Rationale

What is a social studies exemplar?

A social studies exemplar is a sample of authentic student work annotated to illustrate learning, achievement, and quality in relation to levels 1 to 5 of Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum.

The social studies exemplars draw on a wide variety of student learning experiences to exemplify the achievement objectives of the five content strands and the three processes of the social studies curriculum.

The social studies exemplars aim to:

• illustrate key features of achievement and quality at different stages of student learning
• help students and teachers to identify the next learning steps
• guide teachers in their interpretation of curriculum levels.

The selected exemplars represent the many voices of New Zealand students and learning that took place in many different settings. Each of the students whose work is included in the exemplars experienced focused, high-quality teaching.

The social studies matrices

The overall purpose of the social studies matrices is to help teachers to identify the key features of learning, achievement, and quality in relation to each achievement objective.

The strand matrices

The strand matrices are structured to achieve the aims of:

• clarifying the essence of social studies
• specifying the key concept or concepts associated with each achievement objective.

The essence of social studies comprises three dimensions, identified in the strand matrices as key aspects of learning. These dimensions encompass:

• developing ideas about human society
• participating in society as an individual or part of a group in relation to the ideas
• developing an understanding of the personal and social significance of the ideas.

Each achievement objective has been related to these three dimensions.

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The three key aspects of learning

• Ideas about Society: The progress indicators for this key aspect of learning clarify the concept or concepts highlighted in bold in the relevant achievement objective, keeping close to its intention and wording. Each progress indicator related to this key idea begins with the repeated phrase: 'Understands that ...' to reinforce the importance of students achieving understanding of an idea, rather than simply recording it or recalling information about it.
• Participation in Society: The progress indicators for this key aspect of learning require students to know how people have contributed to, participated in, or influenced the context(s) of the idea about society that they are exploring. Repetition of the phrase 'students themselves and/or others' reinforces the principle that, where possible, students should consider their own action(s) and involvement.
• Personal and Social Significance: The progress indicators for this key aspect of learning require students to consider how the context of the idea about society that they are exploring affects or influences them or may have consequences for them and, more broadly, for others in society.

These key aspects of learning derive from ongoing work on organising social studies education around important ideas about human society, from exploration of the idea of citizenship, and from traditions of reflective inquiry within social studies.

Each key aspect of learning is introduced by a repeated phrase: 'Understands that ...' (Ideas about Society); 'Knows how ...' (Participation in Society); and 'Explains how ...' (Personal and Social Significance). Each of these phrases underlines the importance of the students moving beyond recording and recalling information to active exploration, investigation, and expression of their ideas through applying the processes of Inquiry, Values Exploration, and Social Decision Making.

Two matrices have been developed for each strand, each matrix expanding one aspect of the aim for that strand. The key concepts expressed in the progress indicators for each level are highlighted in bold in the achievement objectives printed above the matrices.

Some of the various ways in which students develop understanding, gain knowledge, and learn to reflect upon and express their ideas are described in the exemplars.

The process matrices

The Inquiry, Values Exploration, and Social Decision Making matrices depart significantly from the organisation of the social studies processes in the curriculum. Although the processes are shown in the curriculum as broadly levelled (levels 1–2, 3–4, and so on), the process matrices do not apply levels.

Instead, each process is expressed as a pathway of key steps that can be applied in its entirety to content at any level. What makes a process more complex is the context in which it is used, not the particular steps of the process.

In each process matrix, the process is described as steps in the learning path. Two diagrams in the teachers' notes represent the sequence of steps as non-linear and often reiterative. These diagrams illustrate that each process, particularly Inquiry, can be started at any point and that the steps do not need to be followed in a particular sequence. The sequence is best determined by considering what is relevant to the context and to the prior knowledge and experience of the students.

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Using the matrices

The five content strand matrices and the three process matrices were tested against more than fifty pieces of work collected during exemplar development. But not every aspect of each matrix was tested against authentic examples of student work. As they evaluate their students' work in relation to a matrix, teachers may find that they wish to annotate or modify some details of the matrix.

