Social Studies in Elementary Education

15e
Walter C. Parker & Terence A. Beck

Chapter 8
Planning Units, Lessons, and
Activities

By: Terence A. Beck, University of Puget Sound

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
 Chapter Outline

1. Developing Teachers Knowledge and Goals

2. Planning the Unit

3. Teaching the Unit

4. Planning Lessons Within Units

5. Five Ways to Enrich Any Unit

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Key Concepts

Units
Lessons
Learning objectives or targets
Dramatic play
Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)
Construction activities
Simulation

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Picture This
For a manufacturing simulation in the unit Jobs in Our Community,
the second-graders decided to make and decorate envelopes. Mr.
Allison wanted the activity to deepen the childrens understanding of
the concept division of labor. One half of the class became assembly-
line workers, and the other half became custom workers. When all
preparations were completed, Mr. Allison gave the signal to start.
Both groups began creating envelopes. The assembly-line workers
divided the labor, each student doing just one task. The custom
workers each did everything. In 30 minutes, Mr. Allison stopped
production. Students were asked to think about both the process and
the results, and then to draw conclusions.
Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Being Four Planners at Once

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Developing Teachers Knowledge and Goals

Knowledge Development
Knowledge of subject matter
Knowledge required to plan
Knowledge of teaching particular subject matter

Goals
Tell a good story vs. learning to do history

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Planning the Unit

1.Study the relevant standards and the curriculum guide and talk
about them with colleagues
2.Frame learning objectives or targets (determine desired results
of study)
3.Determine assessments
4.Plan lesson sequence

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
Planning Integrated Social Studies Units

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Reflect and Discuss 8.1

Guiding Question: What explains the similarities and differences

between Canada and the United States?

Think carefully about the guiding question we created here. Which of

the main ideas and concepts are most obviously addressed by these
questions? Which ones are left out or not obviously addressed? Can
you come up with guiding questions that might be better?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Activities are not Objectives

The children will view a film.

The class will create a blog.
Students will work in teams of three or more.
Teams will make progress reports.
The children will draw a map of the playground.
Children will construct a model of a harbor.
Children will role-play workers in a factory.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and Discuss 8.2

Pick two of the activities from the previous slide and create a
learning objective for each that says what the students will learn
as a result of doing this activity. This will help you understand the
difference between learning activities (means) and purposes
(ends).

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and Discuss 8.3
Possible learning objectives for Canada unit:
1. Students will understand that Canada has been shaped by its unique
history, its northern geography, and the actions of the people who live
there. 2. Students will be able to reason about how Canadas early history
helped shape modern Canada. 3. Students will be able to reason about how
Canadas northern geography has contributed to modern Canada.
What is your own reaction to the three broad objectives (above)? Are
these important learnings? (Is there something more essential?) Second,
do these objectives focus on ends or on means? And third, what of their
scope? Are they usefully broad yet still measurable? Will they help or
hinder your instruction?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Inquiry Essay

Why are Canada and the United States so different?

Objective: Students will learn that Canadas unique history and

geography have resulted in a nation that is similar to the United States
with significant differences. Students will compare the period of
European exploration and colonization in Canada to that same period
in the United States and provide logical reasons that explain at least
one similarity and one difference.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Inquiry Essay (Continued)

Essay question: Why are Canada and the United States so different?

Directions: Write a four- to five-paragraph essay that gives your answer to the question
and support your answer with evidence.
Begin the essay by telling readers your conclusion and introducing the essay.
Next, tell us which evidence most persuaded you to draw this conclusion.
Next, tell us the best evidence youve found against this conclusion.
Finally, tell readers why your conclusion is strong even though not all evidence
supports it.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Planning to Teach the Unit

Phase 1: Launching the Unit

Phase 2: Developing the Study with Learning Activities

Phase 3: Concluding the Study

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Reflect and Discuss 8.4

Dramatic play can be a fun and engaging way to launch a unit by

building interest to learn more. What memories do you have of
dramatic play as an elementary and/or middle school student? What
does the fact that you can still remember engaging in dramatic play
suggest about it as a instructional technique?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Planning Lessons within Units

There are five basic components of daily lesson plans:

1. The objectives that identify what children will learn.
2. The three basic phases of any lesson (a beginning, middle, and end)
3. Assessments: diagnostic, formative, summative.
4. Needed instructional materials and resources.
5. Accommodations for students with special needs (differentiated
instruction)

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Five Ways to Enrich Any Unit

Incorporating Literacy Instruction

Incorporating Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

Incorporating Construction Activities

Incorporating Simulations, Role-Playing, and Music

Introducing a Little Controversy

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Discussion Question

Look back at the three phases any unit should have and at your
response to the question about dramatic play in Reflect and
Discuss 8.4. Find out who in your class has memories of dramatic
play, simulations, role-playing, and the like at school as part of
instructional units. Second, how can dramatic play extend and
enrich childrens understanding of written language? Is it
indispensable?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved