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EDCI 667: Advanced

Methods of Teaching
History/Social Studies
Secondary
George Mason University
Graduate School of
Education
Fall 2011
Sara L. Cranford, Adjunct Professor

[email protected]

703-795-7403

Class Meetings: Mondays, 4:30-

7:10 pm, Innovation Hall 320

Course Description: This course

provides pre-service teachers with a
comprehensive overview of
effective approaches to planning,
implementing, managing, and
assessing successful social studies
learning experiences for students. Emphasis will be placed on exploring the relationship between
educational theory and the development of practical teaching techniques for everyday use in the
secondary social studies classroom. This is the second semester of a yearlong methods course. This
semester we will examine the following areas of social studies education through the lens of historical
content: standards & accountability, curriculum/unit/lesson planning, engaging approaches for teaching
social studies, assessment in the social studies, and multiculturalism.

Two main strands drive the courses curriculum. First is an exploration of what history/social studies is
and why it is important to teach. This forms the basis and rationale for everything you do in the
classroom. The second strand examines how students learn and come to understand history/social studies
so that you can develop effective lesson plans in your classrooms.

Our essential questions and learning goals will frame and guide this class. You will have a chance to
uncover, examine and revise your rationale for teaching this subject matter while reading and discussing
varying perspectives on the nature of history/social studies and its value.
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Course Objectives
Students will understand:

That effective social studies teaching requires knowing your subject matter and understanding
how to connect your content to students; knowing different teaching and assessment approaches;
knowing the school culture and understanding how to make space for yourself in that culture;
knowing students, engaging students in critical and higher-order thinking, teaching students life-
long learner skills, and presenting students with multiple perspectives.
That learning to teach is a complex process involving continuous reflection.

Students will know:

Content related to standards & accountability, engaging teaching approaches, assessment in the
social studies, epistemology of and approaches to teaching history, and the theories behind
multiculturalism.

Students will be able to:

Engage in critical, reflective discussions of research and practitioner readings.

Develop lesson and unit plans, develop assessment tools, reflect on teaching practice and focus on
practical investigation and modeling of student-centered and activity-based methods designed to
meet the individual needs of a diverse student population.

Required Texts:
Drake & Nelson (2005). Engagement in teaching history. Theory and practices for middle and
secondary teacher. NJ: Merrill-Prentice Hall.

Weinstein, C. (2007). Middle and secondary classroom management: Lessons from research and
Practice, 3rd Ed. Heinemann Press.

Articles and Text Excerpts:

Banks, J. (1994). Transforming the Mainstream Curriculum. Educational Leadership, 51 (8), 4-8.

Banks, J. (2002). Goals and Misconceptions. An Introduction to Multicultural Education. 3rd

Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Barton, K. & Levstik, L. (2004). Teaching history for the common good. Lawrence Erlbaum
Publishers: Mahwah, NJ.

Beyer, B.K. (1980). Using Writing to Learn in History. The History Teacher, 13(2), 167-178.

Beyer, B.K. & Brostoff, A. (1979). The time it takes: Managing/evaluating writing and social
Studies. Social Education, March, 194-197.

Brophy, J. (1999). Teaching. Educational Practices series UNESCO with the International
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Academy of Education and the International Bureau of Education.

Delpit, L. (1995). Education in a Multicultural Society: Our Futures Greatest Challenge. In L.

Delpits Other Peoples Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. (pp. 168-183).
New York: The New Press.

Doty, J.K., Cameron, G.N. & Barton, M. (2003). Teaching Reading in Social Studies. McRel
Press: Aurora, CO.

Gay, G. (2001). Effective Multicultural Teaching Practices. In C.F. Diaz (Ed). Multicultural
Education for the 21st Century, (pp. 23-41) New York: Longman Publishers.

Hess, D.E. (2005). How do Teachers Political Views Influence Teaching About Controversial
Issues? Social Education, 69(1), 47-52.

