scholarly journals Which Came First: Literacy or Social Studies? How Primary Sources Can Bridge the Divide

Author(s):  
Elise Langan ◽  
Salika Lawrence

Due to the implementation of No Child Left Behind and the Common Core State Standards, disciplinary literacy has become a vital component of social studies instruction in middle and secondary classrooms. This paper determines the degree to which nine middle and high school social studies teachers were successful in designing integrated learning experiences for their students after attending professional development. Data from semi-structured interviews, teachers’ instructional units, workshop surveys and field notes were collected and analyzed for the qualitative study. The study considers how teachers’ instructional units incorporated primary sources to support students’ foundational literacy skills, scaffolded disciplinary understanding, historical analysis, and highlighted community issues that connected their lived experiences to broader social concerns.

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-348
Author(s):  
Jennifer Johnson

Purpose The emphasis on primary sources and disciplinary literacy skills in not only the Common Core State Standards, but other national curricula (i.e. College Board exams and the NCSS C3 Framework) requires that teachers continue to find ways to integrate these skills into their elementary and secondary classrooms. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper introduces a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates primary source reading skills and the arts to cultivate student literacy and creativity though the writing of found poems. Findings Found poetry activities based on social studies primary sources allow students to practice literacy skills, engage more deeply with social studies content, and also may encourage the development of historical empathy toward the experiences and perspectives of distant peoples and events. Practical implications After reading and analyzing primary sources, students can create and present their found poems in diverse formats which allows for student expression and creativity in the classroom. Teachers can easily modify found poetry activities to meet the needs of diverse learners. Originality/value This paper fulfills the identified need to increase literacy skills and incorporate more student participation in the classroom. Using the strategy of student-inspired found poems, primary sources become more tangible and meaningful to students. Found poems offer yet another way to integrate the arts into social studies education.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Nixon

Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate how teaching the discourse of critique, an integral part of the video production process, can be used to eliminate barriers for young people in gaining new media literacy skills helping more young people become producers rather than consumers of digital media. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes an instrumental qualitative case study (Stake, 2000) in two elective high school video production classrooms in the Midwestern region of the USA. The author conducted observations, video and audio recorded critique sessions, conducted semi-structured interviews and collected artifacts throughout production including storyboards, brainstorms and rough and final cuts of videos. Findings Throughout critique, young video producers used argumentation strategies to cocreate meaning, multiple methods of inquiry and questioning, critically evaluated feedback and synthesized their ideas and those of their peers to achieve their intended artistic vision. Young video producers used feedback in the following ways: incorporated feedback directly into their work, rejected and ignored feedback, or incorporated some element of the feedback in a way not originally intended. Originality/value This paper demonstrates how teaching the discourse of critique can be used to eliminate barriers for young people in gaining new media literacy skills. Educators can teach argumentation and inquiry strategies through using thinking guides that encourage active processing and through engaging near peer mentors. Classroom educators can integrate the arts-based practice of the pitch critique session to maximize the impact of peer-to-peer learning.


2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 58-69
Author(s):  
Yasser Elsheshtawy

This paper in its first part aims at contextualizing Abu Dhabi's urban development and understanding the factors that have governed its urban growth through a historical case study approach. Relying on archival records and primary sources five stages of urban growth are identified. Data mining of media archives allows for a first hand account of developments taking place thus grounding the depictions. The second part contextualizes this review through a case study of the Central Market project — also known as Abu Dhabi's World Trade Center. The paper concludes by elaborating on the significance of such a historical analysis as it shifts the discourse away from a focus on the ‘artificiality’ of cities in the Gulf to one that is based on a recognition about the historicity of its urban centers, however recent it may be. Additionally the pertinence of such an analysis for cities worldwide is discussed as well.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 188-200
Author(s):  
Chiemela Godwin Wambu ◽  
Amaechi Ehimatie

