Elementary Social Studies Integration Strategies

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Elementary Social Studies Integration Strategies

• Michelle Davidson Ungurait

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Quick Review of Social Studies TEKS

• By rule and by law, the elementary grades lay the
  foundations  for
  
• History
• Geography
• Economics
• Government
• Citizenship
• Culture
• Science, Technology, and Society
• Social Studies Skills

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Reading/SS connections

• Identification
• Data Collection
• Critical-Thinking
• Representation
• Communication

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Four Modes of Discourse in Social Studies

• Narrative
• Expository
• Descriptive
• Argument

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Understanding Integration

• List of topics found in Reading programs
  highlight many of the SS TEKS topics.
  
• Review how the social studies TEKS build in
  content
  
• Examine whether shared topics exist between the
  reading and social studies expectations.

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Understanding Integration

• Social Studies can be taught through Reading!
• Provide a documentation device to record where
  this occurs, and how it is implemented.
  

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Integration Planning Tips Guiding Principles

• Identifying Big Ideas for Conceptual
  Understanding
  
• Balancing Processes and Content
• Attending to Multiple Means of Representing Ideas

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Tools of the Historian

• Begin with a significant question about the
  past/geographic area.
  
• Locate sources that could serve as evidence
• Select and organize the evidence
• Reflect on what the evidence provides such as
  whether it agrees with or contradicts with the
  area of study
  
• Explain the interpretations of the
  past/geographic area
  

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Disciplined Inquiry Results in

• Chronological and causal reasoning
• Recognition of perspective
• Evaluation of historically significant people and
  places
  
• Debate/discussion of what it means to study
  events and human behavior through time

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Linking to Language Arts

• Create a list of questions to ask the student
  besides literary ones such as
  
• Why did a particular event occur?
• How did this one event affect another, or was it
  affected by another event?
  
• Did anything change because of this event?
• How did culture influence this event or place?

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Keep in Mind!

• Elementary students interpretations of causal
  relationships are highly dependent on their
  understanding of human behavior in the present.
  Gary Fertig SS V. 96

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Addressing the Textbook

• Understanding the Importance of Content Literacy
• Moving beyond reading as a technical skill
• Encouraging decoding to lead to comprehension
• Using the research found within the social
  studies regarding textbook comprehension
  

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Addressing the Textbook

• Provide opportunities for spoken and written
  connections to the text
  
• Provide time for choosing books and reading
  independently from the text but RELATE it back to
  information found in the textbook.
  
• Create an environment which entices students to
  utilize their texts such as dividing the reading
  exercise into the before, during and after
  reading.

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Addressing the Textbook

• Establish a relationship with the textbook.
• Identifying important information such as titles,
  organization of book, helpful additions to the
  textbook.
  
• Find out what the students already know about the
  topic.
  
• Start with a visual.

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Encourage Using Primary ResourcesThrough
Photographs and Portraits

• Increase competence in visual arts
• Analyze photographs of adults and children
• Maximize the analytical skills of young people

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Photographs and Portraits

• Elementary students
• struggle with the concept of differences
• lack a frame of reference
• need a non-threatening non-judgmental approach

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Example Photo Comparisons
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Tips for Photograph Analysis

• Knowledge Summarize what you already know about
  the situation and time period shown, and the
  people and objects that appear.
  
• Interpretation Say what you conclude from what
  you see.
  
• Comprehension Reflect on probing questions What
  is happening in the picture?
  
• Who are the people what are they doing?
• What is the function of the objects?
• What can we conclude about the time period?

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Outreach to Technology

• Recognize the need for information
• Identify and locate information sources
• Know how to gain information
• Judge information for quality
• Organize information
• Use information effectively

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Please contact me at

• Michelle Davidson Ungurait
• Texas Education Agency
• 1701 North Congress
• Austin, Texas 78701
• Michelle.Ungurait_at_tea.state.tx.us
• 512-463-1420