Chapter7.ppt

Chapter 7
Strategies for Social Studies
Teaching and Learning

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Research on Social Studies Teaching
Goodlad (1984) suggests that social studies has been one of the least-liked subjects.
Ellis (2007) urges future educators to use a variety of experiences to avoid this trend.
In this chapter, alternatives are offered along with explanations indicating how they should be used.
Schug, et. al. (1984) found that students preferred the following social studies activities: (Listed on next slide)

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Student Preferences
Group Projects
Field Trips
Less Reading
Role-Play and Simulations
Class Activities
Independent Work
Class Discussion
Student Planning
Less Lecture
Challenging Learning Experiences
Clear Examples

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Student Preferences
Although Schug’s research was done over 20 years ago, children today respond in a very similar way.
To show this Ellis did his own survey and discovered that social studies can be improved if it includes more:
Group Projects
Field Trips
Drama and Role-Play
Games
Computer Activity
Hands-on Activities
Animals
Environment
Student Interest
Drawing and Maps
Less Reading

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Comparing the Two Lists
In the most recent list children indicate that computer activities, animals, and the environment need to be included more often.
Ellis (2007) suggests that the interest in computers is easy to explain, since tremendous advancements were made in technology in the past 20 years.
Ellis (2007) suggests that children may want to study animals in to understand how humans behave.
The fact that the environment is added to the new list could be a sign that children are taking environmental issues more seriously.
Fouts (1989) found that students wish to be involved, want to work with others, and prefer a variety of teaching strategies.
A variety of teaching strategies is important for two reasons. First, it makes instruction less monotonous. Second, Different students learn in different ways. One student may benefit more from direct instruction, and another may do better with hands-on activities.

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Direct Instruction Strategies
Direct Instruction occurs when knowledge is transmitted from a source to a receiver. The source can be a teacher, a film, or a textbook.
Direct instruction not only transmits content but also focuses on developing skills and providing explanations.
Effective teachers need to use both direct and indirect approaches of instruction.
If direct instruction is overused, it can prevent students from discovering things on their own.

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Teacher Presentation
Long presentations are not useful to young students, however, when combined with other strategies that are more student-centered, lectures are recommended.
Students need the opportunity to hear a teacher explain a concept, but also require a chance to apply their knowledge.
Presentations, therefore, should be relatively short and need to concentrate on important concepts and ideas.
Students should be encouraged to take notes and may be aided by having partners to discuss important information as the teacher pauses.
Ellis offers 12 guidelines which promote effective teacher presentations.

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Class Discussion
Ellis (2007) mentions that the key to having effective classroom discussions is organization.
The four basic components of a well organized classroom are:
A base of information: students need sufficient information.
A central focus: questions need to keep coming back to key issues.
Effective questions: questions should be based on all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and teachers need to allow students enough time to respond.
A supportive environment: it is not easy for students to speak out in front of others. Students need to be challenged but in a nurturing way.

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Demonstration
Demonstrations involve modeling behaviors that students observe.
They are most effective when followed by corresponding student activities.
An example is showing students how to determine the distance between two points on a map and then following this by asking students to participate in an activity focusing on this skill.

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Indirect Instruction Strategies
Indirect instruction is based on placing most of the responsibility on students for their own learning.
It is based on constructivist principles of learning and is also called “democratic learning”.
When teachers use this approach they act as facilitators.

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Indirect Instruction Strategies
When teachers use indirect instruction strategies students have more of an opportunity to express their feelings, work together, and explore.
Students discuss, plan, and evaluate ideas.
Students work with other students more.
It may seem as if teachers have less work to do, but the fact is when this approach is used effectively, it requires a significant amount of planning.
The following strategies are examples of indirect instruction strategies which apply various principles of constructivism:

1. role playing 2. interest centers 3. group investigations and projects
4. independent study and presentations 5. reflective thinking
6. brainstorming 7. creative expression 8. content analysis
9. differentiated assignments 10. jigsaw/peer teaching and cooperative learning

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Role Play

This strategy involves playing a role that is different from the role a person holds.
Children play roles naturally. Some children often play the role of truck driver and other children play house.
Role playing is also used by teachers to help students understand moods, feelings, and values.
Role playing allows students to develop their language skills and to understand the perspectives of others.
Role playing humanizes history.
Teachers ought to model role playing.

