dc.description.abstract | An examination of practices in secondary history education reveals widespread use of
content-coverage curriculum models despite a solid body of literature supporting use of
a curricular approach designed to teach for conceptual understanding. Further
examination also uncovers misunderstanding about what it means to include literacy
instruction in the social studies curriculum, which leads to a reluctance among
secondary teachers to include literacy instruction in their social studies classes. This
study explores the potential of a curriculum that integrates historical literacy
instructional strategies in a concept-based curriculum model.
Using the Understanding by Design framework, a curriculum unit was designed around
three core enduring understandings and four disciplinary skills. Students in the study
participated in three different, but related classrooms strategies to develop historical
literacy skills while focusing on conceptual learning goals. Students also completed
surveys and metacognitive assessments to share their perceptions of the impact of the
strategies on their learning. Analysis of this data was done by evaluating the depth of
understanding evident in student work in all three strategies, especially the unit core
performance assessment task.
Findings suggest that historical literacy taught within the context of a concept focused
curriculum produces far deeper understanding than approaches that emphasize content
coverage or do not purposefully direct literacy activities toward conceptual
understanding. Other impacts of the curriculum model and disciplinary literacy
strategies on student understanding are discussed, along with implications for future
research and classroom application. | en_US |