Eastern
College of Arts and
Sciences
NCSS/Social Studies
Education
XI. Matrix
Matrix Item 1.10 --
Theme Ten: Civic Ideals and Practices
Social Studies
teachers should possess the knowledge, capabilities, and dispositions to
organize and provide instruction at the appropriate school level for the study
of Civic Ideals and Practices.
Indicators of
Capabilities for Teaching Social Studies
Teachers of Social Studies at all school levels should provide
developmentally appropriate experiences as they guide learners in the study of
civic ideals and practices. They should:
* assist learners to
understand the origins and interpret the continuing influence of key ideals of
the democratic republican form of government, such as individual human dignity,
liberty, justice, equality, and the rule of law;
* guide learner
efforts to identify, analyze, interpret, and evaluate sources and examples of
citizen’s rights and responsibilities;
* facilitate learner
efforts to locate, access, analyze, organize, synthesize, evaluate, and apply
information about selected public issues identifying, describing, and
evaluating multiple points of view;
* provide
opportunities for learners to practice forms of civic discussion and
participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic;
* help learners to
analyze and evaluate the influence of various forms of citizen action on public
policy;
* prepare learners to
analyze a variety of public policies and issues from the perspective of formal
and informal political actors;
* guide learners as
they evaluate the effectiveness of public opinion in influencing and shaping
public policy development and decision-making;
* encourage learner
efforts to evaluate the degree to which public policies and citizen behaviors
reflect or foster the stated ideals of a democratic republican form of
government;
* support learner
efforts to construct policy statements and action plans to achieve goals
related to issues of public concern;
* create opportunities
for learner participation in activities to strengthen the common good, based
upon careful evaluation of possible options for citizen action.
1.10 Theme Ten: Civic
Ideals and Practices
The program prepares
Social Studies teachers who possess the knowledge, capabilities and
dispositions to organize and provide instruction at the appropriate school
level for the study of Civic Ideals and Practices.
1.10.1 Programmatic
Evidence
This theme is addressed for Social Studies majors in the following
three ways:
1. All EMU students must take PLSC
112, American Government as part of their EMU program, which includes
material on the roles and responsibilities of citizens within the
Objectives for this class include:
1). Students will be able to define and analyze political power,
democracy, and majority rule.
2). Students will be able to define, identify and analyze the
Declaration of Independence and other precursors to the American Constitutional
system.
3). Students will be able to define and analyze the U.S.
Constitution, checks and balances, and separation of powers.
4). Students will be able to identify contemporary constitutional
issues, and assess their political import.
5). Students will be able to define and analyze the concept of
Federalism.
6). Students will be able to identify and analyze the Bill of
Rights and assess its relationship to modern situations.
7). Students will be able to apply constitutional principles to a
modern legal case.
8). Students will be able to describe and analyze the electoral
system in the
9). Students will be able to assess the accuracy of opinion
polling.
10). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in the
presidency, the cabinet system, and federal agencies since 1787.
11). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in
legislative function since 1787.
12). Students will be able to assess the role of lobbying and
campaign contributions in the political process.
13). Students will be able to assess the political situation for
women and minorities in the
14). Students will be able to describe and assess the role of the
media in politics in the contemporary
15). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in the
role of the Supreme Court since 1787.
16). Students will be able to apply their knowledge of the above
to a simulation of the U.S. Federal government.
2. All Social Studies majors must also take PLSC 301, the American Legal System.
Objectives for this class include:
1). Students will be able to describe and analyze major cases
related to the American legal system in their historical and political context.
2). Students will be able to assess legal arguments, and evaluate
different resolutions to legal and political issues.
3). Students will be able to describe the components of the
Anglo-American legal system.
4). Students will be able to define and assess issues of
jurisdiction, equity, civil and criminal classification, court structure,
pleading, and damages.
5). Students will be able to describe and assess issues of
property law, including eminent domain, police power, nuisances, private
property interests, and property intents.
6). Students will be able to describe and assess issues of
contract law, including detrimental reliance, offer and acceptance, fraud,
capacity, warranties, unconscionability, and arbitration.
7). Students will be able to discuss issues in education law,
including due process and equal protection in public education.
8). Students will be able to define and assess issues in tort law,
such as duty of care, proximate cause, negligence, liability, immunity, workers
compensation, vicarious liability, and real property torts.
9). Students will be able to identity and assess issues in
criminal law, such as attempts, omission, abandonment, intent, insanity,
criminal liability, and constitutional standards of criminal law.
10). Students will be able to identify, describe, and analyze
major Supreme Court cases dealing with each of the above issues.
3. Instruction, models, and resources for the teaching of civic
ideals and practices are included in HIST 481, Methods of Teaching
History and Social Studies.
This theme is met by political science majors in the following
ways:
1. All EMU students must take PLSC
112, American Government as part of their EMU program, which includes
material on the roles and responsibilities of citizens within the
Objectives for this class include:
1). Students will be able to define and analyze political power,
democracy, and majority rule.
