HSE Splendid Social Studies! Splendid Social...Social Studies test gauges examinees’ understanding...

HSE Splendid Social Studies!

Steve Schmidt [email protected]

abspd.appstate.edu

Today’s Quote “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” - James Baldwin Please Write on the Packet!

You can find everything from this workshop and many other resources at: www.abspd.appstate.edu Look under: Teaching Resources, HSE Splendid Social Studies Historical Humor

http://www.abspd.appstate.edu/

| HSE Splendid Social Studies

What You Need to Know about the GED® Social Studies Test

GED® Social Studies Content Area

Percent of Test Questions

Civics and Government 50%

United States History 20%

Economics 15%

Geography and the World 15% 1. You should be familiar with basic social studies concepts, but you're not expected to have in-depth knowledge of each topic. Remember, the social studies test is not a memorization test! You don’t need to know the capitals of countries or the timeframes that certain wars occurred. 2. You’ll need to understand social studies concepts, use logic and reasoning, and draw conclusions (which is using your critical thinking skills in social studies). Reading for Meaning in Social Studies 1. Main Ideas and Details in Social Studies Readings Social studies readings may be from a primary source (created by someone with firsthand knowledge of an event) or a secondary source (created by someone at a later time who did not have firsthand knowledge of the event). Sometimes these documents are complex or written in an "old-fashioned" style, and it takes skill to read and understand what the main point or points of the reading are - which might not be obvious to you on the first read. For example, a reading about American History might argue that the cause of the American Revolution was the unfair taxation of the American colonies. The reading might then provide details or examples of unfair taxation that support the author's position. Or, you might read an excerpt of a letter written by a soldier during the U.S. Civil War. This primary source document explains the perspective of that individual and what he was doing or experiencing at the time. As a reader, your task might be to explain or summarize the main points or theme of what the soldier was trying to communicate. 2. Social Studies Vocabulary You'll be presented with social studies passages which include common social studies terms and phrases. For example, the term "capitalism" describes the main economic system that is in place in the U.S. You may need to be able to understand what that term means in order to distinguish it from other economic systems, such as "socialism" or "communism."


3. How Authors Use Language in Social Studies You'll be asked to identify how authors use language, (for example, imagery or facts) to establish their points of view or purpose. Social studies authors use language to support their arguments in a variety of different ways. One author might use facts to create an argument, while another might use metaphors to create more of an emotional argument. For example, an author writing about competition in the communications industry might cite facts about company revenues, profits, or market share. Another writer discussing the effects of competition on cell phone prices might provide examples of how consumers felt about their treatment by cell phone service providers. These authors have different purposes and use different kinds of language to support their purposes. As a reader, it is important to be able to identify the different characteristics of writing in order to be able to understand and evaluate the meaning of the passage. 4. Fact vs. Opinion You'll be asked to determine when an author is using factual statements or inferences, as opposed to opinions. For example, an author might begin with the opinion that the 1960s were one of the most difficult and divided times in American history. They may go on to cite evidence or facts that describe the Vietnam War, civil rights protests, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. 5. Claims and Evidence in Social Studies You'll be presented with social studies passages and be asked to:

• Determine whether a claim is or is not supported by evidence

• Compare information that differs between sources For example, you might be provided with a passage that discusses the historical expansion westward of the United States in the 19th century and that argues that the expansion was beneficial to the Native American people who had occupied the land previously. The reading might provide evidence to support that claim and your task could be to evaluate whether it does. You might also be asked to read information from different sources and analyze whether the differing versions are credible in supporting the claims that are made.


Analyzing Historical Events and Arguments in Social Studies 1. Making Inferences Social studies authors often use evidence to guide the reader to draw conclusions. You'll be asked to make inferences or draw conclusions by applying your logic and reasoning skills to the evidence presented in social studies readings. For example, you may be provided with several pieces of evidence about a particular historical event and then infer what the most likely outcome might be in the future. 2. Connections Between Different Social Studies Elements (People, Events, Places, Processes) You'll be asked to:

• Analyze cause-and-effect relationships

• Describe the connections between people, places, environments, processes, and events

• Put events in order and understand the steps in a process (for example, how a bill becomes a law) Analyze the relationship of events, processes, and/or ideas.

