POST CHS252 All Units Discussions (September 2019)

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 1 Discussion

The Children’s World Options Menu: Forum

How would you describe the world in which the children you teach live? According to a group of preschool and kindergarten teachers, today’s society is a ‘highly unpredictable society where many things don’t hold true anymore.’ This, they said, is what makes teaching such a challenging job. In their opinion, they can no longer rely on what they taught yesterday, for it might no longer be valid today. As an early childhood teacher:

How do you see yourself in today’s world?

How would you describe it?

What is your perception of the world today and how does it impact your teaching?

From: Robles de Melendez, Beck, Fletcher. Teaching Social Studies in Early Education. Delmar. 2000. p.8.

DQ2 Website Review and Analysis Options Menu: Forum

1) Select and research one organization from the list below

2) Describe what you learned about the organization.

3) Analyze and explain how this information might influence your teaching practices.

Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org/

UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/

Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/

Children’s Defense Fund http://www.childrensdefense.org/

CityKids http://citykids.com/

The Global Schoolhouse http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.cfm

Up With People http://upwithpeople.org/

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 2 Discussion

Book Assessment Options Menu: Forum

1. Choose a children’s book (preschool through 3rd grade). Perhaps you will choose one you read this week with children in a center, school, or your own home.

2. Assess the book using the assessment resource from this week’s readings.

Santora, L.A. (2013). Assessing Children’s Book Collections Using an Anti-Bias Lens. Anti-Defamation League.

“Checklist for Assessing Children’s Books and Book Collections” – page 5

3. Be specific when sharing your findings. Give reasons as to why, or why not, the selected book meets the anti-bias criteria.

DQ2 Special Events Options Menu: Forum

Being culturally and anti-bias sensitive, discuss how you feel special events (holidays, birthdays, celebrations, etc.) should be handled when working with young children. Be sure to reference Unit 2 resources and provide specific details. Feel free to reflect and share your own experiences when growing up.

NAEYC For Families. (n.d.) What to Look for in a Program: Celebrating Holidays.

4C for Children. (2010, December). Don’t Be a Tourist! Celebrating Holidays in Preschool.

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 3 Discussion

International Children’s Digital Library Options Menu: Forum

Please visit the International Children’s Digital Library. You will select and read a book for children ages 3 to 5 years. Then respond to all of the questions.

Click the link to the website.

Select “Read Books”

Select: “Three to Five”

Answer all of the following questions:

What are your impressions of the site?

Briefly describe the book you read. How might it be used in a social studies lesson?

How would use this site with children and families?

***Be specific and provide more than a few sentences for your responses. Remember to include information from the lecture, your text, and/or outside sources. Cite this information in APA format, and provide references in APA format at the end of your post. Be sure to check for spelling and grammatical errors.

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 4 Discussion

Patriotism, Culture and a Caring Community Options Menu: Forum

1) What are ways that early childhood educators can give equal importance to developing patriotism and respecting the diverse cultures found in the classroom? What is it that you already do (or have seen done) to develop a sense of patriotism with your children? Please be specific.

2) Please read and discuss the Katz article: Distinctions between Self-Esteem and Narcissism – Implications for Practice

How do you feel about her concern about developing narcissistic children? What are some ways you develop a child’s self-esteem? What are some ways you help children understand and practice kindness to others? What do you do to develop a caring community of learners? If you are not in the classroom (or haven’t been), please discuss these questions based on what you have seen others do or on your personal experiences as a youngster.

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 5 Discussion

Environmental Education Options Menu: Forum

1. Reflect upon an article you read and/or a video you observed regarding environmental education.

2. Now reflect on your own teaching practices or learning experiences from your education.

3. Describe how environmental education was incorporated into the curriculum.

4. Please share an activity AND a children’s book that you have used or would use related to environmental education.

***Be specific and provide more than a few sentences for your responses. Remember to include information from the lecture, your text, and/or outside sources. Cite this information in APA format, and provide references in APA format at the end of your post. Be sure to check for spelling and grammatical errors.

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 6 Discussion

Time-Outs

1. Please review as least two of the following resources.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.) Using time-out: She knows. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/parents/essentials/videos/video_timeout_vid.html

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning CSEFEL. (2004, August). The role of time-out in a comprehensive approach for addressing challenging behaviors of preschool children. Retrieved from http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb14.pd

Lerner, C. (2016, January 14). Are time-outs helpful or harmful to young children? Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/324-are-time-outs-helpful-or-harmful-to-young-children

2. Based on the resources, discuss your opinions about “time-out.”

Is time-out a gift or a punishment?

How would/do you handle issues of varying opinions of child guidance with a parent, a colleague or both?

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 7 Discussion

Economics, Anthropology & Archaeology – Classroom Activities

Reflect on what you have learned about economics, anthropology and archaeology learning experiences for young children.

Please discuss if and how you currently encourage this Social Studies content learning in your classroom.

Explain new insights to improve current practices for incorporating this Social Studies content in your center.

If you are not working in an early childhood setting, what activities might you develop in the future?

For example, how can you use this information to enhance the classroom’s sociodramatic play center?

CHS 252 Social Studies in the Early Childhood Classroom

Unit 8 Discussion

DQ1 Incorporating the Arts

Read about Thematic Strand #8: Global Connections. Reflect on and describe how the arts (creative, expressive, performing, visual, etc.) can help children to see the connections of people across the globe. How will you change current practices in your classrooms or what will you do in the future?

DQ2 Course Reflection

Reflect on the course and share your answers to the following questions:

What was the most interesting or useful thing you learned during the course?

What suggestions can you offer that might improve the quality of the course?

If you could give one piece of advice to incoming students about this course, what would that be? Your responses may be shared anonymously with future classes!