EDUC 328 Specialty Methods of Instruction for All Learners: Social Studies
This course is designed to help pre-service secondary (7-12) Social Studies teachers develop a repertoire of history/social studies teaching methods to meet the challenges in today’s education climate. Course content will focus on the purpose of the Social Studies, approaches to Social Studies instruction, elements of historical thinking, inquiry-based learning and the C3 framework, stimulating higher-order thinking skills in Social Studies, analysis and critique of the social studies curriculum respective to diverse perspectives and populations, issue-centered learning, literacy integration, effective instructional strategies that make use of technology, film, and drama, and unit and lesson planning using backwards design. Pre-service teachers will observe effective instructional strategies in practice via a required 10-hour field component designed to give students the opportunity to observe in-service Social Studies teachers. Upon completion of the course, pre-service teachers will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to enter the field of Social Studies education, to participate professionally in the field via membership to a professional organization, and to deliver high-quality, engaging Social Studies instruction.