Itawamba County
Schools Professional Development
“Social Studies across
the Curriculum”
Teachers will learn how the nature of Social Studies is
integrative in nature. Teachers will learn how to teach Social Studies in an
integrative way using the NCSS Curriculum Standards as a guide. Teachers will
then learn how to use CCSS to integrate Social Studies with English Language
Arts. The focus will be on integrating Social Studies content and skills into
ELA classes and ELA skills into Social Studies classes. The professional
development will conclude with a discussion of ways to integrate Social Studies
with other academic disciplines including mathematics, science, and physical
education. Participants will be given an opportunity to apply concepts taught
through a series of practical exercises.
1.
Introduction 9:00-9:20
a.
Instructor
b.
Participants
c.
Goals
i.
Identify the pitfalls of integration
ii.
Learn how to use CCSS and NCSS Standards to
create integrated learning activities
iii.
Evaluate a lesson plan for integration
iv.
Propose integration ideas for an existing lesson
plan
v.
Create a learning activity that integrates at
least two social studies disciplines and at least two other academic
disciplines
vi.
Maintain learning log
2.
Pre-Assessment 9:20- 9:50
a.
What is integration?
b.
Describe an instructional activity (lesson plan,
unit) that you taught that was integrated with social studies.
i.
Unit topic
ii.
Objectives
iii.
Activities
iv.
How was it integrated?
3.
Social Studies- the integrated discipline 10:00-
11:00
a.
The danger of integration?
i.
Read introduction of Alleman and Brophy (1993)
then scan rest of the article. What are their concerns with integration and
social studies?
ii.
Think-pair-share
iii.
Discussion- how do we avoid these pitfalls?
b.
Nature and goals of social studies
i.
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
definition of Social Studies p. 3 of NCSS Standards
ii.
Social Studies Disciplines- brainstorm list
1.
How are they related?
c.
Using NCSS Curriculum Standards to teach in an
integrative way
i.
Jigsaw- divide students into 10 groups- each
reads about one theme- shares key points about their theme.
ii.
How do the NCSS Curriculum Standards help us
think about social studies in an integrated way?
iii.
Thematic teaching! Developing and using themes
over an extended time frame help us teach in an integrated way.
d.
Using the Mississippi Social Studies Framework
to teach in an integrative way
i.
Look at the structure of the Framework- how is
it integrative?
Hint- Look at the strands
e.
Social studies
i.
Citizenship focus- connection to students- what
can they learn?
ii.
Context focus- (where they are, when they are,
and why they are)
iii.
Thematic focus- use NCSS themes or other
relevant themes.
f.
Practical exercise 11:00- 11:50
i.
Evaluate Georgia colony lesson plan idea for
integration.
1.
In what ways is it integrated?
a.
Social Studies disciplines
b.
Social Studies themes
c.
MS Social Studies Framework
2.
What are additional areas of integration?
3.
What are other topics/themes in US history that
you could link/connect to this lesson (either prior to or after) that would
help make this lesson more integrated within the school year?
ii.
Another example- Susan B. Anthony
4.
Integrating Social Studies with other academic
disciplines 1:00- 1:50
a.
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (Link to
CCSS- focus on 6-12 social studies/history standards)
i.
Designed to integrate Social Studies and
Language Arts
1.
Reading
2.
Writing
3.
Speaking
4.
Listening
ii.
An example- Going
to the Mountains
iii.
Key to avoiding integration pitfalls is to
determine what your social studies goal is first! Consider social studies as
the input and reading as the process to understand the input, and
writing/speaking as the way to communicate what you have learned about the
input.
iv.
Practical exercise using CCSS and Social Studies
b.
Other academic disciplines 2:00-3:00
i.
Social studies adds context
ii.
Science- cultural aspects of science- Copernicus and Galileo
iii.
Math- cultural aspects of mathematics- why do we
allow people to say, “I’m just no good at math”? Where did different math
principles come from (Algebra, zero, etc). Math is by its nature trans-cultural
and multicultural.
iv.
Physical Education- recreation aspects of
culture
v.
Art- reflections on society, time, culture
vi.
Music- reflections on society, time, culture
vii. Literature- Walt Whitman and Lincoln
viii.
Example: Ernest Shackleton, 1914
c.
Practical exercise 3:00-3:45
i.
Topic: Age of Discovery
ii.
Create a learning activity that integrates
1.
Social studies disciplines
2.
NCSS Themes
3.
CSSS ELA
4.
At least one other academic discipline
5.
Conclusion 3:45-4:00
a.
Post-Assessment
i.
3-2-1
1.
Three things you’ve learned
2.
Two things you can use
3.
One way you will integrate social studies into
your instruction in August
b.
Final thoughts
