Texas Social Studies Framework - Department of Geography ...

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Chapter 3: Making Connections through Social Studies Other subjects can also contribute to a unit on the U.S. Constitution. Mathematics provides the tools to create time lines, gather national and regional statistics, and create graphs to interpret the data. A unit can provide students with the opportunity to apply English language arts and reading skills of research and writing as students consider the material produced by convention delegates and the audiences addressed. Connections with fine arts provide a means to consider the influence of national and international art, literature, and culture on the writers of the constitution and the citizens of the United States. The sectional differences Thomas Jefferson described when he compared people in the North to people in the South (Bowen, 1986, p. 92) become easier to understand when students consider point of view, differences in science and technology, and fine arts (see Figure 10). High School World History The growth of large cities near the end of the Neolithic Age marks a major turning point in world history. Examples usually included in a study of this era are the Egyptian, Sumerian, Indus Valley, and Shang civilizations. Figure 11 illustrates how the eight social studies strands contribute to an understanding of this time period. TEKS in the history strand invite attention to this urban revolution and the beginning of civilization. While these TEKS requirements offer some important ideas to students, the study of these civilizations can be enriched by instructional planning that includes TEKS from other strands. The TEKS from the geography strand point to the importance of locating the places and regions where these great civilizations took root, interpreting information contained on maps, and analyzing the effects of physical and human factors on the growth of civilizations in these places. Economics adds value to the study of these early civilizations by focusing attention on the economic and social factors that led to the rise of these civilizations. The development of important ideas in math, science, and technology and their influence on the development of these early civilizations can be selected from the science, technology, and society strand. TEKS from the social studies skills strand can contribute to students’ understanding of how archaeologists have helped us learn about these early civilizations and provide guidance in how students might report the results of their study in writing or as a computer-based multimedia presentation. Classroom educators can make connections across the curriculum as they plan instruction, thus assisting students in drawing relationships between and among 17 17 history, geography, economics, and other strands. When this happens, world history becomes much more than a progression of independent and unrelated facts. It becomes more than things that just happen for no apparent reason. World history begins to make sense. Events have causes and, in turn, they cause other events to occur. World history becomes a great, marvelous story of human experience rather than just another school subject. Figure 12 illustrates how the TEKS for English Language Arts and Reading, Fine Arts, Health, Mathematics, Science, and Technology Applications can support the focus of a social studies unit on early civilizations. Ideas and skills learned in these subjects can provide students with additional ideas, skills, and perspectives as they attempt to understand the important developments that occurred during this significant period in world history. CONNECTIONS BETWEEN IN-SCHOOL AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL EXPERIENCES Educators have long recognized that learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom. When there is a conflict between the knowledge and skills learned in school and out of school, educators frequently feel frustrated, especially because experiences out of school can exert a more powerful influence than can in-school experiences. When learners see few connections between life in school and life outside of school, learner motivation lags as they see little value in the things learned in school. Many educational researchers and classroom educators have searched for the solution to this conflict through their study of motivation and their concern over making the school subject relevant. Efforts to remedy this problem sometimes result in the trivialization of content or in lessons that are fun, but have little learning value. A more productive approach to this problem might involve a holistic approach to curriculum development and instructional planning that gives consideration to connections between the formal learning that occurs in school and the informal learning that occurs in the family and community (Hatcher and Beck, 1997). Figure 13 provides some examples of resources from outside the classroom that can support the TEKS-based social studies instruction. Additional ways that parents and informal educators such as museum staff can become active participants in social studies instruction are considered in Chapter 8.
18 18 3.16 Apply criticalthinking skills to organize and use information, 3.17 Communicate effectively, 3.18 Use problemsolving and decision-making skills 3.15 (B) Identify the impact of new technology on communities around the world Chapter 3: Making Connections through Social Studies Figure 5: Individuals and Their Effect on Communities: Connections across the Social Studies (Grade 3) Social Studies Skills Science, Technology, & Society 3.1 Explain how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced various communities, 3.2 Identify common characteristics of communities past and present History 3.13 Explain the role of real and mythical heroes in shaping the culture of communities, 3.14 Explain the importance of writers and artists to the cultural heritage of communities Culture 3.4 (B) Compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment Geography Grade 3 Individuals and Their Effect on Communities: Connections across the Social Studies Citizenship 3.11 (A) Give examples of community changes that result from individual or group decisions, 3.11 (B) Identify examples of actions individuals and groups can take to improve the community 3.7 (C) Explain the interdependence within and among communities, 3.8 (D) Identify historic figures and ordinary people in the community who have started new businesses Economics Government 3.9 Explain the basic structure and functions of local government
Page 1 and 2: Texas Social Studies Framework Kind
Page 3 and 4: The Social Studies Center for Educa
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Page 10: Preface Although all of public educ
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Not too long ago, social studies te
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Appendix C: The Well-Equipped Socia
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Texas Education Agency Austin, Texa
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Texas Social Studies Framework - Department of Geography ...

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