Brainball: Teaching Inquiry and Social Studies as a Team Sport

Brainball:Teaching Inquiry and Social Studies as a Team Sport is an attempt to clarify that not only is social studies a game, but that it is one of the most useful and powerful games that teachers and students will ever play. Games are the doing of theory, and maybe it would be a good idea to start doing social studies in every social studies classroom.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction Section 1: Brainball (Social Studies Edition) - Why Social Studies Matter Chapter 1: Brainball (Social Studies Edition) – The Point of the Game is Learning Chapter 2: The Big Ideas: Product, Process, and Community aligned with Purpose Chapter 3: Brainball (SSE) Beliefs (Dispositions) Chapter 4: Brainball (SSE) Key Knowledge Categories Chapter 5: Brainball (SSE) Skills Section 2: Preparing to Coach the Game Chapter 6: Tip 1: Keep the End-in-Mind Chapter 7: Tip 2: Play the Game Chapter 8: Tip 3: Competitions as Evaluations Chapter 9: Tip 4: Sequences matter Chapter 10: Tip 5: Explicit Communications Section 3: Day-to-Day Lesson Plans: Brainball Illuminated Unit Plan Overview Lesson 1: Observations Lesson 2: Observations Lesson 3: Observations/Curiosity Lesson 4: Identify Pre-Existing Knowledge/Conceptions Lesson 5: Curiosity Lesson 6: Develop Collaboration Norms Lesson 7: Identify Issue/Problem Lesson 8: Project & Time Management Lesson 9: Research- Bias and Triangulation of Sources Lesson 10: Communication Skills – Interview, Letter and Email Skills Lesson 11: Communication skills – Public Speaking Lesson 12: Create – Research: Gather Information Lesson 13: Create – Research: Sort Information Lesson 14: Create – Project Prep & Implementation Lesson 15: Design Presentation Lesson 16: Project Presentations Lesson 17: Synthesis – “I Learned” Lesson 18: Reflection & Self-Assessment Lesson 19: Summative Conference Conclusion Appendices Appendix A: Inquiry Based Learning Project Examples Appendix B: Global Issues Project Appendix C: Global Citizenship Rubrics Appendix D: 3, 2, & 1’s Appendix E: IBLP Global Citizenship Tracker Appendix F: Burning Questions Appendix G: Collaboration Norms Contract Appendix: H: Preliminary IBLP Plan Appendix I: IBLP Implementation Plan Appendix J: Which of these Things is not like the others? Appendix K: Exit Slip Appendix L: Peer Feedback Protocol Appendix M: Shapes Appendix N: Global Citizenship IBLP Project Reflection Appendix O: List of Resources

About the Author :
Mickey Kolis is the author of six books dealing with teaching and learning, a veteran public school teacher, and currently a university professor. Making learning relevant is his highest professional aspiration. Benjamin H. Kolis is an actor, director, theatre-maker and writer living in Minneapolis. MN. Jessica Hobelsberger Flanagan has taught high school social studies for 11 years, and has taught many courses including various history classes as well as Global Issues, Economics, Law, and Civics.

Review :
Brainball (Social Studies edition) lays out an inquiry-driven approach of teaching Social Studies in the 21st century. Not only do the authors provide sound reasoning and research on meaningful learning, they also provide lesson plans that educators can use in their classrooms on Day 1. I had countless "Of course! That makes total sense!" moments throughout reading this. Brainball is an excellent resource for Social Studies teachers, curriculum coordinators, and administrators who are serious about making teaching more relevant. Relevant, purposeful, and engaging. Each of these words came to mind while reading, Brainball (Social Studies Edition). New and veteran educators will find inspiration in the pages of this book. Practical examples abound with the wealth of materials created by veteran Social Studies educator, Jessica Hobelsberger Flanagan. I would highly recommend this text to both my student teachers and colleagues.