ERIC Identifier: ED274582

Publication Date: 1986-09-00

Author: Hoge, John D.
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education Bloomington IN.
Improving the Use of Elementary Social Studies Textbooks.
ERIC Digest No. 33.
Basal textbooks are a common means of instruction in elementary social studies classrooms.
They are useful sources of knowledge and may serve as a core for social studies instruction.
However, even the best textbook is a limited teaching tool which must be used in combination
with other media and materials to adequately address important learning objectives pertaining to
cognitive skills and civic participation. Teachers who depend only on textbooks are likely to
deprive students of important learning experiences.
This digest discusses (1) how social studies textbooks are used by elementary teachers, (2)
problems children have in reading textbooks, and (3) procedures for improving textbook use in
elementary social studies.
HOW ARE SOCIAL STUDIES TEXTBOOKS USED BY MOST ELEMENTARY
TEACHERS?
The hardcover basal textbook dominates teaching and learning in elementary social studies
classes (Patrick and Hawke 1982). Too often, social studies instruction involves reading
assignments in a single textbook. As with math, science, and health, there is a temptation to
allow the textbook to define the curriculum, with the flow of topics determined by consecutive
pages.
Many teachers have found ways to expand upon the content of the textbook, adding films,
tradebooks, and a variety of projects to help break the monotony of daily use and maintain
student interest. In recent years, however, there has been an increase in "textbook alone"
instruction, as reductions in school budgets have depleted the supply of up-to-date
supplementary materials, and teachers have begun to react to pressures of the back-to-basics
movement, state-wide testing, and criticisms of all but the most traditional teaching practices.
Much has been written about difficulties young students have in reading social studies textbooks
(Metcalf 1980; Rowell 1978; Anderson and Armbruster 1984). The following section
summarizes some of these problems.
WHAT PROBLEMS DO CHILDREN HAVE IN READING SOCIAL STUDIES
TEXTBOOKS?
Two problems young children have in reading elementary social studies textbooks stem from
lack of experiential background and complex social studies content. Most teachers are aware of
these problems, but may not know how to overcome them.
Concerning adequate experiential background, students who have traveled or lived in many
different places are often the students most genuinely interested in social studies. Students who
have never left their neighborhood or local community may see little point in learning about
distant places. Similarly, students without a sense of personal or family history may find it
difficult to relate to the historical settings represented in their textbooks.
The inherent difficulty of social studies content stems mainly from the heavy technical concept
load of social studies textbook passages. Technical concepts are one- or two-word "ideas" which
have specialized meaning in social studies (for example: government, delta, immigrants,
interdependence, economy, constitution, federal, cotton belt, division of labor, and political
party). These words may have little or no meaning for students unless specific vocabulary or
concept development lessons precede their first encounter with such terms. Yet basal social
studies textbooks are notorious for heavy technical concept load and "thin" discussion of topics,
making even the most careful independent reading low in potential benefit.
Hard-to-pronounce names of cities, faraway countries, and foreign language names contribute to
the complexity of textbook content. Many adult readers are stopped by these words, yet social
studies is neither complete nor accurate without them.
Add to the above problems frequent references to long periods of time or huge distances, and it
becomes even more apparent why children have trouble learning from their social studies
textbooks. What must a child of 9 or 10 think when the book says, "Our country was founded
over 200 years ago"--or perhaps worse, "long, long ago"? What do expressions such as "far to
the north," or "over a thousand miles to the east," mean to students who are not sure which
direction is which and who have never traveled further than across the state or out of town?
WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS?
Effective teaching and learning depend upon clarity of objectives. Thus, the first step in helping
students overcome textbook reading problems is for teachers to determine what they want
students to learn from a certain paragraph, page, or section of the textbook. A helpful procedure
is for the teacher to review the children's edition of the textbook before reading the teacher's
guide. This helps a teacher to see the book as the child sees it, and puts the teacher, not the
guide, in charge of what will be learned from the lesson. The teacher should pick up a copy of
the students' book and ask himself or herself the following questions: What should be learned
from reading this page? What is most important here? What facts are presented? What concepts
are featured? How are they handled? Findings should be matched with the information presented
in the teacher's guide. The teaching suggestions should be considered. Are they helpful to
students? Are they sufficient to convey the major concepts children should understand from
reading this page or section? Does the suggested approach clearly address the reading problems
students are likely to have with these textbook passages? Once it is clear what facts should be
remembered and which concepts and main ideas form the central focus of the textbook passages,
the teacher is ready to decide on an effective textbook teaching plan.
To proceed, the teacher must (1) develop, albeit vicariously, the required background of
experience; (2) accommodate the varying reading skills of students; (3) provide direct
instructional help with locating places, comprehending long periods of time, understanding
technical concepts, and pronouncing foreign-language names; and (4) select appropriate learning
activities which go beyond the first three measures (which support reading the text). This last
step will help students apply or extend the important content of the lesson.
Experiential background should be built by firsthand and near firsthand information derived
from field trips, films, film strips, and video programs. Guest speakers who can bring in
photographs, slide shows, cultural artifacts, or native foods may also help children gain the
background needed to read with understanding. Discussing study prints, displaying travel
brochures, and setting up a reading and reference table are other ways to develop the curiosity
and familiarity needed to begin reading with a sense of purpose.
Varying skill levels of students should be accommodated much as they are during reading
period. The class should be split into reading groups. Teachers should (1) prepare study guides to
help students identify important facts, concepts, and main ideas; (2) create a reading table where
slower readers may use headphones and read along as they listen to prerecorded textbook
passages read by the teacher, an aide, or a capable older student; (3) and ask more able students
to translate the content of the text into their own words and share these passages with
classmates, or allow students to read with more capable "buddies."
Teachers should use textbook maps, wall maps, and globes to locate places emphasized in
reading assignments. They should note the relative location of a place ("Where is it in relation to
. . . ? How far is it from . . . ? How long would it take to get there from here?"). Students should
be asked additional questions about latitude, longitude, elevation, and climate. This information
should then be related to the local setting so that the students have a concrete referent for
comparison.
Explanations of time are also important to student understanding of textbook content. Teachers
should depict the number of generations required to span the years back to the period being
studied and show this graphically with cut-out paper figures. Time lines should be constructed to
show graphically the chronological relationship of events. Students may realize how long ago
something was by gaining information about the conditions of life that existed then, or by
placing major inventions and achievements on a time line extending back to the event.
Teachers can form a poster-size classroom social studies glossary to deal with difficult technical
concepts and key foreign names. Academically able students can be instructed to conduct
independent investigations of main ideas and important concepts, and present reports to the class
to enrich understanding prior to textbook reading. Teachers should look up key terms in
dictionaries or encyclopedias, and discuss the definitions. They should use established concept
learning strategies to directly teach new concepts.
Finally, teachers should tell students why they are reading the textbook and what they should
gain from it. Teachers should specify facts for students to locate, record, or remember. Main
ideas and key words should be stressed, and students should locate important passages and be
able to interpret, in their own words, what the textbook says. Students should write and discuss
their interpretations of main ideas and support their conclusions with additional references
(Crowe and Youga 1986).
Effective teachers challenge students to apply or extend main ideas, concepts, and skills they
have gained from textbook lessons. By doing so, students see how their reading relates to life
outside the textbook. Students who read about early American pioneers might investigate
modern-day pioneers in Alaska or the Australian outback. A reading on city government might
be followed by an investigation of local government agencies to see if they match ideas in the
text. If students are encouraged to use and extend the concepts, facts, and main ideas in
textbooks, they will find social studies more interesting and meaningful.
Grahm (1986) and others conclude that the modern basal social studies textbook has much to
offer as an instructional resource if the teacher uses it wisely. Teachers are in control of how they
use textbooks. Having students read the textbook, day after day, with little pre-reading
preparation and no meaningful follow-up is inadequate teaching practice. Good reading
instruction and solid social studies practice go hand-in-hand.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Anderson, Thomas H. and Bonnie B. Armbruster. "Content Area Textbooks." In LEARNING
TO READ IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS, edited by Richard C. Anderson and others. Hillsdale,
NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1984.
Armbruster, Bonnie B. and Beth H. Gudbrandsen. READING COMPREHENSION
INSTRUCTION IN SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS, OR, ON MAKING MOBILES OUT OF
SOAPSUDS. TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 39. Urbana: Center for the Study of Reading at the
University of Illinois, 1984. ED 240 532.
Crowe, Douglas and Janet Youga. "Using Writing as a Tool for Learning Economics." THE
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC EDUCATION 17 (1986): 218-222.
Grahm, Alma. "Elementary Social Studies Texts: An Author-Editor's Point of View." SOCIAL
EDUCATION 50 (1986): 54-55.
Metcalf, Fay. "The Textbook as a Teaching Tool." SOCIAL EDUCATION 44 (1980): 84-85.
Patrick, John J. and Sharryl Davis Hawke. "Social Studies Curriculum Materials." In THE
CURRENT STATE OF SOCIAL STUDIES: A REPORT OF PROJECT SPAN, edited by Project
SPAN Staff. Boulder, CO: Social Science Education Consortium, 1982. ED 216 199.
Patton, William E., Editor. IMPROVING THE USE OF SOCIAL STUDIES TEXTBOOKS.
Washington, DC: National Council for the Social Studies, 1980. ED 189 021.
Rowell, C. Glennon. "Vocabulary Development in the Social Studies." SOCIAL EDUCATION
42 (1978): 10-14.
Woodward, Arthur, David L. Elliott and Kathleen Carter Nagel. "Beyond Textbooks in
Elementary Social Studies." SOCIAL EDUCATION 50 (1986): 50-53.

http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-924/use.htm
• Lesson 100 WAYS TO USE THE NEWSPAPER
Plans
• 100 Ways Social Studies
to use the Through the use of the newspaper, students explore their place in the world, from their
newspaper community to their city to their country, and beyond.
• Parade
Classroom 1. Take a sheet of paper. Label one side of the paper city and the other
weekly side country. Look through the newspaper and find things that
lesson plan happen in the city and things that happen in the country. Place them
• Parade under the correct headings on your paper.
Classroom 2. Place news items or pictures about each state on a large outline map
weekly of the United States. See how many states you can find in the news
current in two weeks.
event quiz
3. Chart community crimes for one week using reports and articles in
the newspaper. Chart the type of crime, age of the criminal, location,
• 2008 - 2009 etc.
order form 4. Travel by means of the newspaper. Clip pictures of a country. Find
articles about the country, then write a story about the things you
• Service might do and see if you visited the country.
Issues
5. Write an editorial on a topic of controversy for the period of history
you are studying. Study some of the editorials in today's paper
before doing this activity.
6. Clip and trace a political cartoon from the newspaper. Write a new
caption for the cartoon.
7. Research good and bad relationships between the United States and
other countries. Try to categorize the reason these relationships may
exist.
8. Using the newspaper, give some names and titles of international
and political leaders. Describe their roles, as you understand them
from articles you have read.
9. Find and read newspaper articles concerning pollution,
overpopulation or major social problems. Make a list of the various
items or the social problem you have selected. List some reasons
that these articles are carried in the newspaper. Prepare a poster or
write an essay telling how you would deal with solving this social
problem.
10.From the library files compare newspapers from World War I and
World War II. How do these differ from newspapers today? Evaluate
the content with regard to the first amendment to the Constitution.
http://nie.redding.com/community/nie/index_lessons_100
ways_socialstudies.shtml

Directions for handout:

Use the following questions as a guide when you analyze political cartoons. Answer each
question that is pertinent to the political cartoons you are analyzing.
1. List the historical time period indicated:
_________________________________________________________________

2. State the issue or historical event that the cartoon addresses:

_________________________________________________________________

3. Caption:
_________________________________________________________________

4. Geographic location:
_________________________________________________________________

5. Label(s) indicated:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

6. Use of symbolism, irony, caricatures, etc.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

7. Inferences you can make with reference to the author's opinion (s):
_________________________________________________________________

8. Identify two or more historical, political, social, geographic and/or economic concepts
that relate to the political cartoon and defend your choices:
_________________________________________________________________

Guideline for Using Political Cartons to Teach Social Studies Concepts

The use of pictorial representations can be an effective way to teach social studies concepts.
Pictorial representations include cartoons, pictures, and diagrams. Cartoons are the most
symbolic of these pictorial representatives because they usually contain satire, exaggeration, and
frequently humor. The editorial cartoonist can replicate life with a few strokes of the pen, with
stark directness. The reader needs to have familiarity with basic social studies (economics,
geography, history, political science, etc.) concepts in order to interpret the cartoons and
understand the symbolic representations.

The goal of using cartoon interpretation activities is to provide students with practice in dealing
with editorial cartoons in an analytical and critical way. Most social studies standards stress the
importance of students developing the skills necessary to analyze documents and images.

The following four-step model is provided as a guide for introducing editorial cartoons to
illustrate social studies concepts.
 1. Provide background information for the social studies concept to be portrayed. For
example, students will need a basic understanding of imperialism before a cartoon on
this topic can be analyzed.

2. Provide background information on editorial cartoons. Discuss the purpose of editorial

cartons. Make the students aware that such cartoons represent a specific viewpoint.
Consequently, students should become familiar with the concept of bias. Students
should, when possible, research the background of the political cartoonist.

3. Discuss the nature of editorial cartoons. Stress that such cartoons rely on
oversimplification in order to clearly emphasize a particular point. Distortions of
individuals and objects are frequently used to add dramatic or provocative qualities.
Symbolism is used to represent reality as the cartoonist views it. Students should become
familiar with symbols that are typically used in the various areas of social studies i.e.
Uncle Sam and the eagle for the U.S., an empty bowl for scarcity, the donkey for the
Democrat Party and the elephant for the Republican Party, etc.

