Revised by ML – June 23, 2016
IL 2265: Issues in History and Social Studies Instruction (Online M.Ed.)
Department of Instruction & Learning
University of Pittsburgh
Instructor:Michael G. Lovorn, Ph.D. E-mail: Phone: 412-610-0017 (c)
COURSE DESCRIPTIONThis online course centers on critical analyses of various contemporary trends, issues, and problems related to the teaching and learning of history and social studies in public middle schools and high school. Course participants focus on how these trends, issues, and problems affectstudents, teachers,and classrooms of the 21st century. Specific topics include recent political rhetoric and legislation related tohistory and social studies education; paradigm shifts in social studies education;recent research into best practices (including inquiry, historical thinking, historiography, global citizenship, and real-world connectedness); and emergent strategies, resources, technologies, and assessments.
COURSE OBJECTIVESThis course is designed to introduce a variety of trends, issues, and problems that impact students and teachers in secondary social studies classrooms. Discussion boards and related online activities are used to enable course participantsto enrich their knowledge about the current and future state of social studies education. As course instructor, I endeavor to engage participants in rich and informative exchanges about contemporary trends, issues, and problems for the purpose of facilitating their development of better informed visions of effective history and social studies education. With this in mind, each student of this class should expect to:
- investigate and analyze various contemporary trends, issues, and problems related to the teaching and learning of history and social studies;
- analyze how these trends, issues, and problems impact history and social studies education in various settings, including Pennsylvania public schools;
- investigate various societal norms, political agendas, and other influences that, for better or worse, shape history and social studies education;
- apply new knowledge to real world teaching experiences;
- identify emergent strategies, resources, technologies, and assessmentsfor the teaching of history and social studies; and
- explore the activities and websites of social studies-related professional organizations.
COURSE READINGS
Required Text:
Parker, W. C. (2015). Social studies today: Research and practice (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. (ISBN: 9781138846043).
*Additional supplemental readings may be assigned as published and/or as needed.
EVALUATIONThis course offers a traditional grading structure (with no + or – designations). Grade ranges are described below and explained in detail on the following pages:
Grading RangesA 28-30 points
B 25-27 points
C 22-24 points
F 21 points or less / Activities
1. Discussion boards & other weekly activities (4 x 4 pts)
2. Chapter presentation
3. Annotated list of strategies, resources, technologies & assessments
TOTAL: / Point Values
16
12
2
30
1. DISCUSSION BOARDS & OTHER WEEKLY ACTIVITIES (16 POINTS)
Your active participation in our discussion boards and related activities is critical to the success of the online course. Throughout the term, we will engage in analyze readings, engage in theoretical and practical online discussions, and share reflective and developmental experiences. The depth and breadth of these activities depends largely on your preparation and engagement. I expect you to participate actively by completing readings promptly and taking part in all discussion boards and other activities. You will receive four randomly timed participation gradesthese activities, each worth up to four points. I will use the following 4-point scale to assess your participation on these occasions:
Discussion Board Participation Evaluation Scale:
4 points – Your participation in the discussion board is significant and meets or exceeds my expectations. You make at least one original, post and comment on at least two of the posts of classmates or me in the scheduled timeframe. Each of your posts demonstrates original and deep thinking on the selected reading/topic. You lead conversation and introduce compelling ideas.
3 points – Your participation in thediscussion board is modest and meets some but not all of my expectations. You make at least one original post and comment on at least one of the posts of classmates or me in the scheduled timeframe. OR you engage in a marginal analysis of selected reading/topic.
2 points – Your participation in the discussion board is weak or minimal and meets few if any of my expectations for graduate-level study. OR you fail make at least one original post or respond to the posts of classmates or me as expected. OR your contributions are disconnected from discussion/activity.
1 point – You make little or no substantive contribution to the discussion board activity.
2. CHAPTER PRESENTATION (12 POINTS)Each student of this course will select and analyze one chapter from our required text, and then prepare a related online presentation that will be shared with your peers and me. Using an approved media format (iMovie, YouTube, Google Hangouts, Panopto or similar), you will record a 10-minute presentation consisting of: 1.) an introduction of the chapter and its authors; 2.) a thorough analysis of thetopic of study as presented in the chapter, including references to at least two additional studies on the same topic that do not appear in the text; 3.) your informed opinionon the chapter’s contribution to what is known on the topic and to the field of social studies education; and 4.) your overall presentation qualityand use of media. You are encouraged to embed your presentation with visuals (such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or Glogster) to enhance your presentation. Please contact the Pitt IT Helpdesk if you need assistance with this technology component of this assignment. I will use the following 12-point rubric to assess your presentation:
Chapter Presentation Rubric:Element / Below Basic (1 point) / Basic (2 points) / Mastery (3 points)
- Introduction of the chapter and its authors
- Analysis of the chapter
- Presentation of your opinion
- Presentation quality
3. ANNOTATED LIST OF STRATEGIES, RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGIES, & ASSESSMENTS(2 POINTS)
During the semester, we will explore various strategies, resources, technologies, and assessments as they apply to our course. As a part of this activity, I would like to give you the opportunity to share some of the cutting-edge strategies, resources, technologies, and assessments you use with your students. For this reason, I would like for each of you to create an annotated list of such techniques that you will share with your classmates and me. This list should include 8-10 contemporary and dynamic strategies, resources, technologies, and/or assessments that you have used (or seen used) to enrich social studies teaching. Your list should be similar in design and length to a traditional annotated bibliography, and may include any combination of the four techniques mentioned above. Each entry should be followed by a brief paragraph explaining its importance and/or your reason for its inclusion.
