NOTRE DAME OF SALAMAN COLLEGE, INC.

Founded in 1965 by the Oblates

Owned by the Archdiocese of Cotabato
Managed by the Diocesan Clergy of Cotabato (DCC)

“Service for the Love of God through Mary”

(B.E.S.T)
COURSE WORK PLAN FOR SECOND SEMESTER
School Year 2020-2021
Week 1-2
Course Code : SSC 2
Program/Year : BEED 2
Descriptive Title : Teaching Social Studies in Elementary Grades (Culture
and Geography)
Duration : March 2021 – July 2021 (54 hours)
Time/Day : 3 hours per week
Number of Hours : 3 hours every week for 18 weeks or 54 hours in a
semester
Course Instructor : Jomar D. Balanay, LPT
jomardbalanay2018@gmail.com/ Valar Morghulis
09381709278

Course Description
The course aims to equip the students in the BEED program a strong background in local history and culture.
This background serves as an avenue for further inquiry of the available resources in the community for the
localization and contextualization of teaching of elementary subjects. Areas to be studied include natural heritage of
the locality, tangible and intangible culture that are of great significance to the socioeconomic and political activities
of the people in the place. In the end they are expected to come up with the profiling of available cultural resources
in the community.

Course Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, the students will be able to:

1. evaluate the importance of social studies and its purpose in primary educational environments;
2. describe what powerful social studies looks like and identify important elements of such instruction;
3. explain the role of inquiry, concepts, Big Ideas and Essential Questions in social studies curriculum units;
4. implement effective instructional strategies for teaching concepts, skills, and attitudes in the elementary
classroom;
5. develop lessons, individualize materials, identify appropriate assessment strategies, and plan unit of study
using the formats provided;
6. evaluate major resources for social studies education and describe trends in the field relevant to teaching in
our changing information age society;
7. describe the importance of local history in teaching social studies;
8. create a profile of the different cultural resources in the local community.

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The Importance of Social Studies, Culture and Geography

The focus of teaching and learning in the social studies, history, and geography curriculum is on the
development of essential knowledge and skills. Students must develop a thorough knowledge of basic concepts that
they can apply in a wide range of situations. They must also develop the broad-based skills that are vital to success in
the world of work: they must learn to evaluate different points of view and examine information critically to solve
problems and make decisions on a variety of issues.

Social Studies

Social studies seeks to examine and understand communities, from the local to the global, their various
heritages, physical systems, and the nature of citizenship within them. Students acquire a knowledge of key social
studies concepts, including change, culture, environment, power, and the dynamics of the marketplace. They learn
about Canada and the role of citizens in a democratic society within a culturally diverse and interdependent world.
They also acquire skills of inquiry and communication through field studies and other research projects; through the
use of maps, globes, and models; and through the consideration of various forms of historical evidence. Students
apply these skills to develop an understanding of Canadian identity and democratic values, to evaluate different
points of view, and to examine information critically in order to solve problems and make decisions on issues that
are relevant to their lives.

Geography

Geography is the study of place. It examines the earth’s physical systems and the people in them. It also
investigates how people and environments affect each other. In the study of geography, students learn to gather,
organize, analyze, and present information obtained from fieldwork, models, simulations, aerial photographs,
satellite imaging, maps, and computers. The Grade 7 geography program introduces a conceptual framework built
around five themes: location/place, environment, region, interaction, and movement. Teachers will use these themes
to organize their instructional planning, and students will apply them to develop a geographic perspective to their
studies. By integrating various aspects of place, the study of geography provides students with a unique opportunity
to learn about the world around them.

The Goals of Social Studies, Culture and Geography Education

A basic goal of the social studies, history, and geography program is to provide students with the
foundational knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need to continue to learn effectively in secondary school.
Thus, the goals of the curriculum are to enable students to:

 understand the basic concepts of social studies, history, and geography;

 develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for effective inquiry and communication,
and for the application of the basic concepts of social studies, history, and geography to a variety of
learning tasks;
 relate and apply the knowledge acquired through social studies and the study of history and
geography to the world outside the classroom.

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 These goals are equally important. They can be achieved simultaneously in a concrete, practical context
through learning activities that combine the acquisition of knowledge with the application of various skills, including
inquiry/research, communication, and map, globe, and graphic representation skills.

