Increasing Rigor in the Social Studies Classroom May 17, 2012

Social Studies Department Chairperson Meeting

Rigor, Rigor! What is Rigor?

•Rigor, We hear it all the time!•What is Rigor?

Defining Rigor & What it looks like• Academic rigor can be defined as the set of standards we set

for our students and the expectations we have for our students and ourselves.

• Rigor includes our basic philosophy of learning – we expect our students to demonstrate not only content mastery, but applied skills and critical thinking about the disciplines being taught.

• Rigor also means that we expect much from ourselves, our colleagues, and our institutions of learning.

Outcomes of Rigor

• Clear expectations define what students should know and be able to do.• Higher test scores.• Improved writing skills.• Attaining the benchmarks at each grade level.• Utilizing higher ordered thinking skills.

Rigor in the Classroom• Develop a set of best management practices for

promoting academic excellence through rigor in the classroom.

• Develop strategies for establishing instructional goals for academic excellence and for documenting progress toward these goals.

• Assess our current understanding of rigor in the classroom.

Components of Rigor-Assists students in fulfilling predetermined outcomes

and competencies by challenging them with high expectations.

-Essential components of rigor in the classroom:• Content acquisition • Critical thinking• Relevance• Integration• Application of concepts• Long term retention• Responsibility

Brainstorming!What strategies do you use with your students to analyze the following:•Textbooks•Poems•Documents •Speeches•Lyrics•Readings

Introduction to SOAPStonE!What is SOAPSTonE?•A strategy that can be used to analyze speeches, letters, political cartoons, posters, photos, artist representations, or almost ANY other primary source.

It will help the student build skills in:•Developing arguments•Analyzing points of view•The situation/context•Bias•Change over timeThe overall goal is to help the student better understand the time period and people of it by examining their points of view and drawing connections between all of them.

Part of SOAPSTonE includes:

Strategy questions addressing:•Speaker•Occasion•Audience•Purpose•Subject•Tone•Evidence (new one!)

Who is the Speaker?

• Remember that it is not enough simply to name the speaker. What can you say about the speaker based on references to the text?

• Identifying the speaker’s values, biases and beliefs.

• Can the speaker be trusted?

What is the Occasion?

• Discuss and record both the larger occasion, that is, those issues or ideas that must have made the speaker think about this issue, as well as the immediate occasion.

• What specific set of circumstances prompted the writer to write?

Who is the Audience?

• At whom is the text directed? It’s not enough to say, “Anyone who reads it.” You will want to identify a certain audience by describing some of its characteristics.

• Who will hear or read the message?• Is the audience open to the message?• What are this audience’s biases/values?

What is the Purpose?

• The purpose could be a personal one, decide what the message is and how the author wants this audience to respond.

• What is the main purpose (argument)?• Why was the document produced?• What “change” do they want to accomplish?

What is the Subject?

• What is the focus of the piece?• What is the topic of this text?• What is this work about?• What is the main topic of the document?

What is the Tone?

• Try to choose a description of the tone that fits the piece as a whole. Include specific words or phrases from the text and explain how they support your statement.

• What feeling or attitude does the document express?

• What is the author’s attitude and what emotions do they rely upon within their argument?

What is Evidence? (new one)

• What evidence does the speaker give to prove his/her argument?

• (Taking it to the next level, step!!!) Use this stem sentence: “To prove the idea that

_______, the speaker (says, points out, shows, etc. ) _____________________.

Can SOAPSTonE be used for this?

Republican Party – 1860Abraham Lincoln

Northern Democratic Party – 1860

Stephen A. Douglas

Southern Democratic Party – 1860

John C. Breckinridge

Constitutional / Whig Party – 1860

John Bell

Benchmarks Connection to Pacing Guide – Middle School• 7TH GRADE – CIVICS - 2nd Nine Weeks Grading PeriodContent Benchmarks:• SS.7.C.2.9: Evaluate candidates for political office by analyzing their qualifications,

experience, issue-based platforms, debates, and political ads.

• 8th GRADE – US HISTORY – 4th Nine Weeks Grading PeriodContent Benchmarks:• SS.8.A.5.1 Explain the causes, course, and consequence of the Civil War

(sectionalism, slavery, states' rights, balance of power in the Senate).

• SS.8.A.5.4 Identify the division (Confederate and Union States, Border states, western territories) of the United States at the outbreak of the Civil War.

• SS.8.A.1.6 Compare interpretations of key events and issues throughout American

History.

Benchmarks Connection to Pacing Guide – High School• 11TH GRADE – US History – 1st Nine Weeks Grading Period

Content Benchmarks:• SS.912.A.2.1: Review the causes and consequences of the Civil

War. (Tested Benchmark)

Skill Benchmarks:• SS.912.A.1.1: Describe the importance of historiography, which includes how

historical knowledge is obtained and transmitted, when interpreting events in history.

• SS.912.A.1.2: Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a historical period.

• SS.912.A.1.4: Analyze how images, symbols, objects, cartoons, graphs, charts, maps, and artwork may be used to interpret the significance of time periods and events from the past.

Incorporating SOAPSTonE

• Introduce it after content lesson is taught, knowledge acquired.• Whole group first.• Start with a short document.• 1-2 steps (closure activity, bellringer on

following class day).• Complete 4/5 times together before using it as

an independent activity.

Let’s do one together and Let’s SING!!!

1860 Election Song SPEAKER Lincoln and Liberty OCCASIONHurrah for the choice of the nation! AUDIENCEOur chieftan so brave and so true; PURPOSE We'll go for the great Reformation — SUBJECT For Lincoln and Liberty too! TONE EVIDENCE

We'll go for the son of Kentucky (Make connections to the overlying issues)The hero of Hoosierdom through;The pride of the Suckers so luckyFor Lincoln and Liberty too!

Our good David's sling is unerring,The Slaveocrat's giant he slew;Then shout for the Freedom-preferringFor Lincoln and Liberty too!

Group Activity

• Read and Analyze one of the four 1860 National Presidential Election Platforms with your group peers.• Use the SOAPSTonE strategy for your assigned

Primary Source Document.• Choose a group leader to present your analysis

in a few minutes.

GROUPS

• Republican Party• Northern Democratic Party• Southern Democratic Party• Constitutional Party

Would this map been helpful?

1856 Election

Making those connections… The Election of 1860 in Modern Context

• In recent memory, the most comparable situation to the election of 1860 was the presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Both elections followed similar patterns and the issues each candidate was presented were comparable. Bush won the election although Gore received the majority of the popular vote. Just like 1860, the Electoral College was the deciding factor. Oddly enough, both Lincoln and Bush inherited a war within a year of their inauguration. However, one major difference was the swap in States political affiliation in the elections. In 1860, the South voted primarily Democrat while the North was almost entirely Republican. These values have seen radical changes since then.

• Next step, perhaps, teach a lesson on the Electoral College.

Final thoughts on incorporating SOAPSTonE in the classroom

• Increasing the rigor• Making the connections• Big picture (The significance of the election of

1860)ramifications / results / connecting the dots)• Raising the stakes• EOC connection• Writing tool – using the completed chart• Deep analysis• Stepping stone

Helpful websites

Library of Congress www.loc.gov

National Archiveswww.archives.gov

Thank you for your cooperation!