4. Sequential guide for teaching how to analyze political cartoons:

a. Who is the author of the cartoon? Discuss the author's background.

b. What is the topic/issue of the cartoon?
c. What social studies concept is being presented?
d. What symbols are used?
e. What exaggerations or distortions exist?
f. What message is the cartoonist presenting? The teacher may want to introduce a
variety of cartoons that deal with different issues as well as social studies
disciplines. Students can then compare and contrast the various cartoon
examples.
g. Encourage students to discuss their reactions with their classmates.
h. Review the social studies concepts stressed in each political cartoon.
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/1100/1100_1004.html
History Tech
History, technology and probably some other stuff
Tip of the Week - Political Cartoons
October 10, 2008 by glennw

Political cartoons can be valuable tools for teaching kids about social studies topics as well as
21st century skills such as evaluation of bias, perspective and summarizing.
The Nebraska Studies group suggest a four step process for introducing editorial cartoons to
your students.
1. Activate prior knowledge by providing historical context. For example, students will need a
basic understanding of imperialism before a cartoon from the late 1800s can be analyzed.
2. Provide background information on editorial cartoons. Discuss the purpose of editorial
cartoons. Make the students aware that such cartoons represent a specific viewpoint.
Consequently, students should become familiar with the concept of bias. Students should, when
possible, research the background of the political cartoonist.
3. Discuss the nature of editorial cartoons. Stress that such cartoons rely on oversimplification in
order to clearly emphasize a particular point. Distortions of individuals and objects are
frequently used to add dramatic or provocative qualities. Symbolism is used to represent reality
as the cartoonist views it. Students need to know universal symbols, such as Uncle Sam, doves
representing peace, and so on. The Opper Project has a couple of useful tools that ask kids to
look at and think about the types of symbols and caricatures that are often used in political
cartoons.
4. You can demonstrate a specific order for students to use while analyzing political cartoons:
• Who is the author of the cartoon? Discuss the author’s background.
 • What is the topic/issue of the cartoon?
• What social studies concept is being presented?
• What symbols are used?
• What exaggerations or distortions exist?
• What message is the cartoonist presenting? The teacher may want to
introduce a variety of cartoons that deal with different issues as well as social
studies disciplines. Students can then compare and contrast the various
cartoon examples.
• Encourage students to discuss their reactions with their classmates
Instructional Procedures:
Collect a variety of political cartoons from your textbook supplementary materials, newspapers
and internet. Using an overhead or projector, show a cartoon and model the steps students
should follow in analyzing a political cartoon:
1. Identify the characters, symbols and objects in the cartoon
2. Look for cues and details that will give further meaning
3. Identify the main idea of the cartoon by reading the captions and putting the
message into their own words
4. Identify any bias the cartoonist might have.
After modeling several cartoons, put students into small groups. They will look at a series of
cartoons and follow the steps above to interpret them. You should allow a variety of tools to
assist with their thinking. The National Archives has a useful PDF version of a cartoon analysis
worksheet as does the Opper Project.
Finally, give each student their own cartoon and ask them to individually interpret the meaning
based on the time period.
Assessment plan:
• Give students a political cartoon they have not previously seen and ask them
to interpret the meaning of the cartoon in written form by following the steps
given in class
• Have students create their own political cartoons for the given time period.
These could drawn free hand, use a commercial product such as Comic Life
or a free online site such as Comic Creator
http://historytech.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/tip-of-the-week-political-
cartoons/
 ERIC Identifier: ED322022
Publication Date: 1990-05-00
Author: Graves, Ginny
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education
Bloomington IN.

Teaching about the Built Environment. ERIC Digest.

Critical thinking, responsible citizenship, cultural literacy, social relevancy; these concerns
of educators in the social studies can be addressed through teaching and learning about the
built environment. The tangible structures that humans have created (e.g., bridges, houses,
factories, farms, monuments) constitute the built environment. Objects in the built
environment can be used to enhance teaching and learning in core subjects of the social
studies--history, geography, civics, and economics. This Digest discusses (1) what built
environment education is, (2) why it belongs in the school curriculum, (3) how to connect it
to the social studies, (4) how to initiate successful programs on it in schools, and (5) model
programs and resources for teachers.
WHAT IS BUILT ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION?
Architecture and other facets of the material culture are the focal points of built environment
education. For instance, it includes teaching and learning about city planning, architectural
and landscape design, preservation of historic sites, and the issues and challenges raised by
these activities. In general, the means and ends, and the conditions and consequences of
human interventions in the natural environment comprise the subject matter of built
environment education. This includes teaching students to care for the built environment as
it fits into the natural environment.
Built environment education pertains to a great variety of places, objects, and processes.
Parks, streets, schools, statues, and signs are included. So are recycling of resources and
developing of model communities. And it refers to decision making about public issues, such
as saving historically significant sites and balancing the sometimes conflicting goals of
environmental protection and economic development.
Built environment educators want to increase the knowledge of their students about the
interrelationships of humans with their environments in the past and present and in different
parts of the world. They also want to develop critical thinking skills in response to
environmental issues. And they hope to foster positive attitudes about environmental
stewardship and historic preservation toward the end of high-quality built environments,
designed to be aesthetically pleasing, functional, safe, and responsive to the various needs of
different people.
WHY DOES BUILT ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION BELONG IN ELEMENTARY
AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS?
A key to improving the quality of our built environment is widespread education about it.
Citizens who lack knowledge of the built environment are not likely to act effectively to
remedy deficiencies in it. Professionals in architecture and design, for example, have
reported that the public seems unable to tap their expertise to assist in the remediation of
built environment deficiencies. Most members of the general public do not even know what
to ask for. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) formed a focus committee to look for
a solution to this problem.
The AIA focus committee recognized that there are many approaches to educating the public
about the built environment and the role of architects in maintaining and enhancing it. One
necessary solution to the knowledge gap, however, is to infuse more of the right kind of
information and ideas into the classrooms of elementary and secondary schools. The goal is
to develop responsible citizens, who are knowledgeable and adamant about improving their
quality of life through enhancement of the built environment. The AIA focus committee,
therefore, recommended that all students from kindergarten through grade twelve should be
educated about the built environment in their standard courses in science, mathematics,
English, art, and social studies (Sandler 1988). This recommendation has also been advanced
by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Weitzman 1988) and the National Council
for Preservation Education (Committee on Elementary-Secondary Education 1987).
All advocates of general education about the built environment emphasize that the best
means for adding it to the curriculum is infusion--integration with existing curriculum
patterns--rather than creation of new courses or stand-alone units of study. Standard subjects
in the curriculum provide numerous points of entry for teaching about the built environment.
This kind of education about the built environment is not directed primarily to preparation of
architects, historians, city planners, or other professionals. Rather, the purpose is to inform
members of the general public about the issues and challenges of their built/natural
environment and the role they can play in maintaining and improving upon its quality.
HOW DOES BUILT ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION FIT INTO THE SOCIAL
STUDIES CURRICULUM?
Built environment education fits easily into the standard subjects of the social studies such as
history, geography, civics, and economics. Consider, for example, the relevancy of using a
nearby and familiar building or site as a "learning hook" and a "visual history book" for
students in a high school United States history course. Historic buildings can be used as
primary sources in the study of persons and events associated with a place. And studies of
architecture in different places and periods of history provide insights about continuity and
change in various civilizations. Examination of architecture in different civilizations is a
useful exercise in comparative historical studies.
The five main themes of geography education can easily be connected to objects in the built
environment. These five themes are (1) location, (2) place, (3) human-environment
interactions, (4) movement of people, ideas, goods, and (5) formation and change of regions.
It is impossible to teach these themes without reference to the built environment. Teachers
should be urged to emphasize these connections through field trips and video programs that
provide direct and vivid instruction about architecture and other aspects of the built
environment.
Issues in city planning and community development can be treated in civics and economics
courses. So can lessons in responsible citizenship that pertain to the ethics of environmental
stewardship and historic preservation.
HOW CAN TEACHERS INITIATE SUCCESSFUL BUILT ENVIRONMENT
EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS?
The Missouri Council of Architects has developed an excellent model for starting and
sustaining a successful built environment education program. This model, Teach the
Teachers, has been used to train more than 4,500 elementary and secondary school teachers
in Missouri and Kansas, and through a ripple effect, thousands of students. These teachers
have received thirty to forty-five hours of contact with excellent professionals in the fields of
architecture, preservation, landscaping, city planning, and history. After the teachers have
been shown how to use the built environment as a teaching tool, they begin to develop their
own curriculum materials and activities for use in their classrooms. Furthermore, these
trained teachers develop skills in disseminating their knowledge and materials to other
teachers through workshops and other inservice education activities.
The success of the Teach the Teachers program has been demonstrated in the quantity and
quality of the curriculum materials developed by participants and their widespread use in
schools. In addition, the number of people affected by the program continues to increase.
Furthermore, in 1989, Teach the Teachers was selected as one of ten model built
environment education programs in the United States through a survey conducted by the
American Institute of Architecture and the National Endowment for the Arts. The program
has also won awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National
Continuing Education Association, and the Kansas and Missouri Arts Commissions.
A portfolio of materials describing the Teach the Teachers program and how to start it in
your city or state is available from the Center for Understanding the Built Environment,
American Institute of Architects, 104 West 9th Street, Kansas City, MI 64105 (816) 221-
3485. Send $15. A list of resources for teachers is included in this package.
WHAT ARE OTHER MODEL PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
ON BUILT ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION?
Several other model programs in built environment education are described in the AIA's
LEARNING BY DESIGN SOURCEBOOKS, Numbers 1 and 2. In establishing a built
environment program, organizations should follow examples set by successful programs and
adapt them to meet various local conditions and needs. Three examples of successful
programs are highlighted below.
The Massie Heritage Education Center in Savannah, Georgia, operates out of an old school
that is maintained and operated by the local school district. Students take field trips to the
school to see exhibits and take walking tours. A video program is available that tells about
the activities of the center. Contact Thomas Downen, 207 East Gordon Street, Savannah, GA
31401.
As part of the Tampa, Florida, Teachers Teaching Teachers program, fourth graders tour
historic Ybor City. Teachers must have participated in a training course before they are given
the walking tour materials. Students receive their own walking tour notebooks to complete.
Selected fourth-grade teachers receive training and then become trainers of teachers.
Eventually all fourth-grade teachers in the Hillsborough County School System will have
had the built environment education training. This program is provided through a partnership
of Tampa Preservation Incorporated, the Tampa Junior League, the Hillsborough County
School System, and the American Institute of Architects. Contact Nancy Crane, TPI, 2802 T.
Drive, Tampa, FL 22609.
In Washington, the State Board of Education funds Architecture and Children workshops for
teachers each summer. Selected teachers are paid to attend the week-long program. Contact
Anne Taylor, School Zone, Inc., 111 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98106.
All of the successful programs rely on synergistic partnerships (e.g., school district and
historic organization, AIA and state board of education, service league and architectural and
design professionals). It is this partnering or synergism that is working so well through built
environment education programs that will help us to develop and sustain high-quality
lifestyles in our home, the earth.
REFERENCES AND ERIC RESOURCES
The following list of resources includes references used to prepare this Digest. The items
followed by an ED number are in the ERIC system and are available in microfiche and paper
copies from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). For information about
prices, contact EDRS, 3900 Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22304; telephone
numbers are 703-823-0500 and 800-227-3742. Entries followed by an EJ number are
annotated monthly in CIJE (CURRENT INDEX TO JOURNALS IN EDUCATION), which
is available in most libraries. EJ documents are not available through EDRS; however, they
can be located in the journal section of most libraries by using the bibliographic information
provided below.
Carroll, Rives. "Exploring the History of a Neighborhood: A Community Project." SOCIAL
STUDIES 76 (July-August 1985): 150-154. EJ 322 803.
Committee on Elementary-Secondary Education. A HERITAGE AT RISK: A REPORT ON
HERITAGE EDUCATION (K-12). Burlington, VT: Historic Preservation Program for the
National Council for Preservation Education, 1987.
Graves, Ginny. ARCHITIVITY: LIBERTY MEMORIAL. Kansas City, MO: American
Institute of Architects, 1987. ED number will be assigned (SO 020 334).
Graves, Ginny. ARCHITIVITY: UNION STATION. Kansas City, MO: American Institute of
Architects, 1989. ED number will be assigned (SO 020 333).
Hunter, Kathleen. HERITAGE EDUCATION IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES. ERIC Digest
EDO-SO-88-10. Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science
Education, 1988. ED 300 336.
Joint Committee on Geographic Education. GUIDELINES FOR GEOGRAPHIC
EDUCATION: ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Washington, DC: The
Association of American Geographers and the National Council for Geographic Education,
1984. ED 252 453.
Patrick, John J. HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM. Paper
presented to the Symposium on Heritage Education of the National Trust for Historic
Preservation, Washington, DC, May 11, 1988. ED 300 289.
Reed, Vernon, and Ginny Graves. TEACH THE TEACHERS. Kansas City, MO: Missouri
Council of Architects Press, 1987.
Sandler, Alan, ed. THE SOURCE BOOK 2: LEARNING BY DESIGN. Washington, DC:
American Institute of Architects Press, 1988.
Schneider, Donald O. "History, Social Sciences and the Social Studies." SOCIAL
EDUCATION 53 (March 1989): 148-153. EJ 389 780.
Weitzman, David. "What Schools Don't Teach." HISTORIC PRESERVATION (September-
October 1988): 58-63.
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9217/built.htm
Field trips expand children's learning through active hands-on experience with the rich resources
of the local community. Field trips increase student knowledge and understanding of a subject
and add realism to the topic of study.
Good planning must precede field trips. Careful attention should be given to trip selection,
previsit preparation, the trip itself, appropriate follow up, and evaluation. When considering a
field trip, teachers are advised to first consult with their administrator regarding existing school
board policies and follow those recommended procedures.

Trip Selection
A. Identify the rationale, objectives and plan of evaluation for the field trip.
B. Select the site to be visited. Contact the educational coordinator for the site
and arrange the date and time. Obtain the pre-trip information package if
one is available. Record addresses, directions, contact persons, phone
numbers, email addresses, etc.
C. Conduct a pre-visit to familiarize yourself with the major features of the field
trip. Purchase postcards and posters. Take digital photographs to share with
students prior to the visit. Explore the exhibition(s) you plan to visit to get
ideas for pre field trip activities.

Logistics Planning
A. Apply for administrative approval from departmental chairperson, curriculum
administrator, or building principal
B. File requisition for bus transportation reservation
C. Make arrangements for meal or sack lunch if needed
D. Develop schedule for the day
E. Arrange for special equipment -supplies, film, video camera, digital camera
F. Prepare name tags for students and chaperones
G. Collect money for admission fees
H. Compose parent permission letter including
○ Date and location of field trip and transportation arrangements
○ Educational purpose of field trip
○ Provision for special needs students
○ Cost
○ Clothing for the trip
 ○ Lunch arrangements
○ Money needed
○ Trip schedule
○ Whether a child will need prescribed medication administered
○ Parent signature

I. Send a letter to parents or include in the class newsletter a request for help
as chaperones, communicate assigned duties/responsibilities, review field
trip objectives, and list activities and schedule.
J. Provide alternative arrangements for pupils who will not be going on the trip.
K. Inform the cafeteria staff if students will be away during the lunch hour.
L. Submit a list of students who will be attending the field trip to other teachers
if their schedules will be affected.
M. Collect the money for the trip and deposit it in your school's account. If
required, send the advanced fee to the field trip site.
N. Create a list of all student names and home phone numbers for use in an
emergency.

