Transcript SOCIAL STUDIES - South Brunswick High School

SOCIAL STUDIES
What we Teach,
Why we Teach It
Why History Matters…
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"Memory is what makes us who we
are. If we lost all of our memory
whenever we fell asleep at night, it
would be the same as if we died and
a new person woke up in our body
the next morning. History is the
memory of a nation."
Thomas Sowell, "The Vision of the Anointed."
What We Teach:
History and the Social Sciences
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Social sciences include history as
well as geography, economics,
psychology, anthropology,
political science/civics and
sociology
Diversity of curriculum develops
a broad spectrum of learning
Why We Teach It, or
Why Study the Social Sciences?
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To understand people and societies
To understand change and how the
society we live in came to be
To understand the importance of
history in our own lives
To understand how history contributes
to moral understanding
Why Study Social Sciences?
(continued)
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To provide identity—
cultural literacy: a
shared history that is
assumed all already
know.
To become responsible
citizens
Why Study Social Sciences?
(continued)
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To develop essential skills
• Critical thinking
• Questioning
• Making connections
• Adapting to new
situations
To succeed in the
world of work
What Do Our 17-Year-Olds Know?
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Intercollegiate Studies Institute (nonprofit) gave students at 25 selective
colleges a civic literacy test
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Freshman scored 56.6%
Seniors scored 59.4%
Harvard seniors 69.6%--passing?
Less than half of college seniors knew that
NATO was formed to resist Soviet expansion.
It’s Not your Parents’ Social
Studies class
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Schools used to emphasize solely the
memorization of facts.
Today the emphasis is on skills
(concepts, connections and application)
because of the concern that students in
the U.S. are leaving high school without
the necessary skills to function in higher
education and the workforce in order to be
globally competitive.
However, content is just as
necessary because:
• it provides context
and perspective for
new learning
• it helps us reconcile
time and space
• some is essential to
build a framework for
skill development
• skills without facts
result in knowledge
gaps
Our Focus is on Essential
Questions
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Essential Questions are questions that:
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get students to think
do not have a “right” answer
can be debated
point to big ideas
help students make sense of difficult concepts
Example: What does it mean to be an
American?
How are we preparing our students
for the 21st century?
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What skills are
needed?
What skills are we
teaching?
How are students
responding?
Are our methods
working?
Are they learning?
Partnership of 21st Century Skills
developed this framework:
In Other Words, the skills needed in
the 21st Century are:
• Creativity and innovation
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Information literacy
• Media literacy
21st Century Skills (continued)
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Information and Communication
Technology literacy
Flexibility and adaptability
Initiative and self-direction
Social and cross-cultural skills
Productivity and accountability
Leadership and responsibility
New Jersey State Standards
for Social Studies
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Social Studies Skills
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Civics
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World History
United States / New Jersey History
 Economics
 Geography
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Our Curriculum:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Kindergarten: Belonging and Family
Grade 1: Belonging and Neighborhoods
Grade 2: Belonging and Communities/
Citizenship
Grade 3: Lenape/Ethnic Heritage/
Immigration
Grade 4: Colonization/American
Revolution/Government (U.S. & NJ)
Grade 5: 5 Themes of Geography/Ancient
Civilizations
Essential Questions, Grades 15
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What is family? How can differences bring
people together?
How do communities meet the needs of its
members?
What are the elements of Lenape culture?
How does the movement of people affect
others and the physical environment
around them?
How does geography impact humans?
How do humans impact geography?
5th Grade Task
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Person of Positive Achievement
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Talk about the characteristics of such a person
Decide by consensus on a list of about 6
Read “around the topic”
Pick a person to study to research
Use online and reference materials
Take notes
Cite sources
Write a 3-5 paragraph essay explaining why
the person chosen meets the criteria
• Word process the document
Our Curriculum:
MIDDLE SCHOOL
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Grade 6
• World History
 Topics: Geography / Birth of
Civilization / Early Societies
Grades 7 and 8
• “A” Year (Social Sciences):
Civics
• “B” Year (US History, 1600 1870: United States History,
Colonization through
Reconstruction
Essential Questions, Grade 6
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Why are the legacies of one society
important to another society?
How does the culture of a society
influence its development?
What happens when cultures collide?
Is government essential in a society?
What causes a society to want to
expand?