For example, you might analyze whether earlier events actually caused later ones or simply occurred before them. Taking another example, an author writing about WWI might cite events leading up to the war, including political and social events. In the years prior to WWI, social unrest, fueled by food shortages, led to riots. Deposed Russian leadership left a dangerous power vacuum. At the same time, increasingly aggressive clashes arose between world empires. In these passages, you will be provided with the historical facts. You will be asked to determine the connections between them. 3. The Effect of Different Social Studies Concepts On An Argument or Point of View All social studies authors have a point of view and purpose for what they write. You'll be asked to:

• Analyze how events and situations shape the author's point of view

• Evaluate whether the author's evidence is factual, relevant, and sufficient

• Make judgments about how different ideas impact the author's argument For example, an author might present their point of view that non-violent approaches are the most effective way to impact government policy. They could present evidence from the movement to resist British rule in India, led by Mohandas Gandhi, alongside evidence from the American civil rights movement in the United States, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. 4. Identify Bias or Propaganda in Social Studies Reading You'll be asked to identify when a social studies reading uses bias or propaganda. Sometimes authors promote their point of view by appealing to a reader's emotions. They can use loaded language (words that trigger emotions) to lead the reader to the author's point of view. For example, during the Cold War, as tensions rose between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, many Americans worried that communism could destroy American society. This worry was fueled by writings describing communism as an "iceberg that could sink America" or as "purgatory under Communism."


Using Numbers and Graphs in Social Studies 1. Using Data Presented in Visual Form, Including Maps, Charts, Graphs, and Tables Data can be represented in many different visual forms, including charts, tables, graphs, maps, photographs, and cartoons. You'll be presented with data in visual form and will be asked to:

• Make sense of information that is presented in different ways

• Analyze information from maps, tables, charts, photographs, and political cartoons

• Represent textual data into visual form (charts, graphs, and tables)

• Interpret, use, and create graphs with appropriate labeling, and use the data to predict trends For example, a line graph can show the population growth of a city before and through the Industrial Revolution. You may be asked to predict future growth for the city.

2. Dependent and Independent Variables A variable is simply a person, place, or thing you are trying to measure. Some variables impact other variables. You'll be presented with a graph showing independent and dependent variables, and will be asked to analyze and show how they are related to each other. For example, a graph can show the number of people and the food consumption in a town. The number of people is the independent variable. The number of people that will impact the food consumption is the dependent variable. More people will result in more food consumption.

3. Correlation vs. Causation You'll be asked to recognize the difference between correlation and causation between events. For example, you may be presented with a passage describing the significant growth of a city. The passage could include facts about industrial innovations, including the assembly line and factories. You may also be presented with information about medical advancements. You'll use the data provided to determine the direct relationship (causation) between the industrial innovations and urban population growth. However, there may not be evidence of a direct relationship between the medical advancements and urban population growth (a correlation). 4. Using Statistics in Social Studies You'll be asked to find the mean, median, mode, and range of a data set. For example, you may be presented with the population of all of the counties in a state. You may be asked to calculate the mean, median, mode, and range of the populations of the state's counties.


Social Studies High Impact Indicators (These skills create the most problems for GED® Social

Studies test takers)

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source document, corroborating or challenging conclusions with evidence

Describe people, places, environments, processes, and events and the connections between and among them

Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including action by individuals, natural and societal processes, and the influence of ideas

Analyze how a historical context shapes an author's point of view

Compare treatments of the same social studies topic in various primary and secondary sources, noting discrepancies between and among the sources

Source: GED® Testing Service

TASC Social Studies During the Social Studies test, examinees will be assigned multiple-choice, constructed-response, and technology-enhanced questions on history, economics, geography, civics, and government. The Social Studies test gauges examinees’ understanding of the basic principles in each of those areas. To do well, examinees must be able to read passages, illustrations, graphs, and charts. Content Structure Comprehension

• Understanding and being able to restate and summarize what is read.

Application

• Transferring ideas from one context to another.