Nigerian military history is an aspect of Nigerian history that reconstructs the philosophies, beliefs, life and times of military personnel in relation to time and place. On the other hand, strategic studies involve a study of the security policies and political conduct of states in their interaction within the international system. Since it is the military institution that implements these security policies, itself central to the objectives of states in international politics, it is logical  to view military history and strategic studies as pivotal to the securitydevelopment of the Nigerian nation as it is for every other nation. Given this understanding, this study attempts to situate Nigerian military history and strategic studies as imperatives for national security development in Nigeria. To achieve its goal, the paper employs mostly secondary and but a few primary sources subjected to content historical analysis from which it was deduced that military history and strategic studies are important for the advancement of security development in Nigeria. Keywords: Military, Strategic Studies, History, Security


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Amanda Josephine Picken

<p>This research examined the use of learning stories as a way to gather, analyse and use evidence to support the development of social studies conceptual understandings. This is important because there is limited research in New Zealand related to social studies assessment in secondary school environments, or in the monitoring of conceptual changes in understanding. The limited research that can be drawn upon highlights the challenges social studies teachers face teaching and assessing conceptually.  Sociocultural theory featured strongly throughout the research, through the decision to investigate learning stories as an assessment approach, as well as the lens with which to approach the methodology. In order to investigate the Learning Story Framework, as an intervention, a qualitative design-based methodology was utilised involving one in-depth case study. The research composed of three iterative phases, gathering evidence using semi-structured interviews, participant observation and documentation analysis, including reflective journals.  The findings suggested that learning stories can be used to support the development of conceptual understandings in conjunction with a reflective class culture, strong community relationships, clarity of planning for and sharing conceptual understandings, and support for students to critically reflect.</p>


Author(s):  
Vineetha Hewagodage

This chapter reports on findings of a qualitative study conducted with diverse cultural and linguistic background adult students engaged in learning English through an adult migrant English language program offered in a refugee welcome zone in a rural region of Australia. Twenty students whose first language was not English were observed in the language learning environment and participated in semi-structured interviews. The research explored how English language learning can be best supported for humanitarian refugees with little or no literacy in their first language to become acculturated and socially integrated into Australian society. It was found that the typical ‘English only approach' that is commonly used in the Adult Migrant English Language Program (AMEP) to teach literacy and develop proficiency in the English language is called into question when applied to learners with limited or no print literacy skills in their first language. It was concluded that these learners, who are commonly referred to in the literature as LESLLA (Low Educated Second Language Acquisition and Literacy for Adults), are faced with a number of social exclusionary practices during their integration process. Recommendations are made on how these issues might be addressed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 564-579
Author(s):  
Molly C Driessen

This historical analysis research project traces the early history of the anti-rape movement within the US by examining one university’s development of a sexual violence resource center and the role of student activism. The time period between the 1970s through the 1990s was selected for this analysis due to the significant development of legislation, research, and activism surrounding sexual violence on college campuses. In order to conduct this historical analysis, primary sources from the university’s Archives Collection were studied that included administrative documents, memos, financial documents, program reports, newspaper clippings, and training and workshop materials. Secondary sources were included to provide context to the topic of sexual violence, research, feminism, and campus culture during this time period. Amidst the university’s varied response and debates that surrounded sexual violence, the students’ persistent advocacy had led to conflict resolution.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-319
Author(s):  
Melissa A. Chapman ◽  
Miguel Gomez

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide instructional methods for using simulations to teach primary and secondary sources within a social studies classroom. Classroom simulations provide students with authentic opportunities to engage in meaningful learning experiences that are both hands-on in nature and promote the use of critical thinking.Design/methodology/approachThis paper opted to describe an approach to teach students about primary and secondary sources through a classroom simulation. Step-by-step instruction was provided via an included table, so that readers can recreate the lesson in their own classrooms.FindingsThis paper offers insights about how simulations can be used to provide students an authentic experience with primary and secondary sources. These experiences include opportunities to critically think about the benefits and limitations that both primary and secondary sources offer students while engaging in historical inquiry.Practical implicationsThis paper is designed for teachers to utilize and replicate in their own social studies classrooms.Originality/valueThis paper recognizes the important role that primary and secondary sources have in the social studies classroom. Through an original approach, using simulations, the authors present a unique perspective on how to teach about primary and secondary sources in a manner that supports historical inquiry.


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