Department of Social Sciences
SESSION TITLE: To Rigor and Beyond! Creating knowledgeable Social Scientists through rigorous instruction yielding an overall increase in student performance.AUDIENCE: K-8 Principals
FACILITATOR: Dr. Sherrilyn Scott, Supervisor, Department of Social Sciences
CO-FACILITATOR:Mr. Joel Garcia, Social Science Teacher
RESOURCES:
Paper Slide Video Instructions:
OUTCOMES: Upon the conclusion of this synergizing presentation, participants should be able to attest to the accuracy of the following statement:
“I understand how the subject area of Social Sciences is a valid and useful vehicle to increase students’ content knowledge and skills as well as improve students’ literacy and writing abilities. I have a clear path to how I need to improve the teacher quality of my Social Sciences department so teachers can plan rigorous and engaging lessons that yield positive outcomes in student performance.”
GUIDING QUESTIONS:What do best practices look and feel like in a rigorous Social Science classroom?
How do rigorous best practices in Social Sciences improve student literacy and writing skills?
How can infusion/use of technological resources support and increase student engagement?
How can I set the wheels in motion to improve the quality of my Social Science teachers?
WHAT? / SO WHAT? / NOW WHAT?
1minute: Introduction of facilitators and overview of guiding questions.
Review session agreements:
Be present, attentive, and active; Be open-minded; Trust the process; Try out something new then, reflect; Acknowledge each other as equals; Assume good will; Expect it to be messy; Confidentiality is supported; Speak from your heart; Get what you need.
20 Minutes: Block Party: A Pre-Reading Text-Based Activity.
Article: The Reasons We Must Learn History/Social Studies See article and protocol on the following pages. See text provided on index card.
Whole Group Debrief:
What’s the validity of the information presented? What ramifications does the information have for your social science team? Note: Article/Blog included in the agenda on the next page.
Reflection Time: So What? Now What? (How does the content of this article shape your future work?
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TheReasonsWhyWeAllMustLearnHistoryandSocialStudies
REASONONE:ToHelpUsDevelopJudgmentinWorldlyAffairsbyUnderstandingthePastBehaviorofPeopleandSocieties
Historymustserveasourlaboratory,andthepastmustserveasourmostvitalevidenceinthequesttofigureoutwhypeoplebehavethewaytheydoinsocietalsettings.Ifdecisionmakersdonotconsulthistory,theymakedecisionswithoutallofthefacts.
REASONTWO:ToHelpUsUnderstandChangeandHowtheCommunity,Nationand WorldWeLiveinCametoBe
Eachperson’sworldviewisshapedbyindividualexperiences,aswellastheexperiencesofthe grouptowhichheorshebelongs.Ifweareignorantofthecontemporaryandhistoricalexperiencesofavarietyofcultures,thenwecannothopetounderstandwhypeople,communitiesornationsbehavethewaytheydoormakethedecisionstheymake.
REASONTHREE:ToHelpUsDevelopEssentialSkillsforGoodCitizenship
Citizensarenotborncapableofruling.Theymustbeeducatedtorulewiselyandfairly.Thecornerstoneofdemocracyistheinformedcitizen.
REASONFOUR:ToInspireUs
Historyteachesusthatasingleindividualwithgreatconvictionsoracommittedgroupcanchangetheworld.
“Itisfromnumberlessactsofcouragethathumanhistoryisshaped.Eachtimeapersonstandsupforanideal,oractstoimprovethelifeofothers,orstrikesoutagainstinjustice,heorshesendsforthatinyrippleofhope,andthoseripplesbuildacurrentthatcansweepdownthemightiestwallsofoppressionandresistance.”
RobertF.Kennedy(adapted)
REASONFIVE:ToHelpUsDevelopEssentialThinkingSkills
SocialStudiespromotes:
•Readingattheevaluation,synthesis,analysisandinterpretationlevels
•Criticalthinkingskillsthroughwriting
•Analyticalthinking
Itisinsocialstudiesthatstudentslearnskillsrangingfromreadingamaptomakinganargument.Studentslearnhowtoassessthevalidityofevidence,evaluateconflictingpointsofviewandapplyfactstomakingdecisions.Thesearetheskillsoftherealworld!
