Social Studies for Secondary Schools: Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach
Social Studies for Secondary Schools: Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach
This popular text advocates an inquiry and activity-based view of social studies teaching that respects the points of view of students and teachers. Based in practice and experience, it offers systematic support and open, honest advice for new teachers, is conversational not pedantic, and provides lots of examples. While the structure and most of the topics remain largely the same as before, this Third Edition presents new lesson ideas in every chapter especially designed to help new teachers to address learning standards, to work in inclusive settings, and to promote literacy and the use of technology in social studies classrooms puts a heavier focus on what is important to know and why includes new essays on the politics o
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Determining Why We Teach,
As a former high school social studies teacher, and a current college professor who teaches “Methods” classes for future social studies teachers, I found this book helpful in a number of ways. First of all, Singer knows his subject, and writes in an interesting and engaging way. The plain fact is that “Methods” textbooks in social studies are either dry as toast or are segments of more general Methods books whose authors do not really know social studies. Second, the most important advice Singer provides is that teachers have to plan in advance why a certain lesson, or unit, or approach is worthwhile — in short, that they have to be engaged in their subject matter. While many students today (certainly in my university) will not be engaged in the same way as Singer (who came to social studies teaching from a radical political perspective, expecting to change the world via the classroom), students do have to develop a perspective on why they are teaching, and Singer’s open-ended activities and thought experiments are very useful here. Finally, Singer does have good nuts and bolts suggestions on how to put together lessons, units, and even curricula, though the last usually depends on district policy so his advice may not be able to be implemented by many teachers, let alone student teachers. I would be the first to agree that some of Singer’s suggestions are impractical or dated, and that the resources section of any textbook get dated very quickly in the internet age, but I wish my student teachers would consult this book more frequently once they begin their assignments in the classroom. While Singer would probably deny it, my assessment is that the book is geared overly much to U.S. History, and does not treat in as much detail as would be warranted World History, U.S. Government, and other standard social studies topics.
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|Okay for Forced Reading,
I had to read this for a college class. It’s rather painful, but by college class standards, it’s actually not that bad. I wouldn’t say the author’s style is exactly riveting, but it’s a doable read. Chapter lengths are reasonable.
I wouldn’t exactly wait up at midnight for this, but if you have to read it, just remember, it could be worse… a lot worse.
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|Outstanding Book for Teachers and Parents,
This is an outstanding book, filled with terrific teaching ideas and concepts. I especially enjoyed reading the background information that was included about the contributors.
Teachers and parents will all enjoy ths book, and learn a great deal from reading it.
Many thanks to the contributors and editors.
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