Social Studies That Sticks: How to Bring Content and Concepts to Life

Product Details

ISBN: 9780325010595

Publish Date: 09/04/2007

Publisher: Heinemann

Number of pages: 264

Description

The announcement that “It's social studies time” often elicits dread from students who mistakenly view the subject as a near-death experience. And who can blame them when this fascinating subject has been stripped of the heartbreak, adventure, conflict, treachery, strategic brilliance, and spectacular foibles - in short, the humanity - that it's supposed to explain? Student apathy and rock-bottom test scores scream that it's time for a change - for unforgettable, not regrettable, social studies. It's time for Social Studies That Sticks.

In Social Studies That SticksLaurel Schmidt introduces a brain-compatible approach to integrated, standards-based instruction, using the four elements of the human learning cycle: awareness, exploration, inquiry, and action. This dynamic approach brings content and concepts to life, while sharpening skills in questioning, thinking, reading, writing, and the visual and performing arts. It promotes academic achievement, models the habits of active citizenship, tunes students' ethical antennae to social problems, and teaches tools students can use to advocate for change.

Social Studies That Sticks is a comprehensive, passionate, and user-friendly guide that:

identifies essential social studies themes, standards, and skills
models maximum use of primary source documents, eye-witness narratives, biographies, and historical fiction
describes how artifacts, objects, art, photography, and architecture can be tools for inquiry and learning
explores the community of a social studies classroom
tackles matters of cultural perspective, point of view, bias, and propaganda
transforms current events into historical investigations
maps vital steps for social-justice projects
provides guidelines for essays, presentations, oral histories, personal narratives, and original historic writing
outlines dozens of authentic assessments
introduces theLearning Ledger for student self-assessment
pinpoints archival material, hundreds of books and websites, and historical resources for research and classroom use.

Whether you use Laurel Schmidt's ideas to supplement your existing curriculum or you're ready to make your current textbook ancient history, Social Studies That Sticks will transform social studies time into lessons about history and humanity that last a lifetime.