Course Prerequisites/Corequisites	Course Objectives	Topical Course Outline
Required Course Materials	Primary Methods of Instruction	Field Activities
Course Assignments and Grading	Grading Criteria	Expectations
Accomplished Practices Addressed	Explanations of Course Assignments	Unit Plan Assignment - Explanation and Rubric
Course Calendar	Electronic Portfolio Requirement

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Graduate students enrolled in this course should be enrolled in the fall semester 15-hour block of Secondary Social Studies PROTEACH courses, including ESE 6345 (Effective Teaching in the Secondary School), SSE 5945C (Practicum in Secondary Social Studies Teaching), ECO 6075 (Economics Education), and EME 5432 (Technology in the Social Studies Classroom).

Course Objectives

This course is designed to provide preservice middle and secondary social studies teachers with a comprehensive overview of the most effective approaches to planning, implementing, managing, and assessing successful and effective teacher-directed and teacher-facilitated learning experiences for students. As part of this process, students enrolled in this course will engage in critical, reflective discussions of research and practitioner journal articles focusing on exemplary social studies teaching methods and will practice implementing these methods in small and large group settings. Students will focus on practical investigation and modeling of student-centered and activity-based methods, develop lesson and unit plans, develop assessment tools, learn classroom management strategies, and reflect on teaching practice.

Topical Course Outline

Meeting dates, times, and topics are outlined at the end of this syllabus.

Required Course Materials

B. Bower, History Alive! Engaging All Learners in the Diverse Classroom. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers Curriculum Institute, 2nd edition, 1999.

D. Kobrin, Beyond The Textbook: Teaching History Using Documents and Primary Sources. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.

Primary Methods of Instruction

Each class session will consist of two parts: a presentation/discussion component and a hands-on component. Research and/or practitioner-oriented readings will be assigned in advance for each class session. Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the main points of each assigned reading and to share personal opinions/reactions to the ideas presented in each reading. In-class presentations/lectures will also be given to supplement the information contained in the assigned readings. During the second half of each class, students will participate in simulated lessons that actually apply the teaching methods discussed in the readings and presentations.

Field Activities

This course is directly linked to the SSE 5945C Practicum in Social Studies Teaching and to the SSE 5432 Social Studies Technology courses. Students will be expected to demonstrate their mastery of the social studies teaching methods addressed in this course during their microteaching and field experiences in the practicum course.

Course Assignments and Grading

A total of 200 points can be earned in the course. The breakdown of assignments is as follows:

Curriculum Unit Plan	70 points
Philosophy of Teaching Statement	10 points
Student Interview	10 points
Teacher Interview	10 points
Unit Plan Bibliography	10 points
Lesson Plan From Unit Using Non-Textbook Sources	10 points
Lesson Plan From Unit Using Technology	10 points
Lesson Plan From Unit Using Cooperative Learning	10 points
Lesson Plan From Unit with ESE Modification	10 points
Assessment Design from Unit	10 points
Class Attendance and Participation	20 points
Course Readings/Notecards	20 points

Grading Criteria

A	180 to 200 points (Excellent work; well beyond the norm)
B+	170 to 179 points (Very good work; exceeds basic expectations)
B	160 to 169 points (Good work; better than average)
C+	150 to 159 points (Acceptable work; meets basic expectations)
C	140 to 149 points (Minimally competent work)

A final course grade of D or F is grounds for expulsion from PROTEACH, according to UF Graduate School regulations.

Expectations

• In keeping with the University of Florida's student computer policy, all assignments completed for this class must be typed using a word processing program. Use of spell-checking and grammar-checking programs is strongly urged. Use of desktop publishing software and computer-generated graphics for course products that may eventually be included in student portfolios is also strongly encouraged.
• Students are expected to be on-time and prepared for all class sessions. This preparation includes completion of reading assignments in advance of class sessions and active participation in class discussions and activities.
•  Attendance at all class sessions is assumed. 10 points will be deducted for each class absence. Credit will not be given for this course if more than four class sessions are missed.
•  Assignments are due at the BEGINNING of class periods indicated. Assignments due on non-class days are due by 5:00 p.m. on the date indicated. Assignments may be turned in to me at my office (2404 NRN) or in my mailbox (2403 NRN). Unless otherwise specified, assignments may not be re-done for additional credit.
•  Assignments will be penalized one full letter grade for each day they are late. Assignments will not be accepted more than three days after the due date without PREVIOUS instructor permission.
•  Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during class sessions.

