1.
Understanding 9-12 social studies
If you are a licensed 9-12 Social Studies teacher in North Carolina, or any state for that matter, then you will be contractually and ethically obligated to teach the state standards. These standards typically undergo a revision every 10 years or so.
Because teachers often worry about how much history they have to cover, the state standards for 9-12 social studies provide guidance and direction as you plan out your course and the school year.
In this unit, you will study the NC State Standards for 9-12 Social Studies, assess the role of social studies in K-12 education, and, most importantly, analyze the historical thinking skills/social studies inquiry standards inherent in developing critical thinkers. After all, if you cannot possibly cover all of American or World History, you can certainly help students develop the skills historians, political scientists, economists, geographers, and others use in their work.
[Task 1, Rubric 1 of edTPA]
Weekly Topics & Friday Schedules
Aug 22-26: Introduction to HIS 3626, Tech Support
- Aug 26 is asynchronous – class will not meet! Read the NC State Standards for U.S. History and World History. Choose which course you will adopt this semester. Be prepared to present/unpack one of the following 5 strands—Behavioral Sciences, Civics & Government, Economics, Geography, and History—and all of its Indicators for class on Aug 29.
Aug 29-Sep 2: Getting to Know State Standards
- Sep 2 is an optional Lab Day – come get help with the course website, blog posting, HEP curriculum templates, portfolio website, and Zotero
Sep 5-9: Role of Social Studies in Education / Historical Thinking Skills
- Labor Day is Sep 5 – ASU classes will not meet.
- Sep 9 is a required Lab Day for curriculum work collaboration and support
2.
UbD: Understanding by design
Backward Design. What does this term mean? In this unit, we will explore the “nuts and bolts” of how adolescent students learn, especially in the context of history / social studies.
The term “backward design” originates from Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe’s groundbreaking 1998 book, Understand by Design. Their UbD framework has provided educators with a paradigm shift on how to approach curriculum design in general, but it really helps 9-12 social studies teachers think about the balance between breadth vs. depth of coverage.
As you progress through this unit, you will begin to set clear standards-based learning objectives for your students — for both content and skills! You will do so by drafting several portfolio items: a Curriculum Map/Pacing Guide, a Unit Map (from your CM), and your first lesson plans. By designing each of these elements using a “backwards design” approach, you will help keep your lessons and activities singularly focused on your learning objectives.
[Task 1, Rubric 1 of edTPA]
Weekly Topics & Friday Schedules
Sep 12-16: Understanding by Design & “Backward Design”
- Sep 16 is an optional Lab Day – come get help with drafts of curriculum and unit maps
Sep 19-23: Using State Standards to Establish Clear Learning Objectives in Unit Maps and Lesson Plans
- Sep 23 is a required Lab Day for curriculum work collaboration and support
3.
Understanding your students
One of the key traits of an effective teacher is to recognize the varied learning needs of students … and then design a curriculum that meets those needs. In job interviews, you will be—guaranteed—asked how you plan on meeting the diverse learning needs of students.
Thankfully, social studies is all about identifying multiple perspectives, analyzing cause and effect, researching useful resources, and understanding (social, economic, political, and cultural) context.
In this unit, you will learn about the diverse learning needs of students and how to meet those needs in 9-12 social studies. You will also begin to study ways to create a student-centered learning environment, one that puts students—not the teacher (aka “lecturer”)—at the center of classroom learning.
[Task 1, Rubrics 2-3 of edTPA]
Weekly Topics & Friday Schedules
Sep 26-30: Planning to Meet the Varied Needs of Students
- Sep 30 is a required Lab Day for curriculum work collaboration and support
Oct 3-7: Knowing Your Students
- Oct 7 is an optional Lab Day – come get help with drafts of lesson plans
Oct 10-14: Creating a Student-Centered Classroom
- Oct 14 is a required Lab Day for curriculum work collaboration and support
4.
Assessments for and of learning
Assessments may seem like an afterthought, or an unpleasant but necessary way to measure learning. However, can assessments be used as a teaching and learning tool as well? Can you make them work for you and your students?
In this unit, we explore assessment for and of learning in 9-12 social studies. We will examine how to use assessments smartly, stemming from the learning objectives you establish and then “backward designing” your way into the format, purpose, and design. We will also discuss how assessments can be formative and summative, informal and formal.
As part of our assessments unit, we will unpack the Language Demands for 9-12 Social Studies as outlined in the edTPA manual. By the end of the unit, you will submit a draft of your 4th curriculum portfolio item: assessment samples from your unit of study.
[Task 1, Rubrics 4-5 of edTPA]
Weekly Topics & Friday Schedules
Oct 17-21: Assessment FOR Learning (Oct 17-18 is Fall Break)
- Oct 21 is a required Lab Day for assessment samples work and support
Oct 24-28: Language Demands in 9-12 Social Studies
- Oct 28 is asynchronous—class will not meet! Use this time to begin revisions (2nd drafts) of all work ahead of your individual meeting with the instructor and portfolio presentations
Oct 31-Nov 4: Individual Meetings
- NO CLASSES all week. Instead, sign up for a required 30-min meeting with instructor
5.
Teaching: building your toolbox
You’ve planned, revised, and are now ready to face your students! The final unit of HIS 3626 focuses on the art of teaching. At App State, our History Education Program specialized in two aspects of modern social studies instruction: digital literacy and a globally-infused curriculum. This makes sense as NC (and the US as a whole) is becoming increasingly digital and global in nature. In this unit, we will explore new media tools for history education, ways to globalize your courses (yes, even World History needs a re-examination!), and practical ways to engage students in history courses. You will also present your curriculum portfolio to classmates, who will in turn provide formative feedback as you finalize your work.
[Task 2, Rubrics 7, 8, and 10 of edTPA]
Weekly Topics & Friday Schedules
Nov 7-11: Digital Literacy
- Nov 11 is an optional Lab Day. Come get help with curriculum revisions, portfolio website, resume, or philosophy of teaching
Nov 14-18: Globalizing the Curriculum, Bell Ringers-Closure
- Nov 18 is asynchronous—class will not meet! Use this time to prepare for your Portfolio Presentations and conduct peer reviews of curriculum portfolios.
Nov 21-25: Portfolio Presentations (Nov 21 only)
- No class on Nov 23 & 25 (Happy Thanksgiving!)
Nov 28-Dec 2: Portfolio Presentations / Resume & PoT
- Dec 2 is an optional Lab Day. Come get help with curriculum revisions, portfolio website, resume, or philosophy of teaching
Dec 5: Resume & PoT / Course Wrap Up >> Final Exam is
- Dec 5 is the absolute last day to submit entire curriculum portfolio.
- Final Exam (portfolio website, resume, philosophy of teaching) is Wed Dec 14, from 8am-10:30am. All final exam materials must be submitted/posted no later than by 10:30am.