Dr. Joseph M. Kirman, Office: 630 Ed. South, Phone: 492-2146, joe.kirman@ualberta.ca

The course outline acts as an agreement between the student and the instructor of this class regarding the details of the course. These details, as listed in Section 61.6 of the GFC Policy Manual, may be changed only with the written unanimous consent of the class members.

This course’s current content and student evaluations were developed with the assistance of student suggestions over the past four years. In order to facilitate your suggestions or concerns for this section, a three person class ombuds committee will be formed. Our committee can solicit or accept any suggestions and present them anonymously to the professor. The ombuds committee will periodically meet with the professor to discuss the state of the class and will also be in charge of intermediate class evaluations and administering the IDQ.

Your input is very important. If you have any concerns about this course, any person in it, the professor, or the content etc., please see Dr. Kirman or your ombuds committee representatives as soon as possible.

All students enrolled in professional programs are bound by, and shall comply with, the Professional Code of Ethics governing that profession and the practice of its discipline. You are under the Alberta Teachers Association Code of Ethics.

It is your right and responsibility to contribute to class discussion and group projects or activities. Student response, questions, and debate are encouraged and welcomed for a more collegial atmosphere. Group discussions and activities are an important component of teacher planning and inservice teacher education. Our course reflects this professional behavior. Participation is based on: class discussion, committee participation, cooperation, attendance, other activities such as voluntary work for the class etc., as determined by the professor. Participation will be reflected in the end of term raw score with additional points added.

Respect for all members of this class is paramount. Discussion, both in small groups and full class, is a critical element for this course. It is expected that questions and answers during discussions will be treated with the scholarly dignity expected of teacher candidates. Any behavior, such as laughing, that attempts to humiliate or embarrass a speaker or ridicule the opinions, questions or answers of others is inappropriate. Such behavior is not only disrespectful, but stifles the free flow of ideas emanating from discussion which is so critical for the advancement of knowledge and the search for truth.

Class attendance is required. This course involves extensive class group activities and peer teaching. Failure to attend will place a student at a disadvantage regarding course content and skills. Please be advised of section 23.3, University of Alberta Calendar: "Since presence at lectures, participation in classroom discussions and projects, and the completion of assignments are important components of most courses, students will serve their interests best by regular attendance. Those who choose not to attend must assume whatever risks are involved." Note that unexcused absences will negatively impact participation. After the three unexcused absences, one point may be deducted from the end of term raw score for each unexcused absence.

By appointment only. I am also accessible via voice mail and e-mail.

Because the foundation for many of the lectures and presentations is in the textbook and required readings, it is expected that the assigned readings be done diligently as noted in the tentative calendar for this class.

A new social studies curriculum will be introduced in September 2005. The latest working copy can be downloaded from the Internet at the Alberta Learning site using the following URL http://ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/social/default.asp

Kidspiration or Inspiration software. These are available in the Faculty of Education computer labs. This software is required to be used in projects 1 and 2 (see websites below).

Students holding teaching certificates or who are registered for M.Ed. or Ph.D. degrees may do an alternate project at the professor's discretion.

There is a $10.00 department duplicating recovery fee. Handouts and readings will be provided throughout the term.

Project 1 – Long and Medium Range Planning 25

Project 2 – Short Range Planning 25

Project 3 – Unit Resources 20

Final Exam 30

The final examination for this course is tentatively:

A2, 0900 Monday, December 15.

A3, 1400, Tuesday, December 9

In accordance with university regulations, instructors in courses offered by the Department of Elementary Education may use either the absolute measures system, the distribution system, or a combination of the two for calculating final course letter grades. In the Absolute Grading System, students are not marked on a curve but attain their letter grade on the basis of the absolute raw score total they have earned through completion of the course. Under the absolute measures system the chart below will be used to convert raw scores to letter grades (e.g., 65% converts to a letter grade of C). Under the distribution or relative scoring system, the final grade is determined by the distribution of scores achieved by all of the students in the class. It could be that under this arrangement a score of 65% may be a letter grade other than C depending upon the score distribution of other students in the class. Under the combination system, the instructor uses a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in class to determine course letter grades. Instructors are required to announce at the beginning of the course the manner in which the official University grading system is to be implemented in the course.

Please note that in all instances, 50% is required for a minimal passing letter grade of D.

300 level courses = B- → B

400 level courses = B → B+

If the Absolute Grading System is being used and the entire course is based on a total of 100 raw score points, the following criteria will be used to determine a student’s letter grade at the conclusion of the course:

If you are an after degree student please note what degree(s) you hold and the institution(s) from which you received your degree(s).

If you are a certified teacher please note in which jurisdiction you are certified

3. Incomplete papers will not be accepted.
4. All papers handed in must be original copies, typed or computer printed with a dark imprint. All papers having faint typing or printing in any section, as decided by the professor, may be returned as unacceptable, or receive a 3% penalty.

7. Do not include any teaching materials e.g. worksheets, pamphlets etc.
8. You can avoid unnecessary overlap with other units by briefly reading through all other units in the curriculum.

