planning social studies instruction essentials of elementary social studies by turner, russell,...

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies By Turner, Russell, Waters Copyright 2013

Chapter 4

Planning Social Studies Instruction


Looking AheadWhat problems do teachers have when

planning for instruction?What are your strengths and weaknesses as a

planner?What do you need to be able to do in order to

plan a teaching unit?Are you likely to need to rely heavily on a

textbook?What purposes do other teaching plans serve?Are you planning to meet the needs of all of

your students, including those with special learning needs and those whose cultural background is different from your own?


Can You –Plan an instructional social studies unit?Identify and describe different types of

units?Write instructional objectives?Establish a “set” in a lesson?Identify the steps in a case study?


Do You –Have experience in collaborative planning?Know how to go about choosing a unit

topic?Know how much freedom teachers have

regarding what they teach?Know what is meant by the term webbing

when referring to planning?Have an understanding of instructional

objectives?


Focus Activity What was the most memorable lesson/unit you

experienced as an elementary student?What makes the lesson/unit memorable?Discuss the details of your experiences and

compare them with classmates.Do your educational experiences share common

attributes with others? If so, what attributes?Do you think these experiences will have an

impact on how you plan for instruction? If so, how?


Why Is Planning Important? Helps narrow down the large

breadth of information or knowledge.Planning utilizes various resources

to create an environment where learning can be maximized.

Teachers can have a greater sense of accomplishment when their planning comes to life.


Setting the Stage: Creating the Environment What are the predictable hallmarks for

creating a success classroom environment?Sense of anticipationFeeling of purpose/directionAwareness continuityAtmosphere of involvementAwareness of leadership


Why Don’t Teachers Plan?Not enough timeFailure to set time prioritiesDepending on previous materialProcrastinationFailure to communicateExperienceLack of interest in content/subjectLack of energyInability to deal with peer pressure


Textbook-Centered Units What are the instructional

advantages to using textbook-centered units?Common reading materialUnified instructionsPeace of mind for teachers


Types of Planning for Social Studies Units Textbook-centered unitsExpanded textbook unitsCollaborative unitsTeacher-developed units


Deciding on Unit Topics What are the four stages for

deciding on a unit topic?Coming up with a menu of possible topics Narrowing the field and finding a broad

focus Identifying a particular topic and refining

that selection into a title that adds zest and uniqueness (takes it out of the boring and mundane class)

Deciding on the direction and structure that studying that topic ought to take


Developing the Unit Plan What are the three types of unit

plan?Resource unitSketch unitsTeaching units

What are the pros and cons of each type of unit plan?


Instructional Objectives What are objectives?Why is language so important when writing behavioral objectives?


Content Outlines and FlowchartsHow do content outlines help teachers?Help teachers and students discover the structure of the topic being studied

Suggest the order of the teaching itself


Concept WebsWhy should a teacher utilize a

concept web when planning?Frames the big picture of a unitShows how the various concepts

covered in a unit are linked or interrelated

Near the center of the web are the broad topics and most important ideas

Peripheral layers show the subordinate and less important ideas


Moving Toward the Development of ActivitiesWhat is the importance of

activities?Why do you think this phase is

often referred to as the developmental phase of the unit?

What is the culminating phase?


Finding and Using Prepared UnitsWhere can you find prepared units?

Commercial magazines Instructor, Teacher, Learning, or Mailbox

Professional journals Social Education, Social Studies and the Young

Learner, The Social Studies, The History Teacher, The Clearing House, Childhood Education, and Social Studies Research and Practice

University librariesOther methods textbooksConferences


Finding and Using Prepared UnitsWhat are the key concerns when

using prepared units?AdaptationVitality and motivational appealAvailability of resources


Planning for Shorter Instructional SequencesWhat are the similarities and differences between a unit plan and a lesson plan?

What are some necessary components of a lesson plan?


Looking Back Time is a major problem teachers face when

planning for instructionUnit is the term most often used to describe

the long-term planning a teacher does to teach a topic

There are three kinds of teacher-made unitsCollaborative or team unitsTeaching unitsSketch units

Short-term planning most often takes the form of lesson plans


ExtensionYour principal charged you with a task of

forming a social studies committee.What are the advantages/disadvantages to

having a committee like this in a school?Do you think having teacher input on curriculum

planning/reform would produce better curriculum for the students? Why or why not?

What are the qualities a teacher should possess to be on this committee? Of these qualities, which are the most important? How should these teachers be selected?


ExtensionOnce the committee has been formed and

organized, the teachers get to work.Imagine your group is the committee.

Create a scope (what will be taught) and sequence (when) for your grade level’s social studies curriculum.

Be sure that you meet all required state standards.

The scope and sequence should be detailed and be for the entire school year.


Self-Test1. What are some reasons that teachers cannot

always plan as effectively as they should?2. What are some of the characteristics of a

classroom where good planning is going on?3. How do the varying types of units discussed

in this chapter differ?4. What is a collaborative unit?5. What are the elements necessary in a unit

plan?


ResourcesFederal Resources for Educational

Excellence – www.free.ed.gov The Gateway to 21st Century Skills –

www.thegateway.org PBS Teachers: Resources for the

Classroom – www.pbs.org/teachers Roberts, P., and Kellough, R. (2006). A

Guide for Developing Interdisciplinary Thematic Units (4th ed.). New York: Prentice Hall.

planning social studies instruction essentials of elementary social studies by turner, russell,...

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