CCSS

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CCSS Writing in the Social Studies Classroom

• Maggie Herrick
• Margaret.herrick_at_arkansas.gov
• http//adesocialstudiesplace.pbworks.com

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CCSS Writing in the Social
Studies Classroom

• Why do my students need to write?
• Where do I begin?
• How do I handle the grading?
• Other questions? Share

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• Civilization has always been based
• on codified norms and recorded through writing.
  Writing is the concrete manifestation of
  thinking. Writing allows for organization of the
  thinking process, cognitive interactions with
  content, development of logic, and creative or
  unique presentation of how
• thinking can be shared.

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• The Standards for Literacy in History/Social
  Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects will
  require more writing in all classrooms including
  social studies.

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Theoretical Foundation

• Dewey - People optimally learn when they are
  confronted with substantive, real-life problems
  to solve.
• Sizer - Studying fewer things in greater depth
  achieves greater levels of understanding and more
  appropriate learning outcomes

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Theoretical Foundation

• Freire - Problem posing and problem solving
  education is the way to teach students to analyze
  and act upon their words curriculum must be
  relevant to the immediate worlds of the students.

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What Do the CCSS say about writing?

• Handouts at your table look at literacy standards
  
• What do the Reading standards say about writing?
• Underline or highlight verbs across grade bands

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What Do the CCSS say?

• Look at CCR College and Career Ready Anchor
  Standards
• Note on range and content of student writing
• Now look at handout from CCSS Appendix A
  writing
• Table groups look at definitions of types of
  writing 3 types special place of argument
  note on
• argument and persuasion

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What Do the CCSS say?

• Go back to the Literacy standards handout pages
  64-66
• Look across the grade bands
• What is required of students?
• How do these standards build across grade bands?

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Informational/Explanatory Writing Skills in
history/social studies

• Formulate essential questions
• Use and present research
• Evaluate sources of information
• Differentiate between fact and opinion

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Informational/Explanatory Writing Skills in
history/social studies

• Develop supporting evidence
• Address the issue of significance
• Communicate and present conclusions and
  evaluative summaries with logic and reasoning
• look at handout glossary terms

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Forms of Writing in history/social studies

• Persuasive/Argumentative writing
• Reflective writing
• Summarizing
• Reporting information
• Letter-writing
• Presentation of ideas and viewpoints
• Narrative
• Synthesizing or developing interrelationships
  between events, eras, the disciplines of
  history/social studies

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Writing in social studies

• Develop a thesis statement or reasonable
  hypothesis based on factual evidence
• Present and defend a position with supporting
  documentation
• Build a persuasive argument or propose a solution
  
• Write about literature, including
• historical sources and historical
  
• fiction

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Examples of types of Writing in history/social
studies

• Explain a process
• Narration of a historical event
• Analyze cause and effect connections
• Compare and contrast
• Analyze problems and present solutions

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Examples of expository writing in history/social
studies

• Present and defend a position with supporting
  documentation
• Build a persuasive argument or propose a solution
  
• Write about literature, including historical
  sources and historical fiction

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Even more examples

• Create visuals to support expository writing
  (timelines, graphic organizers, charts, etc.)
• Develop a multi-media presentation using
  quotations, key ideas, visuals, and conclusive
  evidence for specific audience or purpose

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Sample writing tasks in the history/social
studies classroom

• Write a letter to a congressional representative
  stating a position
• Describe a day in the life of a historical figure
• Outline the similarities and differences of
  historical events, eras, cultures, political
  regimes, etc.
• Summarize a community issue or problem and pose a
  solution
• Analyze historical cause and effect factors on
  the Crusades, Imperialism in Africa, the Boston
  Tea Party, the French Revolution, the industrial
  revolution, World War I, World War II, or other
  historical events
• Explain the historical significance of an event
  or era
• Explain the effects of economic, geographic,
  cultural, or political issues in contemporary
  society or global relations
• Support or present opposition to a law or
  regulation
• Describe primary sources to support/oppose court
  rulings

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Teacher-Directed Class Preparation for the
Writing Process

• Direct instruction on the writing process
• Teacher-directed discussion on expectations and
  requirements with particular attention on the
  avoidance of plagiarism
• Rubric review and examination of samples of
  writing
• Direct instruction and discussion on how to
  research credible sources of information, how to
  differentiate secondary from primary resources,
  how to evaluate sources of information, and how
  to identify bias and opinion

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Teacher-Directed Class Preparation for the
Writing Process

• Modeling of patterns of logic and reasoning
• Identification and teaching of the appropriate
  academic vocabulary that applies specifically to
  the topic as well as generic words that pertain
  to the genre in which students are writing
• Provision of adequate time for students to review
  and revise for ongoing improvement

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Pre-writing activities for student work in
history/social studies

• Analyze the writing prompt and place it in the
  proper context
• Determine the purpose
• Consider the audience
• Develop a thesis statement
• Collect, research, and sort information
• Share and discuss knowledge among students
  regarding the topic
• Evaluate information that is significant,
  identify related variables, and determine how to
  reconcile seemingly incongruent facts

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Writing the draft in history/social studies

• Develop an outline or graphic organizer into an
  essay with an introduction, body and conclusion.
  
• Start the essay with a hook such as a quotation
  or an interesting fact
• Direct the reader to the essential question and
  the thesis in the introductory paragraph
• Develop the thesis in straightforward and concise
  wording using opinion authoritatively with
  supporting detail
• Compare draft outline to assignment or writing
  prompt

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• Construct each paragraph with a main idea,
  general and specific details (three to four
  details), and a transition or conclusion. In the
  body of the essay, students should start with the
  weakest argument and progress to other questions
  raised.
• Review the conclusion paragraph for clarity,
  specificity, and logic. Rather than offering a
  simple summary, the formal history/social studies
  essay concludes by restating the thesis and
  applying the analysis to a broader context to
  show significance.
• Review the introduction paragraph for overall
  consistency

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Revising, editing, and publishing in
history/social studies

• Provide support over time for ongoing improvement
  
• Use tools such as word sorting activities,
  computerized word banks, or a thesaurus for word
  choice variety and specificity
• Utilize strategies such as peer review,
  read-alouds, and question-the-author
• Verify that the message is clear, logical, and
  supported
• Reread for consistency, coherency, and clarity
• Check for punctuation, complete sentences,
  capitals, grammar, and paragraph structure
• Review for appropriate and consistent text
  features such as font sizes, bold and italicized
  print, labels, charts, maps and pictures
• Include the source citations, bibliography, and
  footnotes in the appropriate format

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Include

• Ways for students to show creativity
• Ways for students to self-evaluate and reflect.
• A variety of ways for students to communicate.
• Ways for students to interact with each other

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Remember to Include

• A variety of ways for the work to be evaluated
• Clearly stated goals and objectives
• Ways for students to research the topic
• Ways to tie the learning to real world
  experiences