Few things are more important to classroom success than good planning. Please read TSSFFAP Chapter 3 (Once Around the Race Course: Developing Effective Social Sciences Curriculum) and do on-line quiz. Then look at the South Dakota State Social Studies Standards and the National Council of Social Studies Teachers standards in any one social studies area of your choice:
Do you find the material here helpful in clarifying what/how you should teach? In what ways do the materials here go along with the suggestions for good curriculum planning suggested in TSSFFAP? What problems do you see with these standards?
I am going to have to dissent from the group so far. I will admit that I didn’t read the entire table of contents of the NCSS, but I look at their 10 themes in social science. Then I took a careful look at how the State had their learning objective broke down, but don’t see a great restriction. These were not, “Memorize George Washington’s Birthday,” all or nothing type history questions, they were broad themes that I think I’ll be able to work within do develop lesson plans that are fun, exciting, and purpose driven. Most of the specifics mentioned in these standards I interpreted as mere suggestions anyway. The State regulation does seem long and cumbersome at 27 pages of standards to meet.
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