Social Studies is embedded in all subject areas and instruction can be designed to incorporate hands-on authentic experiences
There are six social studies practices: Gathering, Using and Interpreting Evidence, Chronological Reasoning and Causation, Comparison and Contextualization, Geographic Reasoning, Economics and Economic Systems, and Civic Participation
Historical thinking is about the big ideas, human agency, and making the world in which we live better
IMPLEMENTATION OF TECHNIQUES & PRACTICES:
Aligned current instruction with six practices of social studies
Planned story of units by using the Passport to Social Studies curriculum located on www.weteachnyc.org
Designed instruction that incorporated authentic, hands-on tasks
Brainstormed and then incorporated BIG IDEAS into all content areas (math, reading, writing, science, etc.)
IMPACT and DATA:
Social Studies became an integral part of our instruction, rather than an isolated period
Teachers and students became invested in social studies instruction
Provided students the opportunity to take ownership of their learning
Student engagement and participation increased dramatically
NEXT STEPS:
Create social studies team that includes a representative from each grade level (K-5) to turn-key information learned through PLO
Meet with all grade levels to align current instruction within the six practices of social studies
Design hands-on and authentic experiences within all K-5 classrooms
Reflect and evaluate the success of instruction with team members