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Canyon College
Canyno College
COURSE SYLLABUS: ED580 - Advanced Methods in Social Studies Education

Course Title: ED580 - Advanced Methods in Social Studies Education
Department: Education
Instructor: Joseph W. Pasquerilla, M.S.Ed.; Ed.D. Candidate - - Vita


COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW

This course is positioned to address divergent methods of teaching in the field of social studies education including classroom strategies, modalities of instruction, and the employment of thematic units to unify concepts in the intermediate and secondary school levels. Furthermore, this course will address and enlighten candidates on the many cultural biases harbored in present-day textbooks, while dispelling common misunderstandings through the lens of multiculturalism. Candidates will be armed with the tools to actively engage students from all levels of educational continuum while promoting citizenship and underscoring historically significant events.

TEXTBOOK  Online Bookstore

Maxim, G.W. (2006). Dynamic social studies for constructivist classrooms, eighth edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education, Inc.
ISBN: 0131712705

CONTACT INFORMATION

The most effective means of contact is via email . With very few exceptions, I will respond to your inquiries and submitted assignments within 24 hours.

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION
  1. your name,
  2. your student identification (example: stu00000),
  3. the course number (example: ED580), and
  4. the assignment title (example: Assignment One) are included in the SUBJECT box of your email message.
EXAMPLE: Subject: Jane Doe; stu00000; ED580; Reflection and Reaction Paper #1

NOTE: Assignments that are attached to email must be Microsoft Office compatible!
If you are unsure if your document is compatible please save it in "Rich Text Format" to ensure Microsoft Word can open the file.

COURSE COMMENTARY

Each candidate enrolled in this course has up to eight weeks to complete the assignments indicated below. However, a candidate may elect to accelerate his/her course of study and finish the assignments at an earlier time without permission from the instructor.

After each assignment that is submitted, the candidate will receive an email within 24 hours indicating his/her score along with possible comments or feedback from the instructor.

Each assignment in this course, aligning with the chapters outlined in part 1 (chapters 1-5) of text and part 2 (chapters 6-10) of the text, is valuated at thirty (30) possible points. The final project is valuated at forty (40) possible points. Therefore, the candidate’s grade is derived from the following framework.

ASSIGNMENTPOSSIBLE POINTS
Assignment One30
Assignment Two30
Final Project40
Total100
GRADE DERIVATION

90 - 100= A
80 - 89= B
70 - 79= C
60 - 69= D


COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment One
Read the Text: Chapters 1-5
Provide brief responses to the following questions. Email your responses to the instructor.
  1. Define social studies. Why is social studies important in students’ educational pursuits?
  2. State two intrinsic motivation techniques that support social studies teachers. How can teachers integrate social studies across the curriculum?
  3. What is multi-cultural education and why is multi-cultural awareness important?
  4. List and describe some of the exceptional children classifications.
  5. Explain how history should be taught. Outline areas such as chronological order, timelines, historical narratives, primary sources etc.
  6. Why is geography important and how should it be taught? Looking at the themes of geography and the national geographic standards.
  7. In regards to teaching map skills, what are some different types of maps and how are they used in the classroom?
  8. Discuss the significance of civics education.
  9. Describe how civics should be taught. What methods do you feel are most successful?
  10. What skills should young political scientists maintain?
Assignment Two
Read Chapters 6- 10
Provide brief responses to the following questions. Email your responses to the instructor.
  1. What is constructivism?
  2. What is the social studies teacher’s role in a social constructivist classroom?
  3. How does the learning cycle contribute to social constructivism?
  4. What is cooperative learning? Apply this model to social studies education.
  5. What does cooperative learning “look like” in the classroom and what are its main features?
  6. What are the benefits of utilizing cooperative learning in social studies instruction? Give a real life example if possible.
  7. What is cognitive constructivism?
  8. What is problem-centered instruction and how should social studies teachers facilitate this type of instruction?
  9. Outline briefly the process in effectively planning instruction for successful teaching.
  10. What are some of the key instruction resources being used to effectively educate students?
FINAL PROJECT

The final project asks the candidate to create a lesson plan that is based on a constructivist approach. The project should use cooperative learning techniques and utilize the skills outlined from the book (map skills for example). The lesson plan format can be informal, but it must include goals, objectives, instructional strategies and assessment categories. The lesson’s content can deal with any period of history that the candidate would like. A sample of the assessment must also be provided and it must be completed. While the text should be consulted for your project, it is encouraged that it is personalized with your experience. A one (1) page reflection on how the lesson relates to today’s world and how it is worth while and meaningful to the student should be submitted with the lesson plan.

COURSE ITINERARY
  1. Order the required texts for the course
  2. Complete each assignment and email to the instructor
  3. Complete your final paper and email to the instructor
  4. Your final grade for the course will be submitted to the Registrar within 24 hours of submitting your final paper.