Principle #1: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE--The candidate understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

1.  Demonstrate a knowledge of the comprehensive nature of social studies. 
2. Examine various definitions of social studies.
3. Be able to define the content or history, geography, economics, sociology, anthropology, and political science.
4. Recognize the interrelationship of the social science disciplines.
5. Understand various ways in which social studies curriculum materials are organized. (Expanding Horizons, Spiral, Separate Subjects, etc.)
6. Create organized learning expriences for social studies that help children learn the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of the area and provide opportunities for social participation.

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Principle #2: LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT--The candidate understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.

1. Understand the application of stage theory development to teaching social studies knowledge, skills, and attitudes and values. 
2. Design social studies learning materials and opportunities that match intellectual, social, and personal development needs.

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Principle #3: DIVERSE LEARNERS--The candidate understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

1. Create culturally appropriate social studies learning materials. 
2. Create social studies learning materials which assist the educationally challenged and the gifted learners.

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Principle #4: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES--The candidate understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

1. Create a variety of appropriate social studies activities and use a variety of methods. 
2. Match social studies activities to selected learning objectives.
3. Understand and use various teaching methods and techniques in social studies. (Problem Method, inquiry, discovery, lecture, storytelling, computer-assisted instruction, etc.)

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Principle #5: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT--The candidate uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

1. Create a social studies classroom with multiple teaching resources so that the environment engages the learner in positive social interaction, active learning, and self-motivation. 
2. Identify the advantages and limitations of social studies textbooks, curriculum guides, kits, games, video tapes, and computer programs and design a classroom in which these materials provide for active learning.
3. Integrate the use of children's literature and other media materials into social studies classroom environment.
4. Use maps and globes as teaching tools in constructing social studies lessons.
5. Use time lines and sequence lines as teaching tools in constructing social studies lessons.
6. Use graphs, charts, and pictures as teaching tools in constructing social studies lessons.
7. Utilize community resources in developing social studies learning sequences.
8. Gather a variety of materials useful for teaching social studies. (Print materials, pictures, journal articles, technology based materials)
9. Organize big ideas and materials in social studies.
10. Construct meaningful social studies materials.
11. Use democratic teaching strategies in the social studies classroom.

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Principle #6: COMMUNICATION--The candidate uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

1. Orally share information with others in the area of social studies. 
2. Use media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and interaction in social studies class.

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Principle #7: PLANNING INSTRUCTION--The candidate plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

1. Use the content of the social sciences to identify appropriate social studies topics, narrow the topics to provide focus for study, and broaden topics to challenge the imagination and interest of children. 
2. Distinguish between social studies facts, concepts, and generalizations.
3. Develop appropriate social studies content generalizations for an identified social studies topic based upon facts and concepts.
4. Write knowledge-based, skill-based, and affective oriented social studies learning objectives related to the facts, concepts and generalizations.
5. Adapt learning plans to needs of individuals and groups.
6. Develop lesson plans that integrate the elementary curriculum around a social studies topic.
7. Create yearly, weekly, and daily lesson plans for social studies.
8. Create social studies lesson plans for various methods and strategies of teaching. (Discussion, inquiry, storytelling, learning centers,  computer-assisted instruction, etc.)

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Principle #8: ASSESSMENT--The candidate understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner.

1. Recognize the relationship between teaching and assessment. 
2. Design appropriate formative and summative evaluation instruments for teaching social studies.
3. Utilize authentic assessment strategies in evaluating learning experiences in the social studies.

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Principle #9: REFLECTION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT--The candidate is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

1. Identify personal needs and interests in the area of social studies and relate those needs to the teaching in a classroom. 
2. Ask meaningful questions to guide personal learning in the area of social studies and relate those questions to teaching in a classroom.
3. Do research to find answers to questions in social studies materials and organize, summarize, and write about what has been found.
4. Learn by listening to and observing others.
5. Motivate others to learn social studies materials and ideas.
6. Perceive and analyze growth and change in elementary social studies.
7. Reflect upon lessons and interactions with students and colleagues, evaluate results of work done and make changes based upon the results.

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Principle #10: SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS--The candidate fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being.

1. Be aware of and begin to participate in parent/teacher groups, local and state professional social studies organizations, and local community organizations that promote the goals of the social studies. 
2. Recognize the contribution of the National Council for the Social Studies to the teaching profession and use guidelines in preparing to teach.
3. Be knowledgeable of standards written by various professional groups in the area of social studies and use these guidelines in preparing to teach.

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Principle #11: USE OF TECHNOLOGY--The candidate integrates the computer and other high and low technology into classroom teaching activities, assessment and/or documentation.

1. Identify ways of appropriately integrating technology in social studies. 
2. Develop social studies learning experiences supported by technology.
3. Operate a multimedia system and use word processing, authoring, and presentation programs to teach social studies lessons.
4. Examine and evaluate social studies software.
5. Use an array of available technological tools to teach social studies lessons.
6. Support ethical use of media.
7. Use the Internet for developing social studies lessons.

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