A Hotlist on Social Studies Methods

A Hotlist on Social Studies Methods
An Internet Hotlist on Social Studies Methods

created by Jann Leppien
University of Great Falls

Introduction
In addition to using books and magazines to find out about Social Studies Methods, why not also use the power of the Internet? The links below will get you started.

The Internet Resources

Standards

Great Falls Public Schools - Click on the Social Studies standards for elementary or middle school. View how they are organized.
McRel Standards - Click on the 4 subtopics under History to view the standards. Notice on the left-hand side they mention the standard, but on the right-hand side they give you more detail.
Montana State Standards - Click on the Social Studies Standards, download, and print them for class.
National Council for Social Studies - You can find the standards here along with lesson plans.
National Council on Economic Education - Other lessons to view when developing lesson plans.
National Standards for History - Click on K-4 standards, then view the Standards in Historical Thinking, Stardards in History for Grade K-4, then view the standards for US and World History in Grades 5-12.

Storypath and Inquiry Teaching Models

Colonial Williamsburg - This has some components of the Storypath format. How might this engage students in creating the story of this timeperiod? Make sure you view the slideshows.
Components of Storypath - Read through the components of Storypath to understand its structure.
History Alive - Preview the slideshow (on the right-hand side of the page). At the end of the slideshow, select to take the online training using this lesson (the second option).
History Alive! Lesson Plan - Read how the students are engaged in this archaelogical dig. Do you think students would be interested in these lessons?
History of Jamestown - Look at the Jamestown Fort Rediscovered. Also browse through the site to see other historical information.
Jamestown Settlement - Is there anything here that would be helpful to students?
Mayflower History - Make sure that you read the introduction to this site so you understand all the features it has included. Again, some of the documents could be used within an instructional unit or events could be posed to students as they try to role play this time period.
Storypath - Storypath offers both a structure for organizing the social studies curriculum and an instructional strategy for teaching. The structure is one you know well: the story. The strategy is grounded in a belief that students learn best when they are active participants in their own learning, and places studentís own efforts to understand at the center of the educational enterprise. Together, the structure and the teaching strategy ensure that students feel strongly motivated and have meaningful and memorable learning experiences. Read through this page and then scroll down and click on A Nation Divided Storypath. There are two parts to this so download both parts. You need to read this unit to understand the structure of using the technique of Storypath to create curriculum. You will also want to view the unit summaries to get an idea of how teachers are designing Storypath units.
The Geography of Slave in Virginia - How could you use these documents within a unit of instruction?
The Terrible Transformation - Read through this unit. Does it contain similar components that Storypath advocates for when designing units of study?

Teaching with Primary Documents

American Memory - This site is devoted to teachers. Click on Lesson Plans. Look at the Primary Source Lessons, and then view the units by theme. The units connect to primary documents that are found through the Library of Congress.
Before Brother Fought Brother - To explore what life was like prior to the Civil War.
Civil War Era Newspapers - Read two newspapers on the same day, one from Virginia and one from Pennsylvania.
HIstorical Documents - Wow! Quite the resource list. You could use some of these to begin an interesting inquiry-based unit of instruction.
How to Interpret an Oral History - A great template to use with oral histories.
Primary Documents - Lessons for teaching the skills of reading and interpreting primary documents.
Slavery and the Making of America - Vivid accounts of what life was like during this time.
Spy Letters of the American Revolution - One of the best ways to understand the events in the past.
The Avalon Project at Yale Law School - A location to obtain historical documents (18-21st Century).
The National Archives - Check the lesson plans and teaching activities on the left-hand side, then check out the information for teachers and students. There are lessons, digital files, and access to primary documents.
The Time of the Lincolns - A women's world is described through the use of these documents.
The Valley of the Shadow - Read the diaries, letters, and journals to construction what was going on during this time period.
Types of Primary Sources - The Library of Congress provides you with a source for lessons, primary documents, and searches for photographs during certain time periods.
Using Oral Histories - A lesson that would help students understand the importance of oral histories.
Virtual Jamestown - Access to interactive sessions, maps and images, court records, first hand accounts, and newpapers. These resources would definately spice up a unit of study.
WPA Slave Narratives - Oral histories from those who were once slaves or born into slavery.
Who Dun It? - Read through the lesson plan on constructing narratives from historical documents.
You Be the Historian - Try your skills at being an historian.

Lesson Plans

Declare the Causes - An excellent lesson on teaching with documents.
Econedlink - Lessons to teach economics.
Lesson Plans and Resources - An extensive site that has listing of lesson plans in the various disciplines..geography, history, economics, etc. Check out the links.
Make Sense of Maps - To find interesting ways to introduce maps to students.
National Geographic Xpeditions - This is another site for lessons in geography.
National Geographic for Educators - View the lesson plans that reinforce geography themes.
SCoPE - Interesting lessons developed by Michigan teachers to complement their standards. Click 5th grade, scroll down to Social Studies, stop when you get to the unit called Unit 2: First Americans. Click on the lesson 'How to Think Like a Historian.' The is a great way to help your students understand the thinking that is used to study history.
The Educator's Reference Desk - Click on Social Studies and view the lessons in geography or economics.
The National Council for Geographic Education - Read about the National Geography Standards
USGS Resources - Look at the geo-resources available to teachers.
View From the Ground - A geography lesson on mapping.

Interactive Sites

American Indians and the Natural World - Explore this virtual musuem for information that could be used by your students.
Archiving Early America - View these favorite historical times in movies.
Ben's Guide to US Government - View the interactiive activities and other resources at this site.
Civil War Collections - This virtual museum provides pictures of artifacts, information, and stories that would complement a Civil War unit.
Delivering the Goods...Economics...Interactive - Look to see what you think about this?
Egypt's Golden Empire - Explore this site's interactivity.
Foot Soldier Going to War - View these videoclips.
Freedom..A History of Us - Check out one of the Webisodes, view the interactive, and read through the lessons. You will also want to view the other supporting resources at this site.
Interactive Economic Links - Check out how this lesson is interactive.
Keeper of the Light - Interactive media for students.
Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Exhibition - How might you use this site in an instructional unit.
Map Machine - Try this out as a resource for your unit.
National Portrait Gallery - Have a look.)
Overview of the American History Documentary - Could this video be used in any instructional unit that you may be considering?
Portraits of Character - View this portrait of Rosa Parks.
Reconstruction -The Second Civil War - View these video clips.
The Common Good - Videostreaming and interactive activity.
The Green Gold - Videostreaming and interactive activity.
The Holocaust Museum Experience - Take this fieldtrip. Consider the possibilities in using this in social studies units.
USGS - Access to Maps
United Streaming - Sign up for a free trial and see how it works. You can consider yourself a homeschooler.
Xpedition Maps - Try your hand at creating some maps.
You Be the Judge - Videostreaming and interactive activity.

Content by Jann Leppien, jleppien@mt.net
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listsocialsja.html
Last revised Tue Dec 13 10:58:38 US/Pacific 2011