The topic of Atlantic City and how it has been shaped is a very intriguing subject. The fact that Atlantic City, which was mostly successful throughout it's years of the late 1800s through the 1970s while many of the workings behind the scenes were corrupt, piqued my interest. I have always wondered how Atlantic City would have been shaped today if it wasn't for the leaders of Louis Kuehnle and Nucky Johnson. I would have to bet it would have been very different. I am not sure that it would have gained much of the tourism success if it wasn't for the building of connecting railroads between surrounding cities. The city it is now is shaped a lot on its past. It doesn't happen overnight. This alone is a teaching topic that can spark the interest of students. I think doing a case study of Atlantic City would be very interesting because it's not and ordinary story. Atlantic City has taken a very different path from many of the other cities in the United States. It would be interesting to compare it to another tourist spot and see how their paths differed.
I gained a lot from researching this topic as there was plenty I did not know. When it comes to being a teacher, I think research will be crucial in anything you do, especially Social Studies. Social Studies is a very open and subjective topic. But when students are presented with limited information they become close minded and don't wonder, question, or doubt what they are reading. It is important to research so that you can get a detailed scope on certain topics. Not everyone is going to evaluate or interpret what they read the same way. By researching you are able to present to your students the most varied information possible so they can make sense of it themselves. Too often students are directed and told what to think. Offering them many sources and viewpoints on a certain subject allows them to learn how to think.
In conclusion, I think the number one factor in teaching social studies is to get your students interested. I think one way that's possible is to teach a topic that is unusual or different from any other cases students have learned. This gets the students thinking in ways that haven't before. It is also important to research and present as many viewpoints of a story as possible so that the student can make sense of what they are learning. In the case of Atlantic City, students get to learn about a tourist location that wasn't always "clean". They also can learn how an economy can be stimulated by businesses that are controversial. This presents many learning opportunities in the classroom as you can apply this topic by comparing it with past or present day situations.
I gained a lot from researching this topic as there was plenty I did not know. When it comes to being a teacher, I think research will be crucial in anything you do, especially Social Studies. Social Studies is a very open and subjective topic. But when students are presented with limited information they become close minded and don't wonder, question, or doubt what they are reading. It is important to research so that you can get a detailed scope on certain topics. Not everyone is going to evaluate or interpret what they read the same way. By researching you are able to present to your students the most varied information possible so they can make sense of it themselves. Too often students are directed and told what to think. Offering them many sources and viewpoints on a certain subject allows them to learn how to think.
In conclusion, I think the number one factor in teaching social studies is to get your students interested. I think one way that's possible is to teach a topic that is unusual or different from any other cases students have learned. This gets the students thinking in ways that haven't before. It is also important to research and present as many viewpoints of a story as possible so that the student can make sense of what they are learning. In the case of Atlantic City, students get to learn about a tourist location that wasn't always "clean". They also can learn how an economy can be stimulated by businesses that are controversial. This presents many learning opportunities in the classroom as you can apply this topic by comparing it with past or present day situations.