be read by your colleagues. As mentioned above, please be prepared to hand in
hard copies of assignments where requested to the instructor.
Disability Statement
If you have a disability that requires accommodation in
this class, you must notify the instructor before the end of the second week of
class regarding the nature of the accommodation you need. You must register with
the campus Disability Resource Center, which is located in Salazar Hall
(664-2677). The Center will then provide you written documentation of your
verified disability and the recommended accommodation, which you must then
present to the instructor.
SCHEDULE
At the beginning of each class, students will discuss the
class question for the day (written in the syllabus). After this dialogue, there
will be a short “check-in” during which students are encouraged to share ideas,
classroom stories, and concerns.
|
CLASS 1:
OVERVIEW OF COURSE
§
Introductions
§
Developing
the class climate.
§
Assignments, rubrics, and WebCT explained.
§
Qs: What
is Social Studies Education? Why do many children find social studies
boring?
Click one
of these links if you missed class or to add to your study notes:
Intro as Word Doc or
Intro as Web
Powerpoint
§
Review of
key concepts and theoretical frameworks in critical multicultural
education, education for anti-racism, caring, equity, and social
justice.
§
Lindquist:
Putting social studies at the center of the elementary classroom.
§
History text: Zinn or Takaki?
§
Set up
Grade level teams/Reading groups. |
|
CLASS 2: WHAT IS HISTORICAL
KNOWLEDGE?
·
Curriculum
Focus—Anthropology/Social Psych.
§
Social
Studies stories—group share: What do our stories tell us about what
should be included in Social Studies curriculum at different grade
levels? How should it be taught? Report back main ideas.
§
The social
studies pyramid (Reader—Family, Community, California, USA, World)
§
Reading
groups—Group
discussions of readings and grade level frameworks and standards
§
Grade
level groups—Discuss
your placement. Does it look like Social Studies will be taught in the
class?
§
Begin to
brainstorm possible subjects for units Looking ahead to lesson on the
family for 4th week? |
Homework due
·
Document:
Click link to download
Mythbusters + Response
·
Lindquist:
Introduction + Response
·
Read the California State
Framework and Standards for the grade level in which you are
teaching/observing.
·
Cultural History
Reflection:
Assignment 1a. Tell the
story of your experience with Social Studies in elementary school. What
was the purpose of social studies in your elementary school? What was
the content of the curriculum? How was it taught? Did it help you to
“read the world”— not just the word—in a whole new way? |
CLASS 3: WHAT MAKES A CULTURALLY
RESPONSIVE/ RELEVANT SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT?
§
Curriculum
Focus: Lesson Planning
§
What constitutes social studies/historical knowledge and skills? Who
owns and defines it? What does California prescribe in terms of social
studies historical knowledge and skills? Report back.
§
Reading
groups—
Identify different theoretical approaches to knowledge.
Report back.
§
Example of
this analysis with a focus on grade 2
§
Share
ideas about relevant social studies skills, culturally responsive
knowledge content, multiple modalities, narrative and oral history, and
critical multicultural pedagogy that will encourage student
participation and student interest in the family. Draw on Lindquist
and other resources.
§
Grade
level groups—Discussion
of developing individual lessons from different
social studies perspectives for week 4, based on “families” (See rubric
and basic learning plan format in Appendix). |
Homework due
·
Document:
Click link to download
The Whole Truth? + Response
·
Lindquist:
Chapters 1 & 2 + Response
·
History
text chapter + Response
·
Re-read
the Social Studies Frameworks and Standards for the grade level in which
you are teaching/observing.
·
Be prepared to
finish reading all of the frameworks and standards by week 10.
|
|
CLASS 4:
HOW DO WE FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST?
§
Curriculum
Focus: History
§
Reading
groups—Discussions
of readings. Report back on theme, theory, and impact on you.
§
Simulation: History as detective work and imagination, the social
construction of knowledge, the importance of context in making meaning,
and making connections across ideas and grade levels.