Concepts Underlying the Social Studies, Culture and Geography Curriculum

The curriculum in social studies, Grades 1 to 6, and in culture and geography, Grades 7 and 8, organizes
students’ learning around a set of fundamental concepts: systems and structures; interactions and interdependence;
environment; change and continuity; culture; and power and governance. Culture and geography offer different
perspectives on these concepts. In culture, for example, students may consider change and continuity over a
relatively short period that covers only a few years in the story of a country or person. In geography, on the other
hand, they may use this same concept to study much longer time periods covering the slow, almost imperceptible,
changes in some physical features.

Although the specific content of programs changes from grade to grade, the conceptual framework within
which topics are presented remains consistent throughout the curriculum, from Grades 1 to 12, and gives continuity
to students’ learning. As students progress through the curriculum, they extend and deepen their understanding of
these concepts and learn to apply this understanding with increasing sophistication.

Understanding relationships among concepts is also an important part of student learning. Each of the
fundamental concepts can be linked with a number of related concepts that help to explain the concept further.

Roles and Responsibilities in Social Studies, Culture, and Geography Education

 Students
 Students have many responsibilities with regard to their learning, and these increase as they advance
through elementary and secondary school. Students who are willing to make the effort required and
who are able to apply themselves will soon discover that there is a direct relationship between this
effort and their achievement, and will therefore be more motivated to work. There will be some
students, however, who will find it more difficult to take responsibility for their learning because of
special challenges they face. For these students, the attention, patience, and encouragement of
teachers can be extremely important factors for success. However, taking responsibility for their own
progress and learning is an important part of education for all students, regardless of their
circumstances.
 Successful mastery of concepts and skills in social studies, history, and geography requires a sincere
commitment to work, study, and the development of cooperative skills. Furthermore, students must
actively pursue opportunities outside the classroom to extend and enrich their understanding of these
subjects. For example, it is recommended that they create their own files on current events that relate
to their areas of study, or that they explore subject-related recreational reading materials.
 Parents
 Parents have an important role to play in supporting students’ learning. Studies show that students
perform better in school if their parents or guardians are involved in their education. By becoming
familiar with the curriculum, parents can find out what is being taught in each grade and what their
child is expected to learn. This awareness will enhance parents’ ability to discuss schoolwork with
their child, to communicate with teachers, and to ask relevant questions about their child’s progress.

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 Knowledge of the expectations in the various grades also helps parents to interpret their child’s
report card and to work with teachers to improve their child’s learning.
 There are other effective ways in which parents can support students’ learning: attending parent-
teacher interviews, participating in parent workshops and school council activities (including
becoming a school council member), and encouraging students to complete their assignments at
home are just a few examples.
 The social studies, culture, and geography curriculum has the potential to stimulate interest in
lifelong learning not only for students but also for their parents and all those with an interest in
education. In addition to supporting regular school activities, parents may wish to encourage their
sons and daughters to take an active interest in current events and issues, and provide them with
opportunities to question and reflect on what is happening in the world.
 Parents can also provide valuable support for their children’s learning by taking an interest in their
out-of-school activities. This might include encouraging their children to participate in activities that
develop responsible citizenship, such as reading to a younger child, running errands for a senior
citizen, helping a local volunteer organization, or participating in an environmental clean-up
program in their neighborhood.

 Teachers
 Teachers and students have complementary responsibilities. Teachers are responsible for developing
appropriate instructional strategies and methods for assessing and evaluating students’ learning.
Teachers bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the classroom,
addressing different students’ needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for every student.
 Using a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerous
opportunities for students to develop skills of inquiry and communication and acquire map, globe,
and graphic representation skills while discovering and learning fundamental concepts. The
activities offered should enable students to relate and apply these concepts to the societal,
environmental, and economic conditions and concerns of the world in which they live. Opportunities
to relate knowledge and skills to these wider contexts will motivate students to learn in a meaningful
way and to become lifelong learners.
 Principals
 The principal works in partnership with teachers and parents to ensure that each student has access
to the best possible educational experience. To support students’ learning, principals ensure that the
Ontario curriculum is being properly implemented in all classrooms using a variety of instructional
approaches, and that appropriate resources are made available for teachers and students. To enhance
teaching and student learning in all subjects, including social studies, history, and geography,
principals promote learning teams and work with teachers to facilitate teacher participation in
professional development activities. Principals are responsible for ensuring that each exceptional
student is receiving appropriate modifications and/or accommodations, as described in his or her
Individual Education Plan (IEP).