1. Re-read your project several times before making the final copy.
2. The project cover sheet must have the following format printed in the center of the page:

A very small number of students may have problems with their writing skills resulting in a penalty. Students with writing errors may remove the penalty if they wish to put in the time and effort associated with it. Because our students will be teaching other people’s children to write the Department looks favorably upon students improving their writing skills. If you wish to remove the penalty for writing errors please do the following:

• Enroll in the University’s Effective Writing Resources Tutorial.
• Provide the professor with a note from the tutor that you have successfully completed the tutorial, and the original copy of you paper(s) examined and corrected in the tutorial.

The tutorial and the return of the paper(s) must be done before the final exam. This is open to all students. Please contact Dave Clyburn, 2-400 Students’ Union, 492-0992.

Rationale For the Three Projects

These projects take you through the steps needed to convert the information in the Program of Studies to teachable materials. These steps are what teachers in the field do regarding planning. You are not simulating or role-playing, rather you are doing, to a limited extent, what is expected of you in an actual classroom situation whether in your Advanced Professional Term or in your own classroom when you finally receive your professional certificate and are employed as a teacher. These projects meet objectives 2,3,4,5 of this course and have immediate transfer for other subject areas.

You will be assigned one unit from the Province of Alberta Social Studies Program of Studies. This unit will be used for all three projects.

Prepare a list of 20 periods (you may have more) of aims and objectives to tentatively cover the entire unit that you have been assigned. At least one period must have an activity done by the children where they use "Kidspiration" or "Inspiration" software A new requirement for this term is a half page summary of the first and last periods each (The last period should not be an examination). . Retain this paper after it is marked since it will be re-submitted with project 3.

Prepare two developmental lesson plans according to the format noted in chapter 26 in your textbook. One plan should be for the 12^th period of project 1 (but not an exam) and the second plan for a period in project 1 that uses Kidspiration or Inspiration software.

Prepare a set of up to 22 annotated resources for use in your unit.

Both student and teacher resources may be used and credited for this project.

4. Following the basic annotated resources section, there may be a supplementary resources section of materials of value to the unit, but not used in the unit. This may or may not receive credit – see rubric below.

6. Items in the annotated resources section will be cited using a recognized scholarly style e.g. M.L.A., A.P.A, Chicago.
7. The provincial resource manuals, Program of Studies, dictionaries, standard maps of Canada and the world are expected in all Alberta classrooms and are not to be listed as resources. However, an atlas can be used as a resource.
8. Resources will be cited in the list of aims and objectives from Project 1 by their number as noted in the annotated resources section. These are the basic resources and all of them must be used at some time during the 20 periods. You may hand enter the resource numbers into the Project 1 paper.
9. Attach Project 1 with the added numbered resources behind Project 3.

Criteria for evaluating the projects include among others: curriculum requirements; clarity of expression; accuracy; time efficiency; originality; thoroughness; standards for written work. Please note that meeting all the above criteria may merely ensure a minimum level for a passing grade. The above criteria are stated in quantitative form and may vary in qualitative relationship depending on the content of each paper.

In addition to the above criteria the following will also be considered: quality of resources; amount and variety of resources; quality of annotations; quality and extent of documentation.

96 —Exceptional—A project that is exemplary.

87 —Excellent—A well developed project of superior quality for an undergraduate education student.

83 —Very Good—A project showing a good element of original thought and many interesting activities.

78 —Good—A project that is well written showing good thought and/or interesting activities, and needs very few changes, if any.

73 —Well Done—A commendable project that meets the requirements and should be usable in the elementary classroom as is, or with a small number of changes.

64 —Satisfactory—A project lacking elements required by the Program of Studies, or a lesson plan with some defects, but the project could be used in the elementary classroom with sufficient changes.

60 —Marginal—A project with many elements lacking, and/or superficial treatment of the Program of Studies requirements or a lesson plan with numerous problems. The project cannot be used for teaching without major changes or additions.

50 —Minimal—Minimum effort, and/or serious deficiencies in the project, and/or a defective set of aims and objectives or lesson plan, and/or failure to comply with project requirements.

Below 50 —Fail—Major deficiencies serious enough to render the project unacceptable (similar to poor, but more so).

76 - Ten minimum basic resources - Basic resources are those used in the unit in one or more periods. There must be a total of ten with at least three each of written, audiovisual, and Internet basic resources, fully cited and annotated with a minimum of 50 words for each annotation. These minimum 10 basic resources are each worth 7.6 points. 7.6 points will be deducted for each minimum missing basic resource.

77-100 –Eleven to 22 basic resources. Two points will be given for each additional basic resource and its annotation that meets the requirements of the unit depending upon the resource’s appropriateness for the unit and the quality of the annotation to a maximum of 100 (22 resources used in the unit).

Credit will not be given for inappropriate or poorly chosen resources, nor for resources with annotations less than the 50 words minimum, nor for more than a total of 22 resources (although you may have more resources if you wish), nor for general rather than specific resources e.g.: Encyclopedia Canadiana without a specific article, volume and page number, or a gateway URL, or a journal without citing an article.

Community resources must be actual ones, not hypothetical, e.g. an organization, person, location etc. with a telephone contact number or an e-mail contact address. Community resources must be annotated.

Supplementary resources (non-basic – not cited in the plan) will receive 1 point each if they meet the above Project 3 requirements on page 7 of a-c and e-g, and the basic resources are less than 22, the maximum number for project 3.

The grades of two or more resource sections of different projects with the same number of resources can vary, depending upon the quality of the resources and annotations and how well the resources meet the requirements of the unit.