Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e

Walter C. Parker &

Terence A. Beck

Chapter 1

Social Studies Education: What and

Why

By: Terence A. Beck, University of Puget Sound

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Chapter Outline

1. Goals for Social Studies: Social Understanding and Civic

Competence

2. Curriculum Scope and Sequence

3. Five Key Trends

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Key Concepts

Social studies
Social understanding
Civic competence
Scope and sequence
Social studies standards
Unit topics
Basic content themes
Opportunity gap Trends
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State
Standards

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Picture This

As they enter the classroom, the kindergarten children are excited to find a
large strip of paper going down the middle of the floor. Their teacher,
Jacob Stern, tells them to hang up their coats and come sit beside the paper
strip. The strip, he tells them, is a highway connecting two distant towns.
Mr. Stern takes a toy car and starts driving it along the highway. What
might happen as someone drives along? he asks. The children suggest a
number of possibilities: running out of gas, getting tired, and being hungry.
What services might be necessary for people as they drive from town to
town? Tanisha suggests a gas station. A milk carton is placed along the
highway and named Tanishas Gas Station.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Goals For Social Studies Education

Social Understanding
Civic Competence
Knowledge
Attitudes and Values
Skills

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Knowledge

Culture
Time, Continuity, and Change
People, Places, and Environments
Individual Development and Identity
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
Power, Authority, and Governance
Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Science, Technology, and Society
Global Connections and Interdependence
Civic Ideals and Practice

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Attitudes and Values

Being committed to the public values of this society

Being able to deal fairly and effectively with value conflicts that
arise when making decisions about the common good
Developing a reasoned loyalty to this nation and its form of
government
Developing a feeling of kinship to human beings everywhere
Taking responsibility for ones actions and fulfilling ones
obligations to the community

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Skills

Democratic Participation Skills

Listening to and expressing opinions and reasons

Participating in classroom, school, and community decision making

Working cooperatively to clarify a task and plan group work

Accessing, using, and creating community resources

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and Discuss

Many school subjects comprise knowledge and skills, but social

studies emphasizes attitudes and values, too. How are they different,

and why are both important?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Discussion Question

Think back about the Reflect and Discuss feature on the previous slide
and your response to the questions asked. Then, with a partner, re-
read the definition and the two goals of social studies education given
in the text and the explanation that follows. Work together to clarify
the distinction between social understanding and civic efficacy, and
discuss the ways knowledge, values and attitudes, and skills are each
involved.
Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Skills (Cont.)

Study and Inquiry Skills

Using and making time lines, maps, globes, charts, and graphs

Locating, reading, and analyzing information from a variety of resources

Writing reports and giving oral presentations

Distinguishing between primary and secondary sources

Forming and testing hypotheses

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Skills (Cont.)

Intellectual Skills
Comparing and contrasting

Making and evaluating conclusions based on evidence

Identifying and clarifying problems and issues

Distinguishing fact from opinion

Inferring cause-effect relationships

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Curriculum Scope and Sequence

Scope - The subject matter.

Sequence - The order in which the various subject matters are to be

presented.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Curriculum Standards: National

Curriculum standards are statements that describe what students need to learn.
Sets of national standards applicable to social studies
Social Studies (integrated) NCSS
Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State
Standards
History
Geography
Civics/Government
Economics

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and Discuss

Read the social studies standards for your state. It is often helpful to
limit yourself to one or two grade levels when youre first starting out.
What knowledge, attitudes and values, and skills are emphasized at
these grade levels? How do your states standards compare to other
states?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Five Key Trends

1. Closing the Opportunity Gap

2. Curriculum Standards: National, State, and Local

3. Assessment, Accountability, and the Global Achievement Gap

4. Democracy

5. Making the LiteracySocial Studies Connection

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Discussion Question

Return to the beginning paragraphs of the Five Key Trends section of

this chapter. The authors suggest that during an interview for a
teaching position, youll most likely be asked about one of more of
them. Select one or more of these trends and create a question that an
interviewer might ask. Formulate an answer to your question and then
exchange questions and answers with your peers in the class.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved