Teaching Secondary Social Studies

Catalog description

Study of the objectives, content, methods, and evaluation of procedures of social studies. Students design units and lesson plans. EDUC 415 Teaching Secondary Social Studies (3) This course is designed to prepare social studies candidates with the teaching methods and content knowledge required to teach the many social studies subjects at the middle and high school level. Stressing a constructivist approach, students learn to utilize various instructional strategies to meet learning goals and objectives based on the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) thematic strands and relevant PA Academic and Core Standards. Long and short range planning of teaching units address content, assessment, technological integration, historical connections, equity for all students, ELL, and adaptations for special needs students. Students engage in focused classroom discussions on assigned readings and analyze critical issues in teaching social studies in order to develop a coherent and relevant social studies teaching and assessment philosophy. Students are evaluated based on lesson planning competence, the knowledge of and ability to promote NCSS thematic strands and PA standards in both planning and teaching, leading discussions on relevant social studies topics and readings, implementing a preplanned lesson to the class, and the development of a complete middle level or high school level unit of study.