Posted: March 22nd, 2023

Using a Graphic Organizer to Prepare a Course Outline

Introduction

In any type of study, it is necessary to add to the course outline, which is usually a brief summary of the class. The course outline has the course’s name, the instructor’s name, teaching methods, objectives, and the assessment required for the course. Thus,  the outline gives a direction to be followed by the instructors and the students (Cullen, 2012). Therefore, the paper shall look at the requirements of the outline and how we can apply it practically using the graphic organizer.

The Course Outline

The name of the course is social studies, SSE90/09. It shall be taught by Rahman Abdulla in the multipurpose hall every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday as from 8.00 a.m. to 10 a.m. The aim of the class is to instill knowledge in the learner about various cases and issues occurring in the surroundings. The course contains the following topics.

1. Introduction to social studies (Spielvogel, 2010).

• Origin of the concept of social studies, importance, and relevance of the study

2. Constitution and constitution-making (Marlowe, 2006).

• Define the term constitution, the stages in making the American constitution, and the sources of the American Constitution

3. Human rights and human rights diversity.

• Definition of human rights, classification of human rights, the universal declaration of human rights, and application of human rights of specialized groups.

4. World Wars

• The First World War- its causes, course, and results (Strachan, 2004)
• The Second World War- its causes, the course, and the results.

The pedagogical approaches that will be employed in this course include explanations, discussions, use of resource persons, field trips, note-taking, and the question-and-answer method. There will be a continuous assessment test, which accounts for 30% of the total marks. In addition, the cats will be done after two weeks. The end-term exam will be done at the end of the course and shall account for 70% of the full marks. Attendance at lectures is compulsory, and each student must fill his/her details in the attendance register. Those who neglect to attend lectures will not be permitted to sit for examinations.

The Rationale Statement

Attending this class will help gain knowledge that will help the student understand what happened and the emerging issues in the country. The course will, therefore, help the student develop a critical mind and question the things around them.

Topic Sentence: ____the aim of the course is to help the students understand what took place during the war___________________________________________________

Assessments

There are two types of assessments: formative assessments and summative assessments. Formative assessments take place during the course. They test whether the individual has acquired a particular concept. Summative assessments occur at the end of the course. They check whether the person has understood the course (Cullen, 2012).

Formative Assessment (cawood, 2001)

Fill in all the blank spaces (30 marks)

The First World War began in ……………. It was caused by ……relations between countries. It was fought between two opposing sides, the………………. Moreover, the war was fought on ………. and in the sea. The Germans used the……………… plan the fight. The plan was defeated because of ……………. The Germans attacked France through……… …………

Russia was defeated because of ………….the main event that led to the end of the war was……………….in Western Europe, Germany fought against…… and ………… In western Europe, Germany fought against………. The members of the central powers included……. and…. The members of the allied powers included……… and ……… Germany was defeated because of ………… America entered the war in……. because of………… In fact, Germany and the confederate were forced to sign the ……. Treaty. In Africa, the war was fought in ……..and …………. In Asia, the war was experienced in…………… Those involved in the war used the………….fighting strategy. Fighting machines used in the war include……. Moreover, Germans were led by ……………..while the allied powers were led by……………the Germans attacked the British during the ……. The first ones to withdraw from the war were ……………… the war later ended in …….

Summative Assessment (70 marks)

1. Explain five factors that led to the first world war (10 marks)
2. Explain three reasons for the defeat of the central powers (6 marks)
3. Illustrate the events culminating at the end of the first world war ( 10 marks)
4. German was to be blamed for the cause of the war. Critically analyses the truth of the statement (10 marks)
5. Differentiate between the characteristics of allied powers and the central powers(10 marks)
6. Identify the main reason for the entry of America into the war (2 marks)
7. Discuss six political results of the war (12marks)
8. The first world war could have been avoided, using examples, show the veracity of the statement (10 marks)

Conclusion

From the above discussion and assessment, it is evident that a good lesson will only come about when we stick to the requirements of the course outline. Graph organizers will also help learners by increasing their thinking and reading process. Graphic organizers can be used to describe all visual learning strategies through webs, mind maps, and even concept mapping. Personally, I believe it is imperative for all learners and teachers to embrace graphic organizers and utilize the outline during teaching and learning.

References

Cawood, I., & Bell, D. (2001). The First World War. London: Routledge.

Cullen, R., & Harris, M. (2012). The learner-centered curriculum: Design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Marlowe, L. (2006). Social studies (2nd Ed.). Piscataway, NJ: Research & Education Association.

Spielvogel, J. (2010). World History (Indiana Ed.). New York: Glencoe//McGraw-Hill.

Strachan, H. (2004). The First World War. New York: Viking.