§
Grade
level groups:
Discussion of your placements and lesson plans on the Family. Choose one
lesson plan to present to the class.
|
NO CLASS MEETING -- HOLIDAY
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ONLINE
Homework
due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Zinn;
Curriculum example.
·
Lindquist:
Chapter 3
·
Chapter
from your history text
·
Individual lesson
plans on the Family
Post to WebCT?
Bring
in a hard copy to share3 in class and hand in to the instructor.
|
CLASS 5: CAN CHILDREN DEVELOP
MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON HISTORICAL EVENTS? IS THIS THE IDEAL? SHOULD
STUDENTS LEARN TO BE CRITICAL AND TAKE A STAND?
§
Curriculum
Focus: Communities
§
Video:
History Alive
[15 minutes]
§
Reading
groups—Discussions
of readings. Report back on theme, theory, and impact on you.
§
Grade
level groups—Discussion
of photos activity as a way of introducing multiple perspectives?
Present perspectives to whole class. Brainstorm other ideas and share
one with the class.
§
Grade
level groups—Dialogue
about developing individual lessons based on community, using Lindquist
and other resources, for week 6. |
Homework
due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Socialization and Counter-Socialization; Curriculum examples from
Houghton Mifflin and Oyate.
·
Lindquist:
Chapter 4 & 5.
·
Chapter
from your history text.
·
Photos of
Santa Rosa community mounted on cardboard (This exercise may be done
individually, in pairs or in groups) |
CLASS 6: HOW CAN WE HELP STUDENTS TO
THINK CRITICALLY AND CREATIVELY ABOUT “TEXTS”?
§
Curriculum
Focus: Communities
§
Video:
History Alive
[to
finish]
§
Reading
groups—Discussions
on Lindquist. What is her theoretical framework? Group report back on
Lindquist’s most valuable ideas to date, especially those related to
building and understanding community.
§
Rubrics
and other ways of involving students in a critical assessment of their
own growth and the merit of the “texts” around them.
§
Grade
level groups:
Discussion of placements and Community lesson plans. Choose one lesson
plan to present to the class. |
Homework
due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Moore &
Clark; Critical thinking ideas; Checklist for Racial Stereotyping in
Children’s Books.
·
Lindquist:
Chapter 6, 7 & 8—Notes: Lindquist’s most valuable ideas to date.
·
Chapter
from your history text.
·
Critical
thinking ideas.
·
Individual lesson
plans on Community
·
5 READING
RESPONSES IN COURSE BINDER DUE |
CLASS 7: WHOSE HISTORY TENDS TO BE
TOLD IN HISTORICAL TEXTS? WHY ARE SOME HISTORIES TOLD AND NOT OTHERS?
§
Curriculum
Focus: The Gold Rush
§
Video:
Gold, Greed & Genocide
§
Reading
groups—Discussions
of video and readings: To what extent are history texts presented from
the perspectives of indigenous people, people of color, working class
and poor people, and women?
§
Grade
level groups—Dialogue
about developing individual lessons based on the Gold Rush, using
Lindquist and other resources, for week 6. |
Homework
due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Northwest
Indigenous Gold Rush History/Chapter on Gold Rush from Houghton Mifflin
·
Chapter
from your history text.
·
Do your
own additional research on the perspectives of indigenous people, people
of color, working class and poor people, and women in the Gold Rush and
other historical situations—post resources to the “Representation”
category on the WebCT.
|
CLASS 8: HOW DO WOMEN, INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, WORKING CLASS, AND POOR PEOPLE FAIR IN
HISTORICAL REPRESENTATION?
§
Curriculum
Focus: The Gold Rush
§
Reading
groups—Discussions
of readings. What is mythic pedagogy? Report back on theme,
theory, and impact on you.
§
Review
Critique of Texts assignment
§
Grade
level groups:
Discussion of your placements and lesson plans on the Gold Rush. Choose
one lesson plan to present to the class. |
Homework
due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Aceves;
Currriculum examples.
