Classroom Vignette
The Evolution of a Social Studies Teacher— Integrating Literacy
by Dwayne Marshall
I've got my social studies textbook. I'm ready to teach!
I was a brand-new teacher, fresh out of college, and I thought this is the way it's
done. I didn't realize then that I would come to understand that my textbook alone
wasn't enough— that it didn't provide the scope needed for my course or for my teaching
style. Over the years and through a variety of experiences, that would change.
My first teaching job was in middle school, teaching eighth graders American history.
With very little professional development my first year, there was no support for
looking at alternative methods or different learning styles, and there was no collaboration
with other teachers on academics, only discipline issues. In fact, the focus was
on traditional teaching, mostly lecture with projects on the side.
What I learned over the next two years was that I loved history, but most of my
students didn't, and I had a hard time convincing them to see history the way I
saw— and still see— it. When students left my class, I wanted them to have an appreciation
of the past and a recognition that by understanding the past, they were better equipped
to control the future. But the way I was doing it wasn't the best way to achieve
that objective.
ACOT
A vice principal saw my dilemma and encouraged me to look at the option of applying
for the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) program. I was hesitant because I had
job security, and yet I didn't fit the mold of the school. I couldn't see myself
lecturing for the next thirty years in a teacher-centered classroom. I had to do
something different or find another profession.
So after two years of teaching in middle school, I left to join ACOT, which at that
time was a pilot program at Columbus West High School.*
Sponsored by Apple Computer, ACOT gave students the opportunity to take English,
social studies, math, and science in a technology-enriched program. The program
gave teachers the opportunity to create a learning environment that helped students
to think critically and become lifelong learners.
Team Teaching— History and
Language Arts
We used an interdisciplinary approach, and I was teamed with an English teacher.
After intensive technology training and professional development devoted to pedagogy,
my supervisor handed me my American history textbook and said, "Don't live by this— not
in this environment." I was encouraged to think outside the box and teach outside
the book. I was apprehensive at first, but I also thought it was cool. Here I was
in my third year of teaching, and other people appreciated me as a professional
who could make history meaningful and relevant to students in a variety of ways.
By the end of the year, I could see my teaching style evolving as I collaborated
with my partner. We taught American studies, a course that integrated American history
and English. Not only did it change my style from teacher-centered to student-centered,
but it also showed me, with the help of my partner, that incorporating literature
and writing into the teaching of history made the content more meaningful. Every
educator knows that reading is essential to student learning, and using literature
in social studies helps students have a better appreciation of history.
The first year was a definite stretch— we had to blend American history and American
literature. My teaching partner and I were entering a new arena with different ideas
on how to do this. Neither of us had taught the course before, and we had few guidelines
for American studies beyond the course content. In fact, we had no guidelines on
how to do it. Actually, this was a positive, because
we were free to develop our own course.
We found that it was easier to take the history component as the framework for our
course and see how the language arts component— the literature and the writing— flowed
into it. We learned from each other, while the students benefited the most.
Teaching the American Revolution
As I consider how my teaching and subject matter has changed as a result of integrating
language arts into my curriculum, I remember what I used to do when I taught the
American Revolution in middle school. I used to lecture, give notes, maybe assign
an individual project, and basically try to get students through it as quickly as
possible so that we could finish our textbook by the end of the year. How did I
change? I began to go deeper into the subject than broader. As we looked at the
American Revolution, my partner and I introduced our students to the letters from
Abigail Adams in order to understand the toll war takes on individuals. We had our
students read April Morning (by Howard Fast) in order
to support and humanize events of the war. Collaborative groups composed their own
Declarations of Independence, an assignment particularly relevant to this age group.
Our students also kept historical "personal" journals in which they commented about
real-life revolutionary people they "met" and significant events in which they "participated."
Teaching the Great Depression
Another topic that we covered was the Great Depression. The heart of our study of
the Great Depression was not the historical events of that era; instead, everything
was built around Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath.