The Program in Social Studies, History, and Geography

 Curriculum Expectations
 Two sets of expectations are listed for each grade in each strand, or broad area of the curriculum, in
social studies for Grades 1 to 6, and for each topic in culture and geography for Grades 7 and 8:

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  The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are
expected to achieve and apply by the end of each grade.
 The specific expectations describe the expected knowledge and skills in greater detail. The specific
expectations are grouped under subheadings that reflect particular aspects of the required knowledge
and skills and that may serve as a guide for teachers as they plan learning activities for their students.
The subheadings for social studies, culture, and geography are: Knowledge and Understanding;
Inquiry/Research and Communication Skills; and Application. An additional subheading, Map,
Globe, and Graphic Skills, is included in the Canada and World Connections strand for Grades 1 to 6
and in geography for Grades 7 and 8. This organization is not meant to imply that the expectations in
any one group are achieved independently of the expectations in the other groups. The subheadings
are used merely to help teachers focus on particular aspects of knowledge and skills as they develop
and present various lessons and learning activities for their students.
 Teachers will examine both overall and specific expectations in their ongoing assessment of
students’ learning so that they can plan appropriate teaching and learning experiences.
 Many of the expectations are accompanied by examples, given in parentheses. These examples are
meant to illustrate the kind of skill, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the
level of complexity that the expectation entails. They are intended as a guide for teachers rather than
as an exhaustive or mandatory list. For example, in Canada and World Connections: Grade 2 –
Features of Communities Around the World, there is a specific expectation that students will:
-identify similarities and differences (e.g., in food, clothing, homes, recreation, land use,
transportation, language) between their community and a community in another part of the world.
 Teachers do not have to cover the full list of examples but might select two or three areas of focus
from that list, or might choose areas of focus that are not included in the list.

Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement

 Basic Considerations
 The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Information
gathered through assessment helps teachers to determine students’ strengths and weaknesses in their
achievement of the curriculum expectations in each subject in each grade. This information also
serves to guide teachers in adapting curriculum and instructional approaches to students’ needs and
in assessing the overall effectiveness of programs and classroom practices.
 Assessment is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources (including assignments,
demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests) that accurately reflects how well a student is
achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject. As part of assessment, teachers provide students
with descriptive feedback that guides their efforts towards improvement. Evaluation refers to the
process of judging the quality of student work on the basis of established criteria, and assigning a
value to represent that quality. In Ontario elementary schools, the value assigned will be in the form
of a letter grade for Grades 1 to 6 and a percentage grade for Grades 7 and 8.
 Assessment and evaluation will be based on the provincial curriculum expectations and the
achievement levels outlined in this document.
 In order to ensure that assessment and evaluation are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the
improvement of student learning, teachers must use assessment and evaluation strategies that:
 address both what students learn and how well they learn;

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 
are based both on the categories of knowledge and skills and on the achievement level
descriptions given in the achievement chart on pages 12–13;
 are varied in nature, administered over a period of time, and designed to provide opportunities
for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
 are appropriate for the learning activities used, the purposes of instruction, and the needs and
experiences of the students;
 are fair to all students;
 accommodate the needs of exceptional students, consistent with the strategies outlined in their
Individual Education Plan;
 accommodate the needs of students who are learning the language of instruction (English or
French);
 ensure that each student is given clear directions for improvement;
 promote students’ ability to assess their own learning and to set specific goals;
 include the use of samples of students’ work that provide evidence of their achievement;
 are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year and at other
appropriate points throughout the year.
 All curriculum expectations must be accounted for in instruction, but evaluation focuses on students’
achievement of the overall expectations. The overall expectations are broad in nature, and the
specific expectations define the particular content or scope of the knowledge and skills referred to in
the overall expectations. A student’s achievement of the overall expectations, as represented by his
or her achievement of related specific expectations, must be evaluated. Teachers will use their
professional judgment to determine which specific expectations should be used to evaluate
achievement of the overall expectations, and which ones will be covered in instruction and
assessment (e.g., through direct observation) but not necessarily evaluated.
 The characteristics given in the achievement chart (see pages 12–13) for level 3, which is the
“provincial standard” for the grade, identify a high level of achievement of the overall expectations.
Parents of students achieving at level 3 in a particular grade can be confident that their children will
be prepared for work at the next grade.
 Level 1 identifies achievement that falls much below the provincial standard, while still reflecting a
passing grade. Level 2 identifies achievement that approaches the standard. Level 4 identifies
achievement that surpasses the standard. It should be noted that achievement at level 4 does not
mean that the student has achieved expectations beyond those specified for a particular grade. It
indicates that the student has achieved all or almost all of the expectations for that grade, and that he
or she demonstrates the ability to use the knowledge and skills specified for that grade in more
sophisticated ways than a student achieving at level 3.
 The Ministry of Education provides teachers with materials that will assist them in improving their
assessment methods and strategies and, hence, their assessment of student achievement. These
materials include samples of student work (exemplars) that illustrate achievement at each of the four
levels.
 The Achievement Chart for Social Studies, History, and Geography
 The achievement chart that follows identifies four categories of knowledge and skills in social
studies, history, and geography. The achievement chart is a standard province-wide guide to be used
by teachers. It enables teachers to make judgments about students’ work that are based on clear
performance standards and on a body of evidence collected over time.

