Literacy, History and Social Science Syllabus
The Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) of the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) seeks to prepare and support teacher leaders in creating equitable and successful schools and classrooms. This document is the syllabus for their course entitled “STEP 228H: Literacy, History & Social Science.” The course is designed to focus on teaching history and social science in the multiple subjects classroom, as well as present frameworks for the study of history and social science in the elementary curriculum, possibilities for interdisciplinary studies, and instructional approaches and tools for facilitating this subject matter and its integration with other school subjects. The syllabus includes a robust list of readings and online resources. Students will complete a collaborative inquiry project to research a relevant issue and inform the design of an instructional resource targeted toward young children. Course topics covered include historical writing, positionality, pedagogical methods centered on social and historical inquiry, instructional planning, and more.