Preparing Students Before the Trip

A. Discuss the purpose of the field trip and how it relates to the current unit of
study.
B. Introduce visual observation skills. Let students describe in detail ordinary
objects, like a paper clip, paintbrush, clothespin, or comb to their classmates.
C. Introduce vocabulary words that will be used by docents during the tour.
D. Show photographs or posters of the field trip site or related to exhibits that
will be viewed.
E. Assign students "specialists" roles in one aspect of the topic that they will be
studying during the field trip. Students could be grouped in different subject
areas related to the field trip topic to research (e.g., history, art, religion,
science, environment, etc).
F. Explore the Website of the location you will be visiting.
G. As a class brainstorm a set of standards of conduct for the trip and discuss
suggested spending money, lunch plans, appropriate clothing to wear for the
trip including gear for rainy weather.
H. Discuss with students how to ask good questions and brainstorm a list of
open-ended observation questions to gather information during the visit.
Record questions on chart paper or in student field trip journals.
I. Overview the field trip schedule.

Final Planning
Check all permission slips the day before the field trip.

Conducting the Trip

On the day of the trip:
• Pass out name tags
• Divide class into small groups and assign chaperones to groups
• Assign each student a partner
• Place a class list and student emergency forms in a folder
• Secure a cell phone if possible
• Take along an emergency kit
• Take inventory of food, specific equipment, and other supplies pertinent to
the particular field trip

Activities that will OccurDuring the Field Trip

Plan activities that allow students to work alone, in pairs or small groups. Activities might
include:
• Adventure game "Journey to the World of..."
• Mystery with clues provided
• Sketch pages with partial drawings of objects found in the exhibits for
students to complete the drawings based on their observations
• Peepholes in construction paper - cut different sized round holes in
construction paper and have students view a part of the exhibition through
the peepholes. Ask them to describe what they see, what they notice now
that they missed before, and how their perspective changes with each new
view
• Field notebooks for recording answers to prepared questions based on clues
• Hand drawn postcards to write near the end of the tour that will summarize
the field trip visit
Provide time for students to observe, ask questions, and record key words, ideas and phrases as
journal entries in their Field book after viewing each exhibit
Ask follow-up questions as students make observations and listen to presentations.
• How are these two objects different from one another?
• What clues does this artifact provide about…
• In what ways do these two objects relate to one another?
• If you could change one thing in this exhibit, what would it be?
 • Pretend you are an archaeologist in the future who is observing this object.
What would you be able to conclude about the culture of the past?
• Expand the title or name of this object into a detailed caption (sentence or
paragraph) in your Field book.
• Describe the setting in which you might have found this object.
• Which object will be of greatest value in a hundred years? Why?
• List the objects in the exhibit order of the story they tell or usefulness.
• Which object took the most time and effort to produce?
• Pretend you are a character in this exhibit. Tell us as much as you can about
your life.
• What does this object tell us about the person's attitude toward...?
Schedule a particular segment of the field trip for a scavenger hunt where students look for
particular objects and record them in their Field book or on an observation sheet.
Provide time for students to work in their Field Book writing questions, describing favorite
displays or making sketches of artifacts, structures, scenery, etc. If they cannot complete their
sketches, encourage them to label them for future completion as to color, detail, etc.
Provide time for students to use (tape recorder, camcorder, digital camera) for recording
important resources viewed/heard.
Polling Activity: Blue Ribbon - Your Choice
After careful observation of an exhibit, ask students to discuss an exhibit and vote on an artifact,
artwork that they consider to be the most valuable part of the exhibit they viewed. Then ask
students to record one sentence in their Field book describing why they felt the object was of
key importance.

Post-Field Trip Activities

Just as quality pre-planning is essential to the success of a field trip, planning for appropriate
follow-up activities will facilitate student learning and multiply the value of hands-on
experiences outside the classroom. The following activities provide a general guide when
planning for post-field trip classroom experiences.
• Provide time for students to share general observations and reactions to field
trip experiences
• Share specific assignments students completed while on the field trip.
• Create a classroom bulletin board displaying materials developed or
collected while on the field trip.
• Develop a classroom museum that replicates and extends displays students
observed on the field trip. For example, if the field trip involved an art
museum, develop a classroom art museum containing student artwork.
• Link field trip activities to multiple curricular areas. For example, students
can develop vocabulary lists based on field trip observations; record field trip
 observations in a classroom journal; complete math problems related to
actual field trip budget planning; etc.
• Share and evaluate student assignments/activities from the Field Book.
• Have the class compose and send thank-you letters to the field trip site host,
chaperones, school administrators and other persons that supported the field
trip. Include favorite objects or special information learned during the field
trip.
• Create a short news report about what happened on the field trip. Publicize
the trip via an article in your local newspaper, school bulletin board, trip
presentation for parent's night, or class Web page.

Evaluating the Trip

Complete a "Teacher Journal" regarding the field trip. This will provide a good reference for
future field trips.
• What was of unique educational value in this field trip?
• Did the students meet the objectives/expectations?
• Was there adequate time?
• Was there adequate staff and adult supervision?
• What might be done differently to make this an even better experience in the
future?
• What special points should be emphasized next time?
• What special problems should be addressed in the future?
• What would improve a visit to this site in the future?
Share the evaluation with the students, volunteers, hosts from the field trip site, and school
administrators.

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 Field Trips

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For the young child, every day is and adventure and full of new experiences. Daily routines and errands
can provide a young child with a stimulating learning environment. These experiences include:
- local parks and gardens
- trips to the grocery store and bakery
- local library
- playgroups and drop in programs
- garden centers
- recreation centers
- public transit

In addition to this tours can often be arranged for:

- local fire hall
- a nearby farm
- bakery or bagel store
- police station
- fast food outlet
- airport

When walking through your local neighborhood point out the many “community helpers”. These include
the crossing guard, school bus driver, police officer cyclists, construction workers as well as the teachers,
principal and custodians at your local public school. These experiences enhance the preschool child’s
sense of self within the larger community and give them a feeling of security and belonging as well as an
understanding of the world around them.

PREPARING FOR THE OUTING

1) Let parents know your plans well ahead of time including exactly where you are going, mode of
transport, cost (if any), return time and any other details necessary. Obtain a written consent,
signed by the parent.
2) Talk to the children about your outing, letting them know where you are going and what the rules
and expectations are.
3) Have food, snacks and drinks prepared in advance as well as diapers, Wet ones, Kleenex, plastic
bags, etc. A designated knapsack may be used, keeping the necessary items always available. A
ball and storybook can also be valuable in case of a lull in activities.
4) Remember to include an emergency first aid kit and always include emergency numbers for
parent contacts.
5) Follow up with discussion, stories and other theme related materials.
And most importantly....... Enjoy!
2002 - 2004 Canadianchildcare.com all rights reserved

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This is the html version of the file

http://dpi.state.nc.us/docs/curriculum/socialstudies/elementary/suggestedfieldtrips.pdf.
Google automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.

Page 1

Suggested Social Studies Grade Level Field Trips 
Kindergarten 

Grade One

Grade Two 

Fire Station 

Neighborhood Stores 

Neighborhood/Community Festivals 

Bank 
Public Library 

Local History Museums 

Farms 

City Park 

Invite Community Guests 

Police Station 

Amtrak Trip to neighboring cities 

Local History Museums 

Post Office 

City Park 

Public Library 

Local Businesses 

Voting Polls

Include Community Service Project 

Art Museums 

Local History Museum

Local Businesses 

Historic Communities 

Historic Landmarks/Monuments 

Cultural Fairs/Festivals 

Voting Polls

Include Community Service Project 

Grade Three 

Grade Four 

Grade Five 
Local Businesses 

Historic Landmarks/Monuments 

Local Newspaper 

Cultural Fairs/Festivals 

Voting Polls

Include Community Service Project 

NC State Capital Buildings 

NC Museum of History 

Local Museums of History 

Local Museums of Art 

Governor’s Executive Mansion 

Native American Museum

African American Museum

Historic Landmarks in Regions of NC 

Diverse Ethnic Restaurants 

Cultural Fairs/Festivals 

Mayor’s Office 

Voting Polls

Include Community Service Project 

Virtual Field Trips 

Art Museum 

History Museum

Symphony 

Cultural Fairs/Festivals 

Voting Polls
Include Community Service Project 

NCDPI 

2005 

Summer With Grandmother Wren

updated daily: Monday - Friday

Saturday, June 9, 2007

100 Field Trip Ideas - Simple, Inexpensive And Close To Home

By making field trips a part of your summer

plans, you are giving your child the opportunity to learn first hand about the world around her –
a hands on, real world exploration involving the whole child.
Use the suggestions below as a springboard for trips of your own, adapting the ideas to your
neighborhood or region.

Most field trips for children will be more successful if let your destination know ahead of time
when you’ll be visiting. I have found that a mailing a brief note works better than making a
phone call –almost always someone "in charge" will get back to you and offer a time that is
good for you to visit. Remember to bring your camera and a notebook to record your child's
ideas and impressions while on your trip. You can add them to your project memory book when
you return home.
Make it a safe trip and Have Fun!

1. Grocery Store – make it a "non –shopping" trip this time and spend time in different areas of
the store : produce, fish, bakery
2. Pet Store
3. Garden Center
4. Sporting Goods Store
5. State and National Parks
6. Herb Farm
7. Apple Orchard
8. Dairy Farm
9. Library
10. Petting Zoo
11. Art Museum
12. Children’s Museum
13. Aquarium
14. Playgrounds
15. Indoor Playscapes
16. Home Improvement Center
17. Hardware Store – the smaller stores have owners that may be more willing to spend time
talking with your child
18. Pharmacy – same here, try to avoid the big "chain’ pharmacies; try to find a small local
drugstore if you can
19. Walking Trails
20. Police Station
21. Pizza Shop
22. Nature Centers
23. Video Arcade
24. Movie Theater
25. Nature Reserve
26. Radio Station
27. Ice Skating
28. Roller Skating
29. Swimming
30. Sledding
31. Theme Park
32. Dentist
33. Pumpkin Patch
34. Ice Cream Shop
35. Dairy Farm
36. Planetarium
37. Local Artist’s Studio
38. Ponds, Lakes, Rivers
39. Airport
40. Local Cable TV Station
41. Food Warehouse
42. Hospital
43. Health Club or Gym
44. Bakery
45. Ride a City Bus
46. Recycling Center
47. Veterinarian
48. Fishing
49. Christmas Tree Farm
50. Bank
51. Animal Shelter
52. Car Wash
53. Retirement Community
54. Flea Market
55. Town Hall
56. Post Office
57. Local College or University Campus
58. Strawberry Patch
59. School Bus Lot
60. Elementary School
61. Barber or Hairdresser
62. Bus Station
63. Train Station
64. Bridge
65. Laundromat
66. Road Construction Site
67. Building Site
68. Church
69. School Cafeteria
70. Duck Pond
71. Farmer’s Market
72. Vegetable Garden
73. Flower Garden
74. School or Community Concert
75. Senior Center - many have lunch programs that welcome guests – call ahead for reservations
76. Fishing Pier
77. Marina
78. Jeweler
79. Stable or Horse Farm
80. Office Supply Store
81. Craft Supply Store
82. Craft Consignment Shop
83. Optometrist
84. Nail Salon
85. Tractor/Farm Store
86. Garage/Auto Repair Shop
87. Parking Garage
88. Trucking Company
89. Food Warehouse
90. Computer Store
91. Dog Groomer
92. Cemetery
93. Neighborhood Unlike the one you live in
94. Ethnic Market
95. Garbage Truck
96. Take a Taxi
97. Or the Ferry
98. Row Boat
99. Paddle Boat
100. Your Own Backyard – day/night; wind/rain/sun; camping
Posted by Karen Bastille at 12:30 PM
A cuckoo sat on a tree, and sang, "Summer is coming, coming;" And a bee
crept out from the hive, and began ~ lazily humming, humming. Yes,
summer had come, and the cuckoo sang ~ his song through woodland and
hollow: "The summer is come: if you don't believe me, ~ you have only to
ask the swallow.

http://summerwithgrandmotherwren.blogspot.com/2007/
06/100-field-trip-ideas-simple-inexpensive.html

Volume 1, Issue 1 ISSN 1528-5804

Print Version Follow Strand Submit A Commentary
Mason, C., Berson, M., Diem, R., Hicks, D., Lee, J., & Dralle, T.(2000). Guidelines for using
technology to prepare social studies teachers. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher
Education [Online serial], 1 (1). Available:
http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss1/currentissues/socialstudies/article1.htm
 Guidelines for Using Technology to
Prepare Social Studies Teachers
Cheryl Mason , University of Virginia
Michael Berson, University of South Florida
Richard Diem , University of Texas-San Antonio
David Hicks, Virginia Tech
John Lee, Georgia State University
Tony Dralle, University of Virginia

Social studies teacher education faculty members who effectively integrate technology in
methods courses provide students opportunities to explore applications for the K-12 classroom
and to consider how technology is changing the way we teach and learn. As social studies
teacher educators, one of our roles is to model appropriate uses of technology for our preservice
teachers. Take for example the scenario in which preservice teacher Rob Dent collaborated with
a classroom teacher to develop a technology infused unit of study, called "Who Wants to Be a
Pioneer?" (see http://k12.albemarle.org/murrayelem/white/frontier / ). This student experienced
designing and teaching a lesson using primary sources, while at the same time, he learned Web
page development and design and classroom management techniques. Dent explains what
technology skills he used in developing this project in videos 1 and 2 .
This is just one example of preparing social studies teachers to use technology appropriately. We
offer the following five principles as guides for the appropriate infusion of technology in social
studies teacher preparation programs.
• Extend learning beyond what could be done without technology.
• Introduce technology in context.
• Include opportunities for students to study relationships among science, technology, and
society.
• Foster the development of the skills, knowledge, and participation as good citizens in a
democratic society.
• Contribute to the research and evaluation of social studies and technology.

