Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades: A Constructivist Approach, MyLabSchool Edition

Building on the success of the first edition, Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades discusses flexible strategies for teaching today's diverse learner, the structure of the knowledge to be learned, how to help students reconstruct present ideas, and how to translate theory and recent research into lesson plans and units. Packed with activities, up-to-date technology, teaching strategies, and a constructivist approach, this text demonstrates how to use developmentally appropriate strategies to help students construct important social studies ideas and skills.

Table of Contents:
Each chapter concludes with “Expanding on this Chapter” and “Recommended Websites to Visit.” 1. Meaningful Social Studies and the Student. Social Studies in the Elementary and Middle School. Building on Diversity: Meaningful Social Studies. Education for Active Citizenship. Using Technology: Deciding Whether and When (featurebox). Social Studies is Essential. Curriculum Patterns in Social Studies. Planning Powerful Social Studies Lessons. Making a Literture Connection: Considering Quality for Social Studies Instruction (featurebox). Learning Cycle: Making Good Rules. 2. Teaching for Meaningful Learning in Social Studies. How is Social Studies Best Taught in Today's Classrooms? Applying what We Know About Meaningful Learning to Social Studies Curriculum. An Effective Strategy to Assist Students in Conceptual Change. Learning Cycle: National Memorials and the Display of Power. Making a Literature Connection: Portraying Power (featurebox). Using Technology: Take an Electronic Field Trip (featurebox). Phases of a Learning Cycle Lesson Learning Cycle: Sequencing Social Studies Instruction Buiding on Diversity: Opportunities to Include Multiple Perspectives (featurebox). Principles of Teaching and Learning Supporting the Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. 3. Helping Students Develop Inquiry Skills in Social Studies. Using Inquiry Skills to Develop Students' Social Studies Ideas. Early Inquiry Skills. Building on Diversity: Early Inquiry Skills (featurebox). Social Studies Inquiry Skills. Observations, Inferences, and Hypotheses. Attitudes and Dispositions Promoting Powerful Social Studies. Making a Literature Connection: Demonstrating Powerful Attitudes and Dispositions (featurebox). Teaching Lessons in Which Students Use Integrative Thinking Skills. Using Technology: Fostering Inquiry Skills (featurebox). Creating an Environment Promoting Student Thinking in Social Studies. Using Technology: Broadcast Media and Copyright Law: What You Can and Cannot Do (featurebox). Implementing Activities that Teach Inquiry Skills. Assessing the Use of Inquiry Skills. Hierarchy of Inquiry Skills. 4. Helping Students Construct Concepts Through Conceptual Change. Concept Teaching Starts with Reflection and Practice. Facts as Social Studies Content. Forming Concepts. Types of Concepts Building on Diversity: Defining Concepts (featurebox). Interrelationships Among Concepts. Differences in Complexity and Abstractness of Concepts. Making a Literature Connection: Recognizing Its Limitations (featurebox). Building on Diversity: Cultural Factors and Concepts (featurebox). Teaching Concepts. Learning Cycle: Productive Resources. Using Technology: Examples of Resources for Helping Students Build concepts (featurebox). 5. Helping Students Use Inquiry to Build Generalizations. Development of Generalizations. Making a Literature Connection: The Message is a Generalization (featurebox). Building on Diversity: Using Resources to Support Learning a Generalization (featurebox). Characteristics of the Exploratory Introduction Phase. Characteristics of the Lesson Development Phase. Using Technology: Supporting Students' Inquiry (featurebox). Characteristics of the Expansion Phase. Formative Evaluation and the Inquiry Process. Inquiry Teaching and the National Standards in Social Studies. 6. Using Instructional Strategies That Help Students Learn. Becoming and Effective Planner of A Social Studies Program. Using Technology: Creating a Collaborative Classroom (featurebox). An Interview with Mike Yell on Cooperative Learning. A Continuum of Instruction. Matching Instructional Strategies to Students Needs. Matching Types of Instructional Activities to Each Phase of the Lesson. Make a Literature Connection: Reading Literature (featurebox). Building on Diversity: Prereading Activities (featurebox). Classroom Management for Powerful Social Studies. Using Action Research to Create More Effective Instruction. 7. Helping Students Relate to Individuals and Communities. Respect for Students and for Oneself as a Teacher. Learning Cycle: Sharing and Negotiation. Some Areas Affective the Development of Self-Concept. Making a Literature Connection: Supporting Development of Self Respect (featurebox). Values and Moral Education. Using Technology: Stimulating Discussion (featurebox). Attitudes. Building on Diversity: Learning from the Voices of our Family and Community (featurebox). 8. Helping Students Become Citizens in a Democratic Society in an Ever More Interdependent World. Defining Citizenship in a Democratic Society. Developing Political Awareness. Citizenship and Standards. Key Concepts and Values. Learning Cycle: Voting is a Way to Make Decisions. Assessing Civic Education in U.S. Schools. Resources for Citizenship Education. An Interview with a Teacher: Emily Wood. Making a Literature Connection: Selecting a Trade Book that Stresses Social Studies (featurebox). Media Resources. Law-Related Education Learning Cycle: Presidental Oath. Participating in Democracy. Using Technology: Discussions that Promote Greater Understanding through Combining and Evaluating Ideas Against Criteria (featurebox). 9. Helping All Students Experience Meaningful Social Studies. Meaningful Social Studies for All Students. Social Studies Education for Students with Disabilities. Social Studies Education in a Culturally Diverse Society. Building on Diversity: Variations in Belief Systems (featurebox). Making a Literature Connection: Role Models (featurebox). Culture and Gender Differences in Student-Teacher Interactions. Helping the English Language Learner Participate in Social Studies. Assessment of Social Studies Learning for All Students. Using Technology: Alternative Assessment. 10. Helping Students Interpret History. Definition of History. History in Schools. Learning Cycle: The First Thanksgiving in the United States. Standards for History. Benefits of Studying History. Students and the Learning of History. Using Time Lines to Develop Chronology. Resources for Teaching History. Learning Cycle: Skills in Picture Analysis Visual Literacy and History. Reenactments and Drama. Biographies and Historical Literature. Internet and Computer Resources. An Interview with Carol Thompson. Expanding Your Skills in History. 11. Helping Students Interpret the Earth and Its People Through Geography. Interview-Experiences with Billy Fitzhugh, a Second Grade Teacher. Defining Geography. Standards for Geographic Education. Learning Cycle: People Change Their Environments. Resources for Teaching Geography. Developing Geographic Concepts, Generalizations, and Skills. Helping Students Learn and Use Map and Globe Skills. 12. Helping Students Make Economic Decisions. Economic Literacy. Interview with Nancy Braden about Teaching Economics. Defining Economics. National Social Studies Standards Related to Economics. Economics Concepts and Values. Learning Cycle: Economic Interdependence. Economic Decision-Making Skills. Economic Goals and Values. Children and the Learning of Economics. Learning Cycle: Advertisements and Making Good Choices. 13. Helping Students Understand Local and Global Societies. Global Education: An Evolving Definition. Approaches to Global Education. Interdisciplinary Connections. Teaching Global Education. Teaching Strategies. Learning Cycle Unit: Teaching About War to Help Create a More Humane World. Making a Literature Connection: What are the People of the World Like? (featurebox). Resources for Teaching Global Education. Using Technology: Civics Impact of Technology Opportunities (featurebox).