Introduction to Secondary History/ Social Studies Education
LOGISTICS
- Location: Anne Belk Hall 240
- Meeting Times: Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:30-1:45pm
- Course Website: i2hssed.rwanysibaja.com
- Instructor: Prof. Rwany Sibaja
- Office Location: Anne Belk 249M
- Drop-In Hours: T&Th: 11:00am-12:30pm, 1:45-2:30pm (if needed, we can arrange a time to meet via Zoom)
- Zoom ID: https://appstate.zoom.us/j/4651190141
MATERIALS
Course Website: The class website (i2hssed.rwanysibaja.com) is where all materials will be available. Bookmark the site for easy reference. Students will create their own digital portfolio website to host their curriculum work by the end of the semester.
Canvas: students will post some work here; for the instructor, it will only serve as a place to post grades and record attendance.
Textbooks: all are e-rentals accessible on Canvas – Vital Source Digital Materials
- Zevin, Jack. Social Studies for the Twenty-First Century: Methods and Materials for Teaching in Middle and Secondary Schools. Taylor & Francis, 2023.
- Roupp, Heidi. Teaching World History in the Twenty-First Century. Taylor & Francis, 2010.
- Gerwin, David and Zevin, Jack. Teaching U.S. History as Mystery. Routledge, 2010.
Devices: Please bring your laptop or tablet each class session. Most class sessions will be primarily lab based, and the entire course depends on collaborative work at each table. In addition, please bring your own adapter to connect your device to the HDMI cables in ABH 240.
OBJECTIVE
HIS 3626 is geared towards students who want to become effective teachers and curriculum designers of secondary history/social studies courses, esp. in a global & digital age.
LEARNING OUTCOME
By the end of the semester, students should be able to research historical content and best practices in history/social studies education to design an active learning, student-focused history curriculum.
Secondary Outcomes
Students should be able to:
- Identify major questions and themes in US & World History
- Balance major questions & themes with the realities of covering content and state standards
- Locate and use appropriate, relevant, and quality resources for instruction and student learning
- Conduct research for developing a practical “toolbox” geared towards making World/ U.S. History relevant and engaging to adolescent students.
General Workload
Readings. Most weeks you will read two or three reading selections (blog posts, webpage, book excerpts, articles), appropriate for a 3000-level history course.
[For a primer on reading like a historian, and not wasting too much time completing reading assignments, see “How to Read a Book in One Hour” by Larry Cebula]
The conversation about these readings begins before we meet on Tuesdays. So, you read ahead and take notes.
Your notes for the weekly readings will prepare you for class discussion and the journaling assignment. For the latter, you will choose which six (6) weeks to complete out of ten (10) possible weeks (W04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, and 14), and which four (4) weeks to take off, but you must read each week … or else our class conversations go nowhere! For discussions, the goal is NOT to speak more. Rather, you should strive to provide substantive comments online and in class. In short, quality over quantity.
The majority of your grade is linked to the curriculum portfolio project. You will choose either US or World History, learn the new NC Standards for your course, and develop the following materials: a semester-long curriculum map and pacing guide, a unit map, and three (3) lessons from your unit map. In addition, you will submit your content notes to show you understand the topic of the unit and lessons, as well as a variety of assessments – both formative and summative – to measure student learning on your topic. All curriculum work must be well researched for both the content and the teaching strategies you will use.
Grading in this course is simple. Keep up with the basic work and apply the feedback you receive on your curriculum work. There is no midterm, and the final exam is completed on your own time. Your curriculum work will be submitted as drafts you can then edit until the final work is due at the end of the semester.