Extend Learning Beyond What Could be Done Without

Technology
Technology opens the door to learning social studies skills and content in ways impossible in the
traditional classroom. The social studies teacher in today's classroom can use technology to
extend learning opportunities for K-12 students. Teacher education faculty can most effectively
take full advantage of technology by introducing students to activities in which skills and
content are taught more actively and meaningfully. We caution, however, against using
technology for technology's sake, and encourage faculty and preservice teachers to consider if
the technology is allowing them to learn in a way they could not without the technology or if
they are at least learning in a more meaningful way.
One example of how we can use technology to prepare social studies teachers to extend learning
in a meaningful way is by using digital archives, such as the ones found at the Virginia Center
for Digital History . The Virginia Center for Digital History has developed a series of digital
history projects including the award-winning Valley of the Shadow Project: Two Communities
in the American Civil War , Virtual Jamestown , Race and Place: African American Community
History , Presidential Recordings Project , and Dolley Madison Project . The Virginia Center for
Digital History `s mission is to develop high-quality, well-researched, and reliable history
materials for the World Wide Web and deliver them to schools, colleges, libraries, historical
societies, and the general public.
Using the digital archives of primary sources available online through the Virginia Center for
Digital History, students can conduct historical research to construct the significance of people
and events in history. These materials provide students with the opportunity to access,
manipulate, and interpret raw materials of our past. The Valley of the Shadow Project is a
multimedia archive that follows two communities, one northern and one southern, through the
experience of the American Civil War. It contains searchable and browsable newspapers, letters,
diaries, photographs, military records, and census manuscripts from Augusta County, Virginia,
and Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Researchers at all levels can explore the material and create
authoritative historical accounts of the experiences of families, women, soldiers, immigrants,
politicians, African Americans, and farmers during the Civil War years. Although the documents
are organized chronologically as the years just before or during the Civil War, the archive
contains rich material for teachers and researchers interested in exploring other important
themes in American History, such as slavery, immigration, ethnic groups, women's lives, reform
movements, economic development, and political culture.
Methods faculty can use archives such as these to model lessons that engage students in
historical inquiry. For example, a lesson such as " Commemoration of the Gettysburg Battlefield
" actively engages students in the construction and interpretation of American history. In this
lesson, students are divided into expert teams to search for newspaper articles, letters,
photographs, and maps that provide contextual information about the Gettysburg Address. Each
expert team uses The Valley of the Shadow database search engines to locate primary sources
that relate to the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address.
The students' searches will lead them to uncover primary sources recreating the story of
Gettysburg. By allowing students to engage in authentic research, they are accessing and
interpreting historical evidence typically reserved for the scholarly historian.
Students can uncover artifacts such as a newspaper article announcing the prohibition against
removing bodies from the Gettysburg battleground during August and September due to health
risks to wounded soldiers and local citizens. A transcription of this article from August 12, 1863
, may be read, as well as a scanned copy of the actual paper. The students may also search the
photograph archive to discover images of the battlefield in 1863 and images of Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, today . In their searches, students will discover not only three-dimensional,
geographically accurate maps of battlefields and regions, but also battlefield movies of virtual
reality worlds . These movies provide an animated view of the battle over time. Additionally,
students will locate soldiers' letters that describe the situations they endure, as can be seen, for
example, in Samuel Potter's letter to his wife, dated July 20, 1863 , and September 5, 1863 .
Once the students have identified the significance of the primary documents they have located,
they are asked to hypothesize why Lincoln wanted to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg 3
months after the event? Directed by the teacher, expert groups share information from their
examination of materials, which leads students to uncover the significance of the Gettysburg
Address. Modeling a lesson such as this one for preservice teachers allows them to experience
learning beyond what could be done without technology.
Introduce Technology in Context
Preservice teachers must not simply acquire skills that make them proficient at using technology,
but also learn how to use technology to make their teaching better than it would be without it.
Therefore, preservice instruction enabling teachers to integrate technology seamlessly into
lessons is more productive than technology instruction that merely teaches preservice teachers
how to use specific computer skills. For example, preservice teachers should not learn how to
create PowerPoint presentations or Excel spreadsheets merely with the goal of mastering the
technology. Rather, preservice teachers should create PowerPoint presentations that aid in direct
instruction of a particular social studies lesson or spreadsheets that help illustrate statistical data
significant to the social studies student.
To further illustrate this distinction, it is useful to consider an actual example of a preservice
teacher who learned technological skills that enhanced her classroom instruction. Nicole Tucker,
a preservice elementary teacher in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia,
helped develop a digital history archive, Race and Place: African American Community
Histories , as an undergraduate student in one of her history classes. Race and Place contains
primary source material on slavery and emancipation, Reconstruction, and the era of Jim Crow
segregation in the South. Tucker specifically contributed a rich segment of the archive that
details the politics of disenfranchisement . Although Tucker took an instructional technology
course as an undergraduate, she says she learned most of her technology skills when she had a
specific educational goal of creating the archive and making it usable in K-12 classrooms.
Before Tucker began creating the archive, she researched many educational websites and digital
archives, in order to make her work as helpful and easy to use as possible. Tucker learned to
program in HTML (hyper-text markup language), to scan primary documents with a scanner,
and to edit images in programs like Adobe Photoshop. Although some of these skills had been
covered in her earlier instructional technology class, Tucker says she mastered HTML, scanning,
and image editing by applying these applications to her tasks of creating educational materials
and preparing lessons for classroom instruction. Using these skills, Tucker created lessons
utilizing her Race and Place materials for high school social studies classes. Video 3 contains
excerpts of an interview with Tucker, in which she explains her experiences learning technology
for specific educational purposes. In addition, Tucker can be seen in Videos 4, 5 , and 6
explaining her lesson using Race and Place to high school students.
When preservice teachers enter the classroom, they will rely heavily on teaching strategies and
methods acquired while in their teacher preparation courses. Therefore, if teachers are to use
technology in the classroom, it is important that they receive appropriate technological training
in methods and other education courses. Appropriate training focuses on integrating various
types of technology to make lessons better, rather than learning technology simply to acquire
technological skills.
Include Opportunities for Students to Study
Relationships Among Science, Technology, and
Society
Internet technology has had an overwhelming impact on schools and families. Access to the web
has reached critical mass, and as current initiatives strive to overcome the barriers to access
often referred to as the "digital divide," (as defined by US Department of Commerce, National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1999) continued growth will contribute to
challenges for educators and parents, as children and young people go online. Although the force
of this impact is immense, the rising computer culture is not fully understood.
Science and technology have a complex interrelationship with society. While technology is the
impetus to advancements in human development, technologies also contribute to the
perpetuation of existing imbalances and inequities in power and diffusion of knowledge.
Despite the dramatic rise in Internet users, new technologies have contributed to a global race
for knowledge (see Mark Malloch Brown and Richard Jolly's Human Development Report ,
1999), which has enticed resource rich countries to add technological pursuit of knowledge to
their goals, while developing countries remain poorly connected. Precautions have been
secondary to the investment in technological breakthroughs; however, the impact of these
applications is largely unknown. The capacity for development in the United States has been
intensely focused on school-age children. Yet, widespread implementation of children's
participation in these initiatives has been further complicated by the paucity of information on
children's use of the Internet and the great demand for awareness (see Media Awareness
Network's Web Awareness: Knowing the Issues, 2000).
According to the National Center for Education Statistics , 95% of public schools and 63% of
classrooms are connected to the Internet. While many educators would agree that the Internet
provides an extraordinary opportunity for enriching teaching and learning, they also hear about
the dangers or risks of cyberspace.
Immersion of children and youth into the computer culture elicits many questions focusing on
the enhancement of this context for promoting teaching and learning. Concerns include issues of
how children will be transformed by this interaction, what role moral reasoning has in
cyberspace, whether a deeper sense of identity is fostered, and how prepared the young are to
manage the risks found online.
Among the risks is the access of inappropriate information. The risk of accessing pornography
usually gets the most attention in the media, but there are other inappropriate sites. These
include sites that sell guns, drugs or alcohol; that advocate illegal activity; that risk the privacy
of youth; that promote violence and hate; that are devoted to cults; that provide instruction for
building bombs; that contain obscene information; and that promote racist propaganda. Online
advertising can also be problematic for young people who have difficulty discriminating
between content and ads. Young people often lack critical evaluation or judgment skills to
discern good from bad or what is safe from what is a risk. Online resources, including
Cyberangels , SafeKids , and the Office of Educational Technology , are available to assist
parents, teachers, and students in responding to problematic online experiences, but more direct
instruction in preventative online procedures has often been overlooked (Berson & Berson,
1999; Berson, Berson & Ralston 1999).
Aside from accessing offensive content online, students also may engage in problematic online
behaviors. Computer misconduct can be more tempting in an environment that at least appears
to be anonymous and devoid of standard rules of conduct. The computer culture facilitates
maturation of youth who can presume status and power regardless of age online. The risk of this
interaction is the isolation and depersonalization of young people, while becoming members of a
global community with little adult regulation of movement and behavior.
Although educators have begun teaching the concepts of global understanding, multicultural
respect, diversity, and tolerance, the global access via the Internet is not automatically
accompanied by global understanding. Children may lack instruction in prosocial behaviors
online that may assist them in interacting with individuals across the global community. These
skills may combat students' loss of perspective that other opinions can be viable or at least
should be addressed in a respectful manner. The development of prosocial actions include
several classes of behavior, including: (a) positive social interaction skills such as cooperation,
sharing, kindness, helping, showing affection, and verbalizing feelings; (b) self-regulation and
achievement behaviors such as persistence, independence, responsibility, and a willingness to
tolerate minor delays; and (c) creative fantasy and imaginative play. (Calvert, 1999, p. 209).
"Children tend to personalize computers and accord them intelligence, wisdom, and authority"
(Healy, 1998, p. 192). We can celebrate students' opportunities to make connections with people
around the world, but the concept of community necessitates a foundation in values, empathy,
and human interrelationships. The cyberworld can confuse the human-computer interface and
thus impact prosocial development. Sherry Turkle's (1995) analysis of young people's
experiences suggested that real and virtual interactions are complementary but diverse
processes.
The new practice of entering virtual worlds raises fundamental questions about our communities and
ourselves...For every step forward in the instrumental use of a technology (what the technology can do
for us) there are subjective effects. The technology changes us as people, changes our relationships and
sense of ourselves....There is no simple good news or bad news. (Turkle, 1995, p. 232)

