Social Studies Education (SSED)

This course examines current and influential theory and research on social studies education in the context of K-12 schools and curriculum. The field of social studies education is broad and inclusive of different disciplines and academic content that relate to the social education of learners: histories of countries, peoples, social groups, movements, and the world; historical narratives and counternarratives of identities and heritage; notions of citizenship/civic belonging, civic engagement, and social justice; politics and ideologies; media and technology; sociology and sociocultural analyses; economic development, equity, and socioeconomic analyses; geography and world cultures; globalization and globalism; place and environments; and the interplay of individuals, groups, and institutions. How is social content positioned (or neglected) in school curriculum and educational policy? How is social content taught by teachers and learned by young people? How is that learning assessed and used? What are the implications for how young people learn about the world, cultures, social phenomena, and the past? These are kinds of questions that the social studies education research field explores. This course offers an overview of the research base and significant current scholarship on social studies education. It provides students with a grounding in reading and analyzing that literature, synthesizing ideas from across bodies of research, and applying research findings and interpretations to curricular and educational work. Course activities and assignments give students exposure to critically evaluating this research and scholarship and applying research findings to educational practice, curriculum design, professional development, or future academic inquiry.

Study of how historically oriented media influence learning about past and connect to present with challenges and potential for education.

This course is an intensive study of different nonfiction history texts and the historical interpretations they offer for K-12 social studies teaching and curriculum. Through engaging with these texts and their ideas, the student will gain stronger understanding of historical research and scholarship broadly and on particular topics to apply to history education. Works of historical nonfiction include-and often combine features from across-the following different types: - academic historiography (original historical research for specialized audiences) - public scholarship (intellectual writing for informed public audiences) - popular history (texts that don't require extensive prior knowledge for mass audiences) - narrative history (factual storytelling to inform and entertain). Focus is on learning to analyze historical nonfiction for factual evidence, claims, warrants, concepts, and interpretations that can support intellectually rigorous instruction and curriculum design. Course exercises will give the student opportunities to think about age-appropriate adaptation of complex historical content. Students will learn to synthesize conclusions from across texts to form generalizations that address compelling questions for K-12 history education..

This course explores citizenship education for civic engagement. Lessons revolve around three essential questions culled from the research literature: What kind of citizens and civic engagement does a 21st century democracy need? What should these citizens know, believe, and be able to do? What practices, programs, and structures in educational settings promote active citizenship? Activities and written assignments work to answer each of these questions, encouraging students to grapple with competing theories of citizenship that have shaped citizenship education programs in schools and universities. Course exercises will give students opportunities to think about and weigh their commitment to different definitions and theories of democracy, civic engagement, and citizenship. Students will analyze how educators have put those definitions and theories into practice across educational settings. In analyzing how civic engagement can be fostered across the educational lifespan-from the earliest grades to university education-students should take note of commonalities in approach as well as age-appropriate differences.

Creative projects, including nonthesis research, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which maybe offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or semester.