EDU 332 Social Studies Mini Unit

Introduction:

You will work individually to create a piece of a typical unit that could be taught in an elementary social studies classroom. The mini unit should demonstrate an in-depth understanding of social studies knowledge, skills, and dispositions gained throughout this course.

Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is for each student to demonstrate:

• the ability to plan and implement instruction based on a relevant social studies topic
• thorough knowledge of a social studies topic appropriate for elementary-aged students
• the ability to adapt instruction to meet the instructional needs of individuals within a classroom
• the ability to gauge student learning using a variety of assessments

mini unit Components:
theme and rationale | content outline and standards | unit outline and lesson plans| technology rich lesson| final units| class presentations

mini unit theme and rationale

Selecting a Thematic Focus and Essential Question:

Ways that you MAY come up with a topic

• Informally interview your cooperating teacher and compile a list of the social studies topics taught in your school at your grade-level placement.
• Talk to students about what they might be interested in or know about a certain social studies topic.
• Look through the South Carolina Curriculum Standards to identify topics that are taught at your grade level and pull from that list.
• Teach about a topic that you have a particular interest in.

Provide for me the theme that you have chosen and provide a brief (1/2 page) rationale for why this is an appropriate topic for you to teach. Also include a compelling essential question that would engage students in this unit. (Due Oct. 8 via LiveText)

Questions to consider as you choose a theme:

• How are the concepts and experiences developmentally appropriate for the students?
• Is there literature and printed material available at a variety of reading levels?
• Is the theme connected to NCSS and SC social studies curriculum standards?
• Can the concepts foster critical and creative thinking?
  ***Do you find the theme interesting?***
• Can you make meaningful connections between the theme and the children's lives?
• How will you be sensitive to gender, racial, and culture (or other) biases in your theme?

Previous Topics:

Trail of Tears
Civil War in SC
Great Inventions
The Tainos
The Cherokee of SC
Revolutionary Protests
Columbia
Ellis Island
The Dust Bowl
Greetings Around the World
Explorers of SC
The Cold War

Conceptually organized content outline

Drawing on multiple resources prepare a DETAILED content outline of the knowledge you have acquired about the theme you are teaching.

This outline should represent your understandings of the content related to the theme you have selected. Please include an integration of social science concepts (geography, history, political science, civics, sociology, psychology, anthropology) and the inclusion of multiple perspectives as you represent your knowledge.

(Due Oct. 29 on LiveText)

Standards-Base

Identify grade appropriate social studies objectives for the themes you will be teaching using-2011 South Carolina and NCSS Standards for your mini-unit.

(Due Oct. 29 on LiveText)

Resources

Please also include a preliminary list of resources you have found thus far on your topic

(Due Oct. 29 on LiveText)

Unit Outline/ Sample Lesson Plan:

Students will create a five-six day outline that provides a glimpse as to the content, activities, and overall substance of the mini unit. In addition, you will need to provide a detailed plan of ONE of the lessons that you will cover in your mini unit. The following format should be followed for individual lesson plans.[items in red indicate specific items unique to EDU 332] [also available in LiveText]

• Rationale: why you teaching this lesson
• Standards: to include State [and NCSS] Standards
• Resources: List materials — not text, notebook, chalk/white board, but other materials being used — web sites, other items that would be useful for teaching this lesson
• Lesson Procedures:
  an introduction/ hook- This is what you will do to introduce the lesson in the first few minutes of the class (video clip, advanced organizer, story, etc.)
  direct instruction/ guided practice/review-This is where you will describe step by step the details of what will occur during this lesson. Please specify how you will meet the needs of ALL students during instruction.
  extension-Beyond class time, what can students do to further their understanding of the lesson material?
• Assessment plan: How will you know if your students have learned the material? This can be both informal and formal

(Due Nov. 12)

Technology Rich Lesson

In class we will explore a variety of ways to use technology for instructional purposes in the Social Studies classroom. (software, the Internet, Web 2.0, etc.) As part of your mini unit, you will create an instructional lesson using one or more of these aspects of technology. This lesson should do whatever possible to engage students and have them actively participating. The technology should be integrated as seamlessly as possible into the lesson and should not simply be "technology for technology's sake."

  Final Mini Units

Your final mini units should put together with the following elements:

• intro. page with mini unit's name, your name, grade level, picture
• essential question(s)
• NCSS and South Carolina curriculum standards covered
• 5-6 lesson plans with appropriate format
• resource page (should include children's literature, reference materials for children's exploration, primary resources, other scholarly resources) APA required

Accompanying your mini unit, there should also be a reflective paper (around 3 pages/ 1000 words) that addresses:

• your overall experience with the planning process
• changes made during the course of your planning and
• assessment of how this mini unit might play out in an actual classroom (or how individual lessons did play out if you had an opportunity to teach them)
• relevant readings, work with colleagues, other factors that played a part in your unit development

(Due Dec. 5 in LiveText)

  Rubric for Grading

on LiveText

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