Are your students prepared for the 21st century? The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has teamed with the National Council for Social Studies to release a new online curriculum map to help social studies teachers integrate “21st century skills” into their lessons and prepare students to become effective and productive students in the global and technological economy.
The 21st Century Skills and Social Studies Map includes specific lessons for 4th, 8th, and 12th graders for combining critical thinking, creativity, and innovation with interdisciplinary themes such as civic, economic and entrepreneurial literacy, and global awareness.
To keep up with the increasingly high-tech world, many of the curriculum lessons require 2.0 technology: including the use of the internet and interactive Web sites, graphics software, GPS, and video conferencing. To promote critical thinking and problem solving, the curriculum suggests 12th graders explore social networking sites for opinions and demographic trends (for example, in the presidential election) and then produce a podcast to present their analysis.
The Social Studies Map is the first in a series of core content maps for teachers. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills plans to release maps for math, English, geography, and science throughout 2008 and 2009 on their website, www.21stcenturyskills.org.
