Bicol University

College of Education
Daraga Albay
A.Y: 2020-2021

A Compendium of Learner-Centered Strategies and Activities in Social

Studies for the Elementary Grades

A compendium presented to the faculty of Bicol University College of Education, Daraga

Albay

In partial fulfillment to the subject EED 10: Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary Grades
(Culture and Basic Geography)

Presented by:

Joey M. Perez
(2 BEED- BLOCK 5)

Presented to:

Prof. Maria Corazon P. Rico

(Subject Professor)

February 2021
 I. Introduction

Ranging yourself as an educator who carries his teaching and learning process with
strategies and approaches at your back is crucial in the field of teaching and learning as it drives
the seamless flow of lesson. Strategies, approaches and partaking activities in the lesson is
inextricably important as it also makes your teaching and learning become more successful,
meaningful and effective to both the teacher and the students. Strategies are the long-term plan
of action which is designed to achieve a particular goal. These can be a method or technique to
be used by teacher to support the learning progress of the students and this is also a crucial
choice of teachers to which best suited for a certain topic and suitable for the learning journey
of students because there are some instances that teaching strategies are not effective in
teaching learning process as sometimes students tend to digest less the knowledge and
information they need. That is why, teachers should have a wise decision in implementing of
strategies and at the time teachers must be flexible enough.

In this day and age of embarking the K-12 curriculum, strategies and activities to be
implement should learner- centered. What does this mean? This implies that learners are the
center of teaching learning process. Teaching strategies, methods and approaches then must
focus on the learners themselves not just only to let them know the content but rather let the
learners be equipped to become globally competent in the making. In learner-centered, the role
of teachers should not pour water in the vessels but rather light a fire. Therefore, to enable
students to light their fire up, teacher should focus on giving emphasis on development of skills,
abilities and practices which advocate a lifelong learning for them to become an active
problem-solver, critical thinker and independent learner. Learner- centered strategies and
activities also encompasses students interest first and acknowledging their needs in learning
and amplifying their voices as central to their learning experience. Learner- centered opposed
to the traditional system of education where teachers dominate learning classroom. Learner
centered approach doesn’t believe on that. They believe that learning of students must be active
on its nature than passive that is why teaching and learning process pushes through to be more
indirect and exploratory and less in being direct and expository. In fact, many of students are
saying that they conquer a tedious and boring learning experience way back on their AP journey
and now this is the time to change the image of learning in AP subject and us, not just only a
future AP teacher but a teacher himself, we are not just obliged to learn all of the learner-
centered strategies but it is our key to make our teaching learning process become more
meaningful, effective, interesting and productive.
 II. Body of Content

“Learner-Centered Strategies and Activities in Social Studies for the Elementary

Grades; A summary”

1. News Analysis

Start your class with this minds-on exercise that provides real-
world interdisciplinary problems. To launch the exercise, you
must play a news clip that discusses a local, national or
international topic. Then, give students a related question to
solve either individually or in teams. For example, the clip can
be about a store shutting down. Using skills and concepts from
different subjects, ask students to determine an ideal new location for it. They can volunteer to
present their solutions, answering questions from classmates.

Time: 30 – 45 Minutes
Age Range: 5th Grade and Up

2. Historical Pen Pals

Personalize history class — developing creative writing skills

in the process — by dedicating time to this ongoing activity.
Each student takes the role of a historical figure and writes to a
classmate about events he or she faced. Drawing on resources
such as videos and textbooks, the exercise allows the writer to
process content from different and relevant subjects. Let’s say
a student takes the role of Galileo Galilei. He or she can write about the polymath’s discoveries,
building knowledge of math and other subjects in the process.

Time: 45 Minutes
Age Range: 3rd Grade and Up
 3. World Traveler

Let students plan vacations, building research skills while touching

on core subjects. You need to designate time for independent study
in a library or computer room, as students work to create week-long
travel itineraries to their ideal destinations. The product should, for
example, include information about:

• Landmarks and their historical significances

• Popular foods, dishes and the predominant cuisine
• Languages or dialects spoken in the area or country
• Cultural events that take place in the area or country

This interdisciplinary activity lends itself to second-language classes. For example, students could
write itineraries in French for a trip to Paris or Montréal. To wrap up the exercise, you can explore
some destinations with your class using technology such as Google Earth.