Parker, W.C. (2006). Public Discourses in Schools: Purposes, Problems, Possibilities. Educational
Researcher, 35:8.

Percoco, J.A. (2001). Divided we stand: Teaching about conflict in U.S. history. Portsmouth:
Heinemann.

Risinger, C.F. (1987). Improving Writing Skills Through Social Studies. Bloomington IN: ERIC
Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education.

Schoenbach, T., et al. (1999). Reading for understanding: A guide to improving reading in the
Middle and high school classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Segall, A. (2003). Maps as Stories about the World. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 16(1),
21-25.

Silverman, F. (2003). Hot Button Handling. District Administration, 24-27.

Wade, R. Quality Community Service Learning Projects: Getting Started

Westheimer, J. & Kahne, J. (2004, Summer). What Kind of Citizen? The Politics of Educating for
Democracy. American Educational Research Journal 41(2), 237-269.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Youniss, J. & Yates, M. (1997). Community Service and Social Responsibility in Youth. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press

General Internet Resources:

Advanced Placement Central

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http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpf

National Writing Project

http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/922

Free teaching resources

http://www.free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=19

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/index.jsp

National Archives

http://www.archives.gov/index.html

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/index.html

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/

Center for History and New Media

http://chnm.gmu.edu/ (also see http://historymatters.gmu.edu/)

Historical Thinking Matters

http://historicalthinkingmatters.org/

National Council for the Social Studies

http://www.socialstudies.org/

National Council for History Education

http://www.nche.net/

ALSO:

Please consider joining the National Council for the Social Studies as a student member. Go to
www.socialstudies.org/membership. Fill in and submit the on-line form. If the form asks you to Choose
a Journal, please select the option that offers Social Education.
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COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Student Expectations
Students must adhere to the guidelines of the George Mason University Honor Code [See
http://academicintegrity.gmu.edu/honorcode/].
Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the
George Mason University Office of Disability Services (ODS) and inform their instructor, in
writing, at the beginning of the semester [See http://ods.gmu.edu/].
Students must follow the university policy for Responsible Use of Computing [See
http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/1301gen.html].
Students are responsible for the content of university communications sent to their George Mason
University email account and are required to activate their account and check it regularly. All
communication from the university, college, school, and program will be sent to students solely
through their Mason email account.
Students must follow the university policy stating that all sound emitting devices shall be turned
off during class unless otherwise authorized by the instructor.
Students are expected to exhibit professional behaviors and dispositions at all times.Please
turn cell phones off and stay off the computers except when we are using them for a class
activity
Attendance at all class sessions is assumed and students are expected to be on time.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class periods indicated. Assignments will be
penalized one full letter grade for each day they are late and will not be accepted more than
three days after the due date without previous instructor permission. Please do not e-mail
assignments, but turn them in hard copy form at the beginning of the class period for which
they are due. All written work is evaluated for clarity of expression, content, and mechanics of
correct English. Assignments must be typed, double spaced, printed in 12-point font, with 1-inch
margins on standard (8 X 11) white paper.

Campus Resources
The George Mason University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff consists of
professional counseling and clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors who offer a
wide range of services (e.g., individual and group counseling, workshops and outreach programs)
to enhance students personal experience and academic performance [See http://caps.gmu.edu/].
The George Mason University Writing Center staff provides a variety of resources and services
(e.g., tutoring, workshops, writing guides, handbooks) intended to support students as they work
to construct and share knowledge through writing [See http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/].
For additional information on the College of Education and Human Development, Graduate
School of Education, please visit our website [See http://gse.gmu.edu
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Course Requirements:

Assignment Value Date Due

Class 10% Ongoing
Participation/Attendance

Partner Assignment Mini 15% variable

Lesson/Discussion/Debate
Lead

Web Quest Activity (NCSS 15% February 13

8/9)

Partner Project and 15% March 5

Presentation: A) History
Through Students Eyes OR

B.) Museum/Historic Site

Fieldwork

Field Experience/Reading 20% March 26

4 Reflections April 16

Variable

Lesson Plan 25% April 23

NCSS 7

Grading Scale:

Letter Grade Scale

A 94-100

A- 90-93

B+ 87-89

B 83-86

B- 80-82

Below 80 unsatisfactory
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TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE:

Date Topic Readings/Assignments Due

January 23 Introductions

Overview of Syllabus -
Assignments

What Makes Good

Teaching?