In two sections of the strand matrices, two key aspects of learning, Ideas about Society and Participation in Society, have been combined. This occurs where participation is envisaged as an integral part of the idea about society, for example, in the two matrices for Time, Continuity and Change. The shared indicators for level 3: 'Understands how ideas lead to actions that have changed people's lives' and 'Understands how people record and remember the past in different ways' both focus on the concept of change resulting from ideas about society.

What is exemplified?

Quality teaching and learning

The exemplified work was selected on the following principles:

• The student work is an outcome of quality social studies teaching and learning.
• The exemplars illustrate teaching and learning consistent with the aims and objectives of social studies.

In particular, the exemplars show:

• how student understanding can be scaffolded in a structured learning process and through teacher-student dialogue
• how students can be encouraged to make generalisations on the sound basis of multiple sources of evidence, for instance, a range of examples or case studies (thus avoiding stereotypical responses likely to arise from considering only a single case study or example) and to develop these generalisations through analysis and synthesis of ideas.

Flexible pathways of learning steps through the processes

As illustrated in the two diagrams, the exemplars show flexible sequences of steps in the processes and demonstrate the possible integration of these processes with each other.

Social participation

A critical component of social studies and of citizenship is helping students to understand how they can become constructively involved in issues that face them and their communities. The selected exemplars illustrate this active role on the part of students.

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Bicultural perspectives

The social studies curriculum defines bicultural perspectives as relating to interactions between Māori and Pākehā. In developing exemplars to reflect bicultural perspectives and encourage student learning about Aotearoa New Zealand's bicultural heritage, the following principles were followed. The student work should:

• be based on building ongoing relationships between schools and local whānau, hāpu, and iwi
• represent the perspectives of tāngata whenua, developed in conversation with the local iwi
• represent the contemporary voices of the tāngata whenua
• incorporate a range of kōrero (both stories and commentary) and voices
• help students to understand the reasons for conflict and differences of viewpoint.

A range of settings and perspectives – providing direction

The other social studies perspectives in Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum, the settings in New Zealand and beyond, and the requirements for essential learning about New Zealand society have been exemplified by illustrating:

• the variety of strategies that can be used for effective teaching and learning in social studies and the wide range of communication media that can be used in teaching social studies
• how students can be challenged and supported to go beyond their prior knowledge and experience to draw on secondary and primary sources to expand their knowledge and understanding.

The format of the exemplars

Each exemplar has been developed using a consistent format. The features and purposes of this format are explained below.

What the work shows

This section annotates the work to show how it addresses the relevant achievement objective and how it is consistent with the three key areas of learning of the matrices:

• Ideas about Society
• Participation in Society
• Personal and Social Significance.

Coloured text has been used to make connections between the exemplar annotations and evidence of achievement in the students' work sample. The colours used have no additional significance.

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What the students did to learn

This section shows how the social studies processes operate and sometimes work together to enable the named students to produce the work exemplified.

The flow chart outlines the steps the students took in order to move beyond their own prior knowledge and acquire new understandings.

As illustrated in the two diagrams, the sequence of steps within each process is flexible and is set out in the order most appropriate to the work.

The key stage(s) of the process is/are highlighted to show that the exemplified work has been drawn from that stage or stages.

Where to next?

This section develops ways of meeting one of four purposes, depending upon the nature of the work exemplified. These purposes are:

• to model questions that might have been asked during the learning process to enhance the quality of student thinking
• to address a misconception or weakness in the student work
• to model questions that could be asked at the end of the learning process to move the student forward in the Where to Next? phase
• to develop a comparative example that may strengthen representation of any of the curriculum or matrix elements (that is, Ideas about Society, Participation in Society, Personal and Social Significance, the perspectives, settings, or essential learning about New Zealand society).

The highlighted numbers indicate the place where the teacher could, or needs to, give feedback, offer prompts, or ask a question.

The focus in this section is on deepening the student's understanding (extending their learning steps) within the curriculum level rather than moving them on to the next level.

The learning context

This section:

• outlines the connections to the relevant achievement objective (quoted and page referenced in the curriculum links section), indicates the process(es) and describes the context in which the work was done
• suggests the intended outcome of the work and its key focus
• describes the teaching interactions and strategies that have been important in developing the work and the task(s) that enabled the student to produce it.

