Wisconsin Makes The Case For Elementary Social Studies
Dr. Linda Kuhaupt
NOTE: There is no recording for this webinar.
Wisconsin Makes The Case For Elementary Social Studies
Key Takeaways
This webinar takes a look at how two districts in Wisconsin - Appleton Area School District and Oconomowoc Area School District - are prioritizing social studies aligned to the Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies. This webinar, co-sponsored by inquirED and Ahrens Education Group, connects to the series of webinars sponsored by the National Council for the Social Studies and inquirED on Making the Case for Social Studies across the country.
Anne Matz, Director of Partnerships at inquirED, interviewed a panel of Wisconsin district social studies leaders to explore how they are meeting the need for elementary social studies instruction across their schools. The panel included:
- Linda Kuhaupt, Director of English Language Arts and Social Studies (EC-6), Appleton Area School District
- John Flannery, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Oconomowoc Area School District
- Elizabeth Schmocker, Instructional Technology Coordinator, Oconomowoc Area School District
Both Appleton Area School District and Oconomowoc Area School District are making changes to social studies this year by adopting a new social studies curriculum, Inquiry Journeys. During the webinar, they discussed rebounding from the marginalization of social studies of the last decade and finding a curriculum that meets the emphasis on inquiry in their Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies which were released in 2018.
Both districts describe how they explored writing their own curriculum before deciding to partner with inquirED and use Inquiry Journeys, inquirED’s K-6 Social Studies Curriculum. The district leaders share the obstacles they faced in attempting to write their own curriculum. Then, they share the selection process and tools they developed for leading teacher committees to choose a curriculum. Finally, they discuss their implementation plan in the first year of adoption of Inquiry Journeys.
Resources
Sample Tools for Social Studies Curriculum Selection:
- Curriculum Selection Rubric from Oconomowoc Area School District Social Studies Committee
- Appleton Area School District Social Studies Committee Principles and Collective Commitment
- Appleton Area School District Survey of Social Studies Committee Members
Books on inquiry-based learning that panelists from Oconomowoc and Appleton Area School Districts recommended:
- Inquiry Design Model: Building Inquiries in Social Studies by Kathy Swan, John Lee, and S.G. Grant
- Illuminated Inquiry: Researcher’s Workshop across the Curriculum by Anne Goudvis, Stephanie Harvey and Brad Buhrow
- The Curious Classroom: 10 Structures for Teaching with Student-Directed Inquiry by Harvey “Smokey” Daniels
- Comprehension and Collaboration, Revised Edition: Inquiry Circles for Curiosity, Engagement and Understanding by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey “Smokey” Daniels
Additional study and resource mentioned:
- Together When Apart, inquirED Distance-Learning Curriculum
- Fordham Institute's study on social studies and reading comprehension
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Inquiry Journeys, inquirED's K-5 social studies curriculum, engages students in inquiry-based learning, strengthens literacy skills, and supports teachers every step of the way.
inquirED was founded by teachers with the mission of bringing inquiry-based social studies to every classroom. Inquiry Journeys, inquirED’s elementary social studies curriculum, is used in schools and districts across the country to help students develop deep social studies content knowledge and build the inquiry skills that are essential for a thriving democracy.