Analysis

• Examining the logical structure of ideas; drawing conclusions from various types of data.

Evaluation

• Judging fact vs. opinion and the reliability of information.


Teaching Inference with Visuals Inference is an important skill for students to develop in social studies, science and language arts reading. It allows readers to draw a conclusion that an author may not have directly said in a reading. Inference is making an educated guess that is based on: - a person’s own experience - information (evidence) from a text Help students learn inference skills by teaching from concrete to abstract. Start with videos and then move to comics/cartoons, pictures, and finally readings. Use shorter, simpler readings and then move to longer more complex ones.

Source: GED® Testing Service Use the Inference Graphic Organizer to help students generate questions about the source material. Videos On YouTube, search for “inference commercials katie wells.”


Pictures/Cartoons

1. Garfield Cheese Puffs

2. Children Playing


3. Payphones and Cellphones

4. “Burst of Joy”


5. “Migrant Mother”


6. “The Girl with the Flower”

7. Editorial Cartoon


Understanding Primary Sources

What is it? (Letter, diary, speech, drawing, newspaper article, etc.)

Who made it?

When was it created?

Where was it made?

Why was it created?

What does it say or show? (Summarize in a few sentences in your own words)

Questions/Comments:

Understanding Primary Sources

What is it? (Letter, diary, speech, drawing, newspaper article, etc.)

Who made it?

When was it created?

Where was it made?

Why was it created?

What does it say or show? (Summarize in a few sentences in your own words)

Questions/Comments:


Was Edith Wilson the First Woman President? On October 2, 1919 President Woodrow Wilson suffered a massive stroke. Those suffering from strokes of this type have symptoms described by doctors as: “Violent stomach upsets . . . insomnia, twitching of the face, difficulty in using a pen, headaches, great weakness, and paralysis of one side of the body . . . The victim often becomes unreasonable, apprehensive, irritable. He may become violently emotional – the most common characteristic is frequent crying spells.” President Wilson showed all these symptoms over the next few months and needed at least 6 weeks of absolute rest. The President of the United States was now “a low functioning invalid.” Document 1 – Edith Wilson’s Memoirs (Wife of President Wilson) “Once my husband was out of immediate danger, the burning question was how Mr. Wilson might best serve the country, preserve his own life, and, if possible, recover. But recovery could not be hoped for [the doctors] said, unless the President were released from every disturbing problem during these days of Nature’s effort to repair the damage done. “Then,” I said, “had he better not resign, let Mr. [Vice President] Marshall succeed to the Presidency, and he himself get that complete rest that is so vital to his life?” “No,” the Doctor said, “not if you feel equal to what I suggested. For Mr. Wilson to resign would have a bad effect on the country, and a serious effect on our patient. He has staked his life and made his promise to the world to do all in his power to get the Treaty ratified and make the League of Nations complete. If he resigns, the greatest incentive to recovery is gone; and as his mind is clear as crystal, he can still do more with even a maimed body than anyone else. He has the utmost confidence in you “So began my stewardship. I studied every paper, sent from the different Secretaries or Senators, and tried to digest and present in tabloid form the things that, despite my vigilance, had to go to the President. I, myself, never made a single decision regarding the disposition of public affairs. The only decision that was mine was what was important and what was not, and the very important decision of when to present matters to my husband. “He asked thousands of questions, and insisted upon knowing everything, particularly about the Treaty. He would dictate notes to me to send to Senator Hitchcock, who was leading the fight for the Treaty in the Senate. Or he would tell me what Senators to send for, and what suggestions he had to make to them. This method of handling interviews was another suggestion of the doctors.. . . “The physicians said that if I could convey the messages of Cabinet members and others to the President, he would escape the nervous drain audiences with these officials would entail. Even the necessary little courteous personal conversations that go with an official interview would consume the President’s strength. Upon all sides I was literally besieged by those who “must” see the President. But I carried out the directions of the doctors—and my heart was in it. Woodrow Wilson was first my beloved husband whose life I was trying to save, fighting with my back to the wall—after that he was the President of the United States.” Source: My Memoir, Edith Wilson, 1939


Document 2 - Picture of President Wilson and his wife, June 1920

This picture was taken in June 1920 to show that the President was healthy and could still carry out the duties.


Document 3 – Telegram to White House Physician Dr. Cary Grayson, Feb 24, 1920

Source: Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum The writing in pencil is from Edith Wilson, the President’s wife. The pencil writing says, “Thinks it well to postpone speaking on such subjects.” Doctor Cary Grayson was the President’s personal doctor. Henry Morgenthau was the former U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (present day Turkey).


Document 4 - Diary Entry: Colonel Edward M. House, December 27, 1919 “[Secretary of State] Lansing believes the President is much sicker than the public is lead to believe. He does not think the President is writing any of the papers purporting to come from him. Lansing himself wrote the Thanksgiving Proclamation, and it came back unchanged with the President’s signature, I understood him to say, on the top instead of at the end. The signature was almost illegible.” Colonel House had been a close advisor to President Wilson and was known as the best collector of Washington gossip. ________________________________________________________________________________ Document 5 – Ike Hoover’s Statement "If there were some papers requiring his attention, they would be read to him -- but only those that Mrs. Wilson thought should be read to him. Likewise, word of any decision the president had made would be passed back through the same channels." Ike Hoover was the White House Chief Usher (head of household staff at White House). He had daily contact with the President and Mrs. Wilson during 1919 - 1921. This excerpt is from his book Forty-Two (42) Years in The White House, published in 1934.


The Fracking Files

Directions This lesson may take two class periods to complete. Do steps 1 and 2 in the first class, and then steps 3 and 4 in the second class. 1. To help students get a background on fracking, show the two videos and have students summarize

what they see after watching. Model how to do a summary. (If there is no computer access, use the pictures in the handout packet to explain fracking and discuss the major pros and cons.) Have students do the Talk, then Write activity. Have a class discussion based on their responses.

2. The fracking files contain four case studies, some from people who support fracking and some

from people who do not. Have the students read the four case files and then complete the graphic organizer. Model how to complete the first graphic organizer. An alternative to having students read the case files would be to have different students play the role of each one of the case file participants and have them talk about their situation.

3. Use the “Fracking File – My View” handout. Students must take a side and choose their three best

reasons why they support or are against fracking. 4. Students will then use their answers to the “Fracking File – My View” handout as the basis for

writing a letter to the editor in which they either support or are against fracking in their community.

| HSE Splendid Social Studies ABSPD [email protected]

Introduction to Fracking Summarize what you have learned after watching each video: Video # 1 Google: Fracking Explained: Opportunity or Danger?

Video # 2 Google: Animation of Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking)

Talk, then Write Which one do you find to be more accurate? Why? Which video was sponsored by an oil company? How would this sponsorship affect the way fracking is shown?


The Fracking File – Case 1 Name: Susan Connell Age: 39 Place of Residence: Watford City, North Dakota Occupation: 18 Wheel Truck Driver Susan Connell is one of the few women big rig truck drivers in the Bakken Oil Fields in North Dakota. She works 12 hour days hauling the water used in fracking oil wells. While the work is exhausting and the hours long, Susan earns $2,000 a week for her work. In order to earn this salary, Susan had to move from her home in Montana to North Dakota. She now lives seven hours away from her husband and two young daughters. Back in 2009, both Susan and her husband lost their construction jobs during the Great Recession. The family fell three months behind on their mortgage payments and began receiving threatening letters from their bank. Susan then heard that big rig truck drivers were desperately needed in the booming North Dakota oil fields. Some years before, Susan drove a commercial bus between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. How much harder could it be to drive an 18 wheeler? In order to upgrade her license to drive the big rigs, Susan had to take a $4,000 driver training course. At a time when her family struggled to buy groceries, they took the gamble and financed the course on a credit card. At first, no one believed Susan Connell could do the difficult trucking jobs required in the oil fields. She applied at more than a dozen trucking companies, all of which turned her down. Some managers said that women did not belong in the oil field. Others scolded her for not being home taking care of her kids. She lived in her car and focused on finding a job. After proving herself hauling grain during the many blizzards of a North Dakota winter, she finally won a coveted job as an oil field trucker. When asked about her work in the oil fields, Susan said, “There’s good and bad in everything. I just accept it. I’ve been trying to leave since the work is so exhausting, unreliable, and lonely. It gets harder and harder to leave my family. Each time I leave home after a visit, my daughters beg me not to go. It’s not very safe for a woman here too. I’m out here alone in the middle of nowhere. I carry a steel rod with me for protection wherever I go.” “But, good paying jobs are hard to come by. The economy is still tough back home. Our family needs the money I bring in to survive. I’ve proved I can do the job, and I can do it better than most of the guys here. I’ve made a place for myself here. There’s other draws too. At night, when I’m on a well picking up water, I can see thousands of stars blazing in the sky and hear the coyotes howl off in the distance. The salt water smell coming up from the wells makes it seem like I’m at the ocean.” Adapted from America Strikes Oil: The Promise and Risk of Fracking, National Geographic, March 2013