Foster the Development of the Skills, Knowledge, and

to Participate as a Good Citizen in a Democratic
Society
In the closing of his presidential address at the 1999 National Council for the Social Studies
(NCSS) Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, Richard Theisen succinctly captured the
essence of the social studies: "We have a mission, the education of children and young adults for
citizenship." (see Richard Theisen's presidential address in its entirety, 1999) While Theme 10 of
the National Standards focuses on Civic Ideals and Practices, the standards make clear that
teaching the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of citizenship permeates all ten themes. (See the
National Council for the Social Studies' Ten Themes , 1994) It is important for social studies
teachers to realize that preparing students to take on the role of citizenship is an ongoing
process. Because of available interactive technologies such as the Internet, the social studies
classroom has the potential to revitalize the traditional notions of citizenship education that
focus on "the documents and procedures of republican government, the accomplishments of our
country and typically adopts an assimilationist rather than multicultural view of history" (Cogan,
Grossman, & Lei, 2000, p. 50). However, research continues to suggest that despite the
perceived potential of software and, in particular, the Internet, many social studies teachers
rarely utilize such tools as part of the process of educating future citizens (Berson, 1996;
Erhman & Glenn, 1991; National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP], 1999 ).
The challenge in preparing social studies teachers to use technology begins by highlighting how
technology can be used to encourage inquiry, perspective taking, and meaning making and thus
facilitate "civic learning, deliberation, and action" (Cogan et al., 2000, p. 50). This begins with
demonstrating the power of technology to support specific social studies activities and projects
that together center on the development of children's (a) "personal civic beliefs," (b) "capacity
for social and public action," (c) "ties to their localities and the world outside," and (d)
"awareness of past present and future" (Cogan et al., 2000, p. 50). Providing such examples of
what is possible when teachers within their social studies classrooms utilize emerging
technologies is a vital first step in preparing teachers to fulfill the mission of the social studies.
Development of Personal and Civic Beliefs. As Cogan et al., (2000) noted, teaching the personal
dimension of citizenship in terms of developing a "coherent moral dialogue between ourselves
and the world" is a difficult task in any social studies classroom (p. 50). However, an
examination of the power of the Internet to disseminate multiple perspectives helps prepare
social studies teachers to not only explore and harness the power of the Internet, but also
develop an understanding of the responsibilities and consequences for which they must prepare
their students when navigating, participating, and interacting with others on the Web. An
excellent lesson designed to develop on-line research skills while allowing students to examine
current perspectives on controversial issues in the context of the Bill of Rights is The Bill of
Rights in Current Events . The lesson clearly explicates strategies for navigating the Web. While
practicing such strategies through locating current issues, students complete a matrix in order to
evaluate the web sites in terms of their authority and accuracy. Such activities provide a solid
foundation for discussing the nature of the Internet while introducing students to the importance
of learning to become discriminating and responsible consumers of, or producers on, the
Internet.
Capacity for Social and Public Action. Currently there are many sites that provide opportunities
for students to engage in social and public action. Project Vote Smart can be used to enhance the
more traditional form of social and public involvement found in many social studies classroom,
in terms of developing political literacy and encouraging political participation. Through Project
Vote Smart, students can quickly locate historical documents, government representatives, and
current issue statements of candidates running for political office. Teen Hoopla provides
teachers with a powerful resource to encourage social and public action. Teen Hoopla connects
students to local, national, and international activist sites that allow students to either organize
community action projects or join such international organizations as Greenpeace, Habitat for
Humanity, or Amnesty International. Teen Hoopla highlights the potential of the Internet to
heighten students' awareness of such local and global issues as environmental pollution, while
providing teachers and students with avenues, ideas, and plans for social action.
For example, from the Teen Hoopla Web site, a class can access Scorecard , which is a free and
easily accessible source for environmental information. To access data that identifies local
polluters within a community, all that is initially required of students is their zip code. Once
information is gathered as to who and what is polluting the community, Scorecard provides a
range of ideas and avenues for taking action. This includes examples of how to write letters to
the EPA, how to access environmental discussion lists, and details of local environmental
groups. If teachers and students choose to develop a more concerted plan of action, the
Constitutional Rights Foundation s provides a short nine-step-guide , designed to empower
teachers and students to plan and implement civic action projects within their local communities.
Such a plan could then support students' ongoing action projects within the social studies
classroom against local polluters identified through Scorecard.
Development of Ties to their Localities and the World Outside. In this era of globalization, the
Internet provides social studies teachers the opportunity to expose their students to multiple
perspective and contexts beyond the textbook through participation in many telecollaborative
projects. The Internet also offers the social studies teacher the chance to participate in many
telecollaborative projects that can quickly and efficiently organize links between students in
different towns, states, and nations. A number of sites, such as the United Nations Cyber School
Bus , the Global School House Collaborative Learning Projects , Unicef Voices of Youth Project
, Eduplace projects , and the International Education and Resource Networks Projects offer a
diverse range of projects and project archives that are clearly defined in terms of scope,
sequence, and time to complete. Through regularly accessing such sites, social studies teachers
have the opportunity to bring their students into many projects that go well beyond the confines
of the traditional social studies classroom.
One such project that began in March 2000 is the Global Perspective: Quality of Life Project
developed at Camrose Compsite High School in Alberta Canada. The project, while simple in
design, serves as a powerful example of how technology can be used to encourage inquiry and
enhance social interaction with fellow students and experts. The project begins with students
(grade 10-12) working with the United Nations' Index of Human Development to explore and
develop definitions and descriptions of the phrase quality of life . These definitions are emailed
and posted on the project's Web page for all participants to evaluate in terms of their own life
experiences. The final goal is for each school to email a report that includes a broad based
finalized definition of the quality of life , along with a summary of student thoughts. Such an
activity that offers the possibility of exploding ethnocentric conception of living conditions in
many areas of the world would not be possible without the Internet.
Awareness of Past, Present and Future. The Internet also serves as a powerful tool for enhancing
young citizens' understandings of the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future.
Available technologies provide social studies teachers with the opportunity to undertake a major
local history project that develops over a number of years. Students participate in organic and
authentic living history projects, in which transcripts, analysis, and artifacts are stored and
maintained within online collections and virtual community museums. An exceptional example
of what is possible in the social studies classroom when technology is used to support the doing
of history is the Bland County Historical Archives at Rocky Gap High School in southwest
Virginia.
The Bland County History archives began in 1993, with students from the American History
class collecting oral histories from the community that initially focused on memories of the
1930s. The local history and technology class then began to scan historical documents and
photographs, save transcriptions as html, create a searchable database and thus create an online
historical archive of their community. Through the use of available technologies, it has become
an ongoing, durable and organic local history project. This place-based project currently has
over 300 oral history interviews with transcripts, 80 cemetery catalogues, over 700 scanned
photos, searchable databases for transcripts, cemeteries and photos in the online archive and an
actual archives room with all the materials in an accessible and organized location. The melding
of technology and "history of place" at the community school level through the development of
an online historical archive, has allowed Rocky Gap students to learn about the issues and
concerns facing their community today through paying attention to and preserving stories and
evidence of their community's past.
Contribute to the Research and Evaluation of Social
Studies and Technology
Given the extent to which new technologies such as the Internet have influenced educational
practice, it is imperative that researchers investigate how technology influences learning and
teaching. These investigations should reflect recent changes in the nature and methods of
research on technology ( Honey, Culp, & Carrigg, 1999 ). While there is little empirical
evidence that the use of technology improves student learning, the descriptive evidence of
technology's affect on student social studies experiences is strong.
A review of this descriptive evidence suggests that technology can play an effective role in the
social studies classroom. Social studies educators must be able to meet the demands of the
electronic or knowledge age and must deal with the impact of technology on the development of
society (Gooler, 1995). Within a democratic society, citizens need various types of knowledge;
consequently, educators must assess how new technology driven forms of knowledge advance
the purposes of social studies education. Concern about the social consequences of technology
have driven some to suggest de-emphasizing technology in education (Stoll, 1999), while others
have argued that effective instruction (particularly social studies education) must include a range
of computer technology skills (Martorella, 1997). At a minimum, social studies instruction must
account for the changes in society resulting from the use of technology (Glenn, 1990) and must
consider the critical thought required for processing information generated by technology
(Parker, 1991).
Technology can make more information available to students than ever before. The Internet, in
particular, has dramatically increased the amount of information being used by teachers and their
students ( Becker, 1999 ). When used within an instructional strategy, the Internet supports
National Council for the Social Studies' curriculum standards (Johnson & Rector, 1997).
Technology also offers a new way for educators to use students' lived experiences as content for
social studies instruction (Tally, 1996). Researchers should continue to evaluate the influence of
technology on social studies, and should seek to provide exemplary models for the infusion of
technology within social studies methods of instruction.
Implications/Conclusion
The five principles of infusing technology in social studies teacher preparation programs set
forth at the beginning of this article are a minimal platform for the use of technology in social
studies. If technology is truly to impact both pedagogical competence, as well as increase
content knowledge in the social studies, the apex of the instructional delivery system —the
instructor—must be the continual focus of these beliefs. As such, both professional development
and research efforts must be at the forefront of infusing these principles, if instructional efforts
involving technology and the social studies are to truly reform classrooms.
Using technology successfully requires a constant and consistent training program. This should
begin as part of a preservice training program and continue throughout a teacher's instructional
career. This is no longer a luxury but a necessity. A rule of thumb among those working with
hardware and software systems is "In six months—no matter what system you have—its
obsolete." Put another way, the technology classes and training provided students at the
undergraduate preservice level may not be applicable by the time they graduate and take their
first teaching position.
As equally as important as training is the need for more research centering on the effects of
technology in social studies classrooms. To date, there are no longitudinal studies at the
elementary, middle, high school, or postsecondary environments by which to judge the
effectiveness of technology on either student or instructional performance in the social studies.
Much of the data are short term, single concept research analyses. There are no metacognitive
studies involving technology and social studies as there are in mathematics, reading, and
science.
The challenge then, over the next decade, will be to provide quality training to all social studies
educators that incorporates the principles noted, here while gaining insight into the effectiveness
of the medium and the message through research. Both parts of this balancing act are key.
Otherwise, we may become a victim to what a Texas School Superintendent recently said about
technology: "Sometimes I feel like I fell off the technology train and I can't catch up to it."
References
Becker, H. J. (1999). Internet use by teachers [Online]. Available:
http://www.crito.uci.edu/TLC/findings/Internet-Use/startpage.htm
Berson. M.J. (1996) Effectiveness of computer technology in social studies: A review of the
literature. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 28 (4), 486-499.
Berson, M. J., & Berson, I. R. (1999). Safe web exploration. In J. A. Braun & C. F. Risinger
(Eds.), Surfing social studies: The Internet book . Washington, DC: National Council of the
Social Studies.
Berson, M. J., Berson, I. R., & Ralston, E. (1999). Threshing out the myths and facts of Internet
safety: A response to "Separating Wheat from Chaff." Social Education, 63 (3), 60-61.
Brown, M. M., & Richard J. (2000). Human development report 1999. Retrieved February 23,
2000 [Online]. Available: http://www.undp.org/hdro/authors.html
Calvert, S. L. (1999). Children's journeys through the information age . Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Cogan, J.J., Grossman, D., & Lei, M. (2000). Citizenship: The democratic imagination in a
global context. Social Education , 64 (1), 48-52.
Ehman, L.H., & Glenn, A.D. (1991). Interactive technology in the social studies. In J.P. Shaver
(Ed), Handbook of Research on Social Studies Teaching and Learning (pp. 513-522). New York:
Macmillan Publishing.
Glenn, A. D. (1990). Democracy and technology. The Social Studies , 81 (5), 215-217.
Gooler, D. D. (1995). Perspectives: Technology as content in social studies curricula for young
learners. Social Studies and the Young Learner , 7 (3), 27-30.
Healy, J. M. (1998 ). Failure to connect: How computers affect our children's minds—For better
and worse . New York: Simon & Schuster.
Honey, M., Culp, K. M., & Carrigg, F. (1999). Perspectives on technology and education
research: Lessons from the past and present [Online]. Available:
http://www.ed.gov/Technology/TechConf/1999/whitepapers/paper1.html
Johnson, C., & J. Rector. (1997) The Internet ten: Using the Internet to meet social studies
curriculum standards. Social Education , 61 (3), 167-169.
Martorella, P. H. (Fall, 1997). Technology and social studies: Which way to the sleeping giant?
Theory and Research in Social Education , 511-514.
Media Awareness Network (2000). Web awareness: Knowing the issues. Retrieved March 6,
2000 [Online]. Available: http://www.media-awareness.ca/eng/webaware/home.htm
National Assessment of Educational Progress (1999). Results from the 1998 Civics Assessment.
Retrieved January 30, 2000 [Online] Available:
http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/civics/civ_new_results.asp
National Council for Social Studies. (1997). National Standards for Social Studies Teachers .
Retrieved October 15, 1999, [Online]. Available:
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/teachers/home.html
Parker, W. C. (1991). Handbook of research on social studies teaching and learning . New York:
Macmillian Publishing Company.
Stoll, C. (1999). High-tech heretic . New York: Doubleday.
Tally, W. (1996). Up against authentic history: Helping teachers make the most of primary
source materials on-line. Electronic Learning, 16 (2), 40-41.
Theisen, Richard (1999). Social studies education: A challenge, a choice, a commitment.
Keynote Address, NCSS Annual Conference, Orlando, November 1999. Retrieved March 1,
2000 [Online] Available: http://www.socialstudies.org/conference/orlando/presaddress.html
Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the screen: Identity in the age of the Internet . New York: Simon &
Schuster.
U.S. Department of Commerce (2000). Americans in the information age: Falling through the
net. Retrieved February 16, 2000 [Online]. Available:
Contact Information
Cheryl Mason
Curry School of Education , University of Virginia
405 Emmet St., 235 Ruffner Hall
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Mason, C., Berson, M., Diem, R., Hicks, D., Lee, J., & Dralle, T.(2000). Guidelines for using
technology to prepare social studies teachers. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher
Education [Online serial], 1 (1). Available:
http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss1/currentissues/socialstudies/article1.htm
 HOME | Arts | Health | Language Arts | Math/Science | Social Studies | World Languages |
Glossary
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
Technology: The Social Studies Enter the 21st Century
The Alaska Technology Standards emphasize the need for Alaskan students to both use
technology and to understand its impact on individuals and society. Teachers can meet both the
technology standards and the social studies (and other subject area) standards by providing
integrative learning opportunities for students which make use of technology to enhance content
area learning.
But before buying your ticket for a ride on the "Information Highway," ask what "technology"
means in the context of the classroom. Examine your technology resources and articulate a plan
for using the technology available and acquiring additional technology components. Build in a
plan for staff development. Then consider some specific examples of technology applications.
What is Technology?
Teachers already use a great deal of technology and technological products. Maps, magazines,
textbooks, photographs, telephones, copiers, overhead projectors, TVs, and VCRs are examples
of communications technology already commonly found in schools. To these have been added
FAX machines, computers, modems, scanners, photo and video digitizing, sound digitizing, CD-
ROM, laser discs, E-mail, the Internet, and other devices and services.
The use of familiar ("old") technology is known as low tech, while the latest innovations are
called high tech. There is a tendency to believe that only high tech approaches will enable
students to survive and thrive in the next century. To some extent this may be true, but teachers
cannot wait for high tech solutions to arrive; they must make a beginning with the technology
available to them.
Technology Resources: Assessment and Planning
The teacher remains the most important technology resource in the classroom. Most educators
can cite many examples of technology purchased but left untouched because teachers did not
know how to use it. Teachers who wish to make better use of modern technology must first
make themselves familiar and proficient with what is available.
Creative use of low tech equipment (such as cassette sound recorders, video camcorders and
VCRs) introduces students to the elements of project planning and implementation that
characterize cooperative learning. These skills transfer easily as students, teachers, and
classrooms become increasingly high tech.
In moving to the next step, teachers should make use of all opportunities to further their
technology skills, including help from technology-wise colleagues, in-services, Alaska Society
for Technology in Education conference workshops, University of Alaska summer and distance-
delivery courses, Alaska Staff Development Network offerings, as well as membership in
professional organizations such as the Alaska Council for the Social Studies, and the Alaska
Geographic Alliance.
Effective and willing use of existing technology in classrooms begets support from parents and
administrators. This in turn translates into support for the purchase of additional technology
pieces and services. The key words here are effective use, which implies thoughtful planning and
implementation. Teachers should involve themselves with site or district technology planning
efforts, or develop a personal technology plan for themselves and their classrooms.
Two words of caution:
• When integrating technology into content area learning, teachers must
constantly balance the mastery of technology with content area mastery. The
greater the mastery of any technology by the classroom teacher, the less
effort needed for classroom use and student mastery.
• Do not invest money in more hardware and software than can be mastered
at one time. It is easy to buy too much at once, only to discover before its
use that the industry has replaced it with something better. Similarly,
acquisition of new, and replacement of old, pieces of technology without
qualified guidance results in waste and imperfect fit between needs and
resources.