Time: One – Three Classes

Age Range: 4th – 6th Grade

4. Leaning Tower

Bolster the last activity — delving into more subjects — by asking

students to examine one of Italy’s famous landmarks. A mainstay
interdisciplinary activity for some teachers, this exercise focuses on
independent research into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Specifically, it
can involve:
• Investigating the physics or structure of the tower, determining if or when it will fall
• Exploring the tower’s history and cultural significance to Pisa and Tuscany
• Developing an itinerary for a trip to Pisa, similar to the last activity
• Setting a budget for the trip
• For lower grades, you can divide the activity into distinct exercises and allow students to work
in groups. For higher grades, you can assign this as an in-class project for students to tackle
either individually or in pairs.
Time: One – Three Classes
Age Range: 6th Grade and Up
 5. Incentives

Touch on business, philosophy and social studies with this

introspective activity. The exercise starts by dividing your
students into small groups and classroom into three stations.
Each group has tokens, which they must choose to spend at
the stations. Each station has a unique category of cards
you’ve pre-made, representing a distinct incentive. An economic incentive could be to get
faster transportation to school for $150, whereas a social incentive could be to host a party. A
moral incentive could be to make a charity donation. Once every group has spent, tally the
purchases to see which station sold the most incentives.
This opens the door to two reflection exercises. First, as a class, discuss how each group spent
its money. Second, ask each student to write about why he or she wanted specific incentives.
Time: One Class
Age Range: 4th Grade and Up

6. Field Study

Introduce new learning environments by using an outdoor

field study as the basis for a short unit. Like any unit that
uses an interdisciplinary approach, it must be rooted in
an organizing center — a defined focus or purpose, which
will be further explained in this article’s next section. For
example, the field study can concentrate on finding local bugs and animals. Then, you can base
your unit on exploring a specific theme related to wildlife. Students could:
• Read and evaluate relevant poetry
• Write and submit profiles about wildlife they spotted
• Watch and discuss documentaries about animals, such as Planet Earth
• Research and deliver presentations about how certain environments sustain wildlife
To launch the in-class part of the unit, you can hold a class-wide discussion about how the field
study connected with past lessons. Perfect for gratifying outdoorsy students.
Time: One to Two Weeks
Age Range: 3rd Grade and Up
 7. All about Weathers
Connect science with social studies by presenting a unit that
explores the impact of weather. Many elementary science
curricula have units about weather and atmosphere, which you
can supplement by studying how they affect societies. For
example, examine diverse regions and countries, looking into
how climate influences labor, agriculture and cultural
practices. Students can deliver products that depict how weather has historically shaped life
and ecology in the area.

Time: One to Two Weeks

Age Range: 4th Grade and Up

8. More than just a book

Make language arts class more memorable by examining

a book’s underlying contexts, running engaging exercises
while reading it. Each book lends itself to unique
interdisciplinary activities. Start by dissecting the setting. For
example, if it takes place several centuries ago, students can
recreate the era’s scientific breakthroughs by making small
windmills or simple telescopes. A book’s theme can also draw on different subjects. Let’s say
you’re reading George Orwell. You can set up learning stations that teach political ideologies. For
a light-hearted approach, students can re-enact scenes from dialogue-heavy novels, putting
themselves in characters’ shoes. Who knew English class could be so versatile?

Time: Two Weeks or Longer

Age Range: 4th Grade and Up

9. Study- Free Test Preparation

Prepare your students for an upcoming exam or standardized test by exploring how to prepare
aside from studying, giving them methods to use throughout their academic careers.
Regardless of specific structure, this unit’s lessons and activities should be based on one guiding
question or organizing center: “As well as studying, what are the best ways to prepare oneself for
an upcoming test?” You can focus on stress, sleep, nutrition, active listening and other factors that
influence performance. To culminate the unit, each student can give a research-backed
presentation about a study-free preparation tactic.

Time: One Week or Longer

Age Range: 5th Grade and Up

10. Roundtable Discussion

A roundtable discussion usually involves a small number

of students, perhaps no fewer than three and no more than
eight. It requires someone to serve as a moderator who
will introduce the members of the discussion group,
present the problem to be discussed, and keep the
discussion moving. The leader's role is that of guiding the
group rather than dominating the discussion. A relaxed
atmosphere must prevail and the presentation must be conversational rather than
oratorical. Roundtable discussion can be used in the classroom by having a group of
students discuss a problem before the class or by dividing the class into several
discussion groups that function without an audience (Parker and Jarolimek, 1997).

11. Panel Discussion

A panel discussion is similar to a roundtable discussion

in many respects, but there are some differences. The
responsibility of the moderator of a panel discussion are
approximately the same as those of a moderator of the
roundtable discussion, and the responsibilities of the
participants are also the same. The procedure, however,
is more formal than that of the roundtable discussion, It usually begins with a short statement
from each discussant before the panel is opened for free discussion by the members of the
panel. Panels are usually more audience-oriented than the roundtable discussion, and
frequently, some provision is made for audience questions and participation at the end of the
panel's presentation. The participants of a panel discussion also have a greater responsibility of
preparing themselves well for their particular part on the panel, for each panelist is considered
more or less an expert.

