ELE 6600 Course Syllabus
Division: Teacher Education
Course: ELE 6600, Social Studies Curriculum: Preprimary-9
Course Credit: 3 hours
Instructor: Dr. Bob Pettapiece
Office Phone: 577-0260
E-mail: m.pettapiece@wayne.edu
 

Course Description:  Social studies program in elementary and middle schools emphasizing intellectual, social and affective development.  Designing programs based on social priorities, modern socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic and political concepts.

Course Objectives: To have students  . . .

¥ Know why we teach social studies
¥ Be familiar with the seven social studies disciplines
¥ Experience examples of the seven social studies disciplines
¥ Use the Curriculum Content Standards of Social Studies in Michigan  to design instruction
¥ Have the class work together as a large group for class discussions and decisions
¥ Understand and practice working together in small groups
¥ Participate in an organization of social studies teaching professionals
¥ Participate in a social studies conference
¥ Use technology whenever appropriate
¥ See the methods used in this class as a model for constructivist teaching
Assignments (details given in class as necessary):
  1. All written work will be done on a word processor unless otherwise mentioned in class Participate in activities at beginning of class (10%)
  2. As a group, teach the class about a major educational theorists (15%)*
  3. As a small group, develop & present a unit plan* which includes a controversial issue to be shared with the class (20%)
  4. Review & critique 5 articles or 5 chapters of a methods text (or a combination) on the classroom teaching of social studies.  One must be on economics education (30%)
  5. Participate in three (3) class field trips & follow-up activities (12%)
  6. Bring in one unique Detroit field trip resource (5%)
  7. As a small group, participate in an anthropology exercise in developing a culture (3%)
  8. Join a social studies teaching organization (5%)
Class Policies: Participation is important in a democracy and in this social studies class.  Every student is expected to be in class for each meeting.  Absences in this class are just that, absences; they are neither excused nor unexcused.  Being late to class or leaving early will count as .5 of an absence.  Perfect attendance will raise your grade by a third, every 2 absences will lower your grade by a third.  An incomplete (I grade) may be given only for good reason, after completing a contract with the instructor and may not be for a grade higher than a B.
 

Evaluation & Grading:  A=94-100, A-=90-93, B+=87-89, B=83-86, B-=80-82, C+=77-79, C=70-76, Below 70=Not Passing of a possible 100 points.  Article reviews turned more than 3 days late will lose a point; all other assignments may be turned in only on the day due.  If you  participate in a social studies conference it will raise your grade by a third.

Class Schedule: The dates for topics dealt with in class will be announced in class and deadlines will be determined by the instructor in collaboration with the class.
Required Text: Michigan Frameworks for Social Studies at University Copy Service.  In addition, there will be expenses for field trips and *class copies of group assignments.

Suggested Additional Reading:
Constructivism (Papert, Piaget & Vygotsky)
Delpit, Lisa, Other Peoples Children
Gardner, Howard  Frames of Mind
Glasser, William  Quality School, A  or Quality School Teacher
Goleman, Daniel Emotional Intelligence
Hunter, Madeline  (Effective Teaching)
Johnson, Roger & David  Circles of Learning
Kaplan, Leonard Asking the Next Question
Kelley, Earl  Education for What Is Real
Kelley, Earl The Workshop Way of Learning
Kirschenbaum, Howard  Wad Ja Get
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me
Oakes, Jeannie  (Tracking)
Postman, Neil  Teaching As a Subversive Activity
Rogers, Carl  Freedom to Learn
Whole Language

The educated differ from the uneducated
 as much as the living from the dead.
 --Aristotle