SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY
HIS 3213 Social Studies
Instructor: Dr. Mary Jackson Spring 2005
A course emphasizing Texas’ Social Studies standards. By drawing upon the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills), the student will study the various social studies components; history (particularly Texas history), geography, economics, government, citizenship, and culture. Course will include strategies for social studies instruction in the Early Childhood to grade four classrooms. A field experience component is required.
This course is required of prospective elementary teachers seeking the Initial Teaching Certificate, in accordance with standards established by the state. Although it is often described as purpose is to equip the prospective elementary teacher with tools for teaching social studies to children. But this entails more techniques. It requires that you work to construct initial ideas of social studies teaching that include an understanding of content selection (e.g. How do I know which knowledge and skills are the most important?), and understanding of teaching (e.g. Which ways of teaching best help children learn important knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values?), and an understanding of the critical role of social studies education in school social studies curriculum of the course, you should have a good grasp of the elementary school social studies curriculum and be ready for your first attempt at planning and implementing a challenging and exciting social studies program.
Ten Themes pervade this course. Their implications for the successful teaching of elementary school social studies are far reading. They are:
Course
Objectives
1. Determine which way is more effective to teach history to children.
2. Determine goals and objectives which as appropriate for a quality history program.
3. Learn to apply the processes of history, and to investigate those which have been identified as basic to historic investigation.
4. Teach children to construct his or her own meaning by combining prior information with new information such that the new knowledge provides personal meaning to the child.
5. Discover how to accomplish the goals of facilitating knowledge rather that simply imparting knowledge.
6. Explore the nature of the differences children show, and the nature of the methodology to accommodate these differences.
7. Assess student progress.
8. Determine how and what to teach in the elementary history program.
9. Consider the role of reading, writing, and literature in a quality history program.
10. Examine a variety of technological advances to be used in an elementary classroom.
11. Discover the use of concept mapping in enhancing the effectiveness by the Texas Education Agency.
12. Perform the following, from the Texas Social Studies Standards: 1.1-1.5k, 1.1s-1.7s, 2.1-2.3k, 2.1-2.2s, 3.1-3.8k, 3.1-3.7s, 4.1-4.10k, 4.1-4.8s, 4.9-4.11s, 5.1-5.10k, 5.1-5.9s, 5.10-5.14s, 6.1-6.10k, 6.1-6.9s, 6.10-6.12k, 7.1-7.6k, 7.1s-7.9, 7.10s-7.11s, 8.1-8.7k, 8.1-8.9s, 8.10-8.12s, 9.1-9.12k, 9.1s-9.10s, 9.11s-9.12s, 10.1k-10.4k, 10.1-10.8s, 10.9s-10.10s.
Here is a listing of ExCET competencies for History as determined by the Texas Education Agency.
Proficiencies:
Standard I. The social studies teacher has a comprehensive knowledge of the social sciences and recognizes the value of social studies.
Standard II. The social studies teacher effectively integrates the various social science disciplines.
Standard III. The social studies teacher uses knowledge and skills of social studies, as defined by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), to plan and implement effective curriculum, instruction, assessment, and evaluation.
Standard IV. History: The social studies teacher applies knowledge of significant historical events and developments, as well as of multiple historical interpretations and ideas, in order to facilitate student understanding of relationships between the past, present, and the future.
Standard V. Geography: The social studies teacher applies knowledge of people, places, and environments to facilitate students’ understanding of geographic relationships in TX, US, and the world.
Standard VI. Economics: The social studies teacher knows how people organize economic systems to produce, distribute, and consume goods and services, and uses this knowledge to enable students to understand economic systems and make informed economic decisions.
Standard VII. Government: The social studies teacher knows how governments and structures of power and function, provide order, and allocate resources, and uses this knowledge to facilitate student understanding of how individuals and groups achieve their goals through political systems.
Standard VIII. Citizenship: The social studies teacher understands citizenship in the United States and other societies, and uses this knowledge to prepare students to participate in our society through an understanding of democratic principles and citizenship practices.
Standard IX. Culture: The social studies teacher understands cultures and how they develop and adapt, and uses this knowledge to facilitate student understanding and to enable students to appreciate and respect cultural diversity in TX, US, and the world.
Standard X. Science, technology, and society: The social studies teacher understands developments in science and technology, and uses this knowledge to facilitate student understanding of the social and environmental consequences of scientific discovery and technological innovation.
Text
Parker, Walter C. Social Studies in Elementary Education. 12th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall 2005.
Supplementary References
A list of selected references is provides at the end of each chapter of the text.
Professional Journals
1. Social Education. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
2. Social Studies and the Young Learner. National Council for the Social Studies
3. The Social Studies. Heldref Publications
Course Plan
The course plan will be organized into the following basic sections:
Part 1: Orientation to Social Studies Education (Chapters 1-2)
1. Social Studies Eduation: What and Why
2. Knowing the Children we Teach
Part 2: Social Studies Curriculum (Chapters 3-6)
3. Citizenship, Education, and Democratic Values
4. History, Geography, and the Social Studies
5. Powerful Social Studies Tools; Timelines, Amps, Globes, and Graphics
6. Current Events and Public Issues
Part 3: Planning and Teaching Social Studies (Chapters 7-13)
7. Assessing Student Teaching
8. Planning Units, Lessons, and Activities
9. Three great teaching strategies
10. Resources
11. Cooperative Learning in Social Studies
12. The Literacy-Social Studies Connection
13. Social Studies as the Integrating Core
Course Requirements
Five Exams
Six Reading quizzes
Field Experience
Project #1 Preparing Teaching Plans
Project #2 Doing History Portfolio “Snapshot or Drawings Autobiography or Biography”
Course Assignments
Exam Dates
January 31
February 23
April 4
April 27
Finals Week
Note: Assignments and dates are subject to change contingent upon the needs of the class.
