Consider your options

Social Studies Review, Fall 2002 by Sabato, George

Middle School Review

When people have choices, they are empowered. They have a sense they have control over their lives. Power of choice is the key to the freedom that is at the core of the American way of life. It is important that education in America provide students guidance and experience in making choices in their lives through the learning process.

With the demands placed on students and teachers by the standards based education system, it may appear our education system is leaving little room for choice in structuring a student's learning. It is important that our social studies programs do more than teach about freedom. We must deliver a foundation of principles and skills essential to the students in our democratic society using processes that model and reinforce the basic American values we are advocating.

Our students need to learn how to show initiative, make choices, set high personal standards, demonstrate leadership, and work individually and as team members to achieve their goals.

The new California Gifted and Talented Education Program (GATE) guidelines mandate teachers across the curriculum at all grade levels to differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of GATE students. Students are to be challenged to explore course content in depth, analyze related complex aspects of the content, and approach the material with novelty and at an accelerated rate where possible. These challenges are suited for a good number of your students, if not all! On the other end of the education spectrum, teachers are expected to differentiate the curriculum for Special Education and English Learner students.

It is important to integrate into the education program a system that will give students experience in making choices about their education that addresses the standards while addressing the need to offer a differentiated curriculum for the spectrum of your students. Such a system needs to encourage students to explore areas of personal interest in depth, examine more complex issues, while creating novel solutions to problems. Often they may progress at an accelerated rate. The system should build a base of knowledge and skills tied to the standards while empowering them by allowing them to make decisions about their individual learning program. Students should be able to follow their interests and approach their objectives in learning styles suited to their personal talents. The "Option System" is one approach that will assist teachers in developing a program that addresses these needs.

There are two key elements to designing your lessons using the "Option System." The first element is called "building the base." This part of the instruction utilizes the teacher's choice of lessons and activities to build a base of knowledge and skills related to the specific standards for the unit of study. This may range from simply using the textbook and publisher's lessons to lessons designed by the teacher. The second element involves students in making choices to pursue the subject in more depth, complexity, novelty and/or acceleration. Teachers design options that allow students to choose from a wide variety of activities using a wide range of approaches to learning. Students may begin their work on their individual projects after a base of learning has been established in class. I find that students can begin their individual pursuits mid-way through a unit of study. Presentation of their personal work is a great culmination activity for the unit.

The following is a set of extended learning options for a unit of study on the Middle East/Arab World. The assignment is introduced to students after several weeks of classroom-centered studies using the textbook and other State adopted materials designed to build the base knowledge and skills dictated by the state standards. The options assignment evaluation should consider the student's individual abilities, effort, quality and depth of research, and presentation of his or her findings.

MIDDLE EAST/ARAB WORLD EXTENDED LEARNING:

DEPTH, COMPLEXITY, NOVELTY AND ACCELERATION

You are to select one or more option activity to extend your learning. Select a project that challenges you and matches your personal interests and learning style. Use your textbook, Across the Centuries, and other resources at school, the library, the Internet, and materials at your home. The creation and presentation of a quality product that presents valuable insights into the Middle East is your goal.

Options: (1-16: Extended learning based on information in the textbook.)

1. Make a collection of foods that would be suitable for nomads to take on their voyage across the desert.

2. Make a poster showing the Kaaba in Mecca.

3. Make a diorama of a nomad camp.

4. Make a map of the Arab trade routes in 570 A.D.

6. Make a magazine ad or video a commercial to sell a camel.

7. Make a model of the Dome of the Rock or other mosque.

8. Write a movie script about the life of Muhammad.

9. Work as a travel agent for a Muslim and plan his or her pilgrimage to Mecca. (Contact your local travel agent for airfares, hotel costs, cost of vaccinations etc. or use the World Wide Web for travel data.)