·
Chapter
from your history text.
·
Individual lesson
plans on the Gold Rush or environmental exploitation |
CLASS 9: LOOKING AT CHRISTOPHER
COLUMBUS
§
Curriculum
Foci: Columbus/Thanksgiving
§
Reading
groups—With
a focus on either Columbus or Thanksgiving, review the political,
cultural, and socio-economic perspectives have you found in your
reading, and the impact of these readings on your understanding of what
Social Studies is and how it should be taught? Give examples of
perspectives and name the biases.
§
Working in
Centers.
§
Video cartoon from Bowling for
Columbine.
§
Grade level groups—Dialogue
about developing individual lessons based on Columbus or Thanksgiving,
using Lindquist and other resources, for week 6. |
Homework due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Loewen
Introduction, Chapters 2 (Columbus) & 12; Zinn on Bartholome di Las
Casas; Houghton Mifflin.
·
Chapter
from your history text. |
CLASS 10: WHEN OUR HISTORICAL
STORIES CONTRADICT EACH OTHER, HOW DO WE KNOW WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?
ARE THERE MULTIPLE HISTORICAL TRUTHS
·
Curriculum
Focus: Columbus/Thanksgiving
·
Strategic
Interaction
*
Reading
groups:
Discussion of readings. Report back on theme, theory, and impact on you.
·
Grade
level groups:
Discussion of your placements and lesson plans on Columbus or
Thanksgiving. Choose one lesson plan to present to the class.
***MIDTERM—INTERACTIVE ASSESSMENT |
Homework due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Curriculum
example; Loewen, chapter 3; Oyate, Bibliography; Michael Dorris;
Hirschfelder; J. Califf; Background Reading; Lee, Menkhart & Okazawa-Rey
·
Research
on Columbus from other perspectives (e.g. Rethinking Columbus;
Traditional perspectives on Columbus).
·
Individual lesson
plans on Columbus or Thanksgiving |
|
CLASS 11:
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT NARRATIVES IN SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM
CAN SERVE AS BRIDGES TO SEEING, HEARING, AND EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES, WHILE LIBERATING VOICES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN “SILENCED”?
§
Curriculum
Focus: Slavery
§
Video—Slave narratives
§
Reading
groups—Discussions
of readings. Report back on theme, theory, and impact on you.
§
Grade
level groups—Dialogue
about developing individual lessons based on Columbus, using Lindquist
and other resources, for week 6. |
Homework
due:
·
Reading response
·
Reader:
Curriculum
example;
Mathieson
·
Lindquist,
Chapter 8.
·
Video,
audio, and internet resources
·
5
ADDITIONAL READING RESPONSES IN COURSE BINDER DUE |
|
CLASS 12:
THE NARRATIVES OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS + ASSESSMENT MATTERS
·
Curriculum
Focus: Slavery
§
Reading
groups—Discussions of readings; Share resources with group.
§
Grade
level groups: Discussion of your placements and lesson plans on Slavery.
Choose one lesson plan to present to the class.
***BEGIN
TO WRITE YOUR FINAL COURSE REFLECTION |
Homework
due:
·
Reader:
American
Social History Project, Introduction; Resources on slavery; Wills
·
Research
internet sites on slavery.
·
Individual lesson
plans on the Slavery.
|
|
CLASS 13:
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: IMPACT & SIGNIFICANCE
§
Curriculum
Focus: Civil Rights Movements
§
Video: The
Mighty Times: Children’s March
§
Reading
groups— Discussions of readings. Report back on theme,
theory, and impact on you.
§
Share
resources with group.
