10. Justification for Course Change

UCC/UGC/YCC

Proposal for Course Change

10. Justification for course change.

In the current program, History 430 trained teacher candidates in the teaching and learning of history, geography, government, and economics. As such, none of these subjects could be adequately addressed to meet the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) standards and gain NCATE accreditation. Therefore, we have distributed the course objectives and learning objectives across two courses. The proposed History 430 will address the teaching and learning of government and economics and a new course has been created to train teachers in the teaching and learning of history and geography. This plan was applauded by NCSS

Approvals:

PROPOSED SYLLABUS

History 430: Teaching & Learning Social Studies, Government and Economics

College of Arts and Letters Department of History

Semester, Year

Class times: LEC:

Office Hours: Credits: 3

Instructor’s Name, Phone and E-mail

Contact info (Office address, phone, email address, relevant web/social media addresses)

Blackboard Learn:

Course prerequisites: History 330

Signature Assessments: Economics Unit Plan, Government Unit Plan, Classroom Management Plan

Course Description: This course focuses on the disciplinary practices of political science, civics, economics, and financial literacy. Students will also learn critical thinking skills as well as methods of teaching middle and high school government and economics classes that support inquiry, utilize collaborative strategies, address current realities, and teach from many perspectives. The content is interwoven with pedagogical strategies, evidence-based evaluation, standards, disposition, and practice. In the government unit of the course students will gain a critical perspective on politics and government through an examination of theories of government, the philosophical and historical heritage of our system of governing, political institutions that shape policy as well as the factors that influence the policy making, and the pragmatic realities of modern American democracy. Content matter will focus upon the creation of the United States Constitution, the meaning of the Bill of Rights, and an exploration of the role both of these documents have played in our political, economic, and social lives, with a special emphasis on civil rights. Students will also focus upon the changing nature of American federalism and federal, state, and local power relations that have developed through our system of federalism.

In the economics unit of the course students will analyze the role that individual choice, market interaction, and public policy play in the allocation of scarce resources, the differences between market, command, and traditional economic decision making, the functions of labor and government in the national economy, the impact of globalization upon the economy, and the difference between macro and micro economics. The course will also include a focus on financial literacy and examine topics such as personal investment, credit, and taxes.

Course Goals:Four goals drive this class: 1) improve knowledge and understandings of the disciplines of political science and economics; 2) improve knowledge and understanding of the foundations of American government as well as the complexity of our government systems and political processes; 3) develop a broad understanding of economic systems, economic practices, and the need for financial literacy 4) explore best practices of teaching and learning government and economics. To accomplish these goals, students will explore the structure and function of government and the relationship between power, authority, and governance. They will also compare and contrast global economic systems and how each system answers the basic economic questions of allocating scarce resources. They will develop unit plans based on this knowledge and teach mini-lessons within the classroom. Learning plans will follow the Understanding by Design model with big ideas, essential questions, step-by-step instructions and an assessment plan.

Essential/Initiating Questions:

General: How is power distributed between people and government? What economic theories and practices inform and drive societies? How do students learn government and economics and grow in their practice of civic engagement?

U.S. Specific: What is the purpose and origin of the United States government? How do current events in the world influence the political and economic policies of the United States? What are the effects of an individual’s participation on government? How much power should the federal government have? What is the proper balance between national security and civil liberties? What is the proper balance between free enterprise and government regulation?

What economic theories and practices inform and drive societies? How do students learn government and economics and grow in their practice of civic engagement?

Student Learning Expectations/Outcomes for this Course

Learning Outcomes aligned with InTASC Professional Standards for Teaching

At the end of the course teacher candidates will know and be able to do the following:

Learner and Learning Environment

Promote learner growth (cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, physical) by recognizing how learners construct knowledge and make meaning

Create learning experiences by considering individual and group similarities and differences and collaborating with families and community

Create a learning environment that is safe, collaborative, active, and self-driven

Knowledge and skills (see below for specific content knowledge and pedagogy)

Understand how content and skills are both important components to teaching and learning

Articulate an understanding of the disciplines and disciplinary skills in social studies;

Facilitate learning experiences to build student knowledge, skills, and local-global insights

Engage students in inquiry, critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving

Assessment

Design effective, culturally-wise assessments and rubrics in history/social studies instruction;

Implement a variety of methods to practice formative and summative assessment to guide student learning

Planning and Organization

Plan for a learner-centered classroom

Plan a year of study in History/Social Studies at the secondary level, meeting required standards;

Produce & review lessons and unit plans that foster critical thinking and active learning;

Analyze sources, methods, and unit designs and begin to determine which are appropriate and powerful learning tools to meet a variety of learning outcomes;

Instructional Strategies and methods

Demonstrate skills and methods that help students build knowledge and apply their knowledge in historical/critical inquiry (e.g. consider issues of content, perspective, source selection and analysis, themes, controversial issues, and democratic participation);

Adapt strategies for a variety of learners and environments

Dispositions and Professional Responsibility

Become familiar with professional organizations, journals, and professional activities in Social Studies and history education;

Collaborate with others to draft curriculum

Strengthen your teaching portfolio to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and experience;

Assemble an application packet for a history/social studies position;

