Curriculum Design

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Curriculum Design Social Studies

• ECE 460 Fall 04

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Curriculum Planning

• Select a topic
• Select objectives
• Select and organize content
• Choose appropriate learning experiences
• Determine a sequence
• Determine how to assess both growth and program.
  Both summative and formative.

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Integrated Curriculum

• In-depth exploration of a topic with more than
  superficial coverage.
• More choices and more motivation to learn
• More active learning
• An opportunity for the teacher to learn along
  with the children
• A more effective use of time for teacher and
  student

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Selecting a topic

• The topic must be worthy of study. It should take
  several weeks to complete.
• The theme should be one that relates to the TEKS.
• The topic should be of interest and relevant to
  the learners
• There should be an application of skills
• Must be adequate resources

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Themes

• Can be done poorly
• No real content
• No previous knowledge of children
• Every child required to complete the same
  activity
• No cute themes
• Apples is cute but not relevant
• Themes for your class must meet your childrens
  needs.

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Objectives

• Objectives help achieve the purpose of the
  specific study.
• Should not be broad or too vague
• Should not be too narrow.

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Selecting activities

• Deciding sequence of activities that will be most
  beneficial to the chidlren
• Field trip- first hand experience
• Models-second hand
• Pictures-second hand
• Books-second hand

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Implementing a theme

• Brainstorming
• Emerging curriculum
• Following the childs lead
• Reggio Emilia
• Child-centered curriculum

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Social Studies

• Look at the TEKS for the grade level you have.
• What big ideas are you seeing?
• What aspects of those ideas can be embedded into
  other content areas?
• Use your planning web to think about how the
  theme could evolve
• Is it relevant? Is it interesting? How can you
  make it flow?

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Social Studies

• 3 views
• Integration into daily lives
• Children do not need a content area
• Settle disputes, work out turn taking, establish
  systems to live and work together, social studies
  is taking place
• Content area
• Combination of the two views

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Organization of Social Studies Curriculum

• Expanding curriculum
• Individual, individual in a group, community,
  state, nation and world
• 10 important themes
• Culture
• Time, continuity and change
• People, places and environments
• Individual development and identity
• Individuals, groups, and institutions
• Power, authority and governance
• Production, consumption and distribution
• Science, technology, and society
• Global connections
• Civic ideals and practices

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Constructivist views

• Concept understanding
• Why concepts are important?
• Why depth is better than amount?
• How depth helps with amount?
• Developmental Stages!

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Social Development

• Helping children participate appropriately in
  discussion
• Helping children learn to negotiate and
  compromise
• Helping children learn to assert their own
  preferences more gracefully
• Conflict management and conflict resolution

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Holidays

• Talk about some holidays instead of celebrating
  each one.
• Fit celebrations into regular routines
• Avoid themes on holidays
• Avoid materials and activities that scare
  children
• Offer activities that calm children and focus on
  process
• Offer activities that are holiday related as well
  as not being holiday related

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Multicultural Curriculum

• Teaching respect for all cultures
• Learning about ones own culture and other
  cultures
• Goals
• Children will develop strong identity of
  themselves, as members of a group
• Children will develop a sense of solidarity
• Chidlren will become critical thinkers
• Children will be confident and persistent problem
  solvers
• Children will gain the academic skills that will
  give them access to the knowledge of our society
  and power to make a difference

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Activity

• Choose a concept in social studies and plan a
  developmentally appropriate experience for each
  age group.
• 3-4
• 5-6
• 7-8
• Activities must engage the learner