The Social Studies Leadership Team meeting began with an icebreaker in which administrators and teachers talked in small groups about “anything social studies.” Topics included connections to the interviews with Olympic athletes that took place at Cottage Lane, the importance of social-emotional development, finding time to fit everything in at all grade levels, and a host of other topics.
Continuing a conversation that began at our last meeting, we focused on how the new standards impact the way we teach history. Starting with a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon in which Calvin argues that historical events are “always reinterpreted when values change,” the group shared how students might tackle the same document at various grade levels, and how people from different grades (or eras) might perceive the same “facts” differently. Teachers from all buildings shared examples of the kinds of great discussions that are already taking place, and talked about the importance of students possessing the requisite prior knowledge as they learn to “read history like historians.”
During the last part of the meeting, K-5 teachers explored a new curriculum resource created by The Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES (PNW) which aligns with the K-12 Social Studies Framework, while secondary teachers shared how we are already beginning to incorporate enduring issues and the types of questions that will be asked on the new exam.
We also discussed how we are using current events to connect students to the curriculum and the emphasis we are placing on providing students with ample opportunities to have quality conversations and debates that improve their comprehension.
Written by Mark Stanford, Literacy Coach (6-12) and Joe Onativia, Literacy Coach (K-5)
