The Palmetto Focus
South Carolina Council for the Social Studies
South Carolina Council for the Social Studies
The goals of the SCCSS are to promote higher standards in social studies curriculum and instruction for the schools of South Carolina; to promote a closer professional relationship among the teachers of social studies in the state; and to represent the social studies profession in South Carolina.
Email: presidentsccss@gmail.com
Website: http://www.sccss.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SC-Council-for-the-Social-Studies-146244222115653/
Twitter: @sccsocial
Welcome!
Call for Officer Nominations
1. President-Elect (6 year Commitment)
- The President-Elect shall act as President in the absence of the President or in the temporary inability of the President to serve.
- The President-Elect shall assume the presidency in case of the removal or resignation of the President
- The President-Elect shall oversee the planning and implementation of the Annual Meeting(s)
- The President-Elect shall assume the office of Presidency upon completion of the term of the President
2. Vice-President (2 year Commitment)
- The Vice President shall chair the membership committee and perform any other duties prescribed by the Executive Committee.
3. Secretary (2 Year Commitment)
- The Secretary shall keep an accurate account of all organization proceedings including Executive Committee meetings and shall make the minutes available to the body at its next regular meeting.
- The Secretary shall oversee elections, including nominations, distribution of ballots, and verification of eligibility, and certification of results.
If you are interested in nominating someone or submitting a self-nomination for any of these positions fill out this form or email Jeff Eargle.
Scenes from the AP Workshop
Thanks to all who participated and helped!
AP Workshop
AP Human Geography and AP World History Workshop
Scenes from the AP Workshop
Thanks to Spring Hill High School's Rho Kappa members for help during the AP Workshop!
High School - AP Workshop Recap
This last Saturday, May 21st, the South Carolina Council hosted the 3rd annual AP Conference at Spring Hill High School in South Carolina. We had over 50 attendees who attended the two sessions, Third Annual A.P. History Workshop: Human Geography: Program Building and Best Practices, and A.P. History Workshop: A Focus on the AP World History Redesign.
The Human Geography attendees received a plethora of best practice information and engaged in meaningful discussions such as “Dr. Snow’s Cholera Map: Using Inquiry Based Strategies to Build GeoSpatial Thinking Skills”, “Bridging the Middle School to High School Gap: Day-to-Day Strategies and Resources for APHG Success”, “Integrating ESRI's ArcGIS Online Software into the Classroom”, “Class Discussion and Books in the APHG Classroom”, and “Sovereignty Project: Building Your Own Country – A Year-Long Cross-Curricular Inquiry Project”. The attendees engaged in several meaningful discussions designed to facilitate collaboration and curricular improvement.
The World History attendees were treated to The South Carolina Council for the Social Studies is pleased to welcome Dr. Tim Keirn as our keynote speaker. Dr. Keirn is the Chief Reader for the AP World History Exam and is a member of the College Board’s AP World History Redesign Committee. A professor at the California State University, Dr. Keirn is the Social Science Subject Coordinator in the College of Education. Dr. Keirn reviewed the piloted test and give insights to the grading process. The subsequent sessions introducing, exploring, and discussing the rubrics in addition to best practices in the classroom were designed around Dr. Keirn’s presentation and led by Steve Cox, Master Teacher from Dutch Fork High School. The attendees raved about the helpfulness of Dr. Keirn’s presentation!
The conference’s smashing success was only made possible from the generous support of our sponsors: Bedford St. Martins, McGraw Hill, and Pearson. We cannot express our gratitude enough for their continual support of all the Social Studies, and in the particular case, Advanced Placement curriculum and instruction. If you teach high school and weren’t able to attend the sessions, we missed you, but be on the lookout next year for our next 9-12 AP Spring Institute; we are looking forward to eclipsing the success of this year! We can’t do it without our amazing teachers!!!
Matt Rose, High School Representative
Middle School Teachers We Need Your Input!
Resources for the Elementary School Teacher
Notable Social Studies Trade Books For Young People
The books that appear in these annotated book lists were evaluated and selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the Children's Book Council (CBC). NCSS and CBC have cooperated on this annual bibliography since 1972.
Books selected for this bibliography are written primarily for children in grades K-8. The selection committee looks for books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text. Each book is read by several reviewers, and books are included on the list by committee assent; annotations do not necessarily reflect the judgment of the entire committee.
Publishers' names appear in abbreviated form; complete names and addresses are available in such standard reference works as Literary Market Place (Bowker) and from the Children's Book Council (CBC). Titles are arranged by broad subject categories and subthemes. Although many are appropriate for more than one subject category, they have been placed where their usefulness in social studies education appears greatest. Annotators have also indicated the thematic strand of National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies to which the book relates. Although many titles have multistrand applications, space restraints dictate including a maximum of three strands per title.
The Notable Trade Books for Young People list is published each year as an insert to the May/June issue of Social Education.
Click this link to find more information from the National Council for the Social Studies!
2016 Awards - Due July 1, 2016!
Do you know an outstanding teacher? Nomintate them for the "Tom" Buckland Memorial Teacher of Excellence Award at the link below:
Thomas Lowell "Tom" Buckland Memorial Teacher of Excellence Award
Do you have a fantastic lesson or unit plan that could be award-winning? Apply for one of our new awards linked below!
Outstanding Lesson or Unit: Civic Engagement and Taking Actions
Outstanding Lesson or Unit: Inquiry in the Social Studies
Outstanding Lesson or Unit: Engagement through Technology
Outstanding Lesson or Unit: Best Practices in Social Studies
Awards Chair: Albert Robertson
Geographers in the Field
The Geographers in the Field institute is a field-trip based experience designed to help K-12 teachers acquire geographic concepts and content knowledge and the geospatial technology skills needed to enhance student learning of important physical, cultural, political, and economic systems.
Institute participants will receive:
- 30 CEU contact hours
- geography content instruction by USC faculty
- most meals and on-campus housing (as needed)
- textbooks, software, and other relevant teaching materials
- hands-on instruction with GPS units, online GIS, and Google Earth
Sunday, Jun 19, 2016, 08:00 AM
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
2016 Conference
2016 SC Council for the Social Studies Conference
The 2016 Conference will take place in Columbia, SC at the Downtown Marriott.
#sccssTakesAction
2016 Call for proposals now available. Presentations should include one or more of the following themes:
- Engagement through Technology
- Civic Engagement and Taking Action
- Inquiry into Social Studies
- Best Practice in Social Studies
Link to Submit a Proposal: https://docs.google.com/a/lexrich5.org/forms/d/1YsTLWsO4qFK7nwG5fPRMk3ghQ6YhulSFDJWk2bXRQYE/viewform?c=0&w=1
Thursday, Oct 6, 2016, 05:00 PM
Columbia Marriott, Hampton Street, Columbia, SC, United States
Are you a member of...
National Council for the Social Studies
National Council for Geographic Education
SC Council for African American Studies
Don't forget to follow:
If you are not a member, check out their website and register!