Social Studies Department Resources
Social Studies Department Resources
Resources
Social Studies Best Practices
Logos, Pathos, and Ethos... The three primary qualities of effective teachers, as described in Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric over two thousand years ago. Logos refers to "knowledge." Expert teachers must always seek to improve their knowledge of their subject and sharpen their pedagogical swords. "Pathos" means passion. Teachers must show their students they are passionate about the content they teach and passionate about the recipients of the instruction. Positive energy is contagious. "Ethos" is about good character. Teachers should be good role models for students and should use the content in their curriculum to illustrate virtue. Civics, history and the other Social Studies are inherently suited to promote what is today referred to as character education.
Social Studies Best Practices Form - This form can be used by individual teachers to reflect on their practices, or by mentor teachers and administrators, as they observe Social Studies instruction. The purpose of the document is to provide a framework with which to assess effective instruction.
Graphic Organizers
Graphic Organizers can help students develop more effective reading comprehension and pre-writing skills which lead to increased content knowledge. The organizers below are those I have used in Graphic Organizer workshops in Volusia County. Please download them and edit them as you wish. Since they are in Word format you can add your own topic information (titles) or any data you believe will assist your students.
Beneath each organizer name is a brief description. To open or download the organizer simply click on the title.
- Anticipation Guide - Helps to activate prior knowledge and focus students on the key elements of reading.
- APPARTS - An analytical tool for identifying the author, place & time, prior knowledge, audience, reason, main idea, and significance of a document.
- Argument Chart - This chart helps students identify the arguments and supporting details of an author's work.
- Cause-Effect Chart - Helps students see the relationship between the two.