Download Science & Physical Education Curriculum Update - 3

History/Social Studies
Curriculum Update
Cambrian School District
Goal of History / Social Studies
Update
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Review student performance
Provide program information
Consider next steps
K-8 Houghton-Mifflin History /
Social Studies Program
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K – My World
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Learning & Working Now & Long Ago
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1 – School & Family
World History & Geography: Ancient
Civilizations
A Child’s Place in Time & Space
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2 – Neighborhoods
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3 – Communities
Continuity & Change
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4 – California Studies
California: A Changing State
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5 – United States History:
Early Years
US History & Geography: Making a
New Nation
7 – Across the Centuries
World History & Geography:
Medieval & Early Modern Times
People Who Make a Difference
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6 – World History:
Ancient Civilizations
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8 – The More Perfect
Union
United States History & Geography:
Growth & Conflict
An informal survey of elementary
teachers reveals:
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Program is more engaging with improved readability
Chapters are concise and Practice Books are well
organized
Practice books are not always used
Teacher Edition is well-designed and supports
differentiation
Videos are engaging and graphics are of high-quality
and well-organized
Reviews re-engage students on important ideas
Critical thinking aspects are not always addressed and
have to be supplemented
The survey also suggests:
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Cross-curricular and extension strategies are
supported by:
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Leveled readers
Practice books which provide explicit reading strategies
and skill development
ebooks provide graphics and audio to help students
hear how to pronounce new vocabulary. ebooks also
are used to make power points to support whole class
activities
The pacing is very ambitious
Chapter tests are very difficult
How are students doing?
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No CST or benchmark tests are administered
to students in the elementary school.
There is no collection of school- or districtlevel data related to student performance.
Using informal assessments, there appears to
be improved student understanding using the
new program.
Initiatives taken….
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Some District upper elementary teachers are
teaching social studies and science in a grade
level rotation. This keeps us on track for our
pacing and allows us to collaborate more
readily.
Professional Development
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No district-wide professional development has
occurred to specifically support History /
Social Studies during the current school year
Step-Up-To-Writing training was provided for
new teachers in August 2007
Middle School Update
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Successes: what
works well
How are our Grade 8 History /
Social Studies students doing?
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
C
la
ra
C
am
br
ia
n
Sa
n
ta
C
A
2007
How are students performing in
different content clusters of History?
Price Gr 8 History-Social Science Cluster Performance 2005-07
100
90
80
P04
70
2006
2007
60
50
40
World History: Late Antiquity Renaissance /
U.S.
Ancient
& Middle Ages Reformation Constitution &
Civilizations
Early Republic
Civil War & Its
Aftermath
Future
Areas of
focus
• To develop
Grade-level
assessments
• Effective
assessment
resources are
found in new
textbook adoption
Future goals for the
Social Studies program
•Exploration of year-long
7th grade course
What did our district survey reveal
about history / social studies?
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Parents believe their child is making
satisfactory progress in social studies
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Strong support for
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78% of elementary parents
91% of middle school parents
Good citizenship behaviors
Teaching critical thinking skills, beyond the
standards
Parents who commented on social studies
emphasized the importance of implementing a
social studies program in the early grades
What’s next for History /
Social Studies?
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Implement year-round history at the middle
school
Develop assessment systems useful to teachers
in planning instruction
Further explore the rotation of upper
elementary teachers to assist with program
pacing and goals
Build upon Step-up-to-Writing strategies in
connection with the social studies program