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With so much to teach and so little time to teach it, organizing a social studies curriculum can be a daunting task. This session addresses the question: How do we decide what to teach? It is designed to help teachers use the NCSS themes and related academic disciplines as building blocks for the social studies curriculum, and to make teaching more comprehensive.
To help you improve your lesson planning, in this session you will:
Identify themes and disciplines in social studies.
• Identify theme-based concepts and strategies used to teach them.
• Apply content and methodology to your own teaching.
1. Getting Started
Watch the video introduction to familiarize yourself with the session, instructor, and participants. As you watch, consider these questions:
View Video Segment: Introduction
You’ll find this segment at the beginning of the video. Watch for about 14 minutes.
In this video segment, workshop participants explore a new organizational technique for lesson planning.
2. What Do You Know?
A graphic organizer can help you see the relationship among themes, disciplines, and the concepts and processes taught. Use the Graphic Organizer (PDF) to review the NCSS themes and corresponding academic disciplines, then list social studies concepts you teach that relate to each theme and discipline.
3. Reflect on Your Work
After you have completed the graphic organizer, review your answers and consider the following questions:
Key Concepts from Glossary
Discipline-based content
NCSS themes
Authentic intellectual work
Readings
Read each of the articles listed below to learn how themes and disciplines provide building blocks for social studies teaching.
After you read the articles, write answers to the following questions. You can use the Reading Questions form (PDF).
Save your written work to submit as an assignment.
Articles
NCSS Themes (PDF)
Defines the 10 thematic strands that make up the social studies standards.
National Council for the Social Studies. “Executive Summary.” Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.
Operationalizing the Thematic Strands of Social Studies (PDF)
Provides an example of how to develop a unit based on NCSS themes.
Krey, DeAn. “Operationalizing the Thematic Strands of Social Studies for Young Learners.” National Council for the Social Studies.
Authentic Intellectual Work in Social Studies (PDF)
Describes criteria for authentic intellectual work in social studies.
Scheurman, Geoffrey, and Fred M. Newmann. “Authentic Intellectual Work in Social Studies: Putting Performance Before Pedagogy.” Social Education, 1998.
The following video segment provides classroom examples of theme-based lessons in social studies.
View Video Segment: Theme-Based Lessons
You’ll find this segment approximately 14 minutes into the video. Watch for about 19 minutes.
As you watch, note the themes, disciplines, concepts, and processes demonstrated in the classroom examples. Record your observations on the Viewing Chart (PDF), then compare your answers to those of the workshop participants.
After you’ve completed the chart, write your answers to the following questions:
Save your written work to submit as an assignment.
Now that you have observed how teachers use themes and disciplines to plan lessons, apply what you have learned by completing these activities.
1. Developing Teaching Activities
Connecting Themes and Disciplines
Go to Interactive Activity
A non-interactive version of this activity is available as a PDF document.
Save your written work to submit as an assignment.
2. Planning a Lesson
Choose one of the teaching activities you listed in Activity 1 to develop a lesson. If you are taking all eight sessions, continue to work on the unit you began in session 1. Use the Planning a Lesson(PDF) worksheet to help you organize your lesson plan. Be sure to include:
If you are taking all eight sessions for credit, you will continue to refine and develop lessons in subsequent assignments. Save a copy of your work.
Save your written work to submit as an assignment.
View Video Segment: Mini-Lesson
You’ll find this segment approximately 33 minutes into the video. Watch for about 25 minutes.
In this segment, workshop participants develop lesson plans based on the book How Many Days to America? Note how they use themes and disciplines as building blocks for their lessons.
What Did You Learn?
In this session, you have observed how themes can serve as organizing strands for the social studies curriculum. You have also practiced developing a lesson based on themes and disciplines.
Now write a Summary (PDF) of what you’ve learned. Be sure to include:
Save your written work to submit as an assignment.
Refer to the Assignments below to be sure you’ve completed all assignments for this session.
Hartoonian, Michael H., and Margaret A. Laughlin. Succeed with the Standards in Your Social Studies Classroom. Portland, ME: J. Weston Walch, 1997.
National Council for the Social Studies. Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Washington, D.C.: National Council for the Social Studies, 1994.
Websites
Active Learning Practices for Schools
Provides information about teaching and understanding.
National Council for the Social Studies
Contains excerpts from Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Links an annual list of trade books to the 10 themes from the social studies standards.
If you are taking this workshop for credit or professional development, submit the following assignments for session 4: Applying Themes and Disciplines.