Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students (Paperback)

~ Jere Brophy (Author), Janet Alleman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ideal for pre-service and in-service teachers, POWERFUL SOCIAL STUDIES FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS outlines ways to select content and teach history, geography, and social sciences more meaningfully. Hone skills in planning well-organized social studies instruction that produces positive student outcomes using developmentally appropriate content and methods to help your students develop social understanding and civic action. Rather than advocating the elimination of the traditional content framework used to organize the social studies curriculum ('expanding communities framework'), the authors call for retaining the most important topics that have traditionally been emphasized and for teaching these topics in 'more coherent and powerful ways.'

About the Author

Jere Brophy is a leading researcher and scholar in education. He is presently a University Distinguished Professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. A clinical and developmental psychologist by training, he has conducted research on teacher and student relationships, classroom management, teaching strategies and most recently he has focused on curricular content and instructional method issues involved in teaching social studies for understanding, appreciation, and life application.

Janet Alleman is a professor of teacher education and school administration at Michigan State. She focuses on curricular content and instructional methods as well as issues in teaching social studies at both the pre- and in-service levels. She serves on the NCSS Research Committee and on the Task Force for Scope and Sequence.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 2 edition (May 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534555454
• ISBN-13: 978-0534555450
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #639,292 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Teaching, December 7, 2008

By	Karon Nicol LeCompte - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book. Social Studies as a content area is broad and sometimes presented as a collection of unrelated ideas. Brophy and Alleman present a solid and well-constructed approach to teaching social studies. They have wonderful examples and insightful information on children's developmental knowledge in the social studies.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste your Time or Money on This One, September 24, 2008

By	Fawn Blackthorne "Fawn" (Iowa) - See all my reviews

As an educator, I believe in powerful teaching: meaning that students are the first source of information and it is the teacher's job to build on student's prior knowledge. Brophy and Alleman's book is like a bully or a know-it-all teacher that goads the students into learning. It has the gloss of a well-meaning, informative book, but the underlying message is to trick students into believing they know something and are valuable learners to get your own message across. I don't want to trick my students by using the techniques in this book. It's completely insincere.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars impressed, April 5, 2008

By	D. Shock - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

thanks for your promptness. i needed this book for a class and it is always nice to have it on the first day so i appreciate you getting it to me so fast. the book was in wonderful condition and is being used quite often.