Application Considerations
Teachers find seven types of computer-based applications most useful. These include:
Simulations: Computer simulation games offer opportunities at nearly all grade levels for
teachers to involve individual students or groups of students in activities directly related to
content and to decision-making skills. Some simulations originated as board games, then
evolved into games on floppy disks, and have now become more elaborate and available on CD-
ROM.
Data Bases: Data bases allow users to sort, change, and update data, search for specific
information, delete and add information, and publish the data in a variety of formats. Atlas
programs, for example, are data base applications Teachers may use a data base to organize and
store information about students; grading programs are data base applications. Students may use
data base applications as a tool to collate data in research.
Networks: The revolution in telecommunications brings new opportunities for global
communication via computer and in other ways. Effective network use requires careful planning
to align network design with immediate and long term goals. Building-level and district-wide E-
mail networks for all staff provide an excellent way for teachers to gain skills and comfort with
network use. This in turn translates readily into instructional use. Teachers will need have
individual desktop computers linked with a network to make use of this option.
Desktop Publishing: Students and teachers do not need the latest high-end publishing software
to publish within the classroom from the desktop. Virtually all word processing programs can be
tweaked for classroom publishing, including those designed for primary grade use. Publishing
programs become more powerful with each upgrade, allowing for increasingly more
sophisticated work.
Presentations: Presentation software and hardware has become easier to use and cheaper to buy
in the recent past, making it more attractive for use by students and teachers. Color LCD panels
and TV interfaces allow presentations to include computer graphics as well as digitized sound
and video. Students and teachers can combine multimedia software and hardware with computer
applications to create projects nearly as sophisticated as those produced and sold commercially
for classroom use.
Hypermedia/Interactive Multimedia: Hypermedia application programs allow nonsequential
organization and retrieval of text and other information. Text, sound, film clips, photographs,
and other graphics are linked together via nonsequential paths that allow the user to control the
route taken. The resulting multimedia projects offer incredible opportunities for social studies
teachers to involve students in projects that integrate visual aids (digitized video clips and
photographs, and graphics) with sound and written text. CD-ROM disks and laser disks offer a
wealth of resources available for even the most remote classroom, and the camcorder has
become an extension of the desktop computer.
Color Printing: Ink-jet color printers offer color printing at a relatively low cost, and when
combined with desktop publishing offer a way for students and teachers to duplicate on paper
final drafts of the color work done on computer.
Evaluating and Selecting Computer Software
Even without the aid of computer experts, the classroom teacher can (and is often asked to)
select software for use in the classroom. There are two basic steps in the process: deciding what
you need, and determining which programs can supply that need. In brief, the selection process
consists of the following steps:
I. Determine what you need
A. Determine which types of software you need
1. Drill and practice
2. Simulation
3. Interaction/multimedia development
4. Utilities (word processing, data base, spreadsheet, etc.)
5. Reference materials
6. Telecommunications kits
B. Determine the pertinent unit with which to use the software
1. Subject area
2. Skills you wish to emphasize
3. Level of the students
C. Match the software with your instructional approach
1. Learning centers, cooperative groups
2. Computer lab set-up (e.g., one computer per student or one per classroom?)
3. Students' needs (project-oriented? skill oriented? remediation?)
II. Determine what products are available
A. Keep aware of new software
1. Catalogues (beware; they're selling their products)
2. Software reviews, available in free journals, teacher magazines, colleagues' recommendations
B. Know your machine capabilities
1. Amount of RAM, hard drive space
2. Peripherals and hardware available (e.g., CD-ROM, modem, scanners, etc.)
C. Preview the software
1. Identify yourself as the technical consultant from your state, explain your reasons for the
preview
2. Know the terms: 30-day net vs. free preview
a. 30-day net is generally available from Scholastic, Sunburst, Tom Snyder; software must be
returned within 30 days to avoid the fee
b. Free preview is generally available from Optilearn (laser disc only), Karol Media
III. Techniques of Previewing Software
A. Read some of the manual
1. Make sure it fits your machine
2. Learn the installation, commands and general procedures for use
B. Try the software and take notes on the pros and cons
1. As an A student who will take time to figure it out
2. As an F student who is trying to make it crash or drive your crazy with attention-getting tricks
but would not try to figure it out
3. As a C student who wants to make it work but doesn't have the skills or experiences necessary
to read the manual and needs help from the menu bar, help screens, or error messages
C. Be sensitive to biases
D. Be critical of its authenticity, content and technical qualities
E. Evaluate whether it fits your needs, teaching style and situation
F. Evaluate the publisher's level of support (a 1-800 phone number, free upgrades, help)
IV. Sources of funding and grant-writing tips
A. Grants
1. District grants
2. Alaska Geographic Alliance or National Geographic Society, Alaska Humanities Forum
3. Businesses, foundations, local service organizations
B. Always have a want-list for whenever money is available
Technology and Civic Responsibility in a Republic
Communications technology is having a profound effect on individual participation in public
affairs. Changes in election laws reflect these changes, as governments embrace new ways to
involve the electorate. The technology exists to permit individuals to vote via modem from any
place at any time. This could increase participation by the electorate in the process of selecting
representatives in government. It may also alter the way representative government works by
making it possible for individuals to vote on all issues - direct democracy on a very large scale.
Those who see republican democracy as a less pure form of government than direct democracy
may see today's telecommunications technology as ideal, while those who view republican
democracy as the preferred form may feel uneasy about the changes.
Regardless of perspective, most Americans see that these changes are upon us today; they are
not just in the future. Elected representatives already use technology to monitor perceptions of
their performance among those whom they represent, and well organized groups use
communications technology to lobby their agendas. It may already be the case that those with
access via technology have disproportionately more influence on the processes of government. If
this is true today, then the unforeseen technologies and their effects tomorrow make it even more
requisite for educators and educational institutions to ensure technological literacy in their
students, and to prepare them to encounter both the effects and the implications of
communications technology on the workings of government. Technology affects both the
content of the social studies and how the social studies are taught.
Classroom Examples
Almost any creative learning experience may be enhanced by the use of technology, low- or
high-tech. The differences in technology found between schools and in classrooms within
schools, compounded by the differences in technology skills among teachers, affect the degree
of technology integration and the way technology is integrated.
Individual teachers are the key to successful integration of technology into the learning
opportunities of children. Teachers need the support of good technology planning and staff
development opportunities to stimulate and enhance the use of technology in their classrooms
and to build a foundation for successful mastery of technology for themselves and their students.
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/Frameworks/sstudies/part3
a10.htm
Technology in Social Studies
From School Computing
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Teaching With Technology

Contents
• 1 Introduction
• 2 National Standards
• 3 Rationale for Using Technology in Social Studies
• 4 Implementation of Technology Integration in the Social Studies
Classroom
• 5 Examples of Technology Integration
• 6 Differentiation with Technology in Social Studies
• 7 Class Based Links and Web Quests
• 8 Software, Games and Internet Sites for Middle School Social
Studies
• 9 Online Databases
• 10 Barriers to Integrating Technology
• 11 Conclusion and User Rubric
[edit] Introduction
Throughout this chapter we will be focusing on the integration of technology into the Social
Studies classroom. Our focus will be in the middle school setting. The objective of this chapter
to provide guidance and ideas for integrating technology to middle school social studies
teachers. It is intended for both teachers who are just starting to look for ways to integrate
technology into their classroom, as well as the teachers who are already integrating technology
into their classroom and are looking for new ideas.
In this chapter we first outline the curricular standards for middle school social studies, then
discuss the effective use of technology in social studies, look at the barriers specific to our field
of study, provide examples of integration, and give a list of software and web sources that would
be helpful in the social studies classroom.
[edit] National Standards
The National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) has put together a list of National Standards for
Social Studies classes. NCSS has devised a list of 10 themes that cover the general curriculum
goals of grades 6-12 Social Studies classes. NCSS suggest that Social Studies programs provide
for the study of these themes and offers examples in order to illustrate how to “design learning
experiences to help students meet the performance expectations.”
According to NCSS, “Teachers and curriculum designers are encouraged first to establish their
program frameworks using the social studies standards as a guide, and then to use the standards
from history, geography, civics, economics, and others to guide the development of grade level
strands and courses. Using all of these standards in concert with one another allows educators to
give adequate attention to both integrated and single discipline configurations.”
Standards specifically covered in Grades 6-8:
http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/NCSS_Content_Standards
NCSS Web Site:
http://www.education-world.com/standards/national/soc_sci/index.shtml
Back to Top
[edit] Rationale for Using Technology in Social Studies
Across the disciplines technology offers unique opportunities to the teacher. Examples of these
opportunities include the ability to research,create presentations, and communicate on discussion
boards. For Social Studies technology offers a new way to reach out for the world. Much of the
Social Studies curriculum is based around the idea of learning about the world around us and the
myriad ways that people across the globe function and live differently but effectively. With
technology we, as social studies teachers, have a chance to allow our students to explore and
experience the world in a new virtual way. Through technology our students can now see
satellite or regular pictures of geographic locations of their choosing, communicate instantly
with international children through email, instant messager, or skype, explore a historic tomb
through the virtual world of the computer, listen to cultural music through I-tunes and CD
players among other oppurtunities. The possibilities are enormous for showing our students the
world beyond.
Additionally, for many social studies teachers one of the best ways to challenge and teach the
past is through the use of primary sources. While books are wonderful, they are often expensive,
and contain other sources we may not need - thus not justifying the cost of expensive books. The
internet has provided a way for social studies teachers to bring in more primary sources for our
students to learn with more efficiency and ease through online databases like the Library of
Congress, the National Archive's Database, Australia's Coombsweb, and more.
Thus technology is a new tool to be explored and bent to provide instruction in a new way.
Back to Top
[edit] Implementation of Technology Integration in the
Social Studies Classroom
Integrating technology into the classroom can be exciting and advantageous to students and
teachers alike. Successful and worthwhile technology integration involves five major phases.
These phases were outlined by M.D. Roblyer in Integrating Educational Technology into
Teaching, 3rd Ed.
Phase 1: Determining Relative Advantage
Identify current teaching problems or areas for potential growth, and then select technology
based methods that could offer good solutions or improvement. When determining relative
advantage consider the following:
• Compatibility: The methods of technology integration are consistent with
the educator, and the students, cultural values and beliefs
• Complexity: Technology integration should produce activities that are easy
for students to learn from and carry out on a frequent basis.
• Trialability: All technology based activities should be testable prior to
implementation
• Observability: The advantages of the technology integration are observable
to outsiders.

Phase 2: Decide on Objectives and Assessment

Outline mastery objectives students will be able to obtain from the lessons. Design assessments
that will allow for effective and efficient evaluation of student mastery of the objectives. In order
to evaluate student performance in an observable and measurable way, teachers should design
the following tools:
• Performance Checklists: These are lists of tasks students must accomplish
during the activity. Each step in the list is provided with a predetermined
point value.
• Criterion Checklists: Criterion Checklists provide the criteria for each task
on the performance checklist as well as the point spread used to determine
quality of work on each criterion.
• Rubrics: A scale of performance levels for each aspect of the product or
activity.

Phase 3: Design Integration Strategies

After determining areas where relative-advantage can be achieved through technology
integration and outlining mastery objectives students will accomplish, you must determine the
best instructional strategies and how to carry them out. When designing instructional strategies
for technology integration you make sure to consider the needs of the students as well as
environmental restrictions. When determining strategies for integration consider the following:
• Instructional Approaches: Traditionally classroom instruction was provided
in a direct approach where the instructor presented new information and
students had the opportunity absorb and practice that information before
being assessed on it. Technology integration provides platforms to provide
more constructivist or inquiry based instructional methods where students
are required to discover some of the class concepts on their own.
• Curriculum Approaches: Technology provides the necessary tools to
provide more of an interdisciplinary approach to curricular instruction.
Instructors are able to move away from single subject instruction and provide
students with more of a cosmopolitan instructional base.
• Grouping: Technology integration provides more opportunities for
diversification of activities. This allows for activities where individual students
must master specific skills and content knowledge and activates where
students can work in pairs or small groups.
• Sequence: Teachers must consider when planning integrations activities
whether or not students have the prerequisite skills required to participate as
well as that there will be equity of technology use.

Phase 4: Preparing Environment

Technology integration can only be accomplished and used effectively if the proper resources
are available. These resources include but are not limited to hardware, software and technical
support. When adequate resources are not available, lessons must be adapted accordingly or
technology integration must be reconsidered.

Phase 5: Evaluate and Revise

The evaluation and revision phase is an essential component in any technology integration
scenario. It is always important to ask two questions: What worked well? and What could be
improved? These two questions can be answered through a variety of indicators. First, evaluate
student’s assessments and formal outcomes created in Phase II. Second, formatively assess daily
activates by taking notes or longs on implementation problems and issues. Finally, interview
(formally or informally) students to determine their impression of the activities. Ask what they
think could be improved and what worked well.
Technology integration can often be an intimidating and difficult task the first time around. By
taking the time to evaluate the activities, meaningful revisions can greatly improve the activities
and reduce the stresses involved the next time.

Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Integrating educational technology into teaching,(4th edition). Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Back to Top
[edit] Examples of Technology Integration
When you are first trying to integrate technology it is hard to figure out where to begin. To help
you get started we have listed examples below for integrating Technology into Social Studies.
Included with each is a description of the activity, the hardware/software needed, and the area of
study it could be used for.
Key:
S/H=Software/Hardware (title of software or type of hardware used)
T=Topic (topic or subject area to which this applies)
Research Examples
• Online Search Engines and Databases: Online search engines are
engines that search through websites that match keywords you enter for it to
find. Search engines can help students to research topics for projects or
papers. There are many individualized search engines the are available
beyond Google. Online databases are put together onto a webpage and and
are usually set around single topic. The Library of Congress has a database
that centers around American history and culture. Online databases can help
students find specific material without the mess of sorting through search
engine finds.
For example student can plan a virtual trip to a country they are studying, using the internet to
research that country and historical sites that they should visit.
• Webquests: These webquests allow students to find out and explore
information on their own. Also, with webquests the linked websites are
provided by teachers, thus bypassing the student's oppurtunity to find poor
websites or distractions. (S/H: Internet) (T:Any)
• CDs/ CD Players: Students can analyze culture through music. This helps
and challenges students to distinguish different cultures of the world by
having them listen and compare the traditional music of each. (S/H:CDs/ CD
Player (T: Culture)

Publishing Examples
• Word Processing: Students can use this program for word processing to
type up information and create professional reports. Many word processing
softwares include different formatting choices. You can also use them to
translate words into different languages allowing students to expose
students to different parts of culture.
• Slide Show presentations: Students create slideshow presentations to
enhance class presentations. They are able to incorporate outlines, pictures
and streaming video (United Streaming Video) to support spoken
information. Slideshow software can also be set up to run on their own,
automatically transitioning, almost like a personal video.
• Brochures/Pamphlets: Students create brochures or informational
pamphlets in order to ‘sell’ a product, location or activity. By using a
programs like Microsoft Publisher students can seamlessly integrate written
information, pictures, charts and diagrams in order to create a professional
product.
 • Inspiration Brainstorming: Using the Inspiration program students are
able to create visual webs or brainstorming, individually or in groups
• TV Studio/ Video Camera: Students could bring historic characters to life
and moderate about different questions from the point of view of their
characters. (Ms. Wagner) (S/H: Video equipment/TVs) (T:Historical Figures)
• Graphics/Drawing Programs: Students can use this draw or create
designs that represent different cultures or create a logo for a historic
person. For example, students can create a logo for Julius Caesar, or practice
writing Chinese symbols.