“Thestudentwholearnshistorywillunconsciouslydevelopwhatisthehighestvalueofhistory:judgmentin worldlyaffairs.Wegatherhistoricalknowledge,nottomakeusmorecleverthenext
time,butwiserforalltime.”JacquesBarzun(adapted)
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WhyOurStudentsMustLearnSocial Studies
“Anysubjectofstudyneedsjustification:itsadvocatesmustexplain whyitis worth attention.Most widelyaccepted subjects—and history[and SocialStudies]are certainlyamongthem—attractsome people who simplylike theinformationand modes of thought involved. Butaudiencesless spontaneouslydrawntothesubject… need to know whatthe purposeis.”
Dr. Peter Stearns, Historian
“Historymustserve asourlaboratory, and datafromthe pastmustserve as ourmostvitalevidence inthe unavoidable quest tofigureoutwhyourcomplexspecies behaves asitdoesinsocietalsettings.This, fundamentally, is whywe cannotstayawayfromhistory: itoffersthe onlyextensive evidentialbasefor the contemplation andanalysis ofhowsocieties function, and people need to havesome sense ofhow societiesfunction simplyto run theirownlives.”
Dr. Peter Stearns, Historian
Dr.Stearns’analogyofthelaboratoryinthisinstanceisapowerfulone.Whenascientiststepsintoalaboratoryhedoessohavingformulatedahypothesistobetested.Thescientistpredictswhatwillbetheoutcomeofaseriesofstepsthentestshistheory.Ifhisexperimentfailsthenheknowsthathis hypothesiswasflawedandtakesadifferentcourse.Statesmenhavenolaboratorywheretheycantesttheirhypothesis.Nevertheless,statesmenformulatehypothesisregardingthepotentialoutcomeoftheirpoliciesallthetime…andthestakesiftheyarewrongcanbeextremelyhigh;involvingevenlifeor death.Whiletherearenoperfectrepeats,historyprovidesnoshortageofexamplesofhowsimilarresultsstemfromsimilarcatalysts,motivationsandcircumstances.Ifdecisionmakersdonotconsulthistory,theymakedecisionswithoutallofthefacts.Furthermore,itisessentialthatwerememberthatwhilenoteveryoneisastatesman,wearealldecisionmakerseachandeverydayofourlives.andWorldWeLiveinCametoBe
Integraltoutilizinghistorytoaidindecisionmakingisaddingthesocialstudieselementsof understandingandappreciatingdifferenceanddiversity.Inhisnewbook,Power,Faith,andFantasy:AmericaintheMiddleEast:1776tothePresentauthorMichaelOrenexplainsthatattherootofthelongtroubledhistoryofAmericanMiddleEastforeignpolicyisthefactthatAmericahasconsistentlyviewedtheMiddleEastthroughthelensofAmericanculture,idealsandvalues.Inotherwords,whentheUnitedStatesformulatesitsMiddleEastpolicy,itconsistentlydoessobasedontheflawedassumptionthatpeopleinthatpartoftheworldthinkjustaswedoinAmerica.Eachperson’sworldviewisshapedbyindividualexperiences,aswellastheexperiencesofthegrouptowhichheorshebelongs.Ifweareignorantofthecontemporaryandhistoricalexperiencesofavarietyofcultures,thenwecannothopetounderstandwhypeople,communitiesornationsbehavethewaytheydoormakethedecisionstheymake.Thesimple,undeniablefactisthatunderstandinghistoryandsocialstudiesimprovesjudgment.Morespecifically,understandinghistoryandsocialstudiesarmseachofuswiththenecessarytoolstomakegooddecisionsandwisechoices.
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"Ahigh levelofshared educationis essentialtoa free,democratic societyandto the fosteringofa common culture, especiallyin acountrythatprides itselfonpluralismand individualfreedom."