Accomplished Practices Addressed

#1-The preprofessional teacher collects and uses data gathered from a variety of sources.

#2-The preprofessional teacher recognizes the need for effective communication in the classroom.

#4-The preprofessional teacher is acquiring performance assessment techniques and strategies that measure higher order thinking skills in students.

#7-The preprofessional teacher plans instructional activities, drawing upon well-established human development/learning theories and concepts and a variety of information about students.

#8-The preprofessional teacher has a basic understanding of the subject field and is beginning to understand that the subject is linked to other disciplines and can be applied to real world integrated settings.

#9-The preprofessional teacher understands the importance of setting up effective learning environments and has techniques and strategies to use to do so.

#10-The preprofessional teacher recognizes the importance of setting high expectations for all students, and works with other professions to design learning expectations that meet students' needs and interests.

Explanations of Course Assignments

•   Either individually or with a partner, you will develop a curriculum unit around a topic or theme. You will include 6-8 lesson plans that reflect different teaching strategies discussed throughout the course. (70 points)
•   Write a 2-3 page statement on your philosophy of teaching. What principles guide your teaching? What motivates you to teach social studies? What strengths and insights do you bring to the classroom? What skills do you need to help you on your journey to becoming a teacher? What do you hope to take with you from this course? (10 points)
•   Work one-on-one with a student in your practicum placement. Tutor him or her and conduct an interview about social studies. What is the student's level of interest and understanding in social studies? How does he/she respond to the teacher and class activities? What are his/her strengths, and what skills does he/she need to work on? What recommendations can you make to enhance this student's learning in social studies? (10 points)
•   Interview a social studies teacher about his/her classroom management strategies, focusing on how the teacher uses the content and material of social studies for classroom management purposes. What are the most successful strategies he/she uses? Suggest your own guidelines for classroom management. (10 points)
•   Turn in a tentative bibliography for your unit plan with at least ten sources relevant to your topic. Correct citation formatting should be used consistently (APA, Chicago, etc.), and each source should be annotated briefly (i.e., accompanied by a brief description of the source). (10 points)
•   Turn in one lesson plan from your unit using non-textbook sources appropriate to the discipline/topic on which your unit focuses. This is a "formative assessment" designed to give you feedback before the final product is turned in. (10 points)
•   Turn in one lesson plan from your unit using technology (e.g., website, WebQuest, PowerPoint, etc.). This is a "formative assessment" designed to give you feedback before the final product is turned in. (10 points)
•   Turn in one lesson from your unit plan using a cooperative learning activity. This is a "formative assessment" designed to give you feedback before the final product is turned in. (10 points)
•   Turn in one lesson plan from your unit with an ESE or ESOL modification. This is a "formative assessment" designed to give you feedback before the final product is turned in. (10 points)
•   Turn in one major alternative assessment design from your unit plan. This is a "formative assessment" designed to give you feedback before the final product is turned in. (10 points)
•   Class attendance and participation grading is discussed above (20 points).
•   A separate list of required readings is included. Turn in ONE index card for EACH reading on the day readings are due; each card should contain 3-4 well-written sentences summarizing the reading. Two points are deducted for each card not turned in.

Unit Plan Assignment - Explanation and Rubric

Either individually or with a partner, develop a social studies curriculum unit that forms part of a course. The total unit should comprise 6-8 lesson plans, and it must demonstrate a variety of pedagogical strategies.

You should select a topic that is interesting and that you are likely to teach. You will submit parts of the unit throughout the semester so that you can get feedback from the instructor.

Specify the grade level that you are teaching, assume that you have a heterogeneous classroom of about 25-30 students, and assume that you have access to technology and photocopying. You can plan your unit for either a block (80 minutes classes) or traditional schedule (50 minute classes).

Make sure you specify the NCSS and Sunshine State Standards to which you are teaching the unit.

Choose any topic that fits within these standards. You may organize your unit chronologically or thematically. Suggestions and sample units will be shown in class and available on a COE website.

