Week Seven

Chapter Two Since the overall article is an excellent basic introduction the breadth and depth of social studies research in educational psychology and pedagogy for undergraduate students, I thought I would take the opportunity to answer some of the questions raised within the text. Name three ways to raise the status of generally marginalized students? 1) Given the high percentage of immigrant student status since the early 1990's that have shot up to 1910-1920's numbers (ca. 12-15%), teachers in today's American classrooms need to be far more global in scope when integrating immigrant students into the classroom by having a basic understanding of their background culture, language and history. A great way to integrate immigrants from Northern Iraq (Kurds) is to apply self-determination theory to lesson plans and give them more choice when it comes to projects and world history that allow more focus on their former culture and political situation and having them teach other students more about Muslim history and the nuanced geo-political circumstances between Turkey, the Kurds, Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. This part of the world is often very neglected despite being the source region for many of the myths that were later written into the Hebrew bible and claimed by Judaism as original stories unique to their ethnic heritage. 2) Integrating the use of pop culture, especially jazz, funk, soul and hip-hop when it comes to teaching post World War II American history in an inner-city, predominantly African-American population. Teaching Malcolm X's teachings and evolution as compared to MLK's allows one to also mirror the 1960's music culture and show the differences between Motown and Stax records and how both were affected by the assasination of MLK, Jr. in 1968. One could teach the rise of hip-hop with the failure in northern American cities of the 1970's in regards to integration. While the south became far less segregated in regards to public schools, in the north segregation became even more pronounced and the norm, especially in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and New York City where hip-hop began as a merging of disco, funk, stand-up comedy and political activism. 3) Using key words of Native American vocabulary in the curriculum so that the doors are open to kids having the opportunity to develop understanding and compassion for Native American world views. An emphasis on Native American spirituality, the cosmos and hierarchy should also be taught in the local history section so kids get a fuller grasp on why Native Americans thought and think they way they do and why their traditions were so integral and significant to them. Emphasis on the Pawnee tribe should especially be noted, as they were the oldest semi-sedentary tribe in the region and much research suggests they are the inheritors of the advanced Loup peoples.