Methods of Teaching Social Studies

4 February 2008
Global education- or world citizenship education- that is geared toward giving you
skills, knowledge, and values that connect you to people far away and make you aware
that we are connected to one another.
The paperclip project is an example of the way that global education can be handled,
because it gave students a chance to learn about something that happened outside of the
United States in a way that was meaningful and important to them.

Our politics cause changes for others in the world. Therefore, it is important to learn
about matters beyond our borders because they are relevant.

Social studies is a moving target. That is, everyday things change. It is impossible to
“keep up” at all times. We must learn about things that are structural, but we must also
stay current and address the world they live in NOW.

Cognitive constructivism- the ability to build on ideas through a cooperative process

Problem centered learning- Problems can be thought of as anything that creates doubt or
uncertainty.

Definitions done in class

Nation- European “Nation” (nation state approach) vs. shared culture- i.e. Navaho Nation
Culture- ideological, physical, social. The genius of a people, those things that they use to
define themselves as different from other groups.
Sovereign state- able to make decisions independently, status as sovereign must be
recognized by other states
Globalization- The spread of the Western model throughout the world. i.e. the role of the
world bank on IMF.
 Constructivism
-building knowledge step-by-step
(as opposed to reproducing knowledge
unquestioningly)

Social Cognitive

Equilibration
-constantly looking to see that what you are
building on remains balanced and makes sense
- Tolerance for ambiguity is useful, as it gives
you longer to perform the process of
equilibration.

Accommodation
Assimilation
-knowledge is adjusted to accommodate the new
-new knowledge is added to previous knowledge
learning in a way that is acceptable.
-critical and creative thinking

Problem-centered learning- possible where there is doubt or uncertainty in the minds of

learners (creative thinking and critical thinking skills)

Assignment- Journals, read chapter on Diversity (Chapter 2), finish definitions, and
complete map of Europe