My Expertise in the Social Studies

TPE 1: Specific Pedagogical Skills for Subject-Matter Instruction defines the following
standards for a Single Subject Credential Candidate in History-Social Science. Under
each standard, I illustrate relevant coursework, academic, and professional
experiences to demonstrate my proficiency in these standards.

History-Social Science candidates demonstrate the ability to teach the stateadopted academic content standards for students in history-social science.
o During prerequisite courses and the intern module, I have
practiced and sufficiently demonstrated my ability to plan
lessons and assessments that are based on the CA HistorySocial Science Content Standards.
o I will further demonstrate the ability to teach the CA HistorySocial Science content standards through my intern teaching
or student teaching in the coming year.

They enable students to learn and use analytic thinking skills in history and
social science while attaining the state-adopted academic content standards
for students.
o I have taken multiple courses that have taught me to think
critically about many of the California History-Social Science
Standards, including Pol Sci 21A, Intro to American
Government (UCI); Intl St 12, Global Issues and Institutions
(UCI); Anthro 163A, Peoples of the Pacific (UCI); Intl St 13,
Global Economy (UCI); Pol Sci 159, Politics of South and
Southeast Asia (UCI); Pol Sci 153E, US Human Rights (UCI); Pol
Sci 43D, Global Security and Cooperation (UCI); Pol Sci 121,
Social Ecology of Peace (UCI); Pol Sci 152C, German Politics
and Society (UCI); Intl St 154W, Ethics and Justice in
International Affairs (UCI); Pol Sci 122B, California Politics
(UCI); Anthro 161T, Asian Immigrants in Orange County; Intl St
169, Human Rights and Foreign Policy; Pol Sci 121E, Public
Policy Analysis; POLS 578, Transnational Crime and Terror;
POLS 594, Europe and the Islamic World; PJS 556, International
Negotiations; and HIST 559, The Middle East and Terrorism.

They use timelines and maps to reinforce students sense of temporal and
spatial scale.
o I have my BA in both political science and international studies
from UC Irvine. I will use the knowledge I gained during my
education to provide multiple references in my classroom to
historical timelines and relevant maps.

Candidates teach students how social science concepts and themes provide
insights into historical periods and cultures.

Through my education and professional experience as a

legislative assistant I have learned a great deal about relating
concepts and themes to the current world environment and
various historical periods.
I have passed all three subsets of the Social Science CSETs and
received an A in INST 11 at UC Irvine, Global Cultures and
Society, a course that studies societys move from isolation to
interdependence.

They help students understand events and periods from multiple

perspectives by using simulations, case studies, cultural artifacts, works of
art and literature, cooperative projects, and student research activities.
o I have my MA in international relations from University of San
Diego. I also worked as a legislative assistant for a California
Assemblyman. During my educational and professional career,
I have acquired a vast collection of resources, including
scholarly articles, policy papers, and works of literature.
o I received an A in PJS 556, International Negotiations, which
taught me to analyze case studies and conduct simulations
with the goal of analyzing multiple perspectives.

Candidates teach students to independently read, comprehend, and evaluate

instructional materials that include increasingly complex subject-relevant
texts and graphic/media representations presented in diverse formats.
o I have my MA in international relations. As a graduate student
I received an A in POLS 535, Research Design, in which I
became an expert in testing theories and hypotheses using
complex research design methods. This expertise will allow me
to teach students the proper tools to comprehend and critically
evaluate sources.

Candidates also teach students to write argumentative and expository text in

the content area.
o As a writing tutor for the MA in International Relations
program at the University of San Diego, I was able to aid
students in not only the composition of their graduate level
papers, but also the organization of ideas and concepts into a
cohesive argument.
o I assisted students with papers for both undergraduate and
graduate level work, including comprehensive exams. These
skills will allow me to adapt my own writing knowledge to the
secondary level and teach students how to write well in the
social sciences.

Additionally, History-Social Science Single Subject candidates connect

essential facts and information to broad themes, concepts and principles, and
they relate history-social science content to current or future issues.

During my graduate work I have learned how history-social

science content relates to current and future issues. I have
written multiple papers regarding foreign policy, terrorism, the
Arab Spring, globalization, and other relevant current events.
In these papers I used in depth research methods, along with
literature reviews and historical backgrounds to analyze
current events and issues.

They teach students how cultural perspectives inform and influence

understandings of history.
o With my BA in international studies and my MA in international
relations I have studied deeply how other cultures influence
history and the world today. I have taken courses all over the
world, including in the Czech Republic, Poland, France,
Belgium, Austria, and Turkey. During these courses I met with
delegates from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the UN, the
EU, Greenpeace, and many other international organizations.
o During this time, I visited such historically relevant places as,
Auschwitz/Birkenau, Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, Viennese
Parliament, Schonbrunn Palace, Topkapi Palace, The Louvre,
and many others. My studies and my travel have given me a
wide perspective of various cultures and a deep knowledge of
histories around the world.

They select and use age-appropriate primary and secondary documents and
artifacts to help students understand a historical period, event, region or
culture.
o As a graduate student of international relations, I used
primary and secondary sources often in papers and other
research projects. With my knowledge of research, including a
vast store of online resources that I am familiar with, I will be
able to search for and find age-appropriate supplementary
materials for most lessons.

Candidates ask questions and structure academic instruction to help students

recognize prejudices and stereotypes.
o While taking EDSC 340, Multicultural Education, I was able to
address racism and other prejudices in a non-threatening, but
helpful way. I have learned as a substitute teacher for both
middle and high school that students are often aware of
prejudice and stereotypes and I have learned how to address
these issues with tact and sympathy.

They create classroom environments that support the discussion of sensitive

issues (e.g., social, cultural, religious, race, and gender issues), and
encourage students to reflect on and share their insights and values.

I received an A in EDSC 340, Multicultural Education at

California State University, Fullerton. During this course I
completed projects regarding students with special needs and
learned about the necessity to affirm the cultures of all
students. During this course, I wrote a culminating paper on
the need to explicitly teach against biases and prejudices,
specifically racism and gender inequality.

They design activities to counter illustrate multiple viewpoints on issues.

o As a graduate student, I became an expert at discussing
multiple viewpoints. We were often asked to write on a topic
with which we did not agree so that we learned the value in
analyzing counter-arguments. In my comprehensive exam, I
wrote an extensive section regarding counter-arguments to my
hypothesis and illustrated these arguments with graphics,
images, and videos during my oral defense.

They provide students the opportunity to use and evaluate strengths and
limitations of media and technology as integral tools in the classroom.
o At UC Irvine I took Soc Sci 3A Computer-Based Research in the
Social Sciences, which focuses on data manipulation, data
visualization, and information searching techniques. During
this course we learned how to make basic websites and search
the web using the scientific method as a process.

Candidates monitor the progress of students as they work to understand,

debate, and critically analyze social science issues, data, and research
conclusions from multiple perspectives.
o As a substitute teacher I learned how to manage a classroom
effectively and to check for understanding from students on
basic tasks.
o In the intern module, I have proven that I can monitor student
learning by administering various assessments and I plan to
enhance this skill through my student or intern teaching.