Calumet College of St. Joseph

 

SYLLABUS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES & LANGUAGE ARTS

 

Term:  Spring, 2003                                                      

Course Number: EDU 483x

Instructor: Bruce Wisowaty

Office:  510

Office Phone: (219) 473-4264

E-mail:                bwisowaty@ccsj.edu

 

Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

 

 

Course Time:  Tuesday  7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

 

Course Description: This course explores methods and strategies in teaching social studies and language arts in the elementary school.  Classroom management, instructional materials, curricula, and measurement and evaluation of outcomes are included.  Field Experiences Required.

 

Prerequisites:  EDU 200, 300, 311, and 342

 

 

Learning Outcomes/ Competencies:

Students in this course will:

 

 

·         Teacher candidates will design lesson plans in language arts and social studies for an elementary school curriculum.

·         Teacher candidates will select and incorporate instructional strategies and materials.

·         Teacher candidates will explore multi-cultural perspectives and backgrounds as they relate to the instructional program.

·         Teacher candidates will acquire knowledge of the vocabulary and best practices utilized in effective social studies and language arts instruction .

·         Teacher candidates will reflect on the social studies and language arts instructional strategies at the elementary  level.

·         Teacher candidates will observe practicing teachers to examine critically effective teaching practices.

·         Teacher candidates will network with practicing teachers to develop insights into the teaching of social studies and language arts.

 

RELATED INTASC PRINCIPLES:

              #1.  The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry and the structures of the disciplines he/she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

               #3.  The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

               #4.  The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

 

 

 

 

Textbooks:

                Tompkins, Gail (2002). Language Arts: Content and Teaching Strategies. New York: Prentice Hall.

                Zarrillo, James (2000). Teaching Elementary Social Studies: Principles and Applications. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

 

 

Learning Strategies: (Group Discussions, Team and Individual Student Projects, Collaborative Learning, Lecturing…etc.)

                        Reading assignments: are listed in the timeline section of this syllabus.  As minimum preparation for class discussion and participation , students should read he chapters to be examined on that day.

 

                        Language Arts Classroom Observation (45 pts.)  Students are to observe an elementary school classroom during the instruction of language arts.  Students must provide written verification  of the time and date of their observation.  Students are to write a three-page paper  summarizing their observation.  Included within this paper should be the following:

           A basic summary statement of date, time, place, subject area, location, number of students, etc. 10 pts.

           A summary of the language arts practices focusing on  the  6 languages arts modes (listening, talking, reading, writing, viewing, and visually representing) that have been presented in the class.  10 pts.

           Students should complete the attached “Classroom Observation  Form 5 pts. as well as the attached CCSJ forms Lesson Plan Form and Classroom Observation Form. 5 pts. each.

            The final page should focus on your reaction to the observation – this is to be a reflection ; what parts of the lesson could you use, what strategies did the teacher employ that you would utilize.  10 pts.  Due by April 8.

 

                        Students will construct, develop, and present a form of poetry.  15 pts. Due  Feb 11.

 

                         Students will create a text set of at least 8 trade books on a social studies topic.  Students are to provide a written description/summary of each trade book chosen ( 2-3 paragraphs on each trade book).  Students will be asked to present one book in class ( be able to defend your selection and actually have the book in class to display to the class.  5pts. for each book and 5 pts. for the oral presentation for a total of 45 pts.   Due March 25.

 

                          The final exam will consist of the development, construction, presentation of a social studies artifact, such as a Native American rattle/totem pole, African rainstick, model of an ancient ship, time capsule, Mardi Gras King Cake.  Lesson plan will be developed and explained to the class on  April 15.  25 pts. will be provided to your model, based on size, materials, color, etc., and 10 pts. for the lesson plan( includes CCSJ form) and 5 pts. will be provided for the oral presentationfor a total of  40 pts.

                          The language arts class final will consist of a display (backboard, photos, graphics, text) of a well known author that elementary students would be interested in.  The display will be presented to the class on April  1 and/or April 8.  Check www.yahooligans. com for possibilities as it will provide you with brief  biographies; be creative.  You will be graded on the display (30 pts.) and the oral delivery (10 pts.) for a total of 40 pts.

 

Class Policy for Assignments:

           Assignments need to be completed as scheduled.

 

 

Grading Scale:

               Attendance 42 pts.

               Trade books 45 pts.

               Poetry activity 15 pts.

                LA Observation 40 pts.

               Social studies final 40 pts.

                Language arts final 40 pts.

 

                207 – 222 pts. A

                196 – 206 pts. B

                184 – 205 pts. C

                170 – 183 pts. D

                0 – 169 pts.     F  

 

 

Class Policy on Attendance:

   Attendance is mandatory, students are expected to be present and on time for all classes. Attendance will impact student grades; two unexcused tardies (arriving late or leaving early) amount to one excused absence from class and more than 2 absences from the class will result in the lowering of the final grade by one letter grade.

 

Class Policy on Electronic Devices: (Optional)(Cell phones, Beeper, Pagers…etc.)

    Students may need to be contacted by those outside of class from time to time.  However, should the use of electronic devises become habitual to the point of disrupting the regular class schedule, the student will be asked to turn-off such disruptive devices.

 

 

 

Course Outline/Class Dates:

   

January 7, 2003                       Introduction/Discussion of Syllabus

January 14                                LA Chapters 1and 2

January 21                                LA Chapters 3,4, 6

January 28                                LA  Chapters 9 and 10

February 4                                 LA  Chapter 11

February 11                               LA   Chapters 7 and 8

February 18                               LA Chapters 5, 12,13, 14

February 25                               SS  Chapters 1 and 2

March 4, 2003                            SS  Chapters 3 and 4

March 11                                    SS  Chapter 9

March 18                                    SS  Chapters 10 and 11

March 25                                    SS   Chapters 12 and 13

April  1                                       Class Presentations

April  8                                       Class Presentations

April 15                                      Class Final

 

 

 

 

 

 

Center for Academic Excellence:

Tutoring assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.

 

Statement of Plagiarism:

If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances. (Academic Planner 2001/2002 p.27)

 

Citation Guidelines:

Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.).  All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore.  These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of sources, including electronic media.

 

Withdrawal from Classes Policy:

After the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for withdrawal must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Division (DCD) students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for information on DCD withdrawals.

 

An official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript. Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs an "F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).