Social
Studies Lessons for High School is designed for social studies teachers to use with their government and history courses. It was developed in response to a shift in education throughout our country: a move away from rote memorization and toward the critical thinking skills necessary for many of the new performance assessment programs.
Each lesson will enable teachers to teach seven specific critical thinking skills in a step-by-step process. The information has been adapted for old media and new media formats. Web sites will be provided that will allow teachers to choose the most appropriate resource for the selected activity. All selections can be copied for classroom use. Teachers may adapt activities to allow students to complete assignments via the web.
Bob
Black is former Teachers Network web mentor. He is a social studies teacher at the Harbor City Learning
Center, located across the street from the historic Edgar
Allen Poe House in Baltimore, MD.
Template
Explanation
Information is often presented in chart, table, or graph formats. Data in chart form might show the structure of something, a certain process, or common items in one category. Tables usually list data in a specific order. Graphs are visual illustrations of data for specific purposes:
Line graphs - to see changes or trends
Bar graphs - to make comparisons
Circle graphs - to show relationships
Model for Interpretation
What is the title of the chart, table, or graph?
What is the purpose of this chart, table, or graph?
What do the labels/ headings tell you?
What key information does the data provide?
What is your main conclusion about this data?
How were you able to interpret this chart, table, or graph?