 The unit should include the following:

• Listing of NCSS and Sunshine State Standards to which your unit is tied
• Two to three page overview of your unit that provides a rationale for the unit and the educational principles you hope to implement
• Required number of lessons (6-8). Each individual lesson in the unit should be about 2-3 pages and should include the following:

- LESSON TOPIC

- RATIONALE FOR LESSON

- LESSON OBJECTIVE

- BRIEF CONTENT SUMMARY OF LESSON

- RICH DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES, TEACHING METHODS, AND/OR ACTIVITIES YOU PLAN TO USE IN LESSON

- LIST OF MATERIALS NEEDED FOR EACH LESSON

- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FORM OF EVALUATION FOR EACH LESSON

• Evidence of high student involvement in each lesson and student engagement in appropriate inquiry-based activities for the discipline you are teaching
• Evidence that you use a wide variety of primary and secondary sources in your lessons appropriate to the discipline you are teaching
• Annotated bibliography at the end of your unit that lists all sources that YOU consulted in planning the unit and all sources that your STUDENTS will use when you teach the unit
• Clarity of thought and organization of unit plan
• Evidence of creativity and challenge in your lesson ideas
• Evidence that unit "holds together" well; that is, your lessons logically follow one another and develop rationally
• Attention to proper punctuation, grammar, syntax, and spelling
• Evidence that care and thought have gone into your work

Course Calendar

August 22

PROTEACH and Social Studies Orientation

August 28

Introduction to the social studies

Philosophies of teaching social studies

Assigned Readings:

History Alive, Part I (Introduction)

Beyond the Textbook, Chapters 1 and 2

September 4

Lesson and Unit Planning

Resources for teaching social studies

Professional organizations and journals

Assigned Readings:

http://www.ncss.org

 DUE: PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

September 11

Sources of History: Using Primary Sources and Historical Inquiry Strategies

Assigned Readings:

Beyond the Textbook, Chapters 3, 4, and 6

September 18 Sources of History (Continued)

Assigned Readings:

Same as last week

September 25

Geography: Sources and Geographic Inquiry Strategies

 Assigned Readings:

None

October 2

Government, Sociology, and Psychology: Sources and Strategies

 Assigned Readings:

None

 DUE: Student Interview

October 9

Using Technology in the Social Studies

Meet in Norman Hall Computer Lab

 Assigned Readings:

http://www.historymatters.gmu.edu

http://www.nara.gov/education/teaching/teaching.html

http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/teacherlink/social/

http://www.nationalgeographic.org

 DUE: Unit Plan Bibliography

Lesson From Unit Using Non-Textbook Sources

October 16

Social Studies Teaching Methods:

Lectures, Simulations, and Cooperative Learning Activities

 Assigned Readings:

History Alive, Chapters 1-6

 DUE: Lesson From Unit Using Technology

October 23

Social Studies Teaching Methods:

Lectures, Simulations, and Cooperative Learning Activities (Continued)

Assigned Readings:

Same as last week

DUE: Lesson From Unit Using Cooperative Learning

October 30

Modifications for ESE/ESOL Students

Assigned Readings: None

November 6

Assessment: Tests, Projects, Portfolios

Social Studies Curriculum Standards

 Assigned Readings:

Beyond the Textbook, Chapter 5

History Alive, Chapter 8

http://www.ncss.org/standards/toc.html

http://www.steps.uwf.edu/steps/standards/show-standards.cfm

DUE: Lesson From Unit with ESE or ESOL Modification

November 13

No Class - NCSS Annual Conference, Washington DC

November 20

Classroom Dynamics/Classroom Management

Assigned Readings:

History Alive, Part 3

DUE: Assessment Design From Unit

DUE: Teacher Interview

November 27

Final Presentations of Unit Plans

 DUE: Unit Plans

December 4

No Class - Students are in field placements

Electronic Portfolio Requirement

The Electronic Portfolio Requirement must be completed in order for you to graduate from the PROTEACH program at UF. The EP is a way for you to document your mastery of the 12 Accomplished Practices mandated by the Florida Department of Education. Many of your assignments in this class can be used to document the Accomplished Practices in your EP. You are expected to make regular entries to your EP throughout your program. The EP must be complete in order for you to receive your final grade in ESE 6215, which you will take next year during Summer A.

Return to Top