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jbdrury

Integrating Film and Television into Social Studies Instruction. ERIC Digest. - 0 views

  • Visual media also address different learning modalities, making material more accessible to visual and aural learners
    • jbdrury
       
      Addresses diverse learners issue.
  • However, the very qualities that make film and video so popular present problems as wel
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  • It reinforces the passive viewing and unquestioning acceptance of received material that accompanies growing up in a video environment.
  • That passivity and lack of critical awareness is anathema to a democracy.
  • Did this production influence other works? social movements?
  • an excellent starting point is John E. O'Connor's IMAGE AS ARTIFACT: THE HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF FILM AND TELEVISION
  • (1) Questions about Content.
    • jbdrury
       
      Another good source that I used in my class with Brec is called "Reading in the Dark", which is geared specifically for using film in the English classroom; however, the book provides a review of this basic terminology of film analysis mentioned here.
  • Teachers should be familiar with editing techniques, camera angles, the uses of sound, and other aspects of the presentation.
  • Beyond the cultural and social aspects of the film, what influences were at work in shaping the document?
  • (2) Questions about Production.
  • (3) Questions about Reception.
  • Thirty years ago this meant teaching students to read the newspaper critically, to identify bias there, and to distinguish between factual reporting and editorializing. Critical viewing skills must be added to this effort.
  • FOUR FRAMEWORKS FOR HISTORICAL INQUIRY
    • jbdrury
       
      This site doesn't go quite as in depth as I would hope, however these four frameworks do manage to get one thinking about the different ways in which film might be used in the classroom
  • (1) The Moving Image as Representation of History.
  • (2) The Moving Image as Evidence for Social and Cultural History
  • While film can serve as an engaging introduction to a subject, students should be aware of the constant shading and biases, why these occur, and what they accomplish.
  • (3) Actuality Footage as Evidence for Historical Fact.
    • jbdrury
       
      The book I mention in my sticky note below has a great section on critically analyzing documentaries, which some people have a bad habit of regarding as "fact", simply because the film is labeled as a documentary.
  • Documentary footage, however, is never wholly objective.
  • An examination of filming and editing, circumstances surrounding production and distribution, and the producer's intentions are essential for studying such material.
  • (4) The History of the Moving Image as Industry and Art Form
    • jbdrury
       
      I have been looking online for awhile, and most of the sources that come up are actual books for purchase like these - I might cross-reference some of these titles with our university library to see which ones come up
  • "Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies" at http://h-net2.msu.edu/~filmhis/.
  •  
    This is sort of a basic review of how and why we as teachers might use film in the classroom. This is my first post on this issue; I am searching for some more in-depth sites that might have models for lesson plans. Many sites have lesson plans based around a specific film; a site that provides lesson plan templates that are applicable across a wide variety of films would be more applicable/useful. However, the comments made here by Paris provide a good base from which to start thinking about the idea.
Elliot Borg

Timelines.com: Discover, Record and Share History with Timelines - 1 views

    • Elliot Borg
       
      This site does not rely on any specific sources, but rather affirms the chronology of historical events.
    • Elliot Borg
       
      I would use this source as a way to determine the most important events to discuss throughout a unit.
    • Elliot Borg
       
      Some teachers might ask students to create timelines, and this site would be helpful in assessing their accuracy. Otherwise it would be useful for teachers in developing their units.
  •  
    This site is a great supplement for planning lessons. The scope and sequence vary, and the depth is minimal for a classroom setting, but it can help immensely in determining what content to include in the preliminary unit planning stages.
Maria Mahon

The History of Jim Crow - 5 views

  •  
    This website deals with the History of Jim Crow and has many valuable resources for teachers. The History and Geography sections of this website are quite rich in information and I think well-organized and easy to use. The website provides the in-depth essays and/or other materials to be used in the lessons. The American Literature section provides some interesting unit and lesson plans for well-known books such as A Raisin in the Sun and To Kill a Mockingbird. The Teacher Resources section provides a variety of lessons… some involve images, music, literature, simulations, etc. Quite a few seem to incorporate the PBS series The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Overall, I am very impressed with this website. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird and I think the Unit on this book is interesting in the way they link it to an integrated literature/social studies unit on the case of the Scottsboro Boys and life in the 1930s.
Joellen Kriss

IB Program to Replace APs? | The Sag Harbor Express - 0 views

  • The program focuses on a project based, in-depth and multi-cultural curriculum in six main fields: the student’s native language, second language, individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics and computer science, and the arts.
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      This is pretty much what happened in my High School. The only AP "classes" that were offered were AB and BC Calculus.
  • Nichols added, however, that as the school moves to implement the IB program, Advanced Placement classes would most likely be phased out.
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    • Joellen Kriss
       