A Nation atRisk Report, 1983
Thecornerstoneofdemocracyistheinformedcitizen.Solutionstosocialproblemsrequiretheinsightsthatemergefromdiverseperspectivesandexperiences.Citizenslearntheskillsofdemocracyjustastheylearntoreadorcompute.Theylearnthroughexperience,trainingandpractice.Effectivesocialstudiesclassroomsteachstudentseachofthefollowingessentialdemocraticskills:
•toactivelylisten,evaluatecompetingpointsofviewandformulateindependentpointsofview.
•toengageinpublicdialog.Publicdialogrequirescitizenstothinkthroughtheirownpointofviewandask,“WhydoIthinkasIdoandwhatdoIhopetoachieve?”
•toeffectivelyresolveconflicts.Becausepeoplearedifferent,conflictisinevitable.Negotiatinginterestsisamajorpartofconflictresolution.Negotiationmeansmovingbeyondpre-setpositions,knowingwhatoneiswillingtocompromise,whatoneisnotwillingtocompromiseandbeingabletoreachwin-winsolutionsthatmeetthesharedinterestsofallparties.
•toexercisegoodpublicjudgmentbyhearingotherpointsofview,thinkingthroughtheclashofvaluesandperceivingthegroundfromwhichdifferencescome.Allcitizensaremotivatedtoagreatextentbyselfinterest,butsocietyfunctionsmosteffectivelywhencitizensexerciseculturaltolerance,socialempathyandasenseofresponsibilityforthewell-beingoftheirfellowcitizens.
•toaccessthetoolsofdemocracy.Inordertoeffectivelyparticipateintheirdemocracy,citizensmustknowtheirrightsandresponsibilities.Theyneedtounderstandhowtoregistertovote,howtocontactlawmakersandhowtogatherandwieldinfluence.
Whencitizensofademocracyaredeprivedofaneffectivesocialstudieseducationitplacesboththecitizenandthedemocracyatrisk.Democraticilliteracyisnolessdestructivethanreadingilliteracy.Oneofthemostimportantfactorsinthefallofrepublicsgreatandsmallthroughouthistoryhasbeenwhencitizensnolongerfeltconnectedtotheirgovernmentandbecamedisinterestedinwhatthatgovernmentwasdoing.
“Citizens are notborncapableofruling. Theymustbe educated torule wiselyand fairly.Theymustbe drawn outof the egotismofchildhoodandthe privacyof theirhomes intothe public world ofdemocratic reasoning, deliberation andconsensus.This requiresnotonlycivility, butknowledge and skill.”
ThomasJefferson, Presidentof the United States
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ReasonFour:HistoryandSocialStudiesInspiresStudents
Perhapstheleastappreciatedandamongthemostimportantrolesplayedbysocialstudieseducationisthepowerofinspiration.Itisinsocialstudiesclassroomsthatstudentslearnthatasingleindividualwithgreatconvictionsoracommittedgroupcanchangetheworld.Itisalsointhesocialstudiesclassroomthatstudentslearnthewordsanddeedsofmenandwomen,suchasMohandasGandhi,SisterTheresa,ElieWiesel,RachelCarsonandMartinLutherKing,Jr.
“It is fromnumberless actsofcourage thathuman historyis shaped. Eachtime a personstandsup for an ideal,oracts to improve thelife ofothers, orstrikesoutagainstinjustice, heor she sends forth a tinyripple ofhope,andthose ripples build acurrentthatcan sweep downthe mightiestwalls of oppression andresistance.”
RobertF. Kennedy (adapted)
Thepenismightierthanthesword,wordscanmovemountainsandineachofusisthepowertochangetheworld.
ReasonFive:SocialStudiesTeachesStudentsEssentialReading,WritingandThinkingSkills
SocialStudiespromotesreadingattheevaluation,synthesis,analysisandinterpretationlevels.
