ExCET Social Studies Competencies:

31. Higher-order thinking.  The elementary teacher understands, applies, and encourages higher-order thinking skills (decision-making and problem solving).

One of the goals of social studies education is to foster effective higher-order thinking skills.  In the classroom, these appear as the following instructional strategies: discovery learning, inquiry, problem-solving, inductive thinking, and thinking skills.

32. Research.  The elementary teacher understands research skills and methods in social studies and demonstrates an ability to use these skills and methods to locate, organize, and analyze information.

Social studies teachers need to provide students opportunities to apply critical thinking skills to organize and use information from a variety of resources.  Students need to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, locate each of these types of sources, and be able to use each type.  Children must be given opportunities to explore history rather than simply be exposed to it.

33. Presenting and interpreting information.  The elementary teachers understands how to use a variety of methods, including visual and oral approaches, to present and interpret social studies information.

Statistics are numerical data that represent information about a given subject.  Graphs are a convenient way of organizing data.  Types of graphs include: line graphs, bar graphs, and circle graphs (pie charts).  Circle graphs are an easy way to show percentages: the full circle represents 100%, a half circle is 50%, and so on.  A time line is an effective method of illustrating time spans between events.  Maps are used to show distances, boundaries, climate, and physical features.  Photographs and cartoons are also used to represent data visually.

34. History.  The elementary teacher understands major developments, concepts, and generalizations related to Texas, U.S., and world history and can analyze their significance in historical and contemporary contexts.

U.S. history and international relations
? European exploration and settlement of the New World
? Begins in late 15th and early 16th century
? Spain's interest is mainly in areas of Central and South America
? French founded colonies in Canada and along the Mississippi River
? English settled along the eastern coast
? 1607 - Jamestown founded, the first permanent colony in North America
? 1620 - Pilgrims came for religious freedom
? came on Mayflower
? settled in Plymouth Colony
National unity
? England left colonists to govern themselves
? 1763, debts from French and Indian War made England levy taxes on colonists
? 1763 Stamp Act - tax on newspapers and legal documents
? 1767 Tea Tax - resulted in Boston Tea Party
? 1775 - Shot heard 'round the world - the beginning of the American Revolution
? 1776 - Declaration of Independence
? 1781 - Articles of Confederation was first constitution
? Characterized by a weak national government and strong state governments
? Challenges to national order resulted in a call for a new constitution
? The Constitution of 1787 replaced the Articles of Confederation
? Provided for a federal government - a mix of national and state governments
Regional differences
? 1803 Louisiana Purchase doubles the size of the U.S.
? Manifest destiny - the idea that the U.S. was destined to expand from ocean to ocean
? Sectionalism developed as regions diversified
? The north developed industry
? The south maintained a plantation system
? Sectional disputes resulted in a Civil War
? Confederacy (south)
? Leader: President Jefferson Davis
? Military leader: General Robert E. Lee
? Union (north)
? Leader: President Abraham Lincoln
? Military leader: General Ulysses S. Grant
Industrial growth
? As winner, the north had to reconstruct the south.
? Slavery was prohibited but south remained primarily agricultural
? The north intensified industrialization
? Immigrants flocked to the U.S. in search of jobs
? Hazardous working conditions led to the formation of unions
Reform movements
? Progressives sponsored legislation to protect the consumer
? 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote
? The 1920s were a time of unprecedented prosperity for the U.S.
? In 1929 it all ended with the stock market crash
? The Great Depression followed the crash
? FDR's New Deal legislation was designed to provide relief, recovery, and regulation
International affairs
? 1898 Spanish-American War
? 1914 World War I (begins in Europe)
? 1918 U.S. declares war on Germany and sends troops to Europe
? 1918 Treaty of Versailles sets post-war terms
? 1939 World War II (begins in Europe)
? 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. enters the war
? U.S. fights on 2 fronts: Germany and Italy in Europe theater; and Japan in Pacific theater
? 1945 Germany surrenders
? Japan surrenders after the U.S. drops 2 atomic bombs
International relations between the superpowers
? containment - the U.S. sought to contain communism
? cold war - the state of tension and hostility that existed between the U.S. and the Soviet Union
? 1950 Korean War - U.S. fought to prevent the expansion of communism
? 1953 the war ended with the division of Korea at the 38th parallel
? 1963 American began sending advisors to aid South Vietnam in their fight with the North
? 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Johnson authority to make the U.S. a principle combatant in the war with North Vietnam
? 1973 The U.S. withdraws from the Vietnam conflict
? 1975 the army of North Vietnam occupies Saigon and the country is unified under communist rule
? 1991 Operation Desert Storm committed U.S. troops to the Persian Gulf region in order to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi takeover
The present
? 1948 President Truman desegregates the military by executive order
? 1954 Brown vs. the Board of Education declared segregation unconstitutional
? 1960s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped make American aware of reacial injustices
? 1964 Civil Rights Act - barred discrimination in employment and housing
? 1957 the Soviet launch of Sputnik which triggered the space race
? resulted in the National Defense Education Act which aimed to train more scientists and engineers
? Environmental Protection Act passed to provide clean air and water
? Inflation grew under the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations
? The Reagan administration gained control of inflation, however a mounting federal budget deficit remained an unsolved problem
? In the 1990s the stock market achieved record setting highs

