Purpose of Course Readings

• To introduce, reinforce, and enhance class discussions and activities.
• To extend your personal understanding of what teaching social studies involves and how elementary children learn social studies.
• To prepare you for the professional reading you will do as a classroom teacher.
• To provide you with knowledge to support your ideas, thereby increasing your chances of earning better grades on assignments and tests.

Reading Note Cards. Note cards help you prepare for class discussions and activities, AND can be used during quizzes. They help you remember points you may want to include in written assignments, both for this course and for other TEP courses you will take in the future. You are required to submit reading note cards for TWO chapters. After that, they are optional. The following suggestion will help you prepare useful note cards:

• Write your name, number, and identify the reading (chapter, text, article title, page #s, etc.) at the top of a large note card. Not only will this help you connect the information to the reading assignment, it will also allow me to return your note card if it is found on the floor.

• Briefly summarize the key points. Make connections. Think about how the ideas in the reading relate (or don’t relate) to what you already know or believe about social studies teaching and learning—your ideas can be written out or simply answered “in your head.” If there are reading prompts, consider writing out answers to the questions OR use them to help you identify the key points.

• “Sloppy copy”is acceptable. Short phrases and bulleted lists are recommended, but use a style that works best for you. You may write on one or both sides of the card. Avoid the use of small, multiple cards—they get lost more easily and too many notes can be a sign you are not organizing and/or synthesizing what you read. Use the KISS principal: Keep It Short Scholar.

To see a sample reading note card with helpful tips, go to: Chapter 1 (Chapin) Sample

Reminder. You may submit reading note cards (or create them) for either Chapin or Short. However, only Chapin “facts”will be on the quizzes.

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