Thereadingprocess does notend with comprehension.In the adultworld, peopledo notaskfriends or colleaguesto recallspecificinformationfroma bookorarticle theyhave read. Instead,theyaskforan opinion ona lead story, orforanalysisofthelatestWallStreettrend, orforaninterpretation ofa controversialarticle…
KarenTankersley, TheThreads ofReading
TheElementsofCriticalReadingFoundintheSocialStudiesClassroom:
EvaluationinReading:theabilitytodistinguishessentialinformationorcoreconceptsfromwhatissimplyinterestingoreyecatching.
SynthesisinReading:theabilitytotakenewinformationandcombineitwithexistinginformationtoconstructanewidea,anewwayofthinkingoratotallynewproductorcriterion.
AnalysisinReading:theabilitytomakecomparisonsbetweenwhatisreadandinformationinone’sbackgroundknowledge.Analyticalreadingallowsthereadertomakegeneralizationsabouttheinformationwhichwasreadtoformindependentjudgmentsandopinions.
InterpretationinReading:takesanalysisonestephigherbyrequiringthereadernotonlytoformopinionsandjudgments,butalsociteviableevidenceorprooffromwhatwasreadtojustifyaposition.
DevelopingCriticalThinkingSkillsthroughWritingintheSocialStudiesClassroom:
TheNationalAssessmentofEducationalProgress directly links writingeffectivenessto developmentof skillsincriticalthinking.
Writingrequiresknowledgeandfocusesthought.Inordertowrite,studentsmustacquireandpresentcontent(facts,generalizations,andconcepts)whentheywriteasocialstudiesassignment.
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Properlydesignedassignmentsrequirestudentsnotonlytocollectknowledge,butalsoto
determinewhichknowledgetoretain,whichtodiscard,andhowtopresentit.Suchchoicesrevealmuchaboutwhatstudentsdoanddonotknow.Writingleadstomorequestionsandtothediscoveryofconnectionsbetweenevents,people,andideas.
CriticalThinkingintheSocialStudiesClassroom:
Itisinsocialstudiesthatstudentslearnskillsrangingfromreadingamaptoframinganargument,anditisalsointheseclassroomsthatstudentslearnhowtoassessthevalidityofevidence,evaluateconflictingpointsofviewandapplyfactstomakingdecisionsandarticulatingcompellingarguments.Thesearetheskillsoftherealworld.Literacyandnumeracyareessentialforsuccessinthemodernworld,yetnowmorethanatanyothertimeinthehistoryoftheworld,studentsmustreceiveathoroughliberalartseducation,aswell.Weliveintheeraofglobalization,whereAmericaneconomic,politicalandsecurityinterestsaretiedtodiverseculturesfromacrosstheglobe.Citizensofforeignlandscannameourpoliticalleadersanddescribeoursystemofgovernment.Americanchildrenarenotsowellequipped.StudentssittingintheclassroomsofourglobalcompetitorsarerequiredtolearntheEnglishlanguageandstudyAmericanvaluesandbeliefs.Additionally,theyareexposedtotherepresentationsofAmericanculturethroughaprolific,althoughsometimesunflatteringmassmedia.Conversely,Americaproducesleaderswhoareoftenmonolingual,largelyethnocentricandhavelittleexposuretoobjectiveportrayalsofpeopleinotherpartsoftheworld.Inlightofthesefacts,thebeliefthatAmericanchildrenwillbepreparedtocompetegloballyinthe21stcenturysolelybecausetheycandemonstrateeffectivereadingcomprehensionskillsandcomputeatahighlevel,appearstorejectreasonandiscertainlyinconsistentwithnumeroushistoricalexamplestothecontrary.