§
Grade
level groups: Discussion of your placements and lesson plans on Civil
Rights Movement or United Farm Workers Movement or Women’s Suffrage
Movement. Choose one lesson plan to present to the class. |
Homework
due:
·
Reader:
Free at Last; Curriculum examples; Fight in the Fields; Curriculum
examples; Women History; Curriculum examples; Ain’t I A Women
·
Research
internet sites on Civil Rights Movement and the United Farm Workers
Movement
·
Individual
lesson plans on the Civil Rights Movement or the United Farm Workers
Movement or Women’s Suffrage Movement
·
CRITIQUE
OF HISTORY TEXTS DUE |
|
CLASS 14:
GLOBAL SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION
§
Curriculum
Focus: Globalization
§
Video:
Global Village and Global Pillage
§
Reading groups—Discussion of readings: 9/11 and “Target Iraq”, and
video—How do we approach issues of war, violence, and globalization in
elementary and middle school? How do we encourage dialogue about human
rights? Social justice? Social activism? Ideological dreams? (American?
European? Why don’t we hear the dreams of others?) A different kind of
world map |
Homework
due:
è
Reader:
Curriculum Examples
è
Rethinking
Schools online:
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/sept11/index.shtml
|
|
CLASS 15:
EVALUATIONS/REFLECTIONS/SOCIAL STUDIES UNITS: FINAL PRESENTATIONS |
***FINAL COURSE REFLECTION DUE
***SOCIAL STUDIES UNITS DUE |
Appendix
Contents:
Assignments Instructions and Rubrics
1.
Reflections
2.
Critical Analysis / Comparison History Texts Assignment
3.
Social Studies Unit Assignment
4.
Multicultural Learning plan format
ASSIGNMENT 1—REFLECTIONS (10 %):
a) Personal cultural history reflection of social
studies—3 entries—week 2
·
Write a personal narrative (2-3 paragraph minimum) in response to
the following prompt. Post your narrative to WebCT, and bring a hard copy
to class 2. Hand in this hard copy at the end of the class.
Your entry is expected to be a personal story,
not “objective” commentary.
Tell a personal story of your
experience with social studies when you were in elementary school. Be as honest
as you can. Include responses to the following questions—What was the content of
the curriculum? How was it taught? What philosophy/theory was behind it? What
was the purpose of social studies in your elementary school? Was it critical?
What and whose perspectives were offered?
·
Read some of narratives of your peers on WebCT and write a
response to at least one of them
·
Respond on WebCT to at least one of the responses to your own
story.
b)
Final personal reflection on course—week 15
Write a final course
reflection (1-2 page minimum). Respond to the following questions:
Do you have the same
thoughts and feelings about social studies that you had at the beginning of the
semester? Why/why not? How would you now describe the theory that guides your
practice? Do you recognize more fully the historical and current public
influences that lie behind the California social studies framework and
standards, alternative curricula, and behind your own thoughts, feelings,
beliefs, and views on social studies curriculum content and teaching practices?
How has your understanding of historical knowledge changed, if at all, over the
semester? (i.e. How should historical knowledge be defined? What constitutes
traditional historical knowledge? What does “multiple perspectives on history,
geography, economics, and civics” mean? Would you say the social studies
information in text books is presented from multiple perspectives? If not, how
is it presented? In your view, what social studies content should be brought in
to classroom? What are you thoughts and feelings on how social studies is being
taught in elementary schools?) Finally, how have your course reflections AND the
course influenced you as a future teacher?
ASSIGNMENT 2—WEEKLY NOTES ON COURSE READINGS
1) What is the theme of the article; 2) What is the
theory articulated in the article; 3) What impact has the article had on my
understanding of Social Studies and how to teach it? Bring hard copy of your
weekly response to class. Hand in responses in course binder on Weeks 6 & 11.
ASSIGNMENT
3—CRITIQUE & COMPARISON OF HISTORY TEXTS
STEP ONE: ASSIGNMENT PREPARATION
In Class:
Working independently or in pairs, consider some of the critical multicultural
ideas we have discussed in class, and address/answer the following questions.
Write up your responses:
1.
What content
should be included in K through middle school, social studies texts (think in
terms of multiple critical perspectives and modalities)?
2.