Texas history, geography, government, and economics
Earliest inhabitants
? Amerinds who crossed the land bridge between Asia and North America made their way to Texas around 7,000 years ago
? Nomadic bands who made war with other bands when their paths crossed
? Caddo nation - mound builders in East Texas
? Mainly agricultural and less warlike
? Were amiable to the white man which led to the destruction of the tribes from European diseases
? Karankawa - lived along the Gulf coast from Galveston to Corpus Christi
? Coahuiltecans - lived in South Texas
? Tonkawas - they ranged from the Edwards Plateau to the Brazos Valley in the Balcones Escarpment region
? Apaches - lived in the High Plains of Central Texas following the buffalo migrations
Early European exploration and development
? Spanish exploration and rule from 16th century
? Alonso Alvarez de Pineda - first known European to explore and map the Texas coastline
? Cabeza de Vaca - shipwrecked on what is now known as Galveston, explored Texas on the way to Mexico City, told the story of 7 cities of gold
? Francisco Vasquez de Coronado - led an expedition searching for the lost cities of gold
? French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle established Fort St. Louis in the Matagorda Bay area
? Spanish established missions to civilize the Indians and secure their claim on Texas
? A fort was established near the Alamo, in San Antonio, to protect the population from the French and Indians
? Stephen F. Austin, working from a land grant his father Moses secured, brought a group of American families to Texas (the Old Three Hundred)
? Relations between the Mexican government and the Texans were soon strained due to differences in government, language, and religion
Revolution, republic, and statehood
? The president of Mexico, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, sent a large force of Mexican troops into Texas in response to the unrest
? The Battle of Gonzales (1835) is considered the first battle for Texas independence
? The Battle of the Alamo (1836) resulted in the deaths of all 189 defenders including Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William B. Travis
? The Battle of San Jacinto (1836) was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.  General Sam Houston and the Texas army defeated the Mexican army and captured Santa Anna near present day Houston.
? Texas became an independent republic with Sam Houston as the first president
? Attempts to become a state were slowed because of the existence of slavery in Texas
? In 1845 U.S. President James Polk capitalized on the growing sentiment of manifest destiny to annex Texas despite the slavery issue
? In 1846 the Mexican-American War fixed the Texas border at the Rio Grande River
Geography, politics, and economics
? Texas is the second largest state in population and in territory
? 4 major land regions in Texas: Gulf Coastal Plains, North Central Plains, Great Plains, and Trans-Pecos Region
? Gulf Coastal Plain is made up of 2 areas: Piney Woods and the Rio Grande Valley
? Piney Woods in east Texas where farming and livestock make up the economy
? Rio Grande Valley where cotton and citrus fruits (oranges and grapefruit) are important
? North Central Plains is the Texas “hill country” where most of the land is devoted to livestock
? Great Plains is in the Texas Panhandle where some areas offer grasses and shrubs suitable for grazing cattle, sheep, and goats
? Trans-Pecos Region is west of the Pecos River in the Big Bend area.  All the mountains of Texas are in this region.  Harsh and dry, some cotton and alfalfa are grown.  The scenery makes this a popular tourist area
? Sam Houston was the first president of the Republic of Texas and Anson Jones was the last.
? Texas became the 28th state when admitted to the United States in 1845
? The capital of Texas is Austin
? The governor of Texas is elected to a four year term in November of even-numbered, non-presidential election years
? The Texas Legislature is made up of 2 houses: House of Representatives and Senate; the Legislature convenes for only 140 days every two years in odd numbered years
? House of Representatives consists of 150 representatives elected in even-numbered years
? 2 year term
? The Speaker of the House is chosen by the members at the beginning of the regular session
? Senate consists of 31 senators elected in four year overlapping terms
? Lieutenant Governor is the presiding officer
? Traditionally, the Texas economy is based on: cotton, cattle, and petroleum
? Cotton was “king” in Texas prior to the Civil War.  When slavery was abolished, sharecroppers kept cotton production competitive.
? The cattle kingdom, inherited from the Mexicans, spread across the west in the late 19th century.  Originally, the cattle business involved rounding up strays and driving them to market.  Cattle ranches developed as result of the invention of barbed wire.
? For most of the 20th century, petroleum was the basis for the Texas economy.  The first oil discovery was in 1901 at Spindletop near Beaumont.

35. Geography. The elementary teacher understands geographic concepts, generalizations and skills and recognizes the development of interrelationships among geography, society and culture in Texas, the United States, and the world.