Instruction Aid Examples

• LCD Projectors: The projectors, used in conjunction with computers or DVD
players, or zoom cams, can be helpful to showing students information in an
easy, colorful format. By projecting videos or PowerPoint, or Zoom cams onto
the screen students are better able to see smaller details that might get lost
on a TV screen or showing an object far away. This is useful in Social Studies
because when you are learning about a culture is it often important to look at
the details of a background scene or at the small print of a coin.
• Class websites Teacher can create their own websites that post information
about the class including assignments, resources and contact information.
Parents and students can access this from home to help them stay in better
contact with the teacher as well as providing a way for the student to better
access the information. Click below to see and example of a class website.
http://www.popeckland.com/

• Scanners: This could be helpful to scanning in work or primary source

documents that you want to share with the students. After saving the file you
don't have to worry about making copies year after year, plus each child
could a colorized copy of the material (as appropriate). Please make sure you
follow copyright information when scanning material.
• Digital Cameras: Students can use these for scavenger hunts. For example
if you were teaching about Greek columns and you went on a field trip you
could have the students take pictures of the different columns as they see
them. (S/H:Digital camera, software to bring up pictures on computer and
label)
(T: Anything)
• Zoom Cameras: Teachers can use these cameras to show students objects
that might be to fragile or valuable to pass around. For example, if a teacher
had a Roman coin, or students had brought in an artifacts from home, the
teacher could use the eye cam to project it onto the screen or on the TV.
(S/H: Eye cam, TV or projecter with screen) (T: Anything)

Communication Examples
 • Podcasts: Students could use i-pods to create their own radio casts of
information that they researched in class. (S/H: Ipods, computer, webpage
(optional)) (T: Any Area)
• Blogs: Students and teachers can use blogs to host online discussions about
curricular concepts. Students are able to thoughts and ideas and respond to
other teacher or student discussion questions. Here are two examples you
can view.
http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/americanstudies/ http://hetherington.learnerblogs.org/
• Pen Pals: Students could use email to email students in a country that they
are studying. This would allow them to ask questions first hand and
‘experience’ the culture through someone their own age. (S/H: Email
technology, internet) (T: Culture)
• Videoconferencing: This would allow students to talk with a guest speaker
who normally wouldn’t be able to come to the actual school. (S/H: Internet,
video equipment) (T: Any)

Individual Use Examples

• Check Book: While teaching the Silk Road or talking about the costs of
government students could keep a virtual checkbook that they would have to
update as a member of a business or government allowing them to see the
economic terms: scarcity, interdependence, etc at work. (S/H: Quicken)(T:
Economics)
• Map Dancing: Students use handmade map floormats and the game Dance
Revolution to help learn and emphasize the geography of the country they
are studying. (S/H: Playstation 2, Dance Dance Revolution Game, TV or LCD
projector with screen) (T: Geography)
Back to Top
[edit] Differentiation with Technology in Social Studies
All of our students are unique people, thus they are also unique learners. As teachers we must do
our utmost to adapt our teaching to reach all of our students. Some ways that technology helps to
differentiate are listed below.
• Allowing different learning style options for how to access the material:
creation of assignments using audio for some students, video for others. This
can also be used in the completion of assignments. Students could be given
options for what type of assignment that want to complete: and word
processing document or a graphic.
• Webquests: these web guiders provide students with the ability to work at
their own pace on curriculum material.
• Use can use picture text and readers: help ESOL students and low readers by
providing them with help reading and providing pictures to learn vocabulary
and material. (pg. 225, 'Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching' by
M.D. Roblyer, 2003)
 • The internet offers resources in almost every spoken language. By providing
time to research online, ESOL students are able to engage in similar research
projects as their English speaking peers
• Voice Recognition: helps students with low writing ability to write papers by
allowing them to dictate their papers to the computer. (pg. 225, 'Integrating
Educational Technology into Teaching' by M.D. Roblyer, 2003)
• Teachers can use Excel to input information to sort or highlight student
scores. This is help the teacher to determine who needs more help or aid.
Back to Top
[edit] Class Based Links and Web Quests
The following links provide access to curricular directed internet sites and web quests. They are
intended to provide additional resources for classroom instruction and facilitate the integration
of web based instruction into the classroom. Each website and web quest was specifically
chosen to support Montgomery County Middle School Curriculum.
6th Grade Links:These links will aid in teaching courses on ancient civilizations from
Mesopotamia, through ancient China, India, Egypt, Greece and Rome.
6th Grade Social Studies Links
7th Grade Links:These links will aid in teaching courses on Medieval Europe, West African
Civilization, Mesoamerican Civilization, Latin America and Renaissance Europe.
7th Grade Social Studies Links
8th Grade Links These links will aid in teaching courses on American History from the
establishment of the 13 colonies through the Civil War.
8th Grade Social Studies Links
Back to Top
[edit] Software, Games and Internet Sites for Middle School
Social Studies
Social Studies Software
There are many programs that have been designed specifically to aid in the instruction social
studies topics. These programs exhibit a wide spectrum of capabilities, from providing historical
information, to creating graphic organizers, timelines and maps.
This list includes the title of the software, a link, and a description of the software's capabilities.
Software Sites for Middle School Social Studies
Social Studies Games
There are many commercial games currently being sold that can indirectly support social studies
instruction. These games focus on concepts such as diplomacy, economic systems and trade,
exploration, scientific discovery, and good governance. In addition, many of the games include
historical themes, historical figures and are based around accurate world maps.
This list includes the title of the game, a link, and a description of the games benifits.
Games for Middle School Social Studies
Social Studies Internet Sites
There are many interactive websites that support student learning of social studies themes. These
sites are based around user participation and are not simply text documents. This participation
engages students and creates interactive learning scenarios.
This list includes the title of the title of the website, a link, and a description of the website.
Internet Sites for Middle School Social Studies

Back to Top
[edit] Online Databases
Online databases provide access online fulltext online journal articles and unpubulished papers.
They are an excellent research resource within the social studies discipline. While many online
databases are free, other require subscriptions. Check out your local public library or schools to
access online databases that require subscriptions.

• US Department of Education Social Studies Resources

This site, sponsored by the US Department of Education provides over 800 resources for the
Social Studies teacher. It is availabel in alphabetical form or by categories. (Free site)
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/cfapps/free/displaysubject.cfm?sid=9
• ERIC
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is sponsored by the Institute of
Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the ‘world’s premier
database of journal and non-journal educational literature.’ The data base contains over a million
citations dating back to 1966 and contains over 100,000 full-text articles. The ERIC database is
the premier data base to freely access educational journal articles and research. (Free site)
http://www.eric.ed.gov/
• CIA Factbook
The CIA offers a conprehensive factbook online that offers geographic information and cultural
information on all the nations of the world. It offers reference maps as well a cultural profile one
each country. This is free database. (Free site) http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
• Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is a huge database that has a section specifically targeted for educators.
Included among its many sections are reference maps, multimedia resources, online pages of
information, historical photos, video and audio, multilingual world culture resources, and
government history and information. (Free site) http://www.loc.gov/index.html
• National Archives
The National Archieves offers a slew of primary source documents in the form of video, audio,
and paper formats. It also offers online exhibits to visit. (Free site) http://www.archives.gov/
• ProQuest Education Journals
Proquest Educational Journals offer an extensive range of classroom-focused educational
resources. These resources support the literacy needs of teachers and students across all
curriculum areas in the modern class setting. In addition to educator guides and hands-on,
technology based, student learning activities Proquest offers access to SIRS – an extensive
database of full-text newspaper articles. SIRS is an ideal research tool for student-based research
projects.
Although Proquest is a subscription based site it does offer free trial access.
http://www.proquestk12.com/
• Lexis-Nexis
Lexis-Nexis is the ‘worlds largest collection of public records.’ It’s Academic and Library Web
services are designed to serve researchers and students alike. Its database contains full-text
newspaper articles, statistical information, as well as full-text government and non-government
documents and legal records.
Lexis-Nexis is a subscription based site.
https://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe
• United Online Streaming Video
United Streaming Video is an online database of videos and images. It’s library contains over
40,000 video clips and thousands more still images. In addition, it offers grade-level specific
quizzes to support the video material. United Streaming Video clips range in length from just a
few seconds to over an hour. They are the perfect visual support to inject student interest into
direct instruction, or provide in-depth analysis of a certain topic.
Although United Streaming Video is a subscription based site, it does offer free trial access.
http://www.unitedstreaming.com/index.cfm
• Web Quest Portal
Web Quest Portal is a database of academic webquests covering all grade levels and subject
areas. The webquests provided on this site have been created by teachers, for teachers. Web
Quest Portal is a free site.
http://webquests.org/
• The Educational Podcast Network
This site provides a collection of podcasts on different academic subject matter, and is also split
by educational level. It is a free site.
http://epnweb.org/
• US Department of Education - Educational Technology Site
This site offers a list of databases and materials to use technology in classroom including free
access to media material (audio/visual). Covers multiple content areas. (Free site)
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/cfapps/free/displaysubject.cfm?sid=2

Back to Top
[edit] Barriers to Integrating Technology
As with everything, technology and its integration is not perfect. There are many difficulties that
must be breached before technology can reach true efficacy. Some common problems can be
seen on the following page:
http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Issues_and_Barriers_to_Integrating_Technology
• Social Studies Not the Priority: For many school systems, and especially
in elementary school, social studies is not a priority. With testing occuring in
math and english this is the focus for school systems. Since this is the case,
social studies classes and their needs can often be left behind in favor of
trying to boost test scores.
Back to Top
[edit] Conclusion and User Rubric
Integrating Technology into the classroom is a great way to bring students the interaction,
pacing, and sources they need to successfully master material. It allows educators to greatly
diversify instruction and provide powerful, authentic activities that will engage students in the
learning process. Effective use of technology in the classroom, can allow students greater
flexibility to assume a sense of ownership over their learning. In addition it can greatly increase
the educators the ability to scaffold instruction to meet the needs of all students.

Assesment of Social Studies Technology Page

Answer the following questions to determine if you understand the material presented on this
page.
1. Name 3 examples of ways to integrate technology in Social Studies.

2. What group created the Standards for Social Studies? Why are the standards important?

3. Why is integrating/using technology really helpful in Social Studies?

4. Explain 2 ways technology can help succesfully differentiate.

5. Joe is a kinetic learner. Name an activity that would be good for him and why. Casey is a
student who works best when a person or computer is interacting with me individually. What
website could be helpful for her and why?

Technology in Social Studies

Written by: Kim Boughan and Matthew Kerwin 2006
Edited by: Demetri Orlando 2006

Retrieved from
"http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Technology_in_Social_Studies"
Technology in Social Studies
From School Computing
Jump to: navigation, search

Teaching With Technology

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Introduction
• 2 National Standards
• 3 Rationale for Using Technology in Social Studies
• 4 Implementation of Technology Integration in the Social Studies
Classroom
• 5 Examples of Technology Integration
• 6 Differentiation with Technology in Social Studies
• 7 Class Based Links and Web Quests
• 8 Software, Games and Internet Sites for Middle School Social
Studies
• 9 Online Databases
• 10 Barriers to Integrating Technology
• 11 Conclusion and User Rubric

[edit] Introduction
Throughout this chapter we will be focusing on the integration of technology into the Social
Studies classroom. Our focus will be in the middle school setting. The objective of this chapter
to provide guidance and ideas for integrating technology to middle school social studies
teachers. It is intended for both teachers who are just starting to look for ways to integrate
technology into their classroom, as well as the teachers who are already integrating technology
into their classroom and are looking for new ideas.
In this chapter we first outline the curricular standards for middle school social studies, then
discuss the effective use of technology in social studies, look at the barriers specific to our field
of study, provide examples of integration, and give a list of software and web sources that would
be helpful in the social studies classroom.
[edit] National Standards
The National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) has put together a list of National Standards for
Social Studies classes. NCSS has devised a list of 10 themes that cover the general curriculum
goals of grades 6-12 Social Studies classes. NCSS suggest that Social Studies programs provide
for the study of these themes and offers examples in order to illustrate how to “design learning
experiences to help students meet the performance expectations.”
According to NCSS, “Teachers and curriculum designers are encouraged first to establish their
program frameworks using the social studies standards as a guide, and then to use the standards
from history, geography, civics, economics, and others to guide the development of grade level
strands and courses. Using all of these standards in concert with one another allows educators to
give adequate attention to both integrated and single discipline configurations.”
Standards specifically covered in Grades 6-8:
http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/NCSS_Content_Standards
NCSS Web Site:
http://www.education-world.com/standards/national/soc_sci/index.shtml
Back to Top
[edit] Rationale for Using Technology in Social Studies
Across the disciplines technology offers unique opportunities to the teacher. Examples of these
opportunities include the ability to research,create presentations, and communicate on discussion
boards. For Social Studies technology offers a new way to reach out for the world. Much of the
Social Studies curriculum is based around the idea of learning about the world around us and the
myriad ways that people across the globe function and live differently but effectively. With
technology we, as social studies teachers, have a chance to allow our students to explore and
experience the world in a new virtual way. Through technology our students can now see
satellite or regular pictures of geographic locations of their choosing, communicate instantly
with international children through email, instant messager, or skype, explore a historic tomb
through the virtual world of the computer, listen to cultural music through I-tunes and CD
players among other oppurtunities. The possibilities are enormous for showing our students the
world beyond.
Additionally, for many social studies teachers one of the best ways to challenge and teach the
past is through the use of primary sources. While books are wonderful, they are often expensive,
and contain other sources we may not need - thus not justifying the cost of expensive books. The
internet has provided a way for social studies teachers to bring in more primary sources for our
students to learn with more efficiency and ease through online databases like the Library of
Congress, the National Archive's Database, Australia's Coombsweb, and more.
Thus technology is a new tool to be explored and bent to provide instruction in a new way.
Back to Top
[edit] Implementation of Technology Integration in the
Social Studies Classroom
Integrating technology into the classroom can be exciting and advantageous to students and
teachers alike. Successful and worthwhile technology integration involves five major phases.
These phases were outlined by M.D. Roblyer in Integrating Educational Technology into
Teaching, 3rd Ed.
Phase 1: Determining Relative Advantage
Identify current teaching problems or areas for potential growth, and then select technology
based methods that could offer good solutions or improvement. When determining relative
advantage consider the following:
• Compatibility: The methods of technology integration are consistent with
the educator, and the students, cultural values and beliefs
• Complexity: Technology integration should produce activities that are easy
for students to learn from and carry out on a frequent basis.
• Trialability: All technology based activities should be testable prior to
implementation
• Observability: The advantages of the technology integration are observable
to outsiders.

Phase 2: Decide on Objectives and Assessment

Outline mastery objectives students will be able to obtain from the lessons. Design assessments
that will allow for effective and efficient evaluation of student mastery of the objectives. In order
to evaluate student performance in an observable and measurable way, teachers should design
the following tools:
• Performance Checklists: These are lists of tasks students must accomplish
during the activity. Each step in the list is provided with a predetermined
point value.
• Criterion Checklists: Criterion Checklists provide the criteria for each task
on the performance checklist as well as the point spread used to determine
quality of work on each criterion.
• Rubrics: A scale of performance levels for each aspect of the product or
activity.