Interview for a teaching position

Content Outcomes

Government:

• Comparison of different forms of government
• Ways in which the Enlightenment philosophers and English and colonial thought influenced the foundation of the U.S. government
• The principles of the Constitution--popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and judicial review
• The compromises necessary to create the Constitution and the battle for ratification
• The Bill of Rights--what the amendments are, why they were put into the Constitution, and their application today
• Amendments 11-27--the historical background of their incorporation into the Constitution and their application to today
• Political ideology--political socialization and its influence upon the political system
• Changing nature of federalism and all of its current messiness
• Powers and functions of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government and how each branch relates to the others
• Process of a bill becoming a law with a focus on all of the competing interests
• The influence of the linking institutions upon policy making and the politicalprocess--interest groups and lobbyists, media, and political parties
• The formation of policy agendas, the enactment of public policies by Congress and the president and the implementation and interpretation of the policies by the bureaucracy and the courts
• The judicial interpretations of various civil rights and liberties, with a special emphasis on decisions that affect current student rights
• Connection of current issues to long standing debates in American politics ( for example, federalism, individual rights vs. public rights, privacy rights vs. public good, etc.)

Economics

• The relationship of scarcity to economics
• How different economic systems answer the questions of “what to produce,” “how to produce,” and how to distribute scarce goods and services
• How the economic choices made by individuals, businesses, governments, and societies incur opportunity costs
• Demand, supply, and equilibrium point
• The differences between micro and macro economics
• The role of “marginal” thinking in effective decision making (cost-benefit analysis)
• The principles of a market economy
• Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages sole proprietoriships, partnerships, and corporations
• The debate over what role the government should play in a market economy
• The principles of structure of the U.S. tax system and the impact of taxes upon the economy
• The role of labor in the economy
• The impact of globalization upon U.S. trade and economy and other parts of the world
• Economic problems--recession, inflation. unemployment, maldistribution of wealth, the deficit and the debt, inflation, poverty, etc.
• Financial literacy--investment, insurance, education, credit, stock market, personal taxes, etc.

Methods:

• Relevance: importance of keeping current with the news in order to apply what’s happening in today’s society with classroom content
• Questioning techniques for teachers and ways to teach students how to question
• Methods to elicit informed discussion--fishbowl, socratic seminars, debate techniques, etc.
• Methods of teaching controversial issues
• Technological and Media Literacy--ways to help students to become media literate in today’s “You Tube, tweeting, instant news era,”; teaching how to determine fact from opinion
• How to sift through and use the many web sites that provide lesson plans
• How to use primary sources from reading John Locke to the Constitution to Supreme Court decision to reading Adam Smith, Karl Marx, today’s economists, etc.
• How to relate current/historical events to economics; how to apply economic theories to political ideology

Course structure/approach: Blend of readings in content, pedagogy and practice, teacher modeling of lessons, student-led activities and teaching, discussion, and practice.

Textbook and required materials

Raskin, James B. We the Students: Supreme Court Cases for and about students, 3rd edition, American University, 2008

Annenberg Classroom,

Constitutional Rights Foundation,

Marshall-BrennanConstitutional Literacy Project,

New York Times Learning Network,

Levitt, Stephen, Dubner, Stephen, Freakonomics, Rogue Economist Explores Hidden Side of Everything

Levitt, Stephen, Dubner, Super Freakonomics, Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

Resources, Lesson studies and problem-based learning:

Sandra Day O’Connor “ICivics” project

AZ Foundation for Legal Services & Ed, “Project Citizen,” We the People,” & “Kids Voting”

Economics Internet Library,

Economics About,

The Wall Street Journal,

Dollars and Sense,

Teaching Economics as if People Mattered,

Econoclass,

CCEE’s Economic Insights Publication,

Freakonomics,

Foundation for Teaching Economics:

Landmark Supreme Court Cases:

“100 Milestone Documents” National Archives

Virtual Visit to Truman Library Decision Theatre Problem-Based Learning Simulations

National Archives Presidential Libraries

American Political Science Association Civic Ed:

Recommended optional materials/references

Levstik and Barton, Doing History—sections on Civic Education

Hahn, Carole, Hess, Diana, Civic Ed

Berkin, Carol. Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence. Vintage, 2006; and Inventing the American Constitution 2003.

Labunski, Richard. James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights. Oxford University Press, 2008.

McCullough, David G. 1776. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006.

Course outline:

• Why teach government & economics?
• Assignments
• Personal Essay

• Constitution
• Enlightenment, British, and Colonial Influences on Founding Fathers
• Path to the Constitutional Convention

• Pre-assessment
• Post-assessment
• Formative & Summative Assessment

• Executive
• Legislative
• Judiciary

• Bill of Rights
• Federalism
• How a Bill becomes law
• Linking Institutions—Interest groups, parties, media
• Political ideologies

• Controversial Issues
• Student Rights

• What is economics?
• How do societies decide to allocate resources
• Opportunity Costs

• Marginal Thinking and Decision making
• Principles of Market economy
• Business Organizations

• Demand/Supply
• Role of Gov in the Economy
• Taxes

• Globalization
• Economic Problems

• Economic Literacy

Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes