Bachelors of Science Education in
History &
Social Studies Secondary
Education Program
(BSEd History/Social Studies)
The faculty in the Department of History at
Northern Arizona University place a high
value on the teaching and learning of history
The History Department’s innovative Bachelors of Science Education in History and Social Studies Secondary Education (BSEd History/Social Studies) program at Northern Arizona University (NAU) prepares future educators for the challenges of the 21st century classroom by
developing an inquiry approach and a deeper understanding of teaching and learning history and social studies.
The BSEd History/Social Studies program steers students through a series of methodological courses on critical thinking, teaching and learning history, geography, government, and economics. Teacher preparation courses are offered at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels and weave together content, pedagogy, and practice. This includes 33 units in history and a minimum of 15 units of credit in the social sciences. Teacher candidates also gain actual practical experience in secondary history and social studies classrooms.
Students learn to think more seriously about teaching as a profession during their sophomore year with a historical methods course and classroom practicum. During their junior year, students complete a course on teaching and learning history and geography along with a longer and more focused classroom practicum. Finally, in their senior year, students take a course on teaching and learning government and economics, and complete their student teaching. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in content coursework to enter the new program and student teach. During the course of the program students will:
Learn content & content application
Design Learning Plans for a variety of learners that are aligned to professional standards, require rigorous content, application, inquiry, engaging strategies, meaningful assessments, technological literacy, and relevance
Practice teaching Create e-portfolios
Gain professional skills and dispositions
The following courses are required for BSEd History/Social Studies majors and must be taken sequentially or as co-requisite (indicated below).
IVP FINGERPRINT CLEARANCE CARD: According to state law, students must have an Identity Verified Print (IVP) Fingerprint Clearance Card before entering school classrooms. It takes 5-8 weeks to get one. Students can get their fingerprint clearance card by going to a police department anywhere in the state of Arizona. Information on the fingerprint clearance card can be found at the Arizona Department of Public Safety Fingerprint Clearance Card website (http://www.azdps.gov/services/fingerprint/). The processing fee is $67 (subject to change). Fingerprint clearance cards are valid for 6 years.
HISTORY 205: Historical Inquiry – Introduction to historical discipline, theories, historiography, and historical thinking skills. This course encourages students to think about the teaching and learning of history, making transparent course design, teaching strategies, and evaluation of learning. Co-Requisite with HIS 206.
HISTORY 206: Historical Inquiry and Teaching Seminar – Introduction to social studies teaching and learning, with visitation to secondary schools and public history venues. Includes discussions, collaborative work, practice teaching, and analysis of middle and high school student learning, and 20 hours in middle or high school classrooms.
HISTORY 330: Teaching & Learning History and Geography – This course focuses on the disciplinary practices of history and geography, critical thinking skills and habits of mind needed for each discipline, as well as ways of teaching middle and high school history and geography classes. Content is interwoven with evidence-based pedagogical strategies, evaluation, standards, dispositions, and practice. Required of all secondary education majors preparing to teach history and the social sciences. Contains an assessment that must be passed to be eligible to register for student teaching. Co-Requisite with HIS 306. HISTORY 306: Practicum in Schools – Field experience including a minimum 45 hours of work in a middle or high school classroom and the teaching of a lesson, guided reflections, observations, and collaborative learning design and implementation.
HISTORY 430: Teaching & Learning Government and Economics – This course focuses on the teaching and learning of government and economics, critical thinking skills, and ways of teaching secondary school government and economics classes. The content is interwoven with pedagogical strategies, evidence-based evaluation, standards, dispositions, and practice. Required of all secondary education majors preparing to teach history and the social sciences. Normally completed the semester before student teaching. Contains an assessment that must be passed to be eligible to register for student teaching. HISTORY 408: Fieldwork Experience: Internship in Teaching and Learning Social Studies - Individualized supervised field experience in an appropriate agency or organization. Department consent required and optional for the program.
HISTORY 491C: Supervised Teaching: Secondary – Directed teaching in secondary schools and secondary school content areas; directed and cooperative preparation, teaching, and evaluation; conferences on the theories, issues, and practices in cooperation with the classroom teacher and university supervisor. Candidates must satisfactorily complete the key assessment in this course to be eligible to complete the program.
BSEd History/Social Studies
I am interested in the BSEd History/Social Studies program. What do I need to do next?
We will work closely with you to make sure this program works to your benefit. Schedule an advising session by contacting one of the program’s BSEd History/Social Studies advisors to determine what you need to do next. Please also see the advising checklist on our website (http://nau.edu/CAL/History/ Degrees-Program/BSEd/) for a complete list of required courses for the degree.
Do I have to apply for admission into the Professional Education Teacher Program? Yes, this is still a requirement. Typically this happens at the beginning of your sophomore year. See the program’s website: http://nau.edu/CAL/History/ Degrees-Program/BSEd/
Do I still take College of Education (COE) classes?
Yes, EDF 200, BME 200, BME 437, EPS 325, and ESE 304 are required.
Will transfer credits be accepted?
Yes, some courses will transfer and meet requirements. Work with an advisor to determine which apply.
How does the BSEd History/Social Studies program affect teachers and schools?
We work closely with you and your colleagues in an effort to assist our pre-service teachers in gaining the best possible education they can before entering their own classroom. Your help is greatly appreciated as we collaborate to create a learning environment for pre-service teachers that allows for them to witness your teaching style and classroom, while they are formulating their own teaching philosophy, and gaining essential practice teaching. This experience will help students to understand the challenges and rewards of being a teacher. Please see our handbook on what we expect from our students in their fieldwork experiences. This handbook is available to you upon your request.
Who should I contact to organize a practicum student or student teacher?
Your partnership is incredibly important to the success of our program. We hope that you are interested in helping future teachers gain more experience and knowledge about the world of teaching. If you are interested, please contact us.
BSEd History/
Social Studies
Program
Questions &
Answers:
Linda Sargent Wood, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History
Director, BSEd History/Social Studies Program Director, Northern Arizona History Academy
http://nau.edu/CAL/History/Faculty-Staff/Sargent-Wood/ Linda.Sargent.Wood@nau.edu
Leilah Danielson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History and BSEd History/Social Studies Advisor http://nau.edu/CAL/History/Faculty-Staff/Danielson/
Leilah.Danielson@nau.edu
Michael W. Childers, Ph.D.
Lecturer and BSEd History/Social Studies Advisor http://michaelwchilders.com/
Michael.Childers@nau.edu
Christi Carlson, B.A. Instructor and BSEd
History/Social Studies Advisor Christi.Carlson@nau.edu
BSEd History/Social Studies Faculty and Staff
Kathy Zimski, M.A.
Instructor and BSEd History/Social Studies Mentor Teacher Kathy.Zimski@nau.edu
For more information on the BSEd History/Social Studies program, see the Inquiry in Teaching and Learning website at
https://cmswork.nau.edu/CAL/History/History-Social-Studies-Education/Undergraduate-Program/. Please contact one of the listed faculty members with specific questions not addressed on the website or email the History/Social Studies Education Office, Liberal Arts Building Room 217, atHistoryEd@nau.edu. For questions regarding other History Department programs, contact the History Department Office, Liberal Arts Building Room 213 by calling (928) 523-4378.