January 30 Virginia Standards of Readings for Today:

Learning (VSOL) and
Ambitious Teaching 1.)Bring Learning Alive! Pp. 1-21

Planning for Instruction: 2.)Brophy, Teaching

How do I prepare my 3.) Wiggins Ch. 1

students to do well on
4.) Pick at least one class and look through the materials
standardized tests of
accountability and still available for history and social studies at the VA Dept of Ed
teach a dynamic, Website (VSOLs):
engaging class that helps
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/
them develop broader
history_socialscience/index.shtml
analytical, critical
thinking, and social 5.) Look through the NCSS Standards
skills?
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/execsummary
Backwards Design

Feb 6 Teaching Controversial Readings for today:

Topics and Current
Events 1.) Hess, How do teachers political views

Why and how do we 2.) Parker, Public Discourses in Schools

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incorporate current events

and controversial issues 3.) Silverman, Hot Button Handling
in the curriculum?
4.) Wallis, How To Make Great Teachers
How do I produce, lead,
and manage classroom
debate and discussion?

Feb 13 Maps/Geography Web Quest Due

How do I infuse Readings for today:

geography into history?
1.)Segall, Maps as stories

2.) Gritzner, Why Geography?

Feb 20 No Class Work session with partner for partner projects

Feb 27 Character Readings for Today:

Education/Community
Service and Service 1.)Wade Quality Community Service Learning Projects
Learning
2.)Youniss and Yates, Ten Ideas for Designing and
What is the relationship Implementing Community Service Programs
between the social
science and character
education/service
learning?

How can I incorporate

character education and
service learning into my
social studies classes?

March 5 Museums, Memorials, Partner Project Presentations Due

Historic Sites and

History Through a
Students Eyes

March 19 Assessment and Readings for Today:

Grading
1.)Travis, Meaningful Assessment
How can I find out about
my students as learners? 2.) Drake and Nelson, Ch. 6

What is assessment and

how do I effectively do
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it?

How do I establish a fair

grading policy?

How do I ultimately
prepare students for SOL
and AP testing?

March 26 Reading and Writing in First Classroom Observation Reflection Due The
Social Studies Teacher and Instructional Design

What is the role of Social Reading for Today:

Studies in developing
reading and writing 1.)Beyer, Using Writing to Learn in History
skills?
2..)Risinger, Improving Writing Skills Through Social
What pedagogical Studies
strategies best support
3.) Kohn, How to create nonreaders..
reading and writing in
social studies?

How can I infuse reading

and writing into my
teaching?

April 2 No Class

April 9 Classroom Management Readings for Today:

How do I set a tone of 1.)Weinstein, select chapters

good behavior so learning
can take place?

Politics of Education
Relationships with
Parents and
Administrators

April 16 Multicultural Education Second Classroom Observation Reflection Due The

Students
Guest Speaker - ESOL
team lead in ACPS Readings for Today:

What is multicultural 1.)Banks, Goals and Misconceptions

education and how do I
establish it in my 2.)Delpit, Education in a Multicultural Society: Our
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curriculum? Futures Greatest Challenge

3.)Banks, Transforming the Mainstream Curriculum

April 23 Lesson Plan Lesson Plans Due in hard copy and posted on Black
Presentations Board to share

April 30 Wrap Up Citizenship Readings for Today:

Education
1.) Westheimer and Kahne, What Kind of
What does an educated Citizen?
citizen need to know? 2.) Kohn, Ten Obvious Truths

*This outline may change as the semester progresses.