PUTTING THE “SOCIAL” BACK IN SOCIAL STUDIES Making Social Studies Stick: Active Learning Strategies for Social Studies By: Chasity Lewis.

PUTTING THE “SOCIAL” BACK IN SOCIAL STUDIESMaking Social Studies Stick: Active Learning Strategies for Social Studies

By: Chasity Lewis

Agenda

Welcome Chasity Lewis

Overview of PD Chasity Lewis

Metaphorical Representation Participants

Making Social Studies Stick Chasity Lewis

Awareness Activity Participants

Understanding Awareness Chasity Lewis

Anticipation Guide Activity Participants

Poll Everywhere /Exit Ticket Participants

Why Teach Social Studies?

Using a metaphorical representation create a visual explaining why we teach social studies…be prepared to explain your correlation.

Metaphorical Representation

Social Studies: It’s all about people

Encompasses everything people do to: Survive Thrive Evolve

Keys to Making Social Studies Stick…

Restablish human-beings as the central subject of social studies

Create learning environments and using instructional practices that are compatible with the Natural learning process EVERYDAY!!

Incorporate challenging problems, authentic experiences, and real-life tasks.

All Humans learn in basically the same way:AwarenessExplorationInquiryAction

But I teach that….

Teaching has not occurred until learning takes place

So, what do I do?

Focus on the 3 Areas of Instruction in Social Studies:

Content-human beings as central to the story

Learning-strategies that support the natural learning cycle and build life and social studies skills

Outcomes-present challenging problems, authentic experiences, and real life tasks that have consequences

Laurel Schmidt, Social Studies that Sticks: How to Bring Content &Concepts to Life (2007, Heinemann)

Build Interest and Inquiry

Find ways to build interest and motivate students

Leave things open for multiple answers. Increase the level of inquiry in the

classroom. Require students to ask questions. Find real world applications for using SS

knowledge and skills. Use an effect-cause approach to

teaching history.

Have a Plan for Teaching & Learning Content & Skills

Recommendation 1: Use concepts to organize and build content knowledge

Recommendation 2: Prioritize content and vocabulary

Recommendation 3: Be sure to have students DO something with the new information

Awareness

At your table make a list of words that come to mind…

Awareness

1st Question – How is this like other things I’ve already seen and experienced?

2nd Question – How is this thing unique? What is it all about?

The brain must have this before moving on.

What can you do to support this natural occurrence?

Awareness = Engagement

Other Openers

Present an unknown Pose a probing, open-ended question Use visuals to set the stage Use props, artifacts, and art Use current events or well known figures Use an anticipation guide Use CONCEPTS & KEY

UNDERSTANDINGS!!

Using Key Understandings to Spark Interest and Awareness

What are they? Critical global, abstract, overarching

questions that drive teaching and learning within a unit of study.

They press learners to think beyond the confines of the content and make real world connections

They become targets for learning

Social Studies Concepts by Strand

Characteristics

Concept-based, not fact-based Timeless Provocative Reoccurring Global, universal, abstract 2-5 per unit at the secondary level

Where should I put them?

On the board to guide the lesson or connect lessons within the unit.

As a header for notes. All else points at answering that question = TARGET

To guide discussion or to complete a discussion web

Awareness

This is the time to tap and build BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

Examples: How did Lincoln’s calculated actions

provoke conflict? How did the decision to arm slaves

create conflict in the North?

Why Take the Time

Prior Knowledge…

has a great influence on student performance, explaining up to 81% of the variance in post-test scores (Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999).

there is a well-established correlation between prior knowledge and reading comprehension (Langer, 1984; Long, Winograd, & Bridget, 1989; Stevens, 1980).

Why Take the Time

Stimulating students’ background knowledge by justifying responses before reading improves the students’ learning of the targeted content.

Struggling students, in particular, benefit from the strategies aimed at building background knowledge.

Anticipaction/Reaction GuideOne easy way to set the stage, tap

and build…

Step 1 – Anticipate Step 2 – Read Step 3 – React Step 4 – Extend with Writing

Anticipation Guide Point of View

Anticipate & Connect

Have students respond to each item based on prior experience, background knowledge, opinions.

Think aloud so that students will understand the how and why.

If students are reluctant to choose, remind them they can revisit later.

Examples

Here’s one example of an anticipation/ reaction guide.

They are available EVERYWHERE. They do not need to be fancy. They can be done as a class by

consensus. Just be sure they follow the guidelines.

Creating a Guide

Review the text and identify 4-5 important concepts you would like students to learn.

Form opinion statements about the concepts.

Avoid True/False statements Create the guide.

Stamp Act

What are the benefits to building background?

Building Background Poll Exit Ticket