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Teacher-student conversation

This section provides examples of teachers:

• eliciting understanding implied but not directly evident in the work
• scaffolding students to new learning (helping them to understand something new through discussion).

The conversations also show students sharing insights beyond the exemplified work. These insights often address curriculum elements such as the perspectives and essential learning about New Zealand society and may also relate to the progress indicators.

The discussions also emphasise scaffolding and prompts to promote dialogue.

Curriculum links

This section specifies the curriculum requirements addressed by the teaching and learning process and by the exemplified work. It also makes connections at level 1 to Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early Childhood Curriculum.

Diagram 1 and Diagram 2: Flexible pathways of learning steps through the processes

Diagram 1: The Inquiry Process and Diagram 2: Integration of Processes illustrate that different exemplars show a flexible sequence of steps in the processes and demonstrate the integration of these processes with each other. Depending on context, it is possible to begin a process sequence at several points of entry. Steps are commonly revisited as the learning progresses. While a planned-for step of reflection and evaluation may formally conclude the learning experience, ongoing reflection and evaluation are essential aspects of social studies learning. In the largest sense, learning in social studies becomes circular as reflection and evaluation deepen the questions that were proposed initially and prompt students to explore their ideas further.

The scope of the work in particular exemplars

Because the exemplified work in a particular exemplar may illustrate only one phase of a larger unit, the full extent of the achievement objectives, processes, perspectives, or settings is sometimes not evident. For example, the level 1 exemplar At Our Kura is not of itself bicultural because it deals only with a Māori perspective. However, the where to next? section indicates that students are expected to compare their learning about roles as tuakana or teina with other roles they fulfil in the wider school community. Likewise, in the level 2 exemplar Enter the Motor Vehicle, the work does not illustrate all three dimensions of the strands matrix. In this exemplar, the where to next? section shows how to develop the missing understanding and how to complete the requirements of the level.

As much as possible, the exemplars directly show or model authentic student work. To save space and to improve readability, information not directly connected to the exemplified achievement objective has been edited in some cases. Some student work has been recreated in graphic formats when the original was not suitable for scanning for print. In such instances, the student's original text is replicated, including their setting out and minor errors of spelling or grammar.

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Multilevel teaching and learning

While the social studies achievement objectives sometimes inhibit multilevel teaching, the exemplars Family Treasures Parts 1 and 2 (levels 2 and 3 respectively), Haere Mai Ngā Manuhiri (level 2) and At the Marae (level 3), and Friends of Cox's Bay Parts 1 and 2 (levels 1 and 2 respectively) illustrate how the same context can be used to develop students' understandings so that they are able meet achievement objectives at more than one level.

How might the social studies exemplars be used?

Teachers will use the social studies exemplars in ways that are aligned with their teaching purpose and the learning needs of their students. In particular, they may use them in some of the ways suggested below:

• With their students, teachers could use the exemplars as models when discussing and illustrating expectations of the students' achievement.
• Teachers could use particular exemplars to support formative feedback in conversation with students, both individually and collectively, particularly to illustrate specific learning outcomes.
• The exemplars could help teachers assess their students' learning. For example, teachers may wish to use the exemplars to guide their decisions on where their students' achievement 'best fits' in relation to the progress indicators described for a particular curriculum strand.
• Teachers could use the exemplars to help share expectations and information about student achievement in social studies with boards of trustees and parents.
• Teachers could use the exemplars as the basis of ongoing professional development in order to deepen their understanding of learning and teaching in social studies and extend their repertoire of teaching strategies in social studies.

The social studies exemplars online

The home page for The New Zealand Curriculum Exemplars sets out all of the exemplar materials, including those for social studies.

The social studies exemplar materials are available in both HTML and PDF format. Online links are also provided to other essential materials, for example, relevant curriculum documents.

Reference list

The curriculum documents

The social studies education exemplars are based on the social studies curriculum:

• Ministry of Education (1997). Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

Each level 1 social studies exemplar includes a link to the early childhood curriculum:

• Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

Works cited in the social studies exemplars

Where books or websites are cited in any of the social studies exemplars, that exemplar also includes a reference section listing these.

Index chart

This chart allows teachers to locate the social studies exemplars quickly by strands and by levels.

Print version of the teachers' notes (PDF, 159kb)

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