This activity will be graded on a “credit/no credit” basis. Provided you submit your annotated list of strategies, resources, technologies, and assessments by the posted due date and your submission meets minimum requirements, you will receive full credit for the assignment. Late submission will be assessed a one-point penalty for each day after the original due date. Submissions that are more than two days late will not be accepted.
CLASS POLICIESCommitment to Social Justice:This course is centered on reflective discussion and exchange of ideas, many of which challenge established societal norms and conventional educational practices. Our discussion boards will be guided by principles of critical pedagogy and social justice. Unwelcomed or insensitive behavior or comments that makes other students feel unnecessarily uncomfortable will not be tolerated. This includes making insensitive or derogatory comments about gender, sexual orientation, belief structures, non-belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, or disability. Please make every effort to maintain an academic atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable sharing and responding to ideas in all exchanges with your peers and me.
Academic Integrity:Students in this course will be expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh's Policy on Academic Integrity. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity. This may include, but is not limited to, the confiscation of the examination of any individual suspected of violating University Policy. Furthermore, no student may bring any unauthorized materials to an exam, including dictionaries and programmable calculators.
Disability Services: If you have a disability that requires special testing accommodations or other classroom modifications, you need to notify both the instructor and Disability Resources and Services no later than the second week of the term. You may be asked to provide documentation of your disability to determine the appropriateness of accommodations. To notify Disability Resources and Services, call (412) 648-7890 (Voice or TTD) to schedule an appointment. The Disability Resources and Services office is located in 140 William Pitt Union on the Oakland campus.
DIL Grievance Procedures: The purpose of grievance procedures is to ensure the rights and responsibilities of faculty and students in their relationships with each other. When a student in DIL believes that a faculty member has not met his or her obligations (as an instructor or in another capacity) as described in the Academic Integrity Guidelines, the student should follow this procedure: (1) The student should talk directly to the faculty member to attempt to resolve the matter. (2) If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the student should talk to the relevant program coordinator. (3) If the matter remains unresolved, the student should talk to DIL Associate Chair Trish Crawford. (4) If needed, the student should next talk to SoE Associate Dean Michael Gunzenhauser. (5) If the matter still remains unresolved, the student should file a written statement of charges with the dean’s designated Academic Integrity Administrative Officer.
REFERENCESBarton, K. C., & Levstik, L. S. (2004). Teaching history for the common good. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Diaz, C. F., Massialas, B. G., & Xanthopoulos, J. A. (1999). Global perspectives for educators. Boston: Allyn Bacon.
Education Week. (2007). The last word: The best commentary and controversy in American education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Drake, F. D., & Nelson, L. R. (2009). Engagement in teaching history: Theory and practice for middle and secondary teachers (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Evans, R. W., & Saxe, D. (1996). Handbook on teaching social issues. Washington, DC: National Council for the Social Studies.
Fischer, F. (2014).The memory hole: The U.S. History curriculum under siege. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Kohn, A. (2004). What does it mean to be well educated? And more essays on standards, grading, and other follies. Boston: Beacon Press.
Larson, B. & Keiper, T. (2011). Instructional strategies for middle and secondary social studies: Methods, assessments, and classroom management. New York: Routledge.
Lemov. D. (2010). Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put students on the path to college. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Loewen, J. W. (2009). Teaching what really happened: How to avoid the tyranny of textbooks& get students excited about doing history. New York: Teachers College Press.
Marcus, A. S., Metzger, S. A., Paxton, R. J., & Stoddard, J. D. (2010). Teaching history with film: Strategies for secondary social studies. New York: Routledge.
National Council for the Social Studies. (2013). College, career, and civic life (c3) framework for social studies state standards: State guidance for increasing the rigor of K-12 civics, economics, geography, and history. Retrieved from
National Council for the Social Studies. (2010). National curriculum for social studies: A framework for teaching, learning, and assessment. Retrieved from
Nodding, N. (2007). Critical lessons: What our schools should teach. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Parker, W. C. (2015). Social studies today: Research and practice (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Percoco, J. A. (2001). Divided we stand: Teaching about conflict in U.S. history. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Thornton, S. J. (2005). Teaching social studies that matter: Curriculum for active learning. New York: Teachers College Press.
Turk, D., Mattson, R., Epstein, T., & Cohen, R. (2010). Teaching U.S. history: Dialogues among social studies teachers and historians. New York: Routledge.
Williams, Y. R. (2009). Teaching U.S. history beyond the textbook: Six investigative strategies, grades 5-12. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Wyman, Jr., R. M. (2005). America’s history through young voices: Using primary sources in the k-12 social studies classroom. Boston: Allyn Bacon.