Texas Social Studies Framework - Department of Geography ...

Chapter 5: The Teaching-Learning System: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
EXAMPLES OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Following is a selective guide to instructional strategies.
Each of these incorporates several models of instruction.
For more details and information see the SSCED website
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Teaching Concepts
GENERALITY
Concepts are building blocks; they link facts and generalizations.
In order to understand a generalization,
students first must understand its component concepts.
Consider this important social studies generalization:
refugees migrate due to push forces. The student
who does not know the meaning of two concepts,
refugees and push forces, cannot understand the
generalization.
Research has identified this general instructional strategy
to be effective in teaching concepts. Teachers direct the
activity initially, but students can apply the strategy as
they move from learning to developing concepts.
Figure 21: The Structure of Knowledge
1) Identify examples and non-examples illustrating
the concept and place them in a logical order.
One of these examples is identified as the
“model.” The model includes all the key attributes
of the concept.
2) Develop materials or oral instructions with a set
of cues, directions, questions, and student
activities that draw attention to the critical
THEORY
PRINCIPLES
GENERALIZATIONS
CONCEPTS
FACTS
SPECIFITY
attributes, similarities, and differences in the
examples and non-examples used to define the
concept.
3) Focus student attention on the model. What are
its attributes and characteristics?
4) Ask students to compare all the examples with
the model, or best example.
5) Ask students to develop a definition of the
concept or state it for them.
6) Place the concept in relation to other student
knowledge; try to attach this information to
existing student knowledge structures (schema).
7) Give students examples and non-examples to
assess whether students understand the concept.
Ask students to generate additional examples or
apply the concept to new situations.
Figure 22 shows how teachers can develop a lesson to
help students understand the concept “refugee.”
Teaching Generalizations
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There are two ways to organize instruction to help
students develop generalizations, the inductive (discovery)
approach and the deductive (expository) approach.
The inductive approach is related to inquiry learning.
Students examine sets of data and materials. With the
teacher they identify and explain key points, observe
similarities and differences, patterns, and trends. Finally,
students draw conclusions from the data, summarize their
findings, and infer a generalization.