SYLLABUS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES & LANGUAGE ARTS

Term: Summer, 2003

Course Number: 10483A

Instructor: Angela Ramsey

Office: 300

Office Phone: (219) 473-4309

E-mail: aramsey@ccsj.edu

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday by appointment

Call for an appointment – 219-473-288

Course Time: Monday thru Thursday

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Course Meeting Room: 307

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.

#5. The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.

#6 The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

#7 The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, the community, and curriculum goals.

# 8 The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.

#9 The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

#10 The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well-being.

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 the chapters to be examined on that day. Small groups will be assigned chapters to present on a daily basis.

Assignments

· You are required to read chapters in each text and be prepared to discuss the concepts in class. You will be required to develop a Power Point Presentation for the chapter that will be assigned to you for Language Arts and Social Studies.

Ten Points – Due Daily as assigned

Beginning with week two

· You are required to observe two elementary school classrooms during the instruction of language arts and write a three-page paper summarizing their observation. One classroom will be urban and one will be suburban. The summary will need to be broken up into two parts. It will need to include a commentary and a reflection. The commentary will include what you saw during the observation and the reflection will include your thoughts about the observation. The commentary and reflection needs to compare/contrast between the two observations. You also need to include Indiana Academic Standards, INTASC Standards and Developmental Standards that you observed the teacher implementing. The reflection needs to include your thoughts about what you observed based upon classroom discussions and your individual beliefs about teaching language arts/social studies and literacy. The summary needs to include the date, time, place, subject area, location, and number of students in the classroom. You are also required to complete an official university Classroom Observation form as you complete your experience.

Forty points Due December 23, 2003

• You will be required to write a summary of the language arts practices focusing on the six language arts modes that will be presented in class. These six language arts modes (listening, talking, reading, writing, viewing and representing were proposed by the National Council of Teachers of English visually and reflect the growing importance of visual literacy. See LA text page 26.

Ten points Due December 23, 2003

• You will construct, develop and present a form of poetry. You will need to develop a lesson plan to accompany the poetry and make a presentation to the class. As you develop a lesson plan you need to include a behavior objective, learning objective and instructional strategies as well as the academic standards that you will address while teaching this lesson. You need to explain the poem as it relates to you. As you present this lesson to the class your peers will observe, evaluate and give feedback utilizing the standard observation form. During the observations teacher candidates will look for Academic Standards and INTASC standards that are implemented.

Twenty points Due December 15, 2003

• You will create a text set of eight trade books on a social studies topic. A written description/summary of each trade book chosen will need to be completed (2-3 paragraphs on each trade book). You will present one book to the class (discuss your choice of book, tell why you chose the book that you did, and discuss what curriculum concepts and standards that the book addressed.) You need to include the standard that you are addressing in each summary.

Thirty points Due June 16, 2003

• For a final grade (LA) you will construct a lifeline clothesline. You are required to gather and organize information for an autobiography. You will need to collect items that represent your life and hang them on a clothesline. You need to write about each object (explain how it relates to your life). You are also required to make a presentation to your peers and receive feedback about your presentation based upon a rubric.

Forty-five points Due June 17, 2003

• For a final grade in (SS) you will construct a social studies artifact (Ex. – Native American rattle/totem pole, African rain stick, model of an ancient ship, time capsule, Egyptian artifact –Field Museum. You will be required to develop a SS lesson plan to accompany this artifact and make an oral presentation to your peers. During your presentation you will include Academic Standards and INTASC Standards that are implemented during the instructional delivery of your lesson. Make sure to include a behavior objective, learning objective and instructional strategies with your lesson plans. Classmates will be prepared to provide feedback about the lesson plan and presentation based upon a rubric.

Forty-five points Due June 18, 2003

Blackboard Assignments

Assignment #1 - The teaching of values and the related topic of moral education has generated a great deal of controversy in education circles. Should values be taught in the elementary classroom? Respond to this statement.

Ten Points

Assignment # 2 – What are the benefits of integrating social studies with language arts?

Ten Points

Respond to each question/statement from your personal beliefs and then respond to at least two of your classmates’. Blackboard Assignments will need to be posted by December 19, 2003.

Class Policy for Assignments:

Assignments need to be completed as scheduled.

Late assignments will lose 3 points each.

Grading Scale:

Assignments Points

Attendance/Participation 30 pts.

Trade books 40 pts.

Poetry activity 20 pts.

Observations 40 pts.

Social studies final 45 pts.

Language arts final 45pts.

Blackboard activities 20 pts

.

230 – 240 pts. A

220 – 229 pts. B

210 – 219 pts. C

200 – 209 pts. D

0 – 199 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.

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:

Monday –December 8, 2003 Introductions

Syllabus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Chapter Outlines

Observation of Teacher (video)

Traditions

Discuss Standards

Language Arts Standards Based Lesson

Tuesday – June 3, 2003 Field Trip - Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum

Wednesday – December 10, 2003 – Observation – Urban Schools

Thursday – December 11, 2003 – Observation – Suburban Schools

Monday – December 15, 2003 - Chapter Outlines

L/A Chapters 1, 2, 3, 11

SS Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4

Share Standard Based L/A Lessons

Social Studies Activity

Poetry Lesson Presentation

Tuesday – December 16, 2003 - L/A Chapters 4, 6, 9, 13

SS Chapters 5,9,10,12

Poetry Lesson Presentations

Trade Book Presentations

Wednesday – December 17, 2003 - Poetry Lesson Presentations

Social Studies Activity

Trade Book Presentations

Thursday – December 18, 2003 - Movies

Develop an integrated L/A and Social Studies Lesson

L/A Finals

Monday – December 22, 2003 – Movie

Group Assignments

L/A Final

Social Studies Final

Tuesday – December 23, 2003 – Social Studies 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).