Phase 3: Design Integration Strategies

After determining areas where relative-advantage can be achieved through technology
integration and outlining mastery objectives students will accomplish, you must determine the
best instructional strategies and how to carry them out. When designing instructional strategies
for technology integration you make sure to consider the needs of the students as well as
environmental restrictions. When determining strategies for integration consider the following:
• Instructional Approaches: Traditionally classroom instruction was provided
in a direct approach where the instructor presented new information and
students had the opportunity absorb and practice that information before
being assessed on it. Technology integration provides platforms to provide
more constructivist or inquiry based instructional methods where students
are required to discover some of the class concepts on their own.
• Curriculum Approaches: Technology provides the necessary tools to
provide more of an interdisciplinary approach to curricular instruction.
Instructors are able to move away from single subject instruction and provide
students with more of a cosmopolitan instructional base.
 • Grouping: Technology integration provides more opportunities for
diversification of activities. This allows for activities where individual students
must master specific skills and content knowledge and activates where
students can work in pairs or small groups.
• Sequence: Teachers must consider when planning integrations activities
whether or not students have the prerequisite skills required to participate as
well as that there will be equity of technology use.

Phase 4: Preparing Environment

Technology integration can only be accomplished and used effectively if the proper resources
are available. These resources include but are not limited to hardware, software and technical
support. When adequate resources are not available, lessons must be adapted accordingly or
technology integration must be reconsidered.

Phase 5: Evaluate and Revise

The evaluation and revision phase is an essential component in any technology integration
scenario. It is always important to ask two questions: What worked well? and What could be
improved? These two questions can be answered through a variety of indicators. First, evaluate
student’s assessments and formal outcomes created in Phase II. Second, formatively assess daily
activates by taking notes or longs on implementation problems and issues. Finally, interview
(formally or informally) students to determine their impression of the activities. Ask what they
think could be improved and what worked well.
Technology integration can often be an intimidating and difficult task the first time around. By
taking the time to evaluate the activities, meaningful revisions can greatly improve the activities
and reduce the stresses involved the next time.

Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Integrating educational technology into teaching,(4th edition). Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Back to Top
[edit] Examples of Technology Integration
When you are first trying to integrate technology it is hard to figure out where to begin. To help
you get started we have listed examples below for integrating Technology into Social Studies.
Included with each is a description of the activity, the hardware/software needed, and the area of
study it could be used for.
Key:
S/H=Software/Hardware (title of software or type of hardware used)
T=Topic (topic or subject area to which this applies)
Research Examples
• Online Search Engines and Databases: Online search engines are
engines that search through websites that match keywords you enter for it to
find. Search engines can help students to research topics for projects or
papers. There are many individualized search engines the are available
beyond Google. Online databases are put together onto a webpage and and
 are usually set around single topic. The Library of Congress has a database
that centers around American history and culture. Online databases can help
students find specific material without the mess of sorting through search
engine finds.
For example student can plan a virtual trip to a country they are studying, using the internet to
research that country and historical sites that they should visit.
• Webquests: These webquests allow students to find out and explore
information on their own. Also, with webquests the linked websites are
provided by teachers, thus bypassing the student's oppurtunity to find poor
websites or distractions. (S/H: Internet) (T:Any)
• CDs/ CD Players: Students can analyze culture through music. This helps
and challenges students to distinguish different cultures of the world by
having them listen and compare the traditional music of each. (S/H:CDs/ CD
Player (T: Culture)

Publishing Examples
• Word Processing: Students can use this program for word processing to
type up information and create professional reports. Many word processing
softwares include different formatting choices. You can also use them to
translate words into different languages allowing students to expose
students to different parts of culture.
• Slide Show presentations: Students create slideshow presentations to
enhance class presentations. They are able to incorporate outlines, pictures
and streaming video (United Streaming Video) to support spoken
information. Slideshow software can also be set up to run on their own,
automatically transitioning, almost like a personal video.
• Brochures/Pamphlets: Students create brochures or informational
pamphlets in order to ‘sell’ a product, location or activity. By using a
programs like Microsoft Publisher students can seamlessly integrate written
information, pictures, charts and diagrams in order to create a professional
product.
• Inspiration Brainstorming: Using the Inspiration program students are
able to create visual webs or brainstorming, individually or in groups
• TV Studio/ Video Camera: Students could bring historic characters to life
and moderate about different questions from the point of view of their
characters. (Ms. Wagner) (S/H: Video equipment/TVs) (T:Historical Figures)
• Graphics/Drawing Programs: Students can use this draw or create
designs that represent different cultures or create a logo for a historic
person. For example, students can create a logo for Julius Caesar, or practice
writing Chinese symbols.

Instruction Aid Examples

• LCD Projectors: The projectors, used in conjunction with computers or DVD
players, or zoom cams, can be helpful to showing students information in an
 easy, colorful format. By projecting videos or PowerPoint, or Zoom cams onto
the screen students are better able to see smaller details that might get lost
on a TV screen or showing an object far away. This is useful in Social Studies
because when you are learning about a culture is it often important to look at
the details of a background scene or at the small print of a coin.
• Class websites Teacher can create their own websites that post information
about the class including assignments, resources and contact information.
Parents and students can access this from home to help them stay in better
contact with the teacher as well as providing a way for the student to better
access the information. Click below to see and example of a class website.
http://www.popeckland.com/

• Scanners: This could be helpful to scanning in work or primary source

documents that you want to share with the students. After saving the file you
don't have to worry about making copies year after year, plus each child
could a colorized copy of the material (as appropriate). Please make sure you
follow copyright information when scanning material.
• Digital Cameras: Students can use these for scavenger hunts. For example
if you were teaching about Greek columns and you went on a field trip you
could have the students take pictures of the different columns as they see
them. (S/H:Digital camera, software to bring up pictures on computer and
label)
(T: Anything)
• Zoom Cameras: Teachers can use these cameras to show students objects
that might be to fragile or valuable to pass around. For example, if a teacher
had a Roman coin, or students had brought in an artifacts from home, the
teacher could use the eye cam to project it onto the screen or on the TV.
(S/H: Eye cam, TV or projecter with screen) (T: Anything)

Communication Examples
• Podcasts: Students could use i-pods to create their own radio casts of
information that they researched in class. (S/H: Ipods, computer, webpage
(optional)) (T: Any Area)
• Blogs: Students and teachers can use blogs to host online discussions about
curricular concepts. Students are able to thoughts and ideas and respond to
other teacher or student discussion questions. Here are two examples you
can view.
http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/americanstudies/ http://hetherington.learnerblogs.org/
• Pen Pals: Students could use email to email students in a country that they
are studying. This would allow them to ask questions first hand and
‘experience’ the culture through someone their own age. (S/H: Email
technology, internet) (T: Culture)
 • Videoconferencing: This would allow students to talk with a guest speaker
who normally wouldn’t be able to come to the actual school. (S/H: Internet,
video equipment) (T: Any)

Individual Use Examples

• Check Book: While teaching the Silk Road or talking about the costs of
government students could keep a virtual checkbook that they would have to
update as a member of a business or government allowing them to see the
economic terms: scarcity, interdependence, etc at work. (S/H: Quicken)(T:
Economics)
• Map Dancing: Students use handmade map floormats and the game Dance
Revolution to help learn and emphasize the geography of the country they
are studying. (S/H: Playstation 2, Dance Dance Revolution Game, TV or LCD
projector with screen) (T: Geography)
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[edit] Differentiation with Technology in Social Studies
All of our students are unique people, thus they are also unique learners. As teachers we must do
our utmost to adapt our teaching to reach all of our students. Some ways that technology helps to
differentiate are listed below.
• Allowing different learning style options for how to access the material:
creation of assignments using audio for some students, video for others. This
can also be used in the completion of assignments. Students could be given
options for what type of assignment that want to complete: and word
processing document or a graphic.
• Webquests: these web guiders provide students with the ability to work at
their own pace on curriculum material.
• Use can use picture text and readers: help ESOL students and low readers by
providing them with help reading and providing pictures to learn vocabulary
and material. (pg. 225, 'Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching' by
M.D. Roblyer, 2003)
• The internet offers resources in almost every spoken language. By providing
time to research online, ESOL students are able to engage in similar research
projects as their English speaking peers
• Voice Recognition: helps students with low writing ability to write papers by
allowing them to dictate their papers to the computer. (pg. 225, 'Integrating
Educational Technology into Teaching' by M.D. Roblyer, 2003)
• Teachers can use Excel to input information to sort or highlight student
scores. This is help the teacher to determine who needs more help or aid.
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[edit] Class Based Links and Web Quests
The following links provide access to curricular directed internet sites and web quests. They are
intended to provide additional resources for classroom instruction and facilitate the integration
of web based instruction into the classroom. Each website and web quest was specifically
chosen to support Montgomery County Middle School Curriculum.
6th Grade Links:These links will aid in teaching courses on ancient civilizations from
Mesopotamia, through ancient China, India, Egypt, Greece and Rome.
6th Grade Social Studies Links
7th Grade Links:These links will aid in teaching courses on Medieval Europe, West African
Civilization, Mesoamerican Civilization, Latin America and Renaissance Europe.
7th Grade Social Studies Links
8th Grade Links These links will aid in teaching courses on American History from the
establishment of the 13 colonies through the Civil War.
8th Grade Social Studies Links
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[edit] Software, Games and Internet Sites for Middle School
Social Studies
Social Studies Software
There are many programs that have been designed specifically to aid in the instruction social
studies topics. These programs exhibit a wide spectrum of capabilities, from providing historical
information, to creating graphic organizers, timelines and maps.
This list includes the title of the software, a link, and a description of the software's capabilities.
Software Sites for Middle School Social Studies
Social Studies Games
There are many commercial games currently being sold that can indirectly support social studies
instruction. These games focus on concepts such as diplomacy, economic systems and trade,
exploration, scientific discovery, and good governance. In addition, many of the games include
historical themes, historical figures and are based around accurate world maps.
This list includes the title of the game, a link, and a description of the games benifits.
Games for Middle School Social Studies
Social Studies Internet Sites
There are many interactive websites that support student learning of social studies themes. These
sites are based around user participation and are not simply text documents. This participation
engages students and creates interactive learning scenarios.
This list includes the title of the title of the website, a link, and a description of the website.
Internet Sites for Middle School Social Studies

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[edit] Online Databases
Online databases provide access online fulltext online journal articles and unpubulished papers.
They are an excellent research resource within the social studies discipline. While many online
databases are free, other require subscriptions. Check out your local public library or schools to
access online databases that require subscriptions.

• US Department of Education Social Studies Resources

This site, sponsored by the US Department of Education provides over 800 resources for the
Social Studies teacher. It is availabel in alphabetical form or by categories. (Free site)
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/cfapps/free/displaysubject.cfm?sid=9
• ERIC
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is sponsored by the Institute of
Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the ‘world’s premier
database of journal and non-journal educational literature.’ The data base contains over a million
citations dating back to 1966 and contains over 100,000 full-text articles. The ERIC database is
the premier data base to freely access educational journal articles and research. (Free site)
http://www.eric.ed.gov/
• CIA Factbook
The CIA offers a conprehensive factbook online that offers geographic information and cultural
information on all the nations of the world. It offers reference maps as well a cultural profile one
each country. This is free database. (Free site) http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
• Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is a huge database that has a section specifically targeted for educators.
Included among its many sections are reference maps, multimedia resources, online pages of
information, historical photos, video and audio, multilingual world culture resources, and
government history and information. (Free site) http://www.loc.gov/index.html
• National Archives
The National Archieves offers a slew of primary source documents in the form of video, audio,
and paper formats. It also offers online exhibits to visit. (Free site) http://www.archives.gov/
• ProQuest Education Journals
Proquest Educational Journals offer an extensive range of classroom-focused educational
resources. These resources support the literacy needs of teachers and students across all
curriculum areas in the modern class setting. In addition to educator guides and hands-on,
technology based, student learning activities Proquest offers access to SIRS – an extensive
database of full-text newspaper articles. SIRS is an ideal research tool for student-based research
projects.
Although Proquest is a subscription based site it does offer free trial access.
http://www.proquestk12.com/
• Lexis-Nexis
Lexis-Nexis is the ‘worlds largest collection of public records.’ It’s Academic and Library Web
services are designed to serve researchers and students alike. Its database contains full-text
newspaper articles, statistical information, as well as full-text government and non-government
documents and legal records.
Lexis-Nexis is a subscription based site.
https://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe
• United Online Streaming Video
United Streaming Video is an online database of videos and images. It’s library contains over
40,000 video clips and thousands more still images. In addition, it offers grade-level specific
quizzes to support the video material. United Streaming Video clips range in length from just a
few seconds to over an hour. They are the perfect visual support to inject student interest into
direct instruction, or provide in-depth analysis of a certain topic.
Although United Streaming Video is a subscription based site, it does offer free trial access.
http://www.unitedstreaming.com/index.cfm
• Web Quest Portal
Web Quest Portal is a database of academic webquests covering all grade levels and subject
areas. The webquests provided on this site have been created by teachers, for teachers. Web
Quest Portal is a free site.
http://webquests.org/
• The Educational Podcast Network
This site provides a collection of podcasts on different academic subject matter, and is also split
by educational level. It is a free site.
http://epnweb.org/
• US Department of Education - Educational Technology Site
This site offers a list of databases and materials to use technology in classroom including free
access to media material (audio/visual). Covers multiple content areas. (Free site)
http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/cfapps/free/displaysubject.cfm?sid=2

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[edit] Barriers to Integrating Technology
As with everything, technology and its integration is not perfect. There are many difficulties that
must be breached before technology can reach true efficacy. Some common problems can be
seen on the following page:
http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Issues_and_Barriers_to_Integrating_Technology
• Social Studies Not the Priority: For many school systems, and especially
in elementary school, social studies is not a priority. With testing occuring in
math and english this is the focus for school systems. Since this is the case,
social studies classes and their needs can often be left behind in favor of
trying to boost test scores.
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[edit] Conclusion and User Rubric
Integrating Technology into the classroom is a great way to bring students the interaction,
pacing, and sources they need to successfully master material. It allows educators to greatly
diversify instruction and provide powerful, authentic activities that will engage students in the
learning process. Effective use of technology in the classroom, can allow students greater
flexibility to assume a sense of ownership over their learning. In addition it can greatly increase
the educators the ability to scaffold instruction to meet the needs of all students.

Assesment of Social Studies Technology Page

Answer the following questions to determine if you understand the material presented on this
page.
1. Name 3 examples of ways to integrate technology in Social Studies.

2. What group created the Standards for Social Studies? Why are the standards important?

3. Why is integrating/using technology really helpful in Social Studies?

4. Explain 2 ways technology can help succesfully differentiate.

5. Joe is a kinetic learner. Name an activity that would be good for him and why. Casey is a
student who works best when a person or computer is interacting with me individually. What
website could be helpful for her and why?

Technology in Social Studies

Written by: Kim Boughan and Matthew Kerwin 2006
Edited by: Demetri Orlando 2006
http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Technology_in_Social_Studi
es