Exam 1: Elementary Social Studies: What Is It What Might It Become
Describe the distinctions between curriculum and instruction. Select one of each and describe how and when you would use it in your classroom. Include concrete examples to illustrate your points.
Curriculum and instruction are two essential components of education, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics.
Curriculum refers to the overall plan and content of what students will learn in a particular course or program. It includes the goals, objectives, and learning outcomes that students are expected to achieve. Curriculum is typically developed at the district or state level and provides a framework for what should be taught.
Instruction, on the other hand, refers to the methods and strategies that teachers use to deliver the curriculum and help students learn. It involves the actual teaching and learning activities that take place in the classroom, such as lectures, discussions, group work, and hands-on activities.
One example of a curriculum is the Common Core State Standards, which outline the knowledge and skills that students should master in English language arts and mathematics at each grade level. As a teacher, I would use this curriculum to guide my lesson planning and ensure that I am covering the required content and skills.
An example of instruction would be using differentiated instruction techniques to meet the diverse needs of my students. For example, I might use small group instruction to provide targeted support to struggling students while also challenging advanced students with more complex tasks.
In my classroom, I would use the curriculum to set clear learning goals and objectives for my students, and I would use instruction to design engaging and effective learning experiences that help students achieve those goals. By understanding the distinctions between curriculum and instruction, I can ensure that I am providing a well-rounded and comprehensive education for my students.
The emergence of social studies as an interdisciplinary school subject is often credited to an influential committee report issued by
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NCSS states that "the primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse society in an interdependent world." Select a unit topic and explain (using specific examples)how you would address this purpose or goal.
One unit topic that could address the purpose of social studies as stated by NCSS is "Civic Engagement and Advocacy." In this unit, students would learn about the importance of being informed and active citizens in a diverse and interdependent society.
To address this purpose, students could study current events and analyze how different cultural perspectives and global interdependence impact local and national issues. For example, students could research and discuss the impact of immigration policies on different cultural communities within their own country, and how these policies are influenced by global economic and political factors.
Additionally, students could learn about historical and contemporary examples of advocacy and civic engagement, such as the civil rights movement or youth-led climate activism. They could then develop their own advocacy projects, such as organizing a community event to raise awareness about a local issue or writing letters to elected officials about a global issue.
By engaging in these activities, students would be practicing the skills of informed decision-making and civic engagement, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural diversity and interdependence of the world around them. This unit would help them to fulfill the primary purpose of social studies as stated by NCSS, by preparing them to be active and informed citizens in a diverse and interdependent society.
Kliebard, a curricular historian, noted that social studies educators agree that the primary purpose of the subject is to equip students with knowledge that is lasting, important, and fundamental.
The Cultural Literacy/Core Knowledge approach focuses on discreet
The inquiry-based instructional approach is characterized as
The College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies State Standards; Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (NCSS, 2013)is organized around an "Inquiry Arc"-an approach to learning that features four dimensions in social studies:
Cultural universals are the basic human needs found in all societies past and present.
A multiple perspective approach has been the dominant framework for structuring the elementary social studies curriculum.
The hidden curriculum often includes what content is selected and what content is left out.
Explain what social studies educators mean by the statement, "Social studies is everywhere." Provide at least three concrete examples to illustrate your answer.
Elementary social studies programs used in schools tend to be decided by national organizations such as the National Council for Social Studies.
NCSS states that the primary purpose for teaching social studies is to help young people
The purpose of the History and the Social Science approach is to
Many teachers are uncertain about how to teach social studies because
In history, it is important for students to examine primary and secondary sources and select one source of evidence to draw conclusions.
There are competing ways that social studies is taught; how you teach social studies will be guided by your position regarding your perspective and goals for social studies.
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