Challenges to Social Studies Literacy

Michael A. Kopish, Ph.D.Plymouth State University

Challenges of Social Studies Instruction1. Limited background knowledge

Chronology of events (i.e. students “miss” a portion)

Geography (i.e. distances) Cultural variations

Challenges of Social Studies Instruction2. Limited points of view in many social studies

materials Textbooks tell the “story” from the point of

view from “heroes” or “victors.” Perspectives from those effected are often

missing – Eurocentric perspective

Challenges of Social Studies Instruction3. Unfamiliarity with the formats and the

instructional styles used in social studies classes.

i.e. procedures for report writing, oral presentations, classroom discussions

How might one form a paragraph; compare and contrast issues, perspectives; provide warrants to support claims; or communicate cause and effects?

Challenges of Social Studies Instruction4. High vocabulary density in social studies

materials Terms and concepts go far beyond the

highlights of the text Terms can be abstract as opposed to concrete

Federalism, division, democracy, government, economy, citizen, constitution, subjects, supreme

Manifest destiny, imperialism, civil rights SNCC, TVA, GAO

What is a Text Structure?Text structure refers to the internal

organization of a textAs authors write a text to communicate an

idea, they will use a structure that goes along with the idea (Meyer , 1985)

Challenges of Social Studies Instruction5. A complex variety of genre and sentence

structures in social studies materials Expository writing vs. narrative writing Unclear referents

Sentences that begin with “It” – referring to? Confusing visual organization

Headers do not preview or summarize the section Illustrations are unconnected “add-ons”

Complicated sentences Embedded clauses and complicated verb structures

“supposed to have taken” and “need no longer fear”

Challenges of Social Studies Instruction6. Heavy reliance on advanced literacy skills,

with limited opportunities for hands-on activities

Assumption: High degree of literacy Assumption: Student connection of abstract

to concrete

Reflective Cycle

Successful Social Studies Instructional Strategies1. Offer opportunities to communicate

about social studies – in oral, written, physical, or pictorial forms

2. Make connections between the content taught and students’ real-life experiences.

3. Use the students as resources for information about lives, culture, native background.

4. Activate students’ background knowledge.

Successful Social Studies Instructional Strategies5. Provide hands-on and performance-

based activities6. Promote critical thinking and study

skills development7. Pay attention to language issues and

employ strategies that will help students learn the language of social studies

8. Use graphic organizers to help students represent information and identify relationships

Successful Social Studies Instructional Strategies9. Incorporate cooperative learning activities

and seek peer tutors among classmates10.Be process-oriented and provide modeling for

students to make transitions to academic tasks

11.Open discussion to different perspectives of history

12.Adjust instruction for the different learning styles of the students

13.Offer students choices and access to tools for learning

Golden Nuggets

Visual representations Opportunities to act out physically Tie to student experiences Develop sentence structures and skills with

more extensive discourse patterns Teacher & students learn to paraphrase Connect with shared concrete experiences Follow-up literacy activities (read about the

election and conduct an election Role play

Golden Nuggets

Guided practice for writing Narrative writing (writing that tells a story) Descriptive writing (to describe a  person, 

place or thing in such away that a picture is formed in

the reader's mind) Persuasive writing (main goal is to persuade or

convince someone) Expository writing (to explain, describe, give

information or inform)

Golden Nuggets

Identify structures in social studies texts Sequential (chronological) – a main idea is supported by

details that must be in a particular order [first, next, later, and finally]

Cause-effect – supporting details of two or more main ideas indicate how those concepts are similar or different [cause, effect, as a result, consequently]

Problem-solution – shows a problem and how it can be solved [problem, solution, solve, effect, hopeful]

Description/Enumeration – a major idea is supported by a list of details or examples [next to, on top of, beside, so forth]

Comparison-contrast – supporting details of two or more main ideas indicate how those concepts are similar or different [like, similar, unlike, on the other hand, also, too]