ReferencesConsultedorQuotedinthisArticle:
1.McFarland,Mary.SocialStudies:WhatisIt?WhyDoStudentsNeedIt?,ParkwaySchoolDistrict,St. LouisCounty,Missouri,2007
2.NationalCommissiononExcellenceinEducation.ANationatRiskReport,
3.Oren,Michael.Power,Faith,andFantasy:Americain theMiddleEast:1776tothePresent,W.W.NortonCompany,NewYork,NY,2007
4.Stearns,Peter.MeaningoverMemory:RecastingtheTeachingofHistoryandCulture,UNCPress,ChapelHill,N.C.,1993
5.Stearns,Peter.WhyStudyHistory,AmericanHistoricalAssociation
6.Tankersley,Karen.TheThreadsofReading:StrategiesforLiteracyDevelopment,AssociationforSupervisionandCurriculumDevelopment,Alexandria,VA,2005
"The studentwho [learns]historywillunconsciouslydevelop what isthe highestvalueofhistory:
judgment in worldlyaffairs. Thisisa permanentgood,notbecause "historyrepeats"-we can never exactlymatch pastand presentsituations -butbecausethe"tendencyof things"shows an amazing uniformitywithin anygiven civilization. Asthe greathistorian Burckhardtsaidofhistoricalknowledge, itis notto make us more clever thenexttime, butwiser foralltime.”
Jacques Barzun, Historian
*Thelanguageusedinreasons1,2and3aredrawndirectlyfromWhyStudyHistory,byDr.PeterSterns.
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WHAT? / SO WHAT? / NOW WHAT?20 Minutes:
Mini- Social Science Lab
Social science labs are an engaging and rigorous instructional approach designed to require in-depth learning and thinking on the part of the student guided by of an essential question, analysis of primary or secondary source documents, and ending in a rigorous writing assignment or other rigorous learning task.
Steps to conduct the Social Science Lab:(Show overview video on PowerPoint)
- Share overarching/essential question.
- Build background knowledge.
- Conduct document analysis.
- Take the learning task to the end- e.g., writing activity or other rigorous learning task.
Reflection Time: So What? Now What? (How can Social Science Labs shape best practices back at your school? / =
Benchmark:4th grade- SS.4.C.2.3-Explain the importance of public service, voting, and volunteerism
5th grade-SS.5.C.2.4- Evaluate the importance of civic responsibilities in American democracy. Essential Questions: What Civic responsibilities are required and which are voluntary? Which civic responsibility do you feel is more important?
Source / Main Idea / Message / Important Details / How does this document answer the essential question?Source 1
Political Cartoon on Taxes
retrieved from- on 6/3/2015
Source 2
People Voting
retrieved from- on 6/3/2015
Source 3
Jury Duty Summons
retrieved from-
on 6/3/2015
Source 4
Volunteers needed signs
retrieved from- / on 6/3/2015
Thesis:______
SOURCE 1
Source-
Source 2
Source-
Source 3
Source-
Source 4
Source-
Source-
7th Grade: SS.7.C.2.5 Distinguish how the Constitution safeguards and limits individual rights.
Essential Question: Should stricter laws regulating firearms be enacted?
Source / Main Idea / Message / Important Details / How does this document answer the essential question?Source 1 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Source 2 Gun control political cartoon
Source 3 Infographic relating to guns in America
Source 4 Excerpt from news article, 2015
Thesis: ______
Source 1 – 2nd Amendment
Source 2 – Political cartoon relating to gun control, 2013
Source 3 – Infographic relating to guns in America, featuring various statistics
Source 4 – Excerpt from 2015 news article about gun control march
WHAT? / SO WHAT? / NOW WHAT?10 minutes:
Using Paper Slides to Engage the Learner and Check for Document Analysis Success: Paper Slides are a valid approach using digital resources to check for student understanding in an engaging manner.
Show sample paper slides on the Social Science lab that was modeled (see Power Point).
Show instructional video on how to create paper slides. See link on page 2 of the agenda.
Reflection Time: So What? Now What? (Why is it important to engage learners using strategies like this? Is this rigor?)
WHAT? / SO WHAT? / NOW WHAT?
Paper Slide Progress Monitoring:
See rubric below as an example of how students and teachers together can evaluate and analyze student work.
Reflection Time: So What? Now What?
(How can this type of progress monitoring be useful to your school?)
Paper Slide Analysis/Progress Monitoring Rubric
Document # & Description / Scale Score of Document Analysis
(Provide rationale for score choice)
1-Needs Improvement
2-Acceptable
3-Spot On!
