Synopses & Reviews
KEY BENEFIT: The 1990s is a decade full of turmoil and trouble. War, debt, and drug use run rampant daily on the fronts of our nation's newspapers. Social studies plays a pivotal role in the development of attitudes of active and responsible citizenship among school-age youngsters. The White House has even responded to these nees with its educational summit held recently. This book has been updated to meet the needs of the ever-changing social studies curriculum and includes the National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) standards. From the historical and philosophical bases of social studies to the developmental characteristics of the middle school student, this book stresses methods of improving the social studies curriculum through interdisciplinary instruction. A valuable resource for practicing and student teachers.
Table of Contents
Most chapters include “Food for Thought before Moving On” and all chapters close with “References.”
Preface.
I.THEORY. 1.Reviewing the Past, Assessing the Present, Looking to the Future.
Current Realities.
Conclusions and Recommendations.
The Middle School Connection: Questions to Ponder. 2.The Nature of Social Studies.
The Four Social Studies Traditions.
Social Studies: A Definition.
Knowledge.
Skills Necessary to Process Information.
Values and Beliefs.
Social Studies and the Teaching of Values.
Social Participation.
The Middle-Level Connection: Questions to Ponder. 3.Early Adolescence: A Time of Change and Transition.
Conceptual Necessities.
The Social Studies Connection: Questions to Ponder.
II.PRACTICE. 4.Social Studies Curriculum.
Social Studies Curriculum Efforts.
Social Studies Curriculum Standards.
Write a Local History.
Write Your Family History.
National Geography Standards.
Community Involvement.
The Middle-Level Connection: Questions to Ponder. 5.Instruction in Social Studies.
Some Questions.
Activities.
Using Student Centered Activities.
Protect That Source: A Mock Trial.
Adopting a Global Perspective.
Whose View of the World? Maps and Their Uses. 6.Critical Thinking Activities.
Activities Format.
Lesson Plan.
Rivers.
Oil: Implications for Global Interdependence.
Write a History Essay.
Integrating Social Studies and Literature.
Produce a News Magazine.
Gravestones Teach Local History.
Reading the Newspaper. Author Index.
Subject Index.