Big picture:
Identify the most important elements of a theoretical framework (set of
criteria) that might guide your decisions as to what knowledge should be
included in social studies texts, and how social studies should be taught so as
to engage all students in elementary school. (e.g. Knowledge is socially
constructed/reconstructed, critical, and multicultural).
3.
More specific
criteria that derive from the bigger picture: Prepare a list of the criteria that you will use to evaluate, critique
and compare two texts: one official and “traditional” text; and the other
alternative and critical multicultural text. (e.g. Knowledge emphasizes social
justice; Knowledge is presented from multiple perspectives.) Keep in mind that
your assumptions drive the criteria that you develop as well as your
interpretations of texts themselves. Hence, the information that you gather is
always selective, as are your criteria.
STEP TWO: IDENTIFYING THE TEXTS
In the Field:
Identify an official social studies text book used at
your school site school, AND also identify an alternative, non-mainstream
social studies book that reflects critical multicultural/culturally
responsive/social constructivist and reconstructionist educational theory. This
text may be the text used at your school site. On the other hand, you may not be
able to find an alternative text at your school site. In this case, you may
choose your own or one of the books in the recommended reading list.
*NOTE:
Please bring the texts you have selected to class before you begin this
assignment for a quick check in.
STEP THREE: THE ANALYSIS/CRITIQUE
Outside of Class:
·
Critically
analyze a) the official social studies textbook AND b) the alternative
social studies book, in the light of the criteria you developed in “Step One:
Assignment Preparation—#3.” Then compare and contrast the perspectives presented
in these texts.
STEP FOUR: WRITING UP THE ASSIGNMENT (Typed, 12 pt. font, double-spaced, 3-4
page minimum)
Outside of Class:
In
writing up the critical analysis of your history texts, please include the
following:
1.
Your responses to the questions
in the Assignment Preparation - Step One (listed above), including #3, the
criteria you developed for the analysis of the texts.
2.
Your analyses/critiques should
incorporate the following elements as a minimum:
·
Introduction:
Cite the two texts, their authors, the schools (not specifically intended
audiences.
·
Description/analysis:
What were the content, and perspectives of the two texts? Why do you think the
authors wrote the texts in a particular, selective manner? Do you think the
authors’ approaches are acceptable as history texts for elementary school? Why?
Why not? Would they work in another context? How would you use the texts, if at
all?
·
Comparison
and contrast:
Compare the two texts with your criteria, and with each other.
·
Conclusion:
Finish with a 1-2 paragraph conclusion that addresses how this assignment
influenced you, and the curriculum decisions you will make and the teaching
strategies you will employ.
·
References:
Be sure to reference your ideas if they are drawn from the research of others,
and include a bibliography (Authors,
publish dates, titles, publishers).
·
Turn in a hard copy.
Rubric—CRITIQUE & COMPARISON OF HISTORY TEXTS
The following is an outline of the rubric through which
formative and summative assessment of the Text Critique will be carried out.
The rubric may be further developed in class:
|
CATEGORIES |
Getting There
|
There and Beyond
|
Extra!
|
TOTAL |
|
Official
text:
|
Below 30 |
30-35 |
36-40 |
/40 |
|
Alternative Text:
|
Below 30 |
30-35 |
36-40 |
/40 |
|
Social
studies content, theoretical framework, criteria clearly described |
Below 50 |
50-55 |
56-60 |
/60 |
|
Texts
introduced, described, compared, contrasted, and analyzed in light of
criteria |
Below 50 |
50-55 |
56-60 |
/60 |
|
Conclusions drawn (Candidates took positions)
|
Below 40 |
40-45 |
46-50 |
/50 |
|
|
|
|
|
/250 |
ASSIGNMENT 4—SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT
Optional Field Work Component:
·
Teach one or more of the lessons you are developing in your
placement.
·
Draw on your emerging social studies unit in developing your final
teaching practice unit.