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Interest Centers
Interest centers allow students to choose activities that interest them.
Interest centers should reflect the goals of the social studies program and should be appealing.
Children often find games, puzzles, computers, and videos appealing.
Reading centers can be made appealing if teachers include books that interest children and posters that children find attractive.
A center should allow a child to work independently without the assistance of a teacher.
Teachers must spend much of their time preparing the centers and should only act as facilitators when children go there.

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Group Investigations and Projects
Ellis (2007) mentions that activities that involve social action are very compelling and address key issues of democracy.
The efforts of students involved in these kinds of projects are often successful.
Students can start these kinds of projects as early as when they are in the 1st grade.
Examples:

Investigating playground equipment to make it safer.
Making the school cafeteria more attractive for lunch.
Banning styrofoam cups to make the environment safer.

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Teacher’s Role in Group Investigations
Teachers need to do a great deal of work for group investigations including:

Acting as facilitators
Keeping students focused on problems
Helping students find resources
Evaluating students on the project

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Independent Study and Presentations
Children need to find out what they can do on their own, and they discover this during the time they work on an independent study.
Independent study can be done as a “solo” investigation or as part of a group project.
It is perfect for applying the doctrine of interest when teachers allow students to choose a topic.
In for students to be motivated they need to pick a topic themselves.
Ellis (2007) discusses possible roles teachers can play to make an independent study successful.

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Reflective Thinking
Reflective thinking allows students to think about their work and to analyze.
Teachers also use this strategy to help students think about what would happen under certain conditions.
The difference between reflective thinking and inquiry is that inquiry is based on finding data to answer a question whereas in reflective thinking very often data will not be available.

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Brainstorming

Brainstorming is the process of coming up with ideas for an activity, a project, or a problem.
Ellis mentions three essential components of brainstorming:

Quantity over quality
No judgments
Inclusion

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Brainstorming
Two methods are usually used.
The first way involves the whole class with the teacher at the chalkboard recording student responses.
The second method involves placing students in groups with one of the students acting as a rec .
The first way is advantageous because it is spontaneous.
The second way is not as spontaneous but allows more students to participate.

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Creative Expression
It is important for students to be creative in

school.
Social studies can promote creative expression if teachers provide students opportunities to create poems, stories, and drawings.

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Content Analysis
Content analysis is a way that allows students to explore content more thoroughly than just merely understanding what is stated.
Content analysis focuses on subjects like bias, significance of material, and interpretation of meaning.
Knowledge can be analyzed from various sources including textbooks, films, newspapers, and websites.

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Differentiated Assignments

Not all students in a given class have the same learning styles, and this is one main reason for using differentiated assignments.
Another main idea behind the theory of using differentiated assignments is to give students choice.

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Jigsaw/Peer Teaching and Cooperative Learning
Aronson (1997) combined cooperative learning and individuality to form the concept of the jigsaw strategy.
The jigsaw strategy is designed so that a student in a cooperative learning group has to teach his/her companions part of the material. Each student in the group has to teach equal parts of the material.
Cooperative learning is based on the idea of working together with mutual respect, interest, and collaboration.
Vygotsky, Bruner, and Piaget all believed that children needed opportunities to express themselves civilly in social situations.

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Research on Cooperative Learning
Johnson and Johnson (2004) report that cooperative learning:
Leads to higher achievement
increases motivation to learn
Promotes self-esteem
Improves attitudes towards teachers
Improves attitudes towards school

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Teacher’s Role in Cooperative Learning
Teachers have several roles during cooperative learning.
They act as facilitators as they keep the learning process going.
They also decide who works with who.
Teachers also teach students the skills needed to make the cooperative learning experience successful.

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Simulations
Simulations are ways to represent economic, political, cultural, and other social systems.
Simulations aim to represent reality.
Students play the roles and use the processes of these systems.
Since this process is a simulation, compromises must be used.
If too much of a process is left out, the simulation will not allow students to experience enough of the process.
Teachers must therefore make wise choices about which elements need to be included to make the activity reflect reality.

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Computer Simulations
Computer simulations allow students to apply their knowledge.
They often represent real life situations.
Oregon Trail was one of the first computer simulations.
Other widely used and successful computer simulations include Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and Science 2000.

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Conclusion
Ellis 2007 concludes this chapter by contrasting indirect instructional strategies with direct instructional strategies.
He mentions that although indirect instructional strategies have many advantages, knowledge of events, places, and eras as well as explanations of spatial, cultural, and economic systems are often suited to direct teaching.

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