Content Expectations

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Michigans Content Expectations in the Social
Studies
Bob Bain, Chair High School Committees Stan
Masters, Chair K-8 Committees
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Overview

• Bob Bain
• The K-12 Task
• The K-12 Challenges
• The K-12 Process
• The High School Expectations
• Some High School What ifs . . .

• Stan Masters
• Significant K-8 changes
• role of professional learning communities
• Role of authentic assessment and instruction

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Five Questions Ill Consider

• What was our mission?
• What are the challenges in social studies?
• What was the process and feedback ?
• What are features in High School Content
  Expectations? What should you keep in mind when
  reviewing them?
• What questions might we ask if .?

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Background Our Mission ..
Our Mission
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Enduring Challenges of Social Studies Standards

• Integrating separate disciplines
• Representing both disciplinary thinking and
  substance
• Providing an effective K-12 scope and sequence
• Managing Rigor and Reality Pedagogy and Politics

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Curriculum Protocol Flowchart
Draft Documents Small Review Group MDE
representative practitioners
Document Development Work Group of Scholars Chair
and 5 8 appointed members OSI Convened
Final Documents Dissemination 3 Regional 10
Localized
Final Documents State Board Approval
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Feedback from Reviews

• Too much Not enough . . .
• Majority currently in curriculum
• Integration of content too integrated
• Too specific not specific enough . . .
• You left out this event or this group.

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National Review

• Ross E. Dunn, Ph.D., San Diego State University,
  World History
• Susan W. Hardwick, Ph.D., University of Oregon,
  Geography
• Gary B. Nash, Ph.D., UCLA, History
• J. Martin Rochester, Ph.D., University of
  Missouri - St. Louis, Civics and Government
• William Walstad, Ph.D., University of Nebraska,
  Economics

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High School ExpectationsThings to Look For

• Foundational Expectations
• Cross References
• Merger of Thinking and Substance
• Spatial Temporal Organizations in History and
  Geography
• Making embedded features more visible

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National Review

• innovative cognitive and pedagogical approach to
  studying the past at different scales of time and
  space. Represents a large part of the answer to
  the chronic problem in history and social studies
  education of incoherence and fragmentation.
• 
  Ross Dunn
• the most innovative, imaginative, and up-to-date
  state standards that I have seen.
  Ross Dunn
• have the potential to expand Michigan students
  understanding of what it means to become active
  and engaged learners and citizens.
  Susan Hardwick

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National Review

• . . .this is the most sophisticated and
  carefully constructed framework yet to appear.
  It should not only serve the teachers and
  students of the State of Michigan well but stand
  as a model for other states to follow.
  Gary Nash
• correctly recognizes the extensive prior
  national work and includes a good description
  and scheme of the NAEP framework William
  Walstad
• were certainly rigorous in the demands made on
  students, solid in terms of clarity and
  specificity.. Conscious efforts made to provide
  coherence offers guidance that promises
  first-rate social studies education in Michigan
  schools. J. Marty Rochester

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K-12 Revised to Provide

• a planned transition from elementary to middle
  school and high school
• a strong foundation for meeting the high school
  content expectations
• K-12 vertical alignment
• a system for referencing standards to other
  sections, grades/courses, and to national
  standards
• increased transparency (NAEP, national standards)

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Things to Remember

• Represents Content, Not Pedagogy
• Does Not Show Instructional Sequence
• Differentiation between required and suggested
  content
• Requires active, disciplined inquiry
• Guides instructional goals

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Things I might be considering if I were a

• Classroom Teacher
• Department Chair
• District Supervisor
• Superintendent

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Sequence of Study
Sequence of Study
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K-5 Grade-Specific Context

• Kindergarten Myself and Others
• 1st Grade Families and Schools
• 2nd Grade The Local Community
• 3rd Grade Michigan Studies
• 4th Grade United States Studies
• 5th Grade Integrated United States History

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6-8 Grade-Specific Context

• 6th Grade Western Hemisphere Studies
• 7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Studies
• 8th Grade Integrated United States
  History

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Significant Changes

• Context for Grades 3 and 4
• World History in Grades 6 and 7

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Professional Learning Communities

• Shared Norms and Values
• Focus on Student Learning
• Reflective Dialogue
• Public Practice
• Collaboration

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Role of Authentic Assessment and Instruction

• Standards for Authentic Assessment Tasks
• Organization of Information
• Consideration of Alternatives
• Disciplinary Content
• Disciplinary Process
• Elaborated Communication
• Problem Connected to the World Beyond the
  Classroom
• Audience Beyond the Classroom

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Role of Authentic Assessment and Instruction

• Standards for Authentic Instruction
• Higher Order thinking
• Deep Knowledge
• Substantive Conversation
• Connections to the World Beyond the Classroom