      More and more colleges ARE counting IB classes toward credit. I came into AU with 18.
  • Eliminating the AP classes would help defray some of the costs associated with establishing an IB program. Nichols added that the exams associated with IB programs are on par with AP tests and recognized by most universities.
  • “In AP courses the students are required to memorize and regurgitate, but in the IB program the students take their knowledge and apply it to new situations. They are asked to problem solve and synthesize information,” continued Nichols
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      This is the MOST IMPORTANT DISTINCTION between an AP course of study and an IB course of study. As my IB coordinator used to put it, "AP is a testing system, IB is a learning system" and it's so true. I'm still using the writing and critical thinking skills I learned as a part of the IB program in my daily life.
  • “With the IB, you can show depth rather than breadth,”
  •  
    Like the other article I posted, this one deals with the IB program, but rather about it's possible implementation in a school district on Long Island (where I'm from.) It highlights all of the benefits of the program, where the other article highlighted the "weak" points of the course of study.
jbdrury

Scientists lay bare Irish potato famine blight * The Register - 0 views

    • jbdrury
       
      As you can see in the title, The Register is a science and IT periodical based in the U.K.
  • Scientists lay bare Irish potato famine blight
  • Scientists have successfully sequenced the genome of Phytophthora infestans - the potato blight mould which in the 1840s devasted Irish potato crops, leading to the deaths of one million people.
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    • jbdrury
       
      There is an entire report provided on Nature.com's website, but it's a bit too in-depth to be used in the classroom. Maybe not for the more scientifically-inclined in this group.
  • Phytophthora infestans is a water mould
  • The mould still afflicts potatoes, tomatoes and related plants, and costs farmers around the world an estimated $6.7bn a year."
    • jbdrury
       
      I don't know if anyone else tried to grow tomatoes this year, but mine were killed by the current blight that is going around. That these blights still exists provides modern relevance to the study of the famine.
  • The scientists believe the transposons - comprising a whopping 74 per cent of the genome - allow the mould to quickly evolve to defeat genetic countermeasures intended to stop it in its tracks
  • With all this knowledge about how the pathogen attacks the host on the biochemical level, I would hope that some clever plant pathologist would be able to genetically engineer resistance.
  •  
    This is the most watered-down, non-scientific explanation of the genome sequencing project on the potato blight that caused the Irish Potato Famine. It's pretty interesting in-and-of-itself, and I think studying a subject like this provides a unique opportunity to coordinate curricula with the science department of your school.
Kenneth O'Regan

War and Terrorism | National Council for the Social Studies - 3 views

  •  
    This section of the National Council for the Social Studies website appears to be a little bit dated, but the materials that are presented seem to be a useful resource. It must be difficult for social studies teachers to tackle the tough subjects of current global conflict, terrorism, Afghanistan, Iraq, and September 11, 2001. I am sure many school districts are still using textbooks that were printed prior to 2001 or 2002, and just don't cover this relevant information. Some of the items listed on this page are basic and practical (maps, etc.) and others are a bit more engaging and dynamic, aiming to help students develop an emotional connection to the subject matter.
  •  
    How might teachers use what's there, even if it is dated?
  •  
    Global issues classes in high schools will probably cover this subject matter; mine did in-depth. Some of the resources could be useful as hand outs, especially the maps. As an example, maybe over the course of a week or so of instruction, a teacher using this site as a resource could put together a lesson that stretches over the 5 class meetings, chronologically examining the roots of the second War in Iraq, stemming from the Persian-Gulf war, through Clinton's involvement, to 9/11, terrorism, Al-Qaeda being used as a pretext for war, concluding with an examination of the anti-war movement and the short course of the "traditional" war against the Iraqi military. The following week could move in to the insurgency or another related topic. Basically, I see this website as a place where a teacher looking to present the outlined events can find some extra resources that won't be in most textbooks.
Jonathon Gordon

BBC - History: World War Two - 1 views

  • The causes, events and people of the most destructive war in history.
    • Jonathon Gordon
       
      Very straight-forward as to what the website has to offer. The different sections make searching for specific information very easy. 
  • World War Two: Summary Outline of Key Events - A guide to the key events of World War Two.
    • Jonathon Gordon
       
      The outline is another great feature. It has a great rundown of World War Two's key events. 
  • The Ending of World War One - Germany had high hopes of winning World War One - especially after astonishing advances early in1918. The Rise of Adolf Hitler - From aimless drifter to brutal dictator, by Jeremy Noakes Hitler's Leadership Style by Dr Geoffrey Megargee Nazi Propaganda by Professor David Welch Japan's Quest for Empire 1931 - 1945 by Dr Susan Townsend Countdown to World War Two: Monday 28 August 1939 by Mark Fielder
    • Jonathon Gordon
       
