21 st Century Social Studies Beth Ratway WCSS 2009

Where are we now?

What is social studies Write down your definition of social studies…

What do our students need to know and be able to do in the 21 st century?

“This is a story about the big public conversation the nation is not having about education… whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can’t think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good formation from bad, or speak a language other than English.” How to Build a Student for the 21 st Century, TIME Magazine, December 18, 2006 Overview

6 Current National Debate

7 Core Subjects & 21st Century Themes Standards & Assessment Information, Media, and Tech Skills Curriculum & Instruction Professional Development Learning Environments Partnership for 21st Century Skills Learning and Innovation Skills Life & Career Skills

21 st Century Skills Maps ments/ss_map_11_12_08.pdf ments/ss_map_11_12_08.pdf

Core Content Maps The maps are designed to: – Raise awareness about the intersections between core subjects and 21 st century skills – Provide examples of what it looks like to teach these skills in a core subject classroom The audience for the maps: – Educators – Administrators – Policymakers

Creativity and Innovation HS students create a simulation, role play, or webquest on a current or historic event (e.g., global climate change, Battle of the Little Bighorn). Product can be presented to a local school with analysis of most creative and innovative elements in each of the products. Mike Schlotterback, Fisheye Photography

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving MS students use online databases ( to determine immigration patterns and compare to changes in community demographics HS students use county voting patterns, demographic & socio-economic data from US Census bureau to predict outcomes of upcoming election. Display election projection & supporting information on a digital map. Create a podcast that suggests election strategies that political parties might use for their candidates.

Communication MS - Research information on the local implications of a global issue of concern (e.g., child poverty, hunger, homelessness). Students organize their information and a possible solution and write a persuasive letter that is to be proof-read, peer edited, and finally sent via to a local public official.

Collaboration Working in small groups, elementary students encourage and engage other classmates to assist with a group service-learning project. Using digital media, students demonstrate the need to raise the awareness of their classmates on an issue within their community, (e.g., students create a digital poster that persuades classmates to participate in a school fundraising project).

Information Literacy Students will examine information about federal tax policy from various sources. Focusing on the federal income tax, excise tax, and other forms of federal taxation, students will compare opinions as presented through several information outlets including popular digital and print media, online communities (e.g., district-approved blogs, online interest groups), and community resources, and articulate why some opinions are more compelling or effective than others.

Media Literacy MS students analyze how media format influences media messages. – Use history websites & primary sources to compare & contrast historic & current presidential election campaigns. – Hypothesize how 19th & 21st century media influence political campaigns

ICT Literacy Elementary students examine interaction of human beings & physical environment, land use, towns, local ecosystem changes (e.g., mining in Lead, SD) – Compare dated aerial photos of the local community to recent satellite images. – Compare and evaluate the changes. HS students use search engines, online data bases, identify and join a list serve to access national, and international media to examine an international conflict. – Examine interactions of ethnic, national, or cultural influences on the conflict. – Create an online document with hyperlinks to help MS students understand the conflict. – Embed evaluation questions in the online document to encourage students’ critical thinking

What does this look like in WI?

“Stop asking me if we’re almost there! We’re nomads, for crying out loud!”

CONTENT LITERACY

HSI Historical Scene Investigation Project

DDG Digital Director’s Guild

Econcast

Next Steps What are the steps we need to take to move forward?

Go to the SS Wiki for more information and resources: com/