Question

In most elementary school classrooms there are several children who will have difficulty comprehending the grade-level social studies textbook. Teachers can help students by implementing appropriate instructional strategies. Explain what each of the following instructional approaches tries to accomplish: (a) Teaching reading strategies through reciprocal teaching, and (b) Question classification/answer verification through Question/Answer Relationship (QAR). HINT: Don’t describe a teaching sequence, explain what the approach tries to teach students to be able to do.

Answer 1

Social studies is a subject which is can not be imagined. It is factual studies. There are many subjects under that such as geography, history, environmental studies. If students are actually shown what is happening around they would keen interest in such studies. Depending upon the topic, strategy should be implemented. For eg: in Environmental sciences - I remember strategy used in my school, we were taken on road in groups, and we did tally marks for the no. of vehicles. We also noted which vehicle was making noise. We also had a project of planting sapplings and watering them, taking home. This was all taught with the methid of reciprocal teaching - after te activity, asked us to imagine what all problems can emerge, to find possible solutions. She also gave answers to our questions and in the end we summarized.

In the subjects like History and Geography Question and Answer can be used - Such as reading a topic, and then students can find answer in the text book. Of teacher gives a particular history question which beyond text books, students should find out that answer. Some questions can be subjective such as a prticular case how WW2 could have been avoided, students would pen down their own thoughts.