| Social Studies – Preparing Students for College, Career and Civic Life |  |
| Teaching & Learning
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- Expo offers hands-on career guidance to Ala. eighth-graders
Nearly 10,000 eighth-graders attended a career expo in Mobile, Ala., that featured information and hands-on demonstrations of locally available jobs in the health care, journalism, public service and other industries. "Our message for this is that you don't need to leave Mobile to find a great job," said Larry Mouton, director of career-technical education for the Mobile County school system. "We want our best and brightest to stay here." AL.com (Alabama)/Press-Register
(9/27)
 
- Flipped instruction turns around middle-school history lessons
Disappointed their students were not engaged in classroom lessons, two teachers at a Texas middle school decided to flip the script. The educators, who teach a history class together, adopted the flipped instructional method, in which students view instructional videos at home and use class time to complete homework assignments -- rather than listen to lectures. So far, teachers say the change has resulted in more engaged students and higher test scores. The Dallas Morning News (free content)
(9/27)
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What are the benefits of co-teaching?:
Co-teaching works when teachers share classroom responsibilities, have a similar work ethic and complementary skill-sets, experts say. Susan Fitzell, a former special-education teacher who began co-teaching in 1993 at Londonderry Senior High School in New Hampshire and is now an education consultant, says co-teaching allows educators to work in small groups and meet the needs of students, including children with disabilities. U.S. News & World Report/High School Notes blog
(9/26)
| Standards & Assessments
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- Higher-level geography skills are part of fifth-grade curriculum
Fifth-graders at Roosevelt Elementary School in Janesville, Wis., are learning about the various types of maps and how they are used, as well as intermediate and cardinal directions. Their social studies curriculum also includes a study of the globe, with a focus on continents, oceans, longitude, latitude and the hemisphere. "The expectations placed on children today, I think, have never been greater," teacher Michael Smrekar said of the fifth-grade students. The Janesville Gazette (Wis.)
(10/1)
| Technology in the Classroom
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- GIS class helps Va. students solve real-world problems
Students in the Geospatial Semester class at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Va., are putting their skills to the test as they use geographic information systems mapping software to conduct research. One student studied the environmental and demographic impact a new Metro line would have on the Washington, D.C., area. "Students who do real-life problem-solving projects that help real people become very engaged in learning because their learning has a purpose," said Ryan Miller, teacher of the class. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(9/27)
- Transition to digital textbooks raises questions over access
As Florida prepares to transition to using more digital resources in schools, a history teacher in one district has cited concerns about access and other problems associated with the change. The state is mandating districts spend half of their instructional-materials funding on digital resources by 2015. However, some parents have reported problems with logging onto the online textbooks and others have raised questions over how students with limited access to technology would be able to use the digital resources. The Tampa Tribune (Fla.)
(9/28)
- Typing lessons are transformed in middle schools
A Wisconsin school district has adopted a new instructional method, called the Herzog method, to teach sixth-grade students how to type. Rather than focusing on the "home keys" and drills, students will learn where all letters are on the keyboard and then practice by completing actual class assignments. Because most students already are familiar with the keyboard by middle school, the focus now is on teaching them to type faster, educators say. Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wis.)
(9/21)
| Social Studies & Civic Life
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- Mich. archaeologist seeks to preserve coastal dunes
Recent research of the dunes around Lake Michigan reveal they are probably closer to 1,000 years old, rather than 5,000 years as previously had been believed, says Michigan state archaeologist Dean Anderson. That means the dunes can move easily and are vulnerable to damage by humans, so Anderson says he is hoping to educate the public and policymakers about the importance of protecting these natural resources. The Holland Sentinel (Mich.)
(9/30)
| NCSS Updates
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"Half the Sky" at the NCSS Annual Conference
"Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide" premieres on PBS on Oct. 1 and 2. Watch the film, then join us during the NCSS Annual Conference on Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. as Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and co-author Sheryl WuDunn shows segments of the film and discusses turning "Half the Sky" into a global movement to raise awareness of women's issues and empower women and girls worldwide. Read on for more information.
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Teaching about the elections
This month, our website features articles and lessons on teaching about the 2012 elections, voting, and hot campaign issues. NCSS online resources include links to free articles as well as members-only materials. Read more.
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