Powerful Social Studies

1. Value- Based

1.1. encourages students into making decisions

1.2. Acknowledges and respects students opinion

1.3. realizes social diversity and sensitivity to cultural similarities and differences

2. Active

2.1. Communicates- walks around and spends time with each student at centres

2.2. encourages students to speak out and ask questions.

2.3. pays attention to students at all times.Engages in active discussions.

3. Meaningful

3.1. uses learning centres to engage students and promote active learning while engaging students in activities which expand thinking.

3.2. Links Material to real life situations- useful in and out of school.

3.3. Emphasizes- asking students why? where? when? who?what? how?

4. Challenging

4.1. centres encouraged students to work in groups at activity centres and brainstorm ideas as well as develop own ideas

4.2. Centres encouraged students to speak out and ask questions

4.3. Students independantly practiced vocabulrily, spelling,recognition and meaning of words

5. Integrative

5.1. crosses disciplinary boundaries- links each lesson into different subject areas

5.2. Links past lessons taught and flows into new lesson. seasons-winter-dark.

5.3. takes what knowledge students has and expands on it to create new ideas and understandings.