Literacy is the key to effective social studies instruction. “Next to languge arts, social stuides is perhaps the most intensively literate of the disciplines.” (Schmoker, pg. 133) Social studies promotes the deep understanding of the human condition. It requires us to read closely and to move way beyond the literal meaning. In no other discipline we enourage the highest order reading skill. The reader must be taught to argue with the text.
Much like our social media today and where millions of people daily in Facebook offer up raw data on millions of different topics continuously 24 hours a day, we must be prepared to understand the source of the data and be able to piece meal what the real truth- fact or fiction must be. Great literarcy instruction teaches us that and as social studies educators we must take the role as literacy educators more seriously than ever.
We must teach learners to answer these questions as they approach historical documents and sources:
- Who wrote this? What kind of person was/is the author?
- Wy was the information included?
- What point is the author trying to make?
- Whose voice is missing?
- How can it be improved to help students like me understand?
- Are the visuals helpful?
- Is something else needed to make it clear?
We need to approach the date we see in Facebook and be able to answer those questions as we try to infer meaning.
————————————————————————————————-
I invite you to continue this discussion at http://literacysocialstudies.wikispaces.com/. I have created a space for educators to share their ideas in a space that can be shared with others.
I also invite quest bloggers in this space on this topic. Contact me at wcgaskins.59@gmail.com.