Useful Resources for Social Studies Teachers
As part of the Social Studies Pedagogy and Practice curriculum, our M.A.T. students are required to research outside agencies that will be useful in their future teaching assignments. Through research of these organizations, our students are able to learn the importance of conducting independent research and staying current on online resources when they become teachers. Below is a list of some of these resources.
National Council for Economics Education - The NCEE believes that many students in the United States receive inadequate education in the field of economics. Through their website, teachers are provided with a wide variety of resources to aid teachers in giving their students the skills needed to be informed economics students. The NCEE believes that economics education needs to go beyond traditional economic theory and allow students to explore economics in ways relatable to their individual lives, while also building real-life skills so that they can become capable participants in a quickly growing world economy. Resources available through the NCEE's website include free lesson plans, interactive DVDs and CD-ROM to bring economics to life for students, and contact information for local NCEE representatives.
History Center of Tompkins County - The History Center of Tompkins County is a very valuable resource for teachers and students who are interested in learning more about the history of the Ithaca area. The Center offers numerous educational programs at a low price, including self and guided tours of important historical sites in Ithaca and an interactive activity where students take on the role of a student in a one-room schoolhouse in 1892. The History Center also has wide-ranging and informative exhibits, with recent ones including "The History of Ithaca College," "Seasonal Jobs in the Finger Lakes," and "The History of Typing in Ithaca." Teachers will also be able to access local books, maps, historical images, and other important documents in local history through The History Center.
Cornell University Einaudi Center - Cornell University has created amazing programs and institutions for international studies. They have combined efforts from a variety of organizations catering to a variety of cultural groups to form one universal umbrella organization. This organization has collaborated resources for teachers, students and the general public together for easy reference. It has structured the content and availability of resources into several sub-groups. Organizations that represent a particular area in the world are placed together, along with every reference and resource available. The area studies groups include an organization on Latin America, Africa, Europe, East Asia, South Asia and South East Asia. Along with geographically located sub-groups the organization provides a thematic studies program. This program often transcends geographic location to look at issues through many countries. The third method of organization and structure is developmental studies. This section explores the development of many nations, including economy, environment and nutrition.
Project Look Sharp - In its own webpage's words, "Project Look Sharp provides materials, training and support for the effective integration of media literacy with critical thinking into classroom curricula at all education levels." This website is an excellent resource for teachers who want to put their textbooks aside and and make history come alive to students. It provides free curriculum kits and lessons on media construction for teachers in four areas: U.S. presidential campaigns, Soviet History, the Middle East, and a general look at war around the world. The website's kits, lessons and articles provide teachers and their students with the resources to look beyond what is presented to them through standard media outlets. Free PDF documents of slide shows and teacher's companion guides are available through the website, and printed copies can be ordered, as well.
Ithaca College Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity - The Ithaca College Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity (CSCRE) was established in 1999. CSCRE is a fairly young program but it offers a multitude of diverse programs and courses. There are minor programs offered through CSCRE, including African Diaspora, which focuses on traditionally marginalized, under-represented, or misrepresented groups of African descendants in the U.S. and Caribbean, and Latino/a Studies, which focuses on U.S.-based "minorities" who are descendants of people in Latin America and whose primary identity formation has occurred as a result of living in the U.S. In addition to a long list of stimulating courses, CSCRE runs a lecture series every year. This year the theme of the series is entitled "The Prison Machine: Race, Torture, and the State." The series explores the incarceration of people of color with a focus on intersections of race, torture, and the state. The faculty at CSCRE are all active members of the community who frequently run workshops and hold presentations locally.CSCRE strives to prepare students to "meet the increasingly complex demands of a multicultural, multiracial, and multiethnic society and global community" by encouraging students and community members to have meaningful dialogue about issues facing the global community.
Ithaca College Gerontology Institute - If a teacher needs information on Aging Issues in the United States today, the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute provides a comprehensive website, complete with lesson plans, suggested readings, and contact information for people involved in the project. With Americans living longer and healthier lives, and with the aging of the Baby Boom population, the issue of gerontology is a very important one in our society. The Ithaca College Gerontology Institute seeks to give students a better understanding of the impact that an aging population has on our country. Lesson plans were crafted for Global History, American History, and Participation in Government classes, and look at age related issues such as Social Security and and stereotypes both at a local and national level.