      The majority of the information comes from historical novels, biographies of important figures, and scholarly works on the various subjects. 
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  • Why Churchill Lost in 1945 Labour's landslide in the 1945 general election remains one of the greatest shocks in British political history. How did Churchill fail to win? By Dr Paul Addison.
  • Post-war Reconstruction and Retribution
    • Jonathon Gordon
       
      The site is extremely useful for teachers who teach modern World history or American history because it provides in depth information on all the theaters of the war, including post-war reconstruction.
  •  
    This website through BBC has great information on World War II including video, picture, and interactive information. It provides teachers with credible information to use in their classrooms. 
Margit Nahra

Economics of a Cupcake Factory | Khan Academy - 0 views

    • Margit Nahra
       
      Given the relatively quick pace of the narration, this video would probably be best used to introduce the featured concepts in preparation for an in-depth lecture, or for review of the material once it has been explored in class.
    • Margit Nahra
       
      Given the current cupcake craze, it could be fun to use this video as a starting point from which students could examine the economics of an actual cupcake busines.
    • Margit Nahra
       
      The low-tech approach used in this video is appealing for its lack of distractions.
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    • Margit Nahra
       
      The background of the author of this site is in math, computer science and investment management. Thus, videos on the site addressing other topics should be carefully screened for accuracy.
  •  
    This short (11 minutes) video uses the example of a cupcake factory to explain basic concepts reflected on an income statement, such as revenue, operating cost and profit.
  •  
    This is a fun way to review and reinforce simple economic principles and vocabulary related to income statements.
jbdrury

Re-thinking Newsweek and U.S. News Rankings - 0 views

  • Re-thinking the Rankings
  • B-CC had been ranked as the nation’s 64th best high school on the 2008 Newsweek list, but it was missing from U.S. News’ top 100. One parent e-mailed: “Should I be worried?”
  • In the 2009 Newsweek rankings, released in June, four county schools (Richard Montgomery, B-CC, Thomas S. Wootton and Winston Churchill) were ranked among the nation’s top 100, with two others (Walt Whitman and Walter Johnson) narrowly missing
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    • jbdrury
       
      Not to detract from MCPS, but I have often wondered if the fact that the designer of the index happens to live in the Bethesda is at all a coincidence?
  • Most years, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has more schools in the top 100 of both lists than any other school system in the country
  • rankings validate that the school system is “seeing the benefits of providing the academic support that allows our students to aim high and achieve at the highest levels.
  • But do the rankings really mean much?
  • I feel obliged to question the validity of the methods used to rank high schools.
    • jbdrury
       
      This is the basic explanation for how Newsweek ranks its schools; interesting to note that it is based almost solely on a sort of "preparation for college" mindset
  • for ignoring graduation rates and achievement gaps among socioeconomic and ethnic segments.
    • jbdrury
       
      The author speaks directly with the designer of Newsweek's index
  • Mathews’ goal is to improve students’ academic preparation, especially in lower-and middle-income neighborhood schools. His solution is to expose more students to challenging course work, and he unapologetically describes his purpose as “advocacy as well as evaluation.
  • He says the Challenge Index’s key attributes make it the singular best measure of a school’s quality: It can be easily understood; it points directly to implementing positive change through rigorous course offerings; and it can be applied meaningfully to all schools—unlike quality evaluations based on traditional measures such as test scores, which, he says, are inherently biased toward schools in wealthier, upper-middle-class neighborhoods.
    • jbdrury
       
      As a side note; this is my former social studies teacher and the person I credit most with making me want to become a teacher
  • Walter Johnson Principal Christopher Garran
  • Critics
  • have attacked the Challenge Index for not effectively capturing what it purports to measure (school quality), in part because it doesn’t gauge student achievement, only the number of rigorous course exams taken.
  • Newsweek ranks schools based on the Challenge Index, which was developed by Washington Post education reporter (and Bethesda resident) Jay Mathews. A school’s Challenge Index score is the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge tests taken by all students in a school year divided by the number of graduating seniors. (AP courses are well-known; IB and Cambridge also consist of rigorous courses for which students can receive college credit. Like AP, their standardized exams are graded by outside examiners.)
    • jbdrury
       
      U.S. News also uses its own "college prep" index, but includes standardized test results, and takes socio-economic and racial differences into account
  • U.S. News’ approach
  • far more computationally complex
  • a school must do significantly better on standardized state English and math tests than statistically expected given its economic makeup; be in the top half of its state (approximately) in the performance of its minority students
  • “College Readiness” formula combines two components: the percentage of 12th-graders who had taken an AP or IB exam during or before their senior year; and the percentage who passed at least one exam—equivalent to an AP test score of 3 and an IB score of 4.
    • jbdrury
       
