A critical question in social studies education is not whether teachers develop and teach units of study, but what is in the units of study teachers develop and teach. Curricular planning and instruction must focus on what we teach in the social studies classroom. It is not uncommon for students to experience fine units about the westward movement and exit the fifth grade with little or no geographic literacy. Most students leave middle school grades unable to name even one person who made a difference in the history of Indian people in the United States. After three to five years of history classes, high school students routinely self-report that history is boring. And it is the rare middle school graduate who knows how to use a free enterprise economy for his or her benefit. This book explains the content of nine areas in social studies. If teachers know what history, biographical studies, and the United States Constitution mean for instruction, they can increase the probability of better-focused content in their social studies instruction.

About the Author
Leif Fearn began his career as a sixth grade teacher. After a decade in teaching and educational management, he joined the university faculty where he served in the departments of teacher education and special education. Eric Fearn studied at San Diego State University and the University of Guanajuato in Mexico. He began his career in Mexico and moved to the elementary grades, then middle school in California. He teaches Spanish immersion history and literature at the middle school level.

Reviews
The connection between writing in the final chapter and social studies content in the earlier nine chapters is important because writing does not occur in a vacuum. In this book, students write in support of their social studies learning. The multiple and interrelated emphasis on content, expository writing, and using writing to think in and communicate ideas -- all key twenty-first century skills -- is explicitly addressed in both content and Common Core standards in both social studies and literacy. The authors offer a view of the social studies as content, including critical social studies content found in the standards but not characteristically taught. -- Nancy Farnan, Associate Dean, College of Education, San Diego State University, researcher in writing literacy
We need to see everything through the lens of what history IS. This is where I think the [book] becomes so critical. You are changing a mindset....My hope is that this book will be in the hands of instructors who believe inquiry is crucial in teaching history....This [book] calls readers to pause and reflect on their personal perspectives on history instruction and their journey to become more historically literate. -- Sue Reynolds, AP History Teacher, Bear Valley Unified School District
It is important to make [the authors'] point that the absence of prior knowledge among the students is a signal to teach, not to avoid....[The authors'] vision for social studies made me want to start teaching all over again. -- Houston Burnside, Ordained Minister, Teacher, Principal, University Professor, Retired



Book Information
ISBN 9781610489508
Author Leif Fearn
Format Hardback
Page Count 182
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield Education
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 572g
Dimensions(mm) 259mm * 188mm * 18mm