TCH/505 - Teaching Methods: Elementary Social Studies

Course Description

This teaching methods course is designed for K-8 elementary educators who teach social studies. Participants learn to facilitate student-centered, differentiated learning. Participants explore hands-on strategies for designing and implementing cross-curricular work, integrating literacy, creating assessments, and incorporating 21st century technology to engage learners.

This graduate course is 4 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE:
Attendance and participation are mandatory in all university courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

This course is not available for enrollment to residents of Alabama, Arkansas, and Kentucky.

Course Objectives

Social Studies: Purpose and Place

• Explain why all students should learn social studies.
• Evaluate the benefits and challenges of standards-based education.
• Identify the major themes of the National Social Studies Standards.
• Determine the role that civic values should play in social studies curricula.

Social Studies: Designing and Implementing Instruction

• Create social studies instruction that aligns to state and national standards.
• Adapt social studies instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.
• Develop instruction that connects social studies to other core disciplines.

Social Studies: Integrating Literacy, Thinking Skills, and Technology

• Integrate literacy materials, skills, and strategies into social studies instruction.
• Evaluate textbooks and technological resources for use in the social studies classroom.
• Determine ways of using quality trade book literature in lessons and throughout units.
• Utilize writing activities to enhance and reinforce comprehension of content.
• Create a classroom environment that motivates students to learn social studies.
• Create social studies instruction that supports learning through multiple perspectives.
• Determine strategies to promote creative and analytical thinking in social studies.
• Integrate technology to support student-centered learning in social studies.

Social Studies: Designing and Implementing Assessments

• Demonstrate understanding of assessment terminology.
• Differentiate the varied types of assessments.
• Differentiate between formative and summative assessments.
• Utilize additional ways of monitoring and measuring students’ progress in social studies.
• Design formal and informal social studies assessments.

Disclaimers

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.

Although our continuing teacher education courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing teacher education courses are not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with an Enrollment Representative.