12. Brainstorming

This strategy or technique is often used by teachers in

analyzing an issue, an event, or a problem that calls for a
solution. Once the problem or issue is presented to the
class, the students are asked to suggest possible solutions
to the problem. Accept all the answers of the students and
write them on the chalkboard. When all answers are
written on the chalkboard, let the class determine as to which ones are acceptable. This
enables the class to get as many different solutions to a given problem. Brainstorming
stimulates the students' creative and problem-solving skills.

13. Role Playing

This strategy or technique helps students understand the

perspective of others. It enables students to identify with
others in a variety of situations. It develops empathy,
concern for others, and other prosocial behaviors by
having students enact an incident or problem and propose
desirable solutions. (Michaelis and Garcia, 1996). Further,
role playing gives the students opportunities to act out roles involving conflicts, judgments,
and actions from a point of view differing from their own (Ellis, 1986).

14. Socio-Drama
This is the strategy or technique used in
summarizing or communicating highlights of learning
experiences through pantomime, skits, and
dramatization. In sociodrama students are made to
 dramatize real problems or situations and offer suggestions through dramatic
interpretations. Through sociodrama students learn to discover their feelings, modes of
actions and values, and learn to modify them (Maxim, 1995).

15. Designing Graphic Organizer

Graphic organizers are essential tools of learning. These are forms of visual representations
that help both teachers and students in the teaching-learning process. Actually, these are
conceptual webs or visual representations of facts, ideas, and concepts.

When properly designed according to the content of the lesson, graphic organizers make
concepts more concrete to students. When graphic organizers are webbed in an organized
manner, these helps integrate new ideas with prior knowledge; facilitate the process of
retrieving information; and help in categorizing ideas and information. Simply put, graphic
organizers are visual representations of knowledge that are conceptualized, developed, and
utilized to ensure effective instruction.

“Types of Graphic Organizer”

1. Concept Map- To illustrate and idea drawn from a given lesson. Concepts are linked through
a diagram that illustrates logical connections. It helps in organizing categories of concept and
establishing relationship between and among them.
2. Concept Cluster – To illustrate major concept together with its sub-concept that shows
coverage of a given lesson or unit of study. Varied group activities are also facilitated with
concept cluster.
3. Wheel Map- To show the division of lesson into subtopics to facilitate individual or group
investigation in the classroom. Related events, things or situation can be portrayed in the wheel
map.
4. Cycle Graph- To present a series of connected events that occur in sequence and produce a
repeated result.
5. Facstorming Web- To factsorm sub concepts into major concepts to show the coverage or
unit of a study.
6. Discussion Web – To help students organize arguments or evidence in a connection with a
given lesson. It is used in addressing issues that are not resolved or for which there are balanced
pro and con arguments.
7. Bubble Tree Web – To represent the relationship among concept. It is usually used with
information that can be categorized beneath the core of the main understanding.
8. Ladder Web – To answer questions that call for answer in enumeration. A ladder web gives a
logical presentation of data collected as a result of investigation.
9. Semantic Web – When the core question calls for four answer. The immediate response to the
core questions are the web strands (4 boxes). The facts or influences used to support each web
 strand are called the strand support which extend outward from each strand. The relationship
among strands is called strand ties. A semantic web helps students organize complex idea.
10. Venn Diagram – To compare and contrast the two concepts or ideas.
11. Flow Chart – To show the flow of ideas, events or phases and stages in processing an activity.
Flow chart equip both the teacher and the students with knowledge and skills in discussing the
issue, event or process in a meaningful manner.
III. Conclusion

The presented learner-centered strategies and activities are just one of the key
proponents in conducting a meaningful and effective teaching and learning process. Equipping
teachers with the knowledge, skills, and values in planning instruction utilizing varied teaching
models with accompanying presentation strategies or techniques should be given priority in
planning units of instruction. Teachers who have the competencies in choosing appropriate
teaching models, presentation strategies, graphic organizers, as well as assessment and
evaluation tools are in the best position to participate in curriculum planning. Instructional
strategies (presentation techniques) are the means, techniques, or procedures used in presenting
data or information reflecting interactive aspects of teaching. Typical examples of teaching
strategies are lectures, roundtable discussions, panel discussions, brainstorming, role playing,
and sociodrama to name a few and so on which are presented above which are all worth in the
classroom environment.

These instructional strategies or presentation techniques are usually built-in within a

given teaching model during the different phases of instruction particularly in sharing
information about the lesson proper. Simply put, instructional strategies are the very means
used in presenting the knowledge content to the students. Educators should always instill in
their heart and their mind that teaching social studies in elementary grades must be meaningful
at all hands specially to the children. If they think that learning in Araling Panlipunan make
themselves boredom at stakes then it is the perfect time to break the negative stigma between
teaching and learning Araling Panlipunan and with all the presented learner-centered strategies
are one steps to make your teaching and learning become interesting, fun and challenging as
the other subject does. Learning takes village but teaching and teaching strategies are the
fountain of these villages to strengthen also the child’s learning.
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