? Physical geography - focuses on the Earth itself: soils, vegetation, climate, and resources
? Cultural geography - focuses on how human groups have lived and changed in relation to the physical environment
? climate - average weather conditions over a long period of time
? weather - atmospheric conditions during a short period
? equator - an imaginary circle equidistant from the poles that divides the earth into the northern and southern hemispheres
? temperate zones - the middle regions between the poles and the equator
? tropic of cancer - an imaginary circle that marks the northern limit of the tropics
? tropic of capricorn - an imaginary circle that marks the southern limit of the tropics
? renewable resources - those that can be replaced in the forseeable future (forests, etc.)
? non-renewable resources - those that can not be replaced (iron, gold, coal, oil, etc.)

36. Economics.  The elementary teacher understands basic economic concepts, generalizations, and systems and can relate the knowledge to historical and contemporary developments in Texas, the United States, and the world.

? 3 types of economic systems
? communism - the government owns all businesses and makes all production decisions
? socialism - wealth is equally distributed; the government controls some basic industries and public utilities, but other businesses are owned by individuals
? capitalism - individuals control the means of production, distribution, and exchange
? consumer - an individual who buys or uses goods and services for personal wants
? demand - the way consumers spend their money
? supply - amount of available goods and services
? 3 things a business needs to produce goods and services
? natural resources - materials found in nature (metal ores, water, wood, land, etc.)
? labor - human activity required to produce goods and services
? capital - the wealth used to produce more wealth
? business - any activity in which goods and services are exchanged for profit

37. Political systems and concepts.  The elementary teacher understands basic political concepts, generalizations, and systems and can relate this knowledge to historical and contemporary developments in Texas, the United States, and the world.

? Governments are classified by how many people take part in the decision-making process
? monarchy - one person (such as a queen or king) usually inherits ruling power
? dictatorship or totalitarian - one person or small group has total power and exerts extensive control over people's lives
? oligarchy - a small governing class rules
? representative democracy - (form of government in U.S.) people elect representatives to carry out the work of government
? delegated powers - powers given specifically to the national government (ex. coining money)
? reserved powers - powers not specifically given to the national government and not denied to the states (ex. education)
? concurrent powers - powers shared by national and state governments (ex. collecting taxes)
? 3 branches of government provide checks and balances on one another's powers
? executive branch - main power is in the presidency
? electoral college, not popular vote, decides presidential elections
? 4 year term
? legislative branch - main power is in the two houses of congress
? House of Representatives
? number of representatives is based on population
? 2 year term
? Senate
? 2 senators from each state
? 6 year term
? judiciary branch - main power is in the Supreme Court and federal courts

38. Democratic values and beliefs.  The elementary teacher understands democratic values, recognizes the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society, and analyzes the ways in which democratic principles and practices affect individuals and society.

Active participation of informed and responsible citizens is the ultimate goal of democratic education.  Voting is merely one aspect of responsible citizenship.  Citizens must learn democratic values: tolerance, compromise, respect for the rights and responsibilities of individuals, and so on.

39. Cultural diversity.  The elementary teacher recognizes the nature and significance of cultural diversity in historical and contemporary contexts (including the psychological and sociological aspects of culture) and understands the role of culture and cultural diversity in shaping Texas, the United States, and other societies.

The social studies classroom must create an environment that respects and supports the background of all children.  Cultural perspectives must be integrated into the total social studies curriculum not just to special days or months.  Teachers must understand the existence of the "hidden curriculum" that centers events around Western European, male experiences.  The social studies curriculum should include the constributions of the many cultures to American life.  Multicultural diversity and gender equity are essential in the social studies classroom.

40. Intra- and interdisciplinary learning.  The elementary teacher understands how social studies disciplines relate to one another and to other content areas and knows how to organize instruction to promote intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning in the classroom.

Powerful social studies should be integrative in its treatment of topics.  Themes that cut across all subjects allow students opportunities to develop deeper meanings.  Language arts is a natural choice to integrate with social studies.  In many ways, American history and American literature are two dimensions of the same topic.

41. Recent developments and issues.  The elementary teacher is familiar with recent developments and issues in social studies education.

Three of the most important of these are: teaching all children; global education; and classroom technologies.  The increasing cultural diversity of the United States challenges educators to understand differing values, customs, and traditions, and to provide responsive multicultural experiences for all learners.  This includes a recognition that all children are bright and will learn.  Global education differs from multicultural education.  Multicultural education is generally limited to Americans and limited to the United States.  Global education incorporates a global perspective on issues that concern all citizens of the world.  The bumper sticker: Think Globally, Act Locally summarizes the goal of global education.  Computers and other technologies can be very useful as instructional tools.  The Internet allows access to an almost unlimited amount of information (the World Wide Web) and instantaneous communication (E-Mail). There are many types of software applications that can be useful in the classroom: tutorial software (ex. Stickybear Town Builder), problem-solving software (ex. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?), simulation software (ex. The Oregon Trail), word processing, data base, and spreedsheet software, hypermedia presentation software (ex. HyperStudio, PowerPoint).