2). Students will be able to define, identify and analyze the
Declaration of Independence, and other precursors to the American
Constitutional system.
3). Students will be able to define and analyze the U.S.
Constitution, checks and balances, and separation of powers.
4). Students will be able to identify contemporary constitutional
issues and assess their political import.
5). Students will be able to define and analyze the concept of
Federalism.
6). Students will be able to identify and analyze the Bill of
Rights and assess its relationship to modern situations.
7). Students will be able to apply constitutional principles to a
modern legal case.
8). Students will be able to describe and analyze the electoral
system in the
9). Students will be able to assess the accuracy of opinion
polling.
10). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in the
presidency, the cabinet system, and federal agencies since 1787.
11). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in
legislative function since 1787.
12). Students will be able to assess the role of lobbying and
campaign contributions in the political process.
13). Students will be able to assess the political situation for
women and minorities in the
14). Students will be able to describe and assess the role of the
media in politics in the contemporary
15). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in the
role of the Supreme Court since 1787.
16). Students will be able to apply their knowledge of the above
to a simulation of the U.S. Federal government.
2. All political science majors must take at least one class in
the area of American politics, public law, and administration.
3. Instruction, models, and resources for the teaching of civic
ideals and practices are included in HIST 481, Methods of Teaching
History and Social Studies.
This theme is met by history, psychology, economics and geography
majors in the following ways:
All EMU students must
take PLSC 112, American Government
as part of their EMU program, which includes material on the roles and
responsibilities of citizens within the
Objectives for this class include:
1). Students will be able to define and analyze political power,
democracy, and majority rule.
2). Students will be able to define, identify, and analyze the
Declaration of Independence and other precursors to the American Constitutional
system.
3). Students will be able to define and analyze the U.S.
Constitution, checks and balances, and separation of powers.
4). Students will be able to identify contemporary constitutional
issues and assess their political import.
5). Students will be able to define and analyze the concept of
Federalism.
6). Students will be able to identify and analyze the Bill of
Rights and assess its relationship to modern situations.
7). Students will be able to apply constitutional principles to a
modern legal case.
8). Students will be able to describe and analyze the electoral
system in the
9). Students will be able to assess the accuracy of opinion
polling.
10). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in the
presidency, the cabinet system, and federal agencies since 1787.
11). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in
legislative function since 1787.
12). Students will be able to assess the role of lobbying and
campaign contributions in the political process.
13). Students will be able to assess the political situation for
women and minorities in the
14). Students will be able to describe and assess the role of the
media in politics in the contemporary
15). Students will be able to describe and assess changes in the
role of the Supreme Court since 1787.
16). Students will be able to apply their knowledge of the above
to a simulation of the U.S. Federal government.
2. Instruction, models and resources for the teaching of civic
ideals and practices are included in HIST
481, Methods of Teaching History and Social Studies.
1.10.2 Test Evidence
Class evidence for social studies majors:
|
Grade range |
PLSC 112/3 |
PLSC 301 |
|
A to A- |
5 |
19 |
|
B- to B+ |
3 |
2 |
|
C- to C+ |
1 |
2 |
|
D- to D+ |
0 |
0 |
|
E |
0 |
0 |
|
Transfer credit granted (not below C) |
16 |
2 |
Class evidence for history majors:
|
Course |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PLSC 112/3 |
Cr |
a |
a |
cr |
Cr |
c- |
c+ |
b- |
cr |
cr |
cr |
Class evidence for political science majors:
|
Course |
Student 1 |
Student 2 |
|
PLSC 112/3 |
A |
C |
Class evidence for geography majors:
|
Course |
|
Student Grades |
|
|
|
PLSC 112/3 |
|
D |
CR |
CR |
Class evidence for psychology majors:
|
Class |
Grade |
|
PLSC 112/3 |
C |
State test data for Social Studies
Of the twenty two 2002-3 graduates with a major in History for
Secondary Education, seventeen student took the Social Studies MTTC, and
received a scores of 217, 220, 228, 228, 236, 241, 247, 255, 257, 263, 267,
268, 271, 271, 276, 276, 276. The passing score for the MTTC is 220. This
equals a pass rate of 94% for the exam, as compared to a state rate of 78%.
State test data for political science:
Political Science
Of the one 2002-3 graduate with a major of political science for
education, one student took the exam and scored 235. The passing score for the
MTTC is 220. This equals a pass rate of 65%.
1.10.3 Performance
Evidence
Students scored as follows on the supplemental evaluation form on
this strand:
|
Score |
Social Studies |
History |
Political Science |
Geography |
|
5- Excellent |
8 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
4 – Very Good |
5 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
|
3 Average |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 Minimally acceptable |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 Inadequate |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
N Not applicable to this student |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Note: Neither psychology nor economics had any students complete
student teaching in Winter 2003 when the supplemental
form was instituted.