Social Studies Scoop
A Monthly Bulletin for 6-12 Social Studies Teachers in CCS
January 2019
In this edition:
- Office of Teaching & Learning: Relocation to 3700 S. High Street
- Professional Learning: Middle School Content Experts PD
- Curriculum and Instruction: Common Instructional Framework: Social-Emotional Learning
- Curriculum and Instruction: Core Knowledge Curriculum for Middle Grades
- Ohio's State Tests: 7 Best Practices: Teaching for Mastery of Ohio's State Tests
- External Teacher PD Opportunities: Mount Vernon Summer Residential Programs
- External Teacher PD Opportunities: Free Economics Webinars
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Office of Teaching & Learning New Location
Monday, Jan 7, 2019, 07:00 AM
3700 South High Street, Columbus, OH, USA
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Middle School Content Experts PD 2019
The Social Studies Content Experts program focuses on the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework of the National Council for the Social Studies. This year's program will provide an in-depth look at Dimensions 2 and 3 of the C3 Framework: Disciplinary Thinking and Evaluating Source & Using Evidence. Teachers will work collaboratively to develop classroom activities, implement the activities in their classrooms, and reflect on student learning.
Content Expert meetings will be held: January 15, February 12, March 12, April 9, May 7. All meetings are 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. The location will be announced to participants via email.
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Curriculum & Instruction
Common Instructional Framework: Social Emotional Learning
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is Component 4 of the CCS Common Instructional Framework: Teachers embed the five Competencies of Social Emotional Learning: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Self-Management, Decision-Making Skills, Relationship Building Skills.
Indicators:
- Teachers use reflective questions and language that will allow students to self-regulate their behavior and performance.
- Teachers provide time, space, and/or activities, and opportunities for students to deescalate and/or self-monitor behavior and emotions.
- Teachers incorporate the use of a decision-making process for students to apply to an academic or social situation or activity to be addressed.
- Teachers provide opportunities for students to collaborate with others.
- Teachers address, teach, and support the development of students’ collaboration skills.
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Core Knowledge Curriculum for Middle Grades
A complete list of the available History/Geography units are available here. Although Core Knowledge assigns a specific grade-level to each unit, the units are broadly applicable students in intermediate and middle grades and can be adapted for the appropriate grade in Ohio's standards.
Create a free account to download resources.
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Ohio's State Tests
7 Best Practices: Teaching for Mastery of Ohio's State Tests
Teacher Clarity/Learning Targets
- Implement a laser-like focus on the learning targets. Unpacking learning targets is not the same thing as covering topics. Learning targets have a specific outcome that students need to master at a defined level. Focus on the key concepts needed to master these targets (underpinning targets) and eliminate extraneous information that is not necessary. Use the district’s Clear Learning Targets and “I Can Checklists” to guide instruction: https://www.ccsoh.us/page/2284.
Rigor and Depth of Knowledge
- Design learning activities that go beyond the cognitive rigor required for state tests. Cognitive rigor includes both the type of thinking required (Bloom’s Taxonomy) and depth of understanding (see Webb’s DOK: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/webbs-depth-knowledge-increase-rigor-gerald-aungst).
Student Engagement
Utilize strategies that maximize student engagement. Engaging strategies may include review games, learning stations, technology interactives, simulations, and artistic/creative representations. Incorporate a variety of activities in a given class period. Limit the amount of lecturing, textbook reading, and notetaking to short intervals.
Source Analysis
Incorporate primary and secondary source analysis. Use short excerpts from sources to create evidence-based text sets (similar to DBQs). Have students respond to text-dependent questions, identify or create thesis statements from the texts, and cite supporting evidence. The Teaching American History Documents Library (http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/) and Digital History (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/) have extensive collections of sources, organized by era/topic.
Formative Assessment
Use formative assessments to determine areas of focus. Formative assessments could include quizzes in Google Forms or Edulastic, review games with clickers or plickers, and exit tickets. These tools allow for quick collection of data that can be used to determine areas for whole group and individual instruction. Use the Teachers Guides to the State Tests to develop formative questions and tasks (available here: https://www.ccsoh.us/page/2718).
DifferentiationDifferentiate based on student needs. It is important for all students to demonstrate growth. Some students will need remediation on particular topics; others will need acceleration. Use data from formative assessments to individualize instruction. Differentiation may also include use of graphic organizers, leveled texts, tiered assignments, and choice boards.
Technology-Enhanced Assessment
Practice technology-enhanced questions. In addition to multiple-choice and written response questions, state tests include technology-enhanced items. These items may require students to indicate multiple correct answers in a table, chart or map, or move boxes to the correct blanks on a graphic organizer. Assessment items in Edulastic.com use similar technology to the state tests.
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External Teacher PD Opportunities
Mount Vernon Summer Residential Programs
The application period for Summer 2019 programs closes January 14, 2019. Click here to apply.
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Free Economics Webinars from the Council for Economic Education
There are still many webinars remaining for this winter and spring. A full schedule is available here.
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Matthew I. Doran
Office of Teaching & Learning
Curriculum Division
3700 S. High Street
Suite 125
Email: mdoran2067@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: http://www.ccsoh.us/socialstudies
Location: 3700 South High Street, Columbus, OH, USA
Phone: 380-997-0470
Twitter: @mdoran2067