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  The achievement chart is designed to:
 provide a framework that encompasses all curriculum expectations for all grades and
subjects represented in this document;
 guide the development of assessment tasks and tools (including rubrics);
 help teachers to plan instruction for learning;
 assist teachers in providing meaningful feedback to students;
 provide various categories and criteria with which to assess and evaluate student learning.
 Categories of knowledge and skills
 The categories, defined by clear criteria, represent four broad areas of knowledge and skills within
which the subject expectations for any given grade are organized. The four categories should be
considered as interrelated, reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning.
 The categories of knowledge and skills are described as follows:
 Knowledge and Understanding
o Subject-specific content acquired in each grade (knowledge), and the
comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).
 Thinking
o The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes, as follows:
- planning skills (e.g., focusing research, gathering information, organizing an
inquiry)
- processing skills (e.g., analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing)
- critical/creative thinking processes (e.g., inquiry, problem solving, decision
making, research)
 Communication
o The conveying of meaning through various forms, as follows:
- oral (e.g., story, role play, song, debate)
- written (e.g., report, letter, diary)
- visual (e.g., model, map, chart, movement, video, computer graphics)
 Application
o The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various
contexts.
 Teachers will ensure that student work is assessed and/or evaluated in a balanced manner with
respect to the four categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is considered within
the appropriate categories.
 Criteria
 Within each category in the achievement chart, criteria are provided, which are subsets of the
knowledge and skills that define each category. For example, in Knowledge and Understanding, the
criteria are “knowledge of content (e.g., facts, terms, definitions)” and “understanding of content
(e.g., concepts, ideas, theories, procedures, processes, methodologies, and/or technologies)”. The
criteria identify the aspects of students’ performance that are assessed and/or evaluated, and serve as
guides to what to look for.
 Descriptors
 A “descriptor” indicates the characteristic of the student’s performance, with respect to a particular
criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused. In the achievement chart, effectiveness is
the descriptor used for each criterion in the Thinking, Communication, and Application categories.

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 What constitutes effectiveness in any given performance task will vary with the particular criterion
being considered. Assessment of effectiveness may therefore focus on a quality such as
appropriateness, clarity, accuracy, precision, logic, relevance, significance, fluency, flexibility,
depth, or breadth, as appropriate for the particular criterion. For example, in the Thinking category,
assessment of effectiveness might focus on the degree of relevance or depth apparent in an analysis;
in the Communication category, on clarity of expression or logical organization of information and
ideas; or in the Application category, on appropriateness or breadth in the making of connections.
Similarly, in the Knowledge and Understanding category, assessment of knowledge might focus on
accuracy, and assessment of understanding might focus on the depth of an explanation. Descriptors
help teachers to focus their assessment and evaluation on specific knowledge and skills for each
category and criterion, and help students to better understand exactly what is being assessed and
evaluated.
 Qualifiers
 A specific “qualifier” is used to define each of the four levels of achievement – that is, limited for
level 1, some for level 2, considerable for level 3, and a high degree or thorough for level 4. A
qualifier is used along with a descriptor to produce a description of performance at a particular level.
For example, the description of a student’s performance at level 3 with respect to the first criterion in
the Thinking category would be: “the student uses planning skills with considerable effectiveness”.

Teaching-Learning Activities

Activity 1: Let Us Reflect! (To be written on a whole sheet of paper – minimum of 100 words.

From the lesson, “The Importance of Social Studies, Culture and Geography,” I learned that
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.

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