ED358: TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

This course prepares teacher candidates to think critically about teaching social studies in grades 4 through 12. Topics include: multicultural aspects of the social studies; effective communication skills in reading, writing and speaking in the social studies; critical thinking about social studies methodology; the ability to translate social science discipline knowledge into the social studies curriculum; the ability to use social studies software in the classrooms and the ability to use technology to conduct social science research. Course content includes the modeling of block scheduling, integrated units, problem solving and critical thinking about the middle school concept, as well as teaching strategies, scheduling and pacing techniques and content delivery methods appropriate to high school settings. Content specific assessment strategies are discussed and implemented, and data are analyzed in order to plan remediation and future instruction. A summative final assignment is to create a detailed plan for an social studies unit on a subject from the Ohio Model Curriculum and to implement it in the field, complete with identified objectives, materials, lessons, teaching strategies, accommodations, assessments and future planning . This course should be taken with a field practicum.