If you are looking for a social study lesson plan, here is an effective and popular method: Medaline Hunter Lesson Design Model. However, before we get into the details, let us briefly know what social study is all about. The study of subjects like history, geography, civics, sociology, economics and a few other social science subjects is collectively known as social study at the primary and secondary school level. At some post-secondary and tertiary schools, it is identified with the study of certain facets of human society.
There could be a difference in subject matter but generally it includes both pure (sociology, psychology and linguistics) and applied social sciences (business, economics, criminology, and mass media). Some North American social study courses also include earth sciences and climatology. In New South Wales, Australia, the public school system defines social study as the education of “Human Society and its Environment.”
Whatever its subject matter, planning is very important. The Madeline Hunter Lesson Design Model is one of the most popular for direct teaching methods. Named after Madeline Hunter, noted educational theorist, it is an 8-point lesson plan.
Preparation: This is a warm-up activity that introduces the student to the lesson and attracts attention before class begins. It can be in the form of a leaflet, an example problem, or a question-answer session.
Aim: Plan the purpose of that day’s lesson. As a teacher, you must give tips on how students will benefit from the class and what they will learn.
Input: This includes the vocabulary, skills and other concepts a teacher refers to in the classroom. Briefly, it is the instructions necessary to learn the lesson.
Display (show): Show and prepare your students how to learn their lessons easily and proficiently.
Effective guidance: This involves the trimodal approach, or see/hear/do method of instructions. Here, you show your students how to move step-by-step in order to master the skills emphasized in this method. Say for instance, you show the students how to work out a problem, as they try to solve it on their own.
Check progress: This tip is a great way to find out whether your students have really grasped the lesson. Always ask for their feedback and pace your instructions according to their progress.
Self-help: Let your students complete some lessons on their own, helping whenever they are stuck. This is to ensure that each student knows what to do.
Conclude: At the end of it all, ask your students to recall the lessons of the day.
If you apply these tips from elementary school level, you can turn social study into one of the most interesting subjects. On the other hand, students who follow this method carefully are sure to do well. Proper social study lesson plan can boost your overall performance as well.