As students read the book, they learned about the various aspects of the Depression,
including the stock market crash, the suffering that people experienced, and the
devastating Dust Bowl. Our minority students, especially, showed great interest
in the rebellion of the Okies and the union members against oppressive authority— they
could relate to that. Much of this unit was project-based; examples of student projects
included video oral histories from relatives who had lived through this era as well
as researched economics presentations that linked the events of the novel.
Through this project-based, interactive curriculum, our students did more than just
memorize dates and events. I realized that with this constructivist approach— incorporating
both the history and literature about the time— students were able to see the relevancy
of this major event in American history. They had a deeper understanding of and
a greater respect for those who lived during this time. The Grapes
of Wrath made the Great Depression real to my students.
Teaching Solo— History and Language Arts
When I left ACOT after nine years, I didn't leave behind what I learned about interdisciplinary
teaching. In fact, it helped me to land a new job at Gahanna Lincoln High School.
The school was looking for an educator who had experience teaching in a student-centered
classroom, someone who didn't just live "by the book."
Although I no longer team-teach with a language arts teacher, I continue to link
language arts and social studies, using literature to enhance both my American government
and American history courses. When my students have completed the course, I want
them to be able to think critically, appreciate the freedoms that our type of government
offers, and question what they hear.
Using Literature in American Government Class
My government students read two books: Animal Farm and
1984, written by George Orwell. Both these novels help
us to achieve the goals noted above. Reading books is not the most popular activity
in my students' lives; and as you can imagine, I get a lot of complaints from students
about why they are reading literature in government class: "This is not an English
class!" "Why are we doing this?" I remind them that reading is an essential part
of learning and understanding. Students need to have a background on how democracy
works. I tell them that in order for a democracy to succeed, citizens have to be
educated. By reading Orwell's novels, my students can see what happens when citizens
aren't educated enough to question the actions of government in a constructive way
and how they can become slaves when the government controls their thoughts and their
learning.
Along with study sheets, which accompany the reading of the novels, students are
involved in in-depth discussions, which relate not only to the events of the novel
but also to different forms of government such as anarchy, totalitarianism, and
dictatorship. Ultimately, I want my students to question their own government's
actions, both positive and negative.
Other so-called language arts practices that I incorporate into my government course
include the required senior notebook, which is a product of research and reflection,
and the student interview papers. I assess not only the content of these compositions,
but also the level of writing— considering factual accuracy, ability to communicate,
and grammar and mechanics. In American history, we study such themes as the Harlem
Renaissance, which includes the poetry of Langston Hughes and Paul Laurence Dunbar.
We also use Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" as an assignment that encourages
students to complete a creative writing project by rewriting the song using their
own lyrics and important events of assigned decades.
Using Literature in African American Studies
As I plan for the future, I have a new challenge in the manner in which African
American history is taught. I now believe that the focus should be on African American
studies, not just the history. This will necessitate a separate course because of
the scope of the content. As I work with another social studies teacher to design
this, the framework will include the cultural heritage of African Americans, contributions
of African Americans to the United States and the world, concepts of assimilation,
and a historical perspective to analyze contemporary issues in American politics,
art, music, literature, and economics. Students will engage in various projects
and literary studies and analyze complex cultural concepts.
The Evolution Continues
Recently, I took a class entitled Reading Across Content Areas. It included a number
of techniques and resources for helping students understand their informational
text. Some examples: We learned to mark difficult text
to bring up in class discussion. We learned the importance of linking to prior knowledge
and creating background information. And we used Janet's Allen flip chart and Cris
Tovani's videos on how to work with struggling readers. As I continue to evolve
as a teacher who values literacy, I have found that my learning never ends.
*The ACOT program was phased out in June 1999.
Dwayne Marshall has been teaching social studies for twenty-one years and is currently
at the high school in Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools, where he is also the head
coach for boys' soccer. He is a field professor at Ohio State University, serving
as the coordinator for student teachers in social studies assigned to Gahanna Lincoln
High School. In addition, he helps to design and teach the methods course for those
same student teachers.
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