6th Grade Research Task
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Museum exhibit
• Choose a society that has had a
significant impact on the world
• Research the society and a specific
person, event or development
• Write an essay
• Construct a physical artifact/model
• Create a multimedia presentation
Essential Questions
Grades 7/8 A (Social Sciences)
• How does government affect human
development?
• Is any political system the best?
• How does a nation’s government affect its
relations with its citizens and the rest of the
world?
• How is wealth distributed among individuals
and nations?
• How does the use and distribution of
available resources affect people’s lives?
Essential Questions
Grades 7/8 B (U.S. History)
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Can different cultures blend and appreciate
each other?
How does where you live effect how you
live?
Why do people revolt?
How do governments balance the common
good and individual rights?
Is compromise the best solution to solve
conflict?
What qualities make an effective leader?
7th/8th Grade Research Task
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Examine 10 significant events in world or
U.S. history
Choose one event to explore in more
depth
Locate 2 additional sources, take notes,
develop a thesis and write a 5-paragraph
research paper
Math connection: collect data, place it in
a spreadsheet and create a chart or graph
to present to peers in science class
Our Curriculum:
High School
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*Grade 9: Government & Economics
*Grade 10: United States History
*Grade 11: Global Studies
Grades 11 & 12: many choices of
electives
*Required for graduation
Essential Questions
Grade 9 (Government & Economics)
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Does any one form of government best
protect the rights of the individuals?
What role should government play in
balancing the needs of individuals versus
the needs of the community?
Does the government have the
responsibility to protect the rights of all
people?
Can there be a truly “free” economy?
What role should government play in the
distribution of wealth?
Essential Questions
Grade 10 (U.S. History)
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How does war impact society and the
individuals involved in war? What can be
learned from war?
How does the global community affect the
U.S?
How did the U.S. government expand its
involvement in the economy during the
1930s?
How does propaganda influence people’s
opinions and actions?
What was and is the role of the U.S. in the
world?
Essential Questions
Grade 11(Global Studies)
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How has the spread of religion shaped our
world?
Why are regions of the world interdependent?
Is it possible for China to maintain a more
open economy in a society that is still closed
politically?
What does the rise of India mean for the rest
of the world?
How is globalization changing the face of
South Asia?
How has Russia’s failure to develop a vibrant
economic system caused a cycle of reform
and repression in Russian political life?
Electives
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In grades 11 & 12, students may choose from
the following electives. Currently there are 923
students enrolled in social studies electives at
SBHS:
• Holocaust & Genocide
• Race, Class & Gender
• American Justice
• Sociology
• Anthropology
• IPLE
• The Vietnam Era
• Psychology
More Electives
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Students may also choose from the
following Advanced Placement courses,
provided they meet the prerequisites:
• European History
• U.S. History
• U.S. Government
• Comparative Governments
• Psychology
Co-curricular activities
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The following clubs and activities related
to the social studies are offered at the
high school:
• Psychology Club
• Military Education Club
• Model UN
• Dead Presidents Society (history
club)
• Phi Alpha Theta (history honor
society)
So, Your Child Wants to Major in
Social Studies?
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What can you do with a major in
history/social studies?
• Become an educator
• Become a writer/editor/journalist
• Become a librarian/archivist/museum
curator/historic preservationist
• Become a lawyer or paralegal
• Become a psychologist
• Work for a non-profit organization
• These are just a few of the opportunities
available
How Does Social Studies Apply
Outside the Classroom?
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It provides knowledge and understanding
and the ability to think, adapt and
question
It educates people for citizenship “in a
multicultural, democratic society” (Star
Ledger Sept ’08)—E pluribus unum: out
of many, one
“And if we think them (the people) not
enlightened enough, the remedy is to
inform them by education.”
~Thomas Jefferson
What does this all mean?
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“If we dedicate ourselves to studying
our history rightly, if we take the
time to look at the entirety of our
firmament, we will see what our
Founders saw we could be, what
foreigners who came here saw all
along, and what we ourselves can—
even today—see once again.”
--William J. Bennett
Where can you find it?
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In your own backyard: resources for
discovering our local history—a
presentation
Sources
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American Historical Association
Equipped for the Future Content
Standards
National Council for the Social
Studies
The History Channel
Presenters
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Nicole Pormilli
[email protected]
Janet Gleim
[email protected]
Tim Wright
[email protected]
Corie Gaylord
[email protected]