Integrated Elementary Language Arts and Social Studies

Catalog description

This course explores the keys to successful integration of language arts into the elementary social studies curriculum. Social studies is integrative by nature (National Council for the Social Studies, 2017). Powerful and purposeful social studies incorporates language arts skills to help young learners use context clues to suggest meaning, decipher maps and charts, and interpret primary and secondary source documents. A high quality integrative social studies and language arts curriculum brings forth carefully chosen Big Ideas and Essential Understandings with authentic action to promote social understanding and civic efficacy. This course will delineate the integrative nature of elementary social studies and explore the ways in which literature and language arts skills (e.g., listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and representing) add depth and breadth. (Prerequisite: EDUC503)