      He also directly quotes the manager of the U.S. News' index
  • U.S. News project, cites three ways its methodology is superior: “We measure success [tests passed]—not just quantity of tests taken. We factor in how well schools do in serving economically disadvantaged students and minorities. And we recognize schools within their respective state.”
  • The U.S. News rankings have been attacked by education experts for intermixing highly selective “elite” schools, such as Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va.—currently their top-ranked school in the U.S.—with schools having open admissions
  • Unlike U.S. News, Mathews eliminates some academically elite schools, setting the cutoff at the level of the highest average SAT/ACT scores of any “normal enrollment” school in the country.
  • “It would be deceptive for us to put them [schools above this threshold] on this list [because] the Challenge Index has been designed to honor schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college-level courses and tests. It does not work for schools that have no, or almost no, average students.”
  • As of 2009, schools with AP exam pass rates lower than 10 percent (schools that would have made the list in previous years) have also been eliminated from the main Newsweek ranking. Most of these schools, which are typically located in low-income neighborhoods, have recently introduced their students to academically challenging courses as a form of “shock therapy.”
    • jbdrury
       
      A summary of the author's thoughts; pro's and con's of both methods
  • Just as the Challenge Index is too limited in its concept of best schools, the U.S. News procedures try to cover too much. The crux of the problem is combining three essentially different criteria (college readiness, overcoming economic disadvantage and minimizing ethnic group disparities) into one ranking. Schools that excel in one aren’t necessarily those that excel in the other(s). Some schools that do the greatest job of preparing their minority students might not have total-school achievement scores that are among the best. Other schools characterized by superlative overall college readiness might score only slightly above average relative to their economic profile. In trying to incorporate “economic disadvantage” and the reduction of ethnic group (minority) achievement gaps together with schoolwide high achievement, the U.S. News ranking risks confounding different educational objectives. Depth and breadth of performance, and exceeding expectations, should be reported separately, rather than conjoined. Separate rankings would be easier to understand, more informative and less disputable—although perhaps less likely to help sell magazines.
  • Several principals, including Whitman’s Goodwin, noted how nonacademic programs that help students succeed and are a huge part of some students’ lives (arts, music, sports, civic activities, etc.) are not examined.
  • comparing large and small schools can be misleading
  • eferring to the many qualitative features that go into making a great school, Doran says, “The rankings are measuring the brain of the school—not the heart of the school.”
  •  
    Having grown up in Bethesda, I am well aware of the preoccupation with the ranking of U.S. schools. This article shares some insight into how two of the more popular (or circulated) ranking systems come up with their results.
James Leslie

Ideas about becoming a social studies teacher - 0 views

  • Sadly, much too often, social studies courses are regarded as relatively unimportant subject matter, whether in elementary school, middle school, or high school. This perception leads to diminished attention paid to social studies as a serious subject area, yet in the overall development of the intellect of students, no other subject matter content holds as much promise.
    • James Leslie
       
      Social studies is more importan than many people think.
  • "I think we include social studies in the curriculum for the wrong reasons. It doesn't help us avoid the mistakes of the past, and if voting turnout is an indicator of good citizenship, it doesn't have much to do with that either. Social studies is probably best understood as an organized way of helping students develop understandings and appreciations that have long-term staying power, and that will influence them in positive ways to do the right thing when doing the right thing is hard to do."
    • James Leslie
       
      Can we find ways to enhance the use of what we may teach to students.
  • First, you must understand the content of the social studies at a level appropriate to that which you intend to teach. To understand content means more than mere memorization of facts. To understand content for a teacher means that you can explain it in more than one way to others, whether the content concerns facts, generalizations, principles, themes, and so on.
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  • Second, you must be able to translate the content you so understand to make it learnable, interesting, and challenging for students at the age and grade level you are teaching. It requires rearranging what you know. This applies to social studies more than any other content area simply because social studies as a discipline lacks any widely agreed-upon structure.
    • James Leslie
       
      Interesting to note that teaching the same subject at different levels can look different.
  • Third, you must consider pedagogy. This means that you not only understand the content in more than one way, can translate it into a form understandable, learnable, challenging, and interesting to your students, but that you also have the skills to actually teach the content. Pedagogy without subject matter content isn't worth very much. Simply "knowing about" teaching methods won't do.
  • There is probably no more important skill required in teaching social studies than the ability to explain events, ideas, principles, and social interrelationships. In some ways, good social studies teaching rests on the ability to tell stories well. For social studies, this story telling ability is grounded in the depth and awareness of the connective possibilities of the content. Helping students make new connections, to find challenge and meaning in social studies content is what excellent social studies teachers do every day.
    • James Leslie
       
      There is a great need to make teaching history reletive to students today.
  •  
    This is an interesting site that shares reasons why social studies is important and how a person can effectively teach it. It also has a link to the role of values that should be expressed in social studies.
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