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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Designs for Learning: Secondary Social Studies?

Summer 2009

Instructor: Dr. Kumari Beck

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Office: EDB 8632

glass location Surrey Campus Room

5360 ?

Phone 778 782 8599

Wednesdays: 1:30 pm -

5:20

pm

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Email <kumari_beck@jtelus.net >

"Social studies teaching and learning should be about uncovering the taken-for-granted

elements in our everyday experience and making them the target of inquiry."

(Wayne Ross, 2006,

p.

6)

Course Description:

This course invites you to develop a familiarity with, and confidence

about teaching secondary social studies. By examining the question "What is

social education?" we will first explore what it means to teach social studies, and

work at developing a vision for social education/ studies. You will then, in a

collaborative setting, learn strategies and methods to implement that vision.

You are expected to grapple with some of the current research in social

education, to work collaboratively with colleagues, to think critically about

issues, and to demonstrate that you can integrate the principles of social

education into your lesson planning. We will examine the different approaches

to classroom social studies, and the course will emphasize an issues-based

approach. This means taking a stance on social issues and understanding how

you can engage students with a dynamic, relevant and critical social studies

curriculum. You will examine the provincial PLOs for secondary social. studies,

identify the dominant thematic strands at

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grade level you select, and will

practice producing curricula that are characterized as interdisciplinary

.

, critical,

and culturally relevant.

Assignments:

#1 Social Studies and 'Everyday Life'

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15%

Each student will contribute to class discussion, a short critical analysis of an

issue (current event) reported in the media that relates to the social education

curriculum.

Details to be discussed in class.

#2 Reflective practitioner: Developing a vision

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257o

Maintain a weekly response journal/log in which you respond thoughtfully and

critically to class readings, discussions, videos, activities etc.

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.

Assignment and due dates will be confirmed after class discussion on [)ay 1.

#3 Building Resources: a group project ?

30%

Students will form into small groups (4-5) and identify ONE area and grade

level of the secondary school curriculum (IRPs) that they would like to research.

(Eg. Social Studies 11, or an elective, History 12)

You will research and identify a variety of ideas for lessons, resources,

assessment methods etc that will become a resource package for your

subject/ grade. Materials will be shared as handouts, CD's with the rest of the

class.

#4 Final Project: Develop a Unit Plan ?

307o

You will develop a vision for the year, rationale and a Unit Plan for a specific

grade/ subject area.

Details will be provided in class and assignment criteria will be confirmed after

discussion.

Required Texts

Roland Case & Penney Clark, Eds. (2008).

The Canadian Anthology of Social Studies

Vol

2:

Issues and strategies for secondary teachers.

Vancouver: Pacific Educational

Press.

ISBN 978-1-895766-47-9.

Supplementary readings will be identified in class.

BC Ministry of Education Integrated Resource Package (IRPs) for Social Studies

Grades 8— 10, and Grade 11,

and selected subject areas from History 12, Law 12, Geography 12, Comparative

Civilizations 12, Civic Studies 11, BC First Nations Studies 12, Social Justice 12.

Retrieved from the following website:

hUp://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/iQ2/iM

ss.htm

(Please do not print out until we have discussed this in class)