District Administration - January 2009 - (Page 83)

Michael Yell’s students at House of Avalon Hudson Middle School in Hudson (Wisc.) Public Schools study social studies and, specifically, Pompeii (right) in an ancient history unit called “There’s No Place Like Rome.” The district has developed a strategic plan that includes the P21 emphasis. as math and reading test scores. Students enter the data on a spreadsheet and then analyze the correlation between spending and test results. In the same section, eighth-graders must analyze political or social issues in the past. One example has them brainstorm natural disasters—such as Hurricane Katrina’s effect on Louisiana and the Gulf Coast—conduct research online, analyze the government’s response, disseminate the results in a school-approved podcast, and then debate alternative responses in a school-approved blog. Seniors are expected to analyze the historical evolution of a contemporary public policy issue, placing it in a historical context and using a digital publishing tool, such as a wiki, to report the findings. For example, they could explore how past societies of people used natural resources—say, how England used forests during the Industrial Revolution. The Critical Thinking and Problem Solving section provides other goals and examples, mostly emphasizing group work and reinforcing students’ digital experience. In the Creativity and Innovation section, fourth-graders develop solutions to a class or school problem, such as bullying on the playground, interview various students and teachers on the subject, and present a play about it. Meanwhile, each eighth-grader creates a story, play, poem or artwork highlighting a historical figure. And seniors choose a current or historical event or issue and then work in teams to create a simulation, role play or Webquest, which is an inquiry-oriented learning activity used by www.DistrictAdministration.com educators. Finally, they publish the product online for review. The Early Reviews So far educator reviews for the map and its modus operandi have been positive and encouraging, reports Beth Ratway, a social studies consultant for Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction. “Teachers really like it because social studies can be so overwhelming,” she says. “If you focus on these skill areas, it hones the discussion, and they appreciate the focus. And there are real examples to which teachers can connect.” Teachers who prefer the activities that they are using need only to adjust them to reinforce the appropriate skill, such as problem solving or collaboration, she adds. P21 board member Matt Williams stresses that using the map effectively is more an exercise in refocusing than starting from scratch. “You can apply it to what you already have to do,” he says. “It won’t take an exceptional amount of time on the teacher’s part.” Resources Civic Mission of Schools www.civicmissionofschools.org Google Earth earth.google.com Junior Achievement Worldwide www.ja.org National Council for the Social Studies www.socialstudies.org Partnership for 21st Century Skills www.21stcenturyskills.org Steve Goldberg, social studies department chair at New Rochelle (N.Y.) High School, adds that it’s student-centered. “We want kids to be able to construct their own knowledge and move beyond studying facts,” he says. Goldberg also points to the continuity between grade levels contained in the new document. “What we’ve been looking at in our district is how to work with vertical articulation,” he says. “How do you ensure that kids coming from elementary schools have skills that transfer to middle school and beyond? It’s comforting to have a common starting ground.” Don’t underestimate the civics components, says McConnell of the Civic Mission of Schools. “Our schools have two equally vital missions: Prepare students for the workplace and prepare them for active, informed citizenship,” he says. “We’ve lost sight of the latter. It’s more likely that today’s students know five members of TV’s Simpson family than the five freedoms contained in the First Amendment.” McConnell is hoping the new map helps those students make a U-turn. “Civic learning used to be woven throughout elementary school,” he explains, noting that its loss in recent decades has been “exacerbated by state and federal accountability standards, which largely ignored social studies in favor of other subjects.” DA www.DistrictAdministration.com Read more on the challenges ahead and 12 commandments of the social studies map. Ron Schachter is a contributing writer for District Administration. January 2009 83 http://www.civicmissionofschools.org http://earth.google.com http://www.ja.org http://www.DistrictAdministration.com http://www.socialstudies.org http://www.21stcenturyskills.org http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - January 2009

District Administration - January 2009
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Security
Facilities & Construction
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Conversations
Leadership Books
Research Center
District Web Site Essentials
The Second Annual X-Factor Student Achievement Grant
Social Studies for the 21st Century
Tech Disruptions
Professional Opinion
New Products
Product Focus
Understanding the Times

District Administration - January 2009