Literacy and social studies intersect in powerful and meaningful ways, as both subjects rely on the development of critical thinking, comprehension, and communication skills. Disciplinary Literacy is how learners successfully read, write, speak, listen, think, investigate, and participate in the unique language of each content area. To empower students to become critical thinkers across content areas, we use the seven literacy strands as a framework to approach disciplinary literacy. This framework will help form academic habits that lead to deeper understanding and content expertise.
Our approach to Disciplinary Literacy is divided into the seven literacy strands. These strands address each facet of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking within each social studies discipline. The skills embedded in each of these strands are woven throughout the content areas. Our goal is to approach instruction using the seven strands to help students think and communicate like scientists, historians, authors, and mathematicians. Here’s a breakdown of how the seven literacy strands and how you can incorporate these strategies in the social studies classroom with guiding questions for students and marked habits of learning to ensure skills are being built:
Fundamental Language Skills
Fundamental language skills, often referred to as the “four pillars of language learning,” are the foundational abilities necessary to communicate effectively. These skills include speaking, listening, reading, and writing and are essential for acquiring and mastering a language, whether it’s a first language or a new one. While these skills are often discussed separately, they are interdependent. For instance, strong listening skills can improve speaking ability, and good reading habits can enhance writing proficiency. As the first of our literacy pillar, fundamental language appears in the social studies classroom as students using the academic language of the discipline for discourse, collaboration, presentations, and responding in writing.
Guiding Questions:
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How do we speak and write like a scientist, mathematician, historian, author, and content expert using the academic language of the discipline?
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How is academic vocabulary used to engage in the content?
Habits of Learning:
- active listening
- speaking
- engaging in academic discourse
- presenting
- collaborating
- understanding word meanings
- responding in writing
- using academic language of the discipline
- adjusting communication based on audience
- using affixes to understand words
Comprehension
Comprehension skills are the abilities required for students to understand, interpret, and make meaning of spoken or written language. These skills are crucial for effective communication, learning, and problem-solving across various contexts. They encompass a range of cognitive processes that help individuals grasp the explicit and implicit meaning of information. In the social studies classroom, these skills present as students interacting with reading materials and primary sources to understand, make connections, interpret, question, and analyze information.
Guiding Questions:
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What does thinking look and sound like when interacting with scientific, mathematical, historical, or literary content?
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How is academic vocabulary used to engage in the content?
Habits of Learning:
- summarizing
- questioning
- synthesizing
- predicting
- using evidence
- inferring
- addressing challenges in understanding source
- understanding main ideas and concepts
- analyzing information
- establishing purpose
- interpreting information
- making connections
Response Skills
Response skills in the social studies classroom manifest as students interact with sources through oral and written reflection and responses. This discipline intends to help students build clear and thoughtful responses that contribute to meaningful participation and decision-making.
Guiding Questions:
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How do we respond as a scientist, mathematician, historian, author, and global citizen to the sources with which we interact?
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Which communicative skill provides the best opportunity to respond to this source?
Habits of Learning:
- describing
- discussing
- drawing
- sketching
- reflecting
- paraphrasing
- summarizing
- note-taking
- annotating
- illustrating
- interacting
- writing informally
- making connections
- adjusting to new information
Multiple Sources
Understanding and analyzing multiple sources is critical for developing a well-rounded, informed perspective on a given topic. This skill is essential in education, research, decision-making, and everyday life. In the social studies classroom, students must interact with multiple sources or information to understand and analyze the characteristics, develop the skills to think critically, discern fact from opinion, and navigate the complexities of information in an interconnected world. Helping students develop these skills is invaluable for their personal growth, academic success, and future societal participation.
Guiding Questions:
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How can we understand the characteristics of the various sources we see in science, mathematics, history, English language arts, and other areas of expertise?
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How do we use multiple sources to arrive at new understanding?
Habits of Learning:
- identifying characteristics of sources
- comparing and contrasting characteristics of sources or stimuli
- analyzing characteristics of sources
- applying understanding of source characteristics
- noticing organizational patterns
- analyzing perspective
Purpose and Craft
Learning about purpose and craft is vital for fostering critical thinking, creativity, and meaningful learning. These concepts enable students to grasp the why (purpose) and the how (craft) behind texts, projects, or disciplines, enriching their comprehension and engagement. Teachers should strive to have their social studies lessons help students analyze and understand the choices scientists, historians, mathematicians, authors, and other experts make when communicating ideas.
By focusing on purpose and craft, classrooms can beyond rote memorization to inspire critical inquiry, creativity, and purposeful action, equipping students with skills for lifelong learning.
Guiding Questions:
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How can we examine the choices scientists, historians, mathematicians, authors, and other experts make while communicating ideas?
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How can the expert’s choices make us better communicators?
Habits of Learning:
- analyzing effective choices of others
- applying others’ effective choices to their own work
- communicating messages
- determining purpose and audience
- selecting language and characteristics that contribute to the message
- analyzing evidence and reasoning
Composition
The composition of texts is crucial for students to learn because it enhances their skills to understand, analyze, and create effective communication across various mediums. This understanding fosters student literacy, critical thinking, and the ability to engage meaningfully with the world. Composition helps students become not just better readers and writers but also more thoughtful, informed, and creative individuals who can navigate and contribute to the world effectively.
In social studies, students must comprehend how to develop, revise, and publish formal writing for specific audiences using the language of scientists, mathematicians, historians, authors, and other experts.
Guiding Questions:
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How do scientists, historians, mathematicians, authors, and other experts write for specific purposes and authentic audiences?
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Which communicative skill provides the best opportunity to respond to this source?
Habits of Learning:
- understanding specific audiences
- communicating ideas based on audience and purpose
- engaging in the phases of writing including reflection
- engaging in the recursive process of developing and revising ideas for specific audiences and purposes
- collaborating to draft, share, and enhance ideas
Inquiry and Research
Inquiry and research skills are essential for students as they form the foundation for critical thinking, problem-solving, and lifelong learning. These skills enable students to explore questions, gather and evaluate information, and synthesize their findings into meaningful conclusions. By developing these skills, students gain the ability to approach challenges thoughtfully, make informed decisions, and contribute meaningfully to their academic, professional, and personal lives. Through this discipline, social studies teachers can encourage students to generate questions, explore resources, gather relevant information, seek answers, and present their results.
Guiding Questions:
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How do scientists, mathematicians, historians, and authors develop and seek answers to questions in their field?
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How might sources be used to find relevant information on this topic?
Habits of Learning:
- generating questions
- exploring resources and seeking information
- evaluating credibility of sources
- gathering and evaluating relevant information
- synthesizing a variety of sources to support or build understanding
- generating and presenting results
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Using district priorities, narratives, talent, and potential, Dr. Montra Rogers works closely with stakeholders to plan and program for the implementation of Social Studies School Service resources as the company’s Director of Partnership and Instruction. She understands firsthand the power of viable partnerships. Montra appreciates new opportunities and experiences to include traveling, dining, and attending social/cultural events; this also includes volunteering in her local community. She is the eldest of five girls and mother to one son. Montra has an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, an MLA in Liberal Arts, and a BA in History.