eBook downloads, eBook resources & eBook authors
This completely revised early childhood curriculum resource, emphasizing social studies as an anchor for teaching an integrated curriculum of math, science, literacy, art, and social-emotional learning, shows current educators and aspiring teachers the significance of social studies in the lives of young children.
Social Studies and Young Children presents developmentally appropriate strategies for teaching social studies to young children, with a focus on NCSS and NAEYC standards and using trade books, activities, and other resources designed to reach young children. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book weaves current research-based principles of developmentally appropriate practice throughout. Through the book's experiential, hands-on learning approach, teachers see how to reach young learners, pique their interest, and use their natural curiosity to develop more critical thinking. The developmental learning focus promotes the idea that by understanding how young children learn, teachers will be more successful in presenting material in a way that children are able to comprehend, further allowing them to build knowledge as they are developmentally able to make sense of the material. Cross-curricular teaching and learning is promoted through the inclusion of a list of trade books in each chapter. A variety of strategies, activities, resources, and key chapter sections illustrate the concepts and help students make the connections to daily classroom practice. The First Edition of Social Studies and Young Children includes: Students make the connections between the theory and learning of social studies. Chapter 1 presents helpful background information about learning theory, including an illustrative table that summarizes theorists and their ideas about young learners. Learning and understanding of the text concepts, diversity, and inclusion are enhanced through a variety of key chapter sections. Students become familiar with what children should be learning as they plan for learning goals. Included are 10 NCSS themes and relevant NAEYC standards listed in every chapter. An understanding of what is developmentally appropriate for teaching social studies content and concepts is accomplished through references to child development and DAP throughout the book. Concepts and ideas are illustrated and clarified. Numerous practical and useful examples, activities, and resource ideas relevant for different age groups appear at the end of each chapter. Teachers see how to provide relevant, appropriate assessment for young children in a full chapter devoted to the topic. (Chapter 9) Teachers see how to integrate social studies into the everyday lives of their students, and to teach social studies with other subjects through the book's interdisciplinary experiential method presented throughout.
By linking theory to practice with an emphasis on national and state standards, Head Start Performance Standards, No Child Left Behind, and IDEA, the authors coherently combine principles of child development and social studies content to create a solid program for preschool through grade three. The authors maintain the overriding idea throughout the Teaching Young Children series—that strategies derived from knowledge of child development are used to teach content knowledge. It is this concern that makes this volume an excellent resource for teachers and parents. In addition to specific discussions of how to build and conduct a social studies curriculum, the work includes vignettes of teachers and children in the classroom; graphics illustrating concepts and methods; and matrices, charts and tables to enhance understanding. The authors effectively intertwine social learning in young children and development of self-concept with the theme-based curriculum of the National Council for Social Studies, the principles of multicultural education, parent collaboration to support learning, and creating connections between classroom and community.
Young children are naturally interested in their world. They are learning to understand who they are, who their family members are, and what it means to have friends. They are curious about their communities, who lives and works there, how things are made, and what they cost. They are beginning to ask questions about their environment and the greater world. With Social Studies and Me! teachers can support children's curiosity by using storybooks to engage them in social studies and literacy learning and deepen their understanding of skills and concepts. Themes include: I Am a Person; Families, Friends, Communities; and The Big World.
This text offers a teacher and student-friendly collection of lessons and activities that help educators use picture books to engage younger students in meaningful social studies activities and bring this critical subject back in elementary schools. In order for today's children to succeed as adults, they need a solid foundation of life skills inculcated at a young age. Social studies is key to building this critical knowledge, yet less attention is being paid to social studies in elementary schools as this subject becomes more essential. The authors of this text have a solution: use picture books as dual-purpose texts that fulfill more than just language arts needs, and take the time dedicated to those lessons to simultaneously teach social studies. Each chapter of this text is organized around one of the National Council for the Social Studies' Ten Thematic Strands, covering diverse and engaging topics ranging from community and individuality to science and technology. This book serves as a vital resource for classroom teachers, methods professors, staff developers, and curriculum writers who prioritize keeping social studies a part of the elementary school curriculum.
According to Piaget, all higher-order thinking skills have their bases in activities involving concrete manipulation and observation. The third edition of this highly regarded collection of social studies activities continues to be based on the premise that children learn best through experiences and activities—learning by doing. It features new activities for each social studies category (geography, history, anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, and interdisciplinary). Three important new additions to the key elements of the easy-to-follow activity format make it easier for instructors to meet standards-based curriculum requirements: A detailed treatment of National Council of Social Studies standards addressed; specific multiple intelligences addressed (also reinforced by a multiple intelligences section in the back of the book); and useful Web site(s) for group/individual research (URLs for sites that will expand or enrich the learning experience for the activity). By engaging pupils in meaningful, worthwhile social studies activities, instructors can emphasize the processes of learning rather than the products, resulting in a richly rewarding experience for pupils and teacher alike.