Outside of Class/In Class:
In groups, organized by grade levels (1/2, 3/4, 5/6),
design and build over the semester a critical multicultural, grade level
appropriate social studies unit of instruction. In Lindquist’s terms, make
social studies the center of an integrated, themed unit that includes all of the
social studies knowledge areas, multiple modalities, questioning of dominant
cultural knowledge, hands-on projects, and in and out of class activities.
1)
Generic curricula are less than useful since a curriculum always needs to
respond to the cultural interests and needs of real children. In this light,
develop profiles of the students for whom the lesson plans and unit will be
developed. Create a fictive, diverse classroom, including ethnicity, race,
socio-economic class, exceptionality, language, and gender diversity. (An
example profile matrix will be shared in class and via email). Base your fictive
classroom on students whose cultural profiles are familiar to you. Draw on your
experiences in 470, in your placement sites, and elsewhere, in and out of the
program.
2)
Over the semester, each candidate will develop several learning
plans in the different areas of social studies that take into account the needs
of these real students. At the end of the semester, each candidate will choose
one of their learning plans to contribute to the final themed unit. Groups will
decide on a unit theme that would be meaningful to your students, on that
engages their “funds of knowledge.” Adapt the learning plans if necessary to
meet the rubric. Learning plans will be developed on the critical multicultural
learning plan template in the 471 appendix, including
objectives, “methods,” assessment, and bibliography.
3)
Learning plans:
•
Each learning plan should identify and address the California Social Studies
standards, but should not be shaped by them.
·
Assessment strategies may be authentic, based on observations,
questions, rubrics, and/or performances for your unit. They should be formative
as well as summative. Students should be encouraged to construct their own
criteria for assessment, self-assessment, and to interactive assessment. State
clear objectives AND methods of evaluating if these objectives have been
reached. Objectives and assessment strategies should be LINKED.
•
Each learning plan should reflect online research for information and social
studies activities.
4)
Unit overviews:
·
Each candidate should describe his/her own social and cultural
assumptions and biases, since they always influence our choices.
·
Each unit should describe the profiles of the students for which
the unit has been developed.
·
Each group should use a graphic organizer to develop their unit.
·
Each unit should include one of the learning plans developed by
each group member over the semester. The lesson should include prerequisite
knowledge and extensions so it will extend over a week’s period.
·
The unit should be culturally relevant so choose activities in
your lesson plans that engage the students’ “funds of knowledge” (social and
cultural interests and knowledge). Teaching and learning strategies should be
meaningful to and engage all students (e.g. cooperative group work) by
emphasizing their interests, knowledge and multiple learning modalities.
·
Each unit should encourage students to look at the subject matter
from multiple, critical multicultural perspectives [including the dominant
perspective(s)]. Encourage caring, socially just, egalitarian, and democratic
critical thinking about social and cultural issues relevant to the children’s
lives. There should be an emphasis on “counter-socialization”/ questioning
dominant norms. This is possible even with very small children, within flexible
and culturally responsive developmental levels.
·
Each group should hand in a single unit at the last class session.
(Post to WebCT?)
·
Each group should develop a presentation of their unit for the
last class session. Presentations should be creative, and use technology.
Rubric—THE SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT
UNIT OVERVIEW
|
POINTS |
APPLICATION IN LESSON PLANS |
POINTS |
|
Group
overview (one week per candidate), broken down as follows: |
|
One lesson
plan per candidate, broken down as follows: |
|
|
1.
Group theoretical framework clearly described |
/30 |
Applied
theoretical framework/criteria expressed through lesson plans. |
/20 |
|
2.
Description of students and their cultural needs and interests. |
/30 |
|
|
|
3.
Description of each candidate’s biases and assumptions. |
/30 |
|
|
|
4.
General
context for unit:
Prerequisite classroom experiences and extensions described |
/20 |
Specific
context for lessons: Prerequisite classroom experiences and extensions
applied |
/20 |
|
5.
List of
general teaching strategies:
a.
Critical thinking
b.