4-Advanced!! / What specific information presented helps to answer the essential question?
WHAT? / SO WHAT? / NOW WHAT?
15 minutes:
Taking the Analysis and Rigor to a Completed Learning Task
Writing Workshop Feedback Protocol
Administrators: Provide triads or quads with writing samples of student works based on the social science lab conducted (see samples posted throughout the room) and engage in the protocol to analyze student writing). See protocol and writing samples on the following pages.
Reflection Time: So What? Now What? (Why is it important for teachers to have discussions about student work?)
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What Civic responsibilities are required and which are voluntary? Which civic responsibility do you feel is more important?Sample Student Responses- Elementary
Sample #1
These Civic responsibilities were importnt things for people to do. You have to do these importnt things. Because if you don’t do them you could have trouble. You shouldn’t have trouble. The very most importnt way to do this is to listen to your mother and your teacher. Then you will stay out of trouble and have Civic Responsibilities.
Sample #2
Some Civic responsibilities are things you have to due. These are things like doing what the law says and paying taxes. You have to do these things or you might have to go to jail. It is a good idea to do this and stay out of jail. There are other Civic responsibilities that are nice to do, but you won’t go to jail if you don’t do them. These are things like voting and being nice to other people. It is just a very good idea to do these things. I think that doing what the law says is the most important thing because our country would be really crazy if everyone did whatever they wanted.
Sample #3
All citizens of the United States have Civic Responsibilities. Some, like obeying the law, paying taxes, and serving on a jury are required. That means that you must do them. Other Civic Responsibilities are voluntary. That means that they are things you should do if you want to be a good citizen. I think that voting and volunteering to help your community are very important Civic Responsibilities that are voluntary. I think that obeying the law is probably the most important Civic Responsibility.
Should stricter laws regulating firearms be enacted?
Sample Student Responses Middle School
Sample #1
I think that firearms and guns are good and very popular with a lot of people. I think that everyone who wants to have a gun should be able to have one if they have enough money to buy a firearm. . Some people like to hunt and some people like to protect their proporty with guns. Some people just like to shoot at targets. It is not fare that they should’nt be allowed to have guns. Even the army needs guns. I amfor keeping guns.
Sample #2
I am not sure if we should have stricter laws about firearms. We learned in class that all Americans have the right to own guns. I think that if the law says we should be allowed to have guns then the only way to change this is to change the law. People who own guns want to keep them. Other people are worried about guns. They think that guns kill people so they want to make a law that says people cannot have guns- especially criminals. To take away guns we would have to change the law. This argument has been going on in our country for a very long time.
Sample #3
The U.S. Constitution states that people have the right to own firearms. People who own guns feel that this is a very important right that should not be taken away. Not all people agree with this. Some believe that we need to have stricter laws because so many people are being killed and injured with firearms. It is true that many people are being injured and killed with firearms. But, to ban them would take away people’s rights. There must be some compromise found that will keep firearms away from criminals and still let law abiding citizens the right to have firearms.
WHAT? / SO WHAT? / NOW WHAT?
15 minutes:
Reality Check: Check in Circle Protocol
“Where are you?” in terms of having a social science department that engages learners in the manner in which was modeled today?See protocol on the following pages.
Reflection Time: So What? Now What? (How can action plans developed by using the Check in Circle Protocol shape your work at your school?)
5 minutes:
Next Steps: Call to Action- In the chart below: Write out the steps that you will take to address the following in your school:
1. Encouraging the development of engaging lessons utilizing social science labs or other proven practices that yield improved student content and skills.
2. Encouraging the use of digital learning resources as a valid vehicle to achieve #1.
3.Monitor the effective deliver of instruction in social sciences in my school.
Engaging Lessons / Support Digital Learning / Monitoring Progress
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WHAT? / SO WHAT? / NOW WHAT?4 minutes
Whole Group Debrief: Have willing participants share the information listed in the chart above.
Reflection Time: So What? Now What? (Identify your obstacles& solutions to rigorous and engaging Social Science instruction)
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