Social Studies - Best Practices

• Increase the indepth study of topics or content in each social studies discipline and decrease cursory coverage of a lock step curriculum. Deeper understandings help student learn, retain, and apply skills and knowledge. Select the most important content and concepts, the most representative case studies, the most precedent-setting events that students must know and apply to their lives outside of school.
• Increase activities that engage students in inquiry and problem solving about significant human issues.
• Increase student decision making and participation opportunities in school and in wider social, political, and economic affairs. Students need opportunities to practice participation skills to carry on our democratic republican form of government.
• Integrate social studies disciplines within the field as well as with other areas of the curriculum.
• Help elementary students build on their prior knowledge from their experiences, television and the internet by providing content moving beyond the traditional curriculum focus on family, neighborhood, and community.
• Increase knowledge and awareness of global issues, ethnic groups and religious groups to help students understand the environment that surrounds them locally, nationally and internationally.
• Using multiple kinds of measures to assess student understandings and skills should happen throughout instruction. The spotlight is now on "what the student has learned" not on "what the teacher has taught."

These ideas and best practices are selected from Planning Curriculum in Social Studies guide, published by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction crediting the following publications.

• Erickson, H.L. 2001. Stirring the Head, Heart, and Soul: Redefining Curriculum and Instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: corwin
• Zemelman, S., H. Daniels, and A. Hyde. 1998 Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools, Portsmouth NH Heineman.
• National Council for the Social Studies. 1994 Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Washington, DC
• Newmann, F.M., W.G. Secada, and G.G. Wehlage. 1995.A Guide to Authentic Instruction and Assessment: Vision, Standards and Scoring. Madison: Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
• Wisconsin Civics Action Task Force: Recommendation for Democratic Citizenship Education. (2000). Final Report to State Superintendent John T. Benson. Madison Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

For questions about this information, contact Kristen McDaniel (608)266-2207

Last updated on 7/7/2010 8:03:16 AM