Critical multicultural strategies. (How are you critically
engaging your students’ “Funds of Knowledge”, including their
racial-ethnic, parental, exceptional needs, language, corporate-media, &
political perspectives?)
c.
Multiple modalities/intelligences (How will your students be
encouraged to think critically, from multiple social, cultural and
political perspectives?) |
/40 |
Applied
teaching strategies |
/20 |
|
6. List of
assessment strategies |
/20 |
Specific
assessment strategies identified and linked to clear goals/objectives |
/0 |
|
7.
General State and alternative standards identified |
/20 |
State and
alternative standards applied |
/10 |
|
8.
Resources cited—cite
your sources for your lessons (websites, other student unit plans,
curricula, books.) |
/10 |
List of
resources/Bibliography included |
/10 |
|
SUB-TOTAL |
/200 |
SUB-TOTAL |
/100 |
|
|
/300 |
Multicultural Learning Plan Template
CONTENT/CONCEPT
|
What is
the overarching conceptual theme of the learning plan? What are the main
ideas? What content do you plan to introduce and/or invite your students
to share? Is this going to be an integrated learning plan? |
BACKGROUND
KNOWLEDGE/ PRIOR EXPERIENCE
|
What
knowledge/experience should your students have had to meet the goals of
the learning plan? |
STUDENT
PROFILES
|
What are
the profiles of the students in your class in terms of culture
(ethnicity), race, socio-economic class, gender, exceptional needs etc.? |
|
GOALS/
ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
(You need
to know what theory is driving your goals!)
|
What are
your teaching goals for this learning plan? (Content, Concepts,
Process…)?
Will you develop your goals alone, use a text, draw on the
State
standards, involve your students?
Think
carefully about the verbs you use to express your Goals. “Students
will
describe…” is very different from “Students will think critically...” |
ASSESSMENT
|
How will
you know if the learning plan achieves your goals?
What
assessment strategies will you use? Will you use a Rubric?
Authentic
assessment? |
|
TIME
|
How much
time will this learning experience take? Is it part of a larger unit?
|
|
MATERIALS
|
What
materials will you need to make this learning plan work for all of your
students? |
|
THE PLAN:
1.
The Hook (Into)
2.
Procedures (Through)
3.
Wrap Up
4.
Extensions (Beyond)
|
1) How
will you invite students into the learning plan? How long
should
this phase take? What kinds of critical multicultural teaching and
learning
strategies will you use? (See critical multicultural
teaching
strategies below.)
What questions will you ask your
students?
2) Describe what
happens in this learning plan. What kinds of
critical
multicultural teaching and learning strategies will you use?
(See critical
multicultural teaching strategies below.)
What
questions will
you ask your students? How will the students
know if they are
on the right track?
3) How
will you debrief? How will students know if they have met
the goals
of the learning experience?
4) What
kind of extensions will you use with this learning plan?
Will these
be for early finishers or for all students? How will this
learning
experience connect to the rest of the unit or future work
students
will do in this area? |
|
CRITICAL
MULTICULTURAL TEACHING STRATEGIES
(Integrate
these strategies into your description of the plan above. Explain WHY
you have chosen these strategies.) |
What
critical multicultural teaching and learning strategies will you employ
at each stage of your learning plan to engage all of your students? Your
strategies should address the students’ needs, knowledge and interests
in terms of culture, ethnicity, language/bilingual learners, race,
class, gender, and special ne eds. For example, your strategies might
consider second language/standard English language learning, preferred
participation structures (student grouping), and students’ social and
cultural knowledge (“Funds of Knowledge”)? THE STRATEGIES YOU CHOOSE
SHOULD BE BASED ON YOUR STUDENTS’ PROFILES. |
|
Art potentials
|
In what
ways can you embed creative and artistic activity in the learning plan,
or in extensions to the plan? |
|
Technology Opportunities
|
In what
ways can you use technology to help students achieve the learning plan
goals? |
|
California Content Standards |
What are
the California Content Standards that this learning plan addresses? |