The Fracking File – Case 2 Name: Brenda and Richard Jorgenson Age: Both 58 Place of Residence: Mountrail County, North Dakota Occupation: Housewife and Famer Brenda and Richard Jorgenson love the quiet, wide open spaces of North Dakota. He’s been farming land in Mountrail County for more than 30 years. Specifically, Richard farms the White Earth Valley, a wide, grassy basin that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see. Brenda and Richard have lived in a home they built themselves over 30 years ago. “It was instant love,” says Brenda about the first time she laid eyes on the land where they would build their home. Alliance Pipeline plans to soon locate a 12 inch high pressure gas conduit across their land. The Jorgensons are dead set against this plan. “I don’t want a bomb in my backyard,” Richard says about the gas line. The Jorgensons and their neighbors all oppose the project, but Alliance has gone to court and have threatened to use eminent domain, the process by which private property can be taken in the name of the public good. The public good in this case is providing the energy the United States needs. While the Jorgensons continue to fight the pipeline project, oil drilling is going on almost literally in their backyard. Only 800 feet from their home, another company named Petro-Hunt runs an oil well just 800 feet from their house. When the fracking boom started, the Jorgensons discovered a nasty surprise. North Dakota law allows for separate mineral and surface land rights. So while the Jorgensons own the land their house sits on, over 110 different strangers own the mineral rights to the 40 acres of land nearest their house! When his father bought the 1000 acres their farm sits on, he didn’t know that the previous owner had sold off the mineral rights, in five acre parcels, to people all over the country when he needed money to buy some equipment. “It’s just constant noise with that pump going all the time. But my biggest worry is about our water safety. I hear that some people living in Pennsylvania near fracked wells can light their water on fire with all the methane that’s leaked into their water supply. The companies say it’s safe, but I know the Environmental Protection Agency can only do so much to make sure drillers are following the rules. I am so concerned for the future. I want to pass this land along to my kids and grandkids. While getting this energy may be great for the country, this land won’t be worth two cents to my family if it’s polluted. All those dangerous fracking chemicals could cause cancer and who knows what else. These oil companies just need to back off so we can be sure fracking is really safe.” Adapted from America Strikes Oil: The Promise and Risk of Fracking, National Geographic, March 2013