The five exams will be objective and essay. The objective is 2/3s of the exam grade and the essay is 1/3 of the exam grade. The final is comprehensive.
Six reading quizzes covering textbook material will be given as the instructor judges necessary to ensure that students are keeping up with the assigned reading. The lowest quiz grade for the reading quizzes will be dropped as there will be no make-up for a missed reading quiz.
Textbook reading in Social Studies in Elementary School 12 ed.
Dates MWF
January 19 – Go over syllabus
21- Chapter 1
24
26 – Chapter 2
31 – Exam 1
February 02 – Chapter 3
04
07 – Chapter 4
09
11 – Chapter 5
14 – Phase #1 of Project 1
16 – Chapter 6
18
21
23 - Second Exam
25 – Chapter 7
28
March 2 – Phase 2 of Project #1
04 –Chapter 8
07
09
11-20 – Spring Break
21 – Chapter 9
23
25 – Good Friday No Class
28 – Chapter 10
30 – Phase 3 of Project #1
April 1 – Campus Days
4- Third Exam
6 – Chapter 11
8
11 – Chapter 12
13
15 – Phase 4 of Project #1
18 – Chapter 13
20
22 – Project 2 Due
25
27 – Fourth Exam
+29 – Review For Final Exam – Field Experience Day
May 3-5 – Final Exam Days
Your tests, field experience, projects, and reading quizzes will be evaluated using the following proportions:
Tests (10% each) 50%
Field Experience 10%
Projects #1 and #2 30% (15% each)
Reading Quizzes 10%
Grading System
Letter grades will be used to indicate the following levels of achievement:
90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; 59 and below = F; I (incomplete); and W (withdrawn)
Office Hours, Telephone and Email Information
Office A113-C
Office Hours – MWF 11:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
TTH 10:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Telephone – 1.888.YES.SAGU
1.972.937.4010
1.817.247.0732 (Instructor’s Home)
Class
Policies
1. Attendance
Southwestern’s on-campus academic program is designed as an in-class learning experience. In this type of instructional setting, the ability to pass examinations and complete outside projects is only a partial measure of the student’s knowledge, skills, understanding, and appreciation of the subject matter. Therefore, students are required to maintain regular and punctual class attendance.
Absences which exceed twenty percent (20%) of the number of times that a class meets per semester, regardless of the nature or reason for the absences, will result in the student being automatically administratively dropped from the course, receiving a grade of “WP or WF.” (The student will be assessed the established course withdrawal fee.)
A student who is absent from a class is totally responsible to make the appropriate advanced arrangements with the faculty member for possible make up work. The faculty member will have the prerogative to determine if a student may make up examinations or outside assignments based upon the reason for a student’s absence and when the make up work must be completed. However, no point deduction will be assessed to a student’s final grade for absenteeism.
As a reminder, “School Assignment” is no longer given for any type of absence. Therefore, all absences will impact the number allowed by the attendance policy.
2. Tardy
Students missing fifteen minutes of a class will be counted as absent for that session. Every three tardies acquired in classes that meet three times per week and every two tardies acquired in classes that meet twice a week will be considered an absence. The student is responsible, at the end of class, to identify his/her tardiness to the professor. No changes will be made after the date of the student’s tardiness.
3. Late Work/Make-up Exams
Required work such as a project will be penalized one letter grade for each class day it is late up through the fourth day. No further penalty will be given after that, but the work may still be turned in up to the end of he semester.
All students in class on an exam day will take the exam. A student missing a major exam will not be allowed to take a make-up exam unless a valid excuse is presented. A major exam must be made up by the next class day.
Reading quizzes are not considered major tests. There will be no make-ups for reading quizzes. A missed reading quiz will be recorded as a zero. A student’s lowest reading quiz grade will be dropped before averaging.
4. Final Examinations
During the Final Exam Week, a final exam will be administered in class the time that the university has established as printed in the class schedule. No final exam will be given prior to final exam week. Students with scheduling problems may arrange with the professor (subject to the professor’s approval) to take an exam at an alternate time. The arrangement must be done the week prior to Exam Week. The alternate exam time is listed in the Spring 2005 Final Exam Week Schedule.
Graduating senior with a grade of a “B” of higher within the course may be exempted from the last examination of the course if the professor designated if as a comprehensive final exam. However, a graduating senior with a grade of “B” or higher within the course, at the professor’s prerogative may or may not be exempted from a unit exam given during the Final Exam Week.
5. Cheating
Students are expected to be
honest in fulfilling all academic requirements and assignments. This pertains
to examinations, themes, book critiques, reading reports, all assignments. A
student will not be allowed to withdraw from a course if he/she is under
investigation for academic dishonesty. In the event that the student is determined
guilty for academic dishonesty, then the student will not be allowed to
withdraw from the course and will receive a grade
determined by the faculty member, either an “F” for the assignment and/or an
“F” for the course. Dishonesty could result in further disciplinary action (see
MAJOR INFRACTIONS).
6. Miscellaneous
Students must wait fifteen minutes for a faculty member before leaving class unless they have been notified otherwise.
The following policy regarding the posting of grades was approved for 1999-2000. To eliminate any potential violation of the Privacy Act for Students, student’s grades for exams or other assignments will not be posted.
Students are expected to come to class prepared to take notes, to participate, and to show respect in the class.
Please feel free to contact the instructor any time you have a question.
Please use the proper Title Pages for your project assignments. The instructor will provide the Title Pages.