Review of Social Studies Materials
Review of Software program
Title of Program: " I Love the USA"
Publisher: Global Software Publishing Company
Hardware requirements: Windows, Mac, CD- Rom
Game objectives: It is used to learn more about 50 states travel videos to see all offer the U.S.
Teachers can use this computer program to learn more about the United States. The visual learners can watch the videos to comprehend or reinforce the ideas. This program can improve map skills, reading, critical thinking skills, and learning. This program is for ages 6 and up.
Review of video
Title of the Video: School House Rock (Special 30th Anniversary) DVD edition
Producer: Walt Disney Home Video
Description of clip " I am Just a Bill" This is an animated lesson about how laws are made.
The clip relates to a social studies lesson because it introduces the lesson of government and how laws are made.
Review of Social Studies Text Book
Title : Exploring Where and Why: K
Publisher NY Storm
Grade Level: K
Copyright 1999
Sample activities from the text include:
Historic Perspective:" Making Family Trees" Student do not realize that they are apart of history. They can find out more about the family's past and include them in the family tree. The family tree display is made from flexible straws, tape, activity sheets with holes punched. The student will bundle the straws ans tape together to make one big tree. Students will put straws through the activity sheets.
Economy: The objective of this activity is to inform students there are several stores and to match the goods with that store to sell them. The students will have an atlas that goes with the lesson.
Geography/ Map Skills: The students are provided an atlas with wild animals on the bottom. On the atlas it has clues to determine what animal it is described and label where the animals are located in the world.
Civics: The students we be able to identify safety workers and how they keep us safe. Also they will demonstrate places where you can find a police officer, firefighter, and cross guard. Ask questions on how they protect us .
Culture: This lesson students will name several holiday and identify the similarities comparing students and other cultures. The lesson provides pictures of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. The students are the teacher discuss the pictures and compare them to how students from America celebrate.
Review of Social Studies kit or game
Game: http://games.funschool.com/games This purpose of the game is to learn more about where the animals live in the world and what type of environment in which is (climate, landforms, etc). The classroom can use this game to become more aware of the habitats of animals and where they are located in the world.
Review of five children's books
This book used the preamble to the Constitution as the text. The illustrations provide an explanation of what it really means for a children's perspective. This can be used to understand the rules the government has develop and how those laws help us. (civics)
The book is about a dog named Tulip and his owner. They travel cross country and the illustrations provided give more information to what the landforms look like. This book can be used as a geography lesson to find different landforms. (geography)
The story is based on the Nashua River. The book describes the history of the river and how it has changed over time. The book can be used as a tool to teach the historical perspective and the changes over time. (historical perspective)
Marvelosissimo the Mathematical Magician is willing to tell you what you could do with one million dollars. Also the illustrations show the worth of a million dollars with coins (quarter, dimes, pennies). The book can be used in a economy lesson. (economy)
This is a folk tale from Italy. The woman named Strega Nona has a magical pot that make pasta and the pot does not stop. The book can be used for culture. The students can compare this folktale to an American folktale. (culture)
Review of resources in the Educational Resource Center
Math game or kit could be used to teach Social Studies:
Title: Math Center: K
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company
The kit provides cards that has dice to count , add, and subtract . There are more cards used as matching games from digital clock to other clock. The kit had boards to play games using counting and adding skills. Also Math Center connected other subject matter into math lesson including posters with poems that relate to math. This kit can be used for social studies under economics. There is a poster for "Pop Goes the Weasel" and change the value of the money throughout the song. Also culture can be incorporated in the lesson. There is a Spanish counting song.
Science kit that can used to teach Social Studies
Resource: Real Science by William Kyle and was published be SRA/McGraw-Hill. The kit included a text book and posters that can be ued for different activities for reinforcement. Students relate the habitat of different animals to a map of geography. The students can play a matching game what continent with the animal.
Language Arts Kit that can be used to teach Social Studies
Haley, S. (1990). English. New York: Houghton Mifflin English. The kit included text book, teacher's guide, workbook for students, and teacher's guide for the workbook. This can be used in Social Studies lesson on the topic of families. The unit can discuss different cultures as well as historical perspectives if there are any traditions that are in a particular family.
Review of 10 Websites
Civics Online: http://www.civics-online.org/ This website focuses on civics in America. They provide information that students can use with ease. They can find a word STUDENTS and click on it. This link provides countless resources. The teachers can use this website as a resource for the lesson on civics.
National Standards for Civics and Government: http://civiced.org.k4toc.htm
http://www.civiced.org/k4toc.htm National Standards for Civics and Government. The website is set up as a question and answer format. They provide questions for each part of civics they can be accounted for testing. If clicked on the categories it provides a link to answer all aspects of the specific topic. Teachers can use this as a review or a quiz on how they can research some material.
http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/november/geography_activities.html Monthly themes. This is a website that is divided into different topics in social studies. Teachers can use this website for lesson plan ideas.
· History
http://www.usahistory.com/noframe.htm USA History
The website consist of different ways of teaching history. Students and teachers can use this as resource. The teacher can use this to better inform the students. Also the teacher can use while presenting information.
http://pbskids.org/wayback / Way Back
It is a website that has varying topics for students to research. Now there re focusing on the history of presidents. On the bottom of the page they have listed more topics of American history. The teacher can assign the students activities to help reinforce learning.
· economics, http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/tempo/VCCB/TextSets2/Textsets37.html
This website displays information concerning how this should be apart of the curriculum as early as Kindergarten and first grade. At this website teacher can use as a resource on how to make connections with other subject matter . Children’s literature is included with the lessons and explain how it relates to economics.
www.stockchat2.com/stock-trading/ economics-for-children.html This is the website designated for the learning more on economy and how the stock exchange works at a simpler level. The teacher can assign students a stock to check on periodically.
· geography,
www.nationalgeographic.com National Geographic (maps, photographs travel, and more) Microsoft internet IF a person clicked for Kids the website will include picture of different places, provides coloring sheets, article and games to learn more about the earth. The short movies can be presented in the classroom for instruction.
http://www.50states.com/ States and Captials This is a resource for students and teachers. The website has it divided into states. When a person click on one of the state, the screen fills up on information about the chosen state. Teachers can use this by letting older students research information about a state using this website.
· culture
http://www.byu.edu/mse/diversity/activities.html
This can be used more with the teachers than with students. It describes the meaning of diversity and it significance. Also the website provides links to further a person’s growth in their knowledge about cultures. Teachers can use this as tool to help adapt teaching styles.
http://www.nativeamericanoutlet.com/nativeamerican/ each site
This is a website students can use a resource for further learning. Also teachers can use this as a display of artifacts made by Native Americans. Teachers can use this for historical perspective by showing students another perspective of Columbus Day or Thanksgiving.
8. Review of community, national, or state resources should include:
Lost River Cave
(270) 393-0077
2830 Nashville Rd
Bowling Green, KY 42101
Fax: (270) 393-0076
http://www.lostrivercave.com/
Lost River Cave is a historical place in Bowling Green Ky. The resources include history, updates on the topics, educational program. As a field trip students can visit the area to learn about the geography and the history of the place.
Local Historical Places
Fountain
Square Park
http://www.bgky.org/history/ftsqpark.htm This is a place that can be
used a historical park. Teachers can use this as a field trip to find historical
sites in their own community.
Riverview at Hobson Grove
1100 West Main Street
Tours are Tues. - Sat. 10am-4 pm and Sun. 1-4pm
Closed on holidays and in January.
Phone: 270-843-5565
http://www.bgky.org/riverview
This is a place to relate the civil war to the students. Bowling Green,
Kentucky has connections with civil war an it can make history real to them.