The Fracking File – Case 3 Name: Brent Sanford Age: 40 Place of Residence: Watford City, North Dakota Occupation: Owner, S & S Motors and Mayor, Watford City North Dakota Brent Sanford is a proud North Dakota native. His family has lived here for four generations. In 1946, his grandfather started the auto sales business he now runs. While the Sanfords have been a stable part of Watford City for many years, the town around them is changing at an incredible pace. “My town was dying,” Sanford says. Some people were even suggesting that the town be abandoned and returned to the buffalo. North Dakota struggled as living wage jobs were hard to come by, and it emptied of population as people moved away in search of better opportunities. But with the fracking boom, jobs are plentiful and word has reached those searching for work. Like oil gushing from a new well, Watford City’s population has soared. In the past two years, the number of residents exploded from about 1,700 to almost 10,000 people! Sanford thinks that the media has overemphasized the negatives of the oil boom. He believes his town will survive the boom and the benefits of growth will outweigh the costs. While housing all the new arrivals has been difficult, he sees a slow change from RV “man camps” to apartments and then single family homes. There’s a new recreation center and a public housing and day care complex. A hospital will soon be built too. Existing businesses are booming and new ones are opening up every day. Sanford said, “The bottom line is that energy production creates jobs, and jobs with great wages like the ones here mean more tax revenue. We’re getting so much tax revenue in our small town that we can now fund a new and bigger elementary school. Before the boom, we could barely provide basic service to everyone. Now, we are able to help the community in so many ways.” He also noted other benefits to fracking. “This energy boom will save America. We’re seeing prices drop dramatically on oil which means far cheaper prices at the gas pump. The increase in natural gas from fracking has lowered prices there too and makes it cheaper for people to heat their homes. Families now have more money to provide for their families and save for the future. New fleets of buses run on natural gas, and natural gas is a lot cleaner for the environment than burning coal. “ “I’m also hopeful that this oil and gas boom will allow America to become energy independent. We rely way too much on foreign oil. We’re in the mess we’re in Iraq and Afghanistan because of Middle Eastern oil. Most of those countries hate us; why should we give their economies billions of dollars in oil money? Even our so called allies like Saudi Arabia aren’t really our friends. Almost all of the 9-11 hijackers were Saudis. We are so much better off not messing with those people over there.” Fracking has brought new prosperity to Sanford’s once dying town and has transformed his community in a positive way. Instead of being left to die, Watford City is alive and thriving once again. “Fracking has allowed me to stay here, and I feel confident my children we’ll be able to live here for generations to come.” Adapted from America Strikes Oil: The Promise and Risk of Fracking, National Geographic, March 2013


The Fracking File – Case 4 Name: Dr. Lisa Ingraham Age: 45 Place of Residence: Grand Forks, North Dakota Occupation: Professor of Environmental Science As a driver, I love the fact that fracking has helped bring gas prices have gone down. As an environmental scientist, I am far more concerned about fracking’s environmental impact. Human life and the long term protection and safety of our water supply is far more important than cheap gas in the short term. Each fracking job requires a staggering one to eight million gallons of water. With one half million active wells in the U.S, that’s 72 trillion gallons of water used per year! This water has to come from somewhere. It likely comes from nearby wells, lakes, or municipal water systems, leaving local residents with smaller water supplies or potential water shortages. Beyond water waste, fracking creates chemical pollution. Energy companies like to say that 99.5 percent of what is used in fracking is water and sand with only .5% chemicals. Let’s do the math. If it takes eight million gallons of water to get a well going, which means up to 40,000 gallons of chemicals are used in each fracking! This creates a toxic bath of waste water that contains 600 chemicals including mercury and uranium. What happens to this chemical laden waste water? Sometime it is left in open pits to evaporate. This releases volatile organic compounds into the air which contaminate the air, make acid rain, and release ground level ozone. Waste water is also pumped back into wells. While companies say it is pumped far below water sources, studies of decades old wells in Montana show that waste water has leaked into the water supply. Other studies show that methane concentrations are 17 times higher in drinking water wells near fracking sites. There have been more than 1000 documented cases of water contamination next to drilling sites which have caused sensory, respiratory, and neurological damage to nearby residents. There are other pollutants to consider beside chemical. To get a well started, it takes 2000 tractor trailer trips to carry water and other supplies to and from the site. This creates a massive amount of air pollution! Even more alarming, some new studies about old fracking sites in Pennsylvania show that fracking released radioactive substances into the surrounding environment. Adapted and used by permission from New Reader’s Press, Writing for the GED® Test Book 4


The Fracking File – My View I __________________________ fracking for several reasons. support or do not support My reasons are: 1. _____________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence to support this reason: ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence to support this reason: ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence to support this reason: ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________


Letter to the Editor Write a letter to the editor describing why you either support or do not support fracking. Make sure you back up your reasons with evidence from your research.

HSE Splendid Social Studies! Splendid Social...Social Studies test gauges examinees’ understanding...

Documents

Transcript of HSE Splendid Social Studies! Splendid Social...Social Studies test gauges examinees’ understanding...