This bulletin provides a context for and an overview of cooperative learning addressing concerns and answering questions teachers, supervisors, and parents may have about this group approach to teaching and learning in the social studies. The intention was to help social studies educators construct a sound conceptual foundation for cooperative learning while eliminating misconceptions. Nine chapters detail building an adequate introductory conceptual framework for envisioning cooperative learning as a viable alternative approach to teaching in the social studies classroom. The first chapter introduces the concept, philosophy, and practice of cooperative learning. The second chapter focuses on the classroom environment and classroom characteristics with and without cooperative learning groups. Chapters 3 and 4 contain reviews of the literature that address effects of cooperative learning in classroom settings. Chapter 5, 6, and 7 focus on classroom teachers. In these three chapters teachers from first grade through secondary school discuss how cooperative learning has worked in their classrooms. They provide a unique perspective on how one can make the transition from using traditional teaching methods to becoming a successful user of cooperative learning. Practical ideas about how to implement cooperative learning in social studies classrooms are included, as well as some historical context for group learning. The final chapter features a dialogue of a group of teachers who are training to use cooperative learning. A position statement on ability grouping is included. (DK)

"Cooperative learning & social studies will show you how to use cooperative learning strategies to make your social studies classroom come alive. Each of the 24 cooperative strategies includes an in-depth description, steps, activity ideas to use the strategy with other social studies content, and a lesson with ready-to-use activity sheets. Lessons are designed to teach themes including issues, geography, historical events, historical characters and current events. The book also includes how to get started, how to manage the cooperative social studies class, and what to do for assessment and evaluation." -- Publisher's web-site.

Cooperative Learning In Social Studies provides practical assistance to both new and experienced teachers who are seeking effective small-group alternatives or additions to their current social studies teaching repertoire.

"These activities will foster participation and critical thinking in the classroom." —R. Jon Frey, Director of Speech Activities Aberdeen Central High School, SD "Cooperative group learning is a powerful approach, and this book provides explicit ideas and guidelines." —Stephanie van Hover, Associate Professor of Social Studies Education University of Virginia Give your students the opportunity to think, discover, and learn together in social studies! Teamwork helps students strengthen individual retention, improve performance, and promote meaning-making in the classroom. To give adolescent minds practice in critical thinking, the authors use their considerable teaching experience to present more than 40 problem-solving activities that are ready for immediate use in the social studies classroom. This second edition of Catch Them Thinking in Social Studies demonstrates how to use collaborative learning strategies to fully engage students in meaning-making. Cooperative Problem-Solving Activities for Social Studies, Grades 6–12 offers lessons in five areas of social studies instruction: geography, politics, economics, culture, and history. Each activity includes background information, clue cards, objectives, tasks, and worksheets. This updated edition helps teachers: Develop students′ decision-making, analysis, and communication skills Foster teamwork and interdependent learning Construct cooperative problem-solving activities using their own curriculum Featuring current research and new activities, this hands-on resource helps teachers facilitate cooperative problem solving in social studies and provides teacher tips throughout the book.

Give your students the opportunity to think, discover, and learn together in social studies! Teamwork helps students strengthen individual retention, improve performance, and promote meaning-making in the classroom. To give adolescent minds practice in critical thinking, the authors use their considerable teaching experience to present more than 40 problem-solving activities that are ready for immediate use in the social studies classroom. This updated edition of Catch Them Thinking in Social Studies demonstrates how to use collaborative learning strategies to fully engage students in meaning-making. Cooperative Problem-Solving Activities for Social Studies, Grades 6–12 offers lessons in five areas of social studies instruction: geography, politics, economics, culture, and history. Each activity includes background information, clue cards, objectives, tasks, and worksheets. This updated edition helps teachers: • Develop students' decision-making, analysis, and communication skills • Foster teamwork and interdependent learning • Construct cooperative problem-solving activities using their own curriculum Through the activities in this book, students will work together to learn about social topics while developing important, real-world skills. Featuring current research and new activities, this hands-on resource helps teachers facilitate cooperative problem solving in social studies and provides teacher tips throughout the book.

This title provides general and special education teachers with specific strategies for classroom use, adaptations and modifications for inclusion, ways to address the multiple intelligences of their students, and valuable cooperative learning structures to differentiate instruction in social studies.