Strategies for Elementary Social Studies Instruction

Strategies for Elementary Social Studies Instruction

1. Case Studies:

Using Case Studies as an instruction strategy in Social Studies is an effective way to develop inquiry, analysis, and critical thinking skills in students. Case studies can vary from hypothetical situations to unique, real world problems for analysis. Using this strategy allows teachers to provide instruction on a large amount of information or pressing issue through the idea of a single, generalizable situation.

Procedure for Case Studies:

• Develop/write a case study that embodies the concept or idea that students are to learn. Cases can be general, unique, authentic, or fictional but they MUST highlight common characteristics of an issue/ phenomenon
• Include:
• A description of the facts
• An overview of the problem or issue
• Cases may include a decision/ conclusion or be left open for students to determine
• As a class, identify and analyze the facts: Which facts are important? Why?
• Have students frame the issue: what is the problem or situation to be resolved? What is the decision to be made
• Ask students to brainstorm alternatives: What are the different positions or decisions one might take?
• Discuss the alternatives: Which positions or decisions are most or least reasonable?
• Hold a debate: allow students to voice their ideas and opinions on the situation
• Reach a decision: after discussing the different positions or decision, develop a common hypothesis or conclusion to the issue as a class.
• Debrief:
• Ask/ discuss with students
• Why is the situation important?
• How does the situation/ case impact their lives, the world, or the future?
• Is this an isolated problem/ situation or is it generalizable?

2. Concept Formation

Developing Social Studies concepts with students is an effective teaching strategy in building and assessing schema prior to introducing a new concept. During a concept formation activity the teacher presents a list of examples and non-examples of the topic to be introduced while students analyze the list and use prior knowledge to attempt to guess what the new concept is.

Procedure for Concept Formation Activity:

• Identify a concept to provide instruction on.
• Create four examples of the concept with a (+) to indicate that they are examples of the concept
• Create three non-examples of the concept with a (-) to indicate that they are not examples of the concept
• Present examples and non-examples one at a time in an alternating order
• Ask the students to attempt to guess the concept as each example/non-example is revealed; do not reveal the concept until all examples/non examples are revealed
• Reveal the concept and use the examples to flesh out the definition of the concept with the class

3. Dueling Documents

This strategy is effective in teaching students how to compare and contrast perspectives and to understand how historians sometimes come to different conclusions about historical figures and events. In activities using this strategy, students will use inquiry skills to analyze two primary sources  that describe the same event from two different perspectives.

Procedure for Dueling Documents:

• Identify a topic for exploration
• Find two documents that offer competing descriptions of a person, event, institution, society, etc.
• Split the class into small groups and assign half the class to read and analyze document A and the other half to analyze document B. Have students answer the question in their groups "What does this document say about the event?"
• Pair students who analyzed document A which a student who analyzed document B and ask students to share with their partner the conclusions they drew from their photograph. 
• Tell the pairs that they will now play Dueling Documents and that the two documents are competing to tell a story. The students' task is to decide which document should win the duel. Ask students to use the following questions as they decide which document wins.
• Which source is more reliable? Why?
• Which conclusion about the past is more accurate? Why?
• Ask each pair to explain which document they selected to win the duel and why they chose it
• Debrief: Ask students "Why might historians arrive at different conclusions about the past?" Explain that history is filled with numerous interpretations. One reason for different conclusions is that historians rely on primary sources and evidence that may suggest more than one story about the past

4. Inquiry

Using Inquiry in Social studies is an effective way to engage students in content material and encouraging interpretation of concepts rather than asking students to memorize information. Inquiry is a skill that can be used across the disciplines and both within and outside of the classroom, therefore, developing inquiry skills is essential to a student's education.

Procedure for Inquiry Activities:

• Select and area of uncertainty or a problematic situation and introduce it to students
• Inquiry skills can be developed in any of the following ways
• Formulate questions to guide the investigation
• Propose preliminary explanations of hypotheses
• Plan and conduct an investigation
• Gather evidence through research, observation, or experiment.
• Explain the conclusion, interpretation, or theory based on evidence.
• Consider other explanations.
• Formulate a final conclusion.
• Communicate the explanation

5. Problem Based Learning (PBL)

Problem based learning is an effective strategy to implement in the social studies classroom. Through this strategy students will develop problem solving and critical thinking skills while learning about a new concept or idea.

Procedure for Problem Based Learning:

• Select a problem for discussion.
• Discuss/ review problem solving strategies
• introduce the problem to students
• Ask students to restate the problem
• assign students to groups and/or roles to develop positions on the problem or solutions
• Use the jigsaw strategy to move students into groups to try to agree on a solution to the problem
• Debrief