Running head: TEACHING ELEMENTARY SOCIAL STUDIES DURING SNACK 1!

Teaching Elementary Social Studies During Snack Time and Other Unstructured Spaces

A Study by Annie McMahon Whitlock and Kristy A. Brugar

Emma Rozario

10 April 2019
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Teaching Elementary Social Studies During Snack Time and Other Unstructured Spaces

Purpose/Research Question

The prime purpose of the study, Teaching Elementary Social Studies During Snack Time

and Other Unstructured Spaces, by Annie McMahon Whitlock and Kristy A. Brugar, was to

present the findings of integration of social studies into the school day. The study explores how

two teachers integrate social studies concepts and experiences into unstructured spaces. The

unstructured spaces include morning work, community building, snack time, and after-lunch

reading. The authors make a point to explain that the time allotted for social studies has steadily

declines over the last years, especially in the grades kindergarten through third. This article

explores the main question: How and to what extent does social studies appear in unstructured

spaces--either academic or non-academic?

Participants and Setting

The study was based on two participants- a first grade teacher and a fifth grade teacher.

This review will emphasize the findings of the first grade teacher. The study took place in two

ethnically diverse classrooms, that were located in high socioeconomic schools and

communities. The authors, “used the percentage of students eligible for Free and/or Reduced

Lunch as a proxy for socio-economic status (SES)” (pg. 4, 2018). The median household income

of the students was above the state median. A school in a higher SES was chosen because the

teachers in higher SES schools were more likely to teach social studies than those on the lower

end of the socio-economic status scale. These areas also have more time allotted for unstructured

time, than those in lower SES communities and schools. The first grade classroom was in a

suburban neighborhood in Michigan, while the fifth grade class was in Oklahoma. The first grade

classroom was led by ‘Jules’. Jules had taught for twenty seven years at the time that this study
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took place (2018), but only four years of her experience took place in a first grade classroom.

The first grade classroom of hers that was used for this study consisted of twenty-one students.

The social studies curriculum used by Jules was developed by the district and followed the

Michigan State Standards.

Materials/implementation Tools

The materials and implementation tools include the curriculum, classroom itself, and

professional requirements of the participant. The qualifications included experience teaching.

Materials also included data collection tools. The data collection tools consisted of field notes,

interviews with the teacher participants, codes derived from Essential Social Studies Skills and

Strategies (NCSS) published by National Council for the Social Studies (2010)s which helped to

create the authors “Code Book”, and NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software. The “Code

Book” gave descriptions as to what different skills and concepts may look like in the classroom.

It also helped the researchers to categorize their findings into four categories: time of day,

grouping (whole or small group), initiation (teacher or student), and social studies integration

(using the NCSS document) (Pg. 5, 2018).

Instructional Procedure

The teachers were the ones responsible for implementing social studies curriculum into

unstructured time. Jules was being studied, observed, and interviewed by the authors of this

study, Annie McMahon Whitlock and Kristy A. Brugar. The aim of the study and procedures that

would be used were expressed and explained to the teacher. With given consent, the study began.

This study spanned the duration of one academic school year. The authors emphasized how it

was important for them to not just count the direct teaching of social studies as integration,
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because there are so many different experiences and conversations that reflect back to social

studies. The authors states, “while we may not recognize these examples as social studies or the

best demonstration of social studies, these are the ways these two teachers envisioned, enacted,

and described social studies in their best professional judgment to their students and with us in

reflective conversations. In many cases, they exposed students to the greater world, people, and

ideas as questions organically emerged” (Pg. 9, 2018). The researchers would observe the

classroom, which would be followed by post-observation interviews of the teacher to really

understand their approach and intentions and instructional choices. This study took place over

one academic school year. The teachers were observed for one full day, every three weeks. The

authors made note that the day of the week would change each time, to get a better understanding

of their routines and consistency.

Measurement

The dependent variable being studied is the integration of social studies content and

experiences. The study is focusing on how teachers integrate social studies into unstructured

times in the school day, rather than just during the social studies allotted time block. The

teachers’ integration of social studies curriculum were measured through observations and semi-

structured interviews.

Results

The results of the study concluded that social studies can and is integrated into the school

day in spaces that are not defined as subject areas. The participating teachers, “intentionally put

social studies into spaces in their day where there were no requirements that they meet any

academic objectives at all—during snack time and transitioning after lunch” (Pg. 9, 2018). The

authors commended the teachers on their quality integration. Whitlock and Brugar defined their
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integration as ‘quality integration’, “even if the social studies that occurred has possibilities to be

richer or more connected to larger curricular goals” (Pg. 9, 2018). The authors commended Jules

in specific for for taking time to recognize students questions that could lead back to social

studies, and follow their curiosities for several minutes. To Whitlock and Brugar, this “shows a

level of confidence with social studies content that should be held up as quality examples” (Pg. 9,

2018). It was emphasized in the study that certain topics such as cultural and religious holidays,

as well as different foods that different cultures eat, should be counted as social studies

integration. Jules exposed her students to the world through conversations, community building,

and books. Whitlock and Burger voiced their frustrations in regards to seeing, “social studies

taught during their structured time in ways that were not action- or inquiry-oriented” (Pg. 10,

2018). However, they commended and recognized the effort that both teachers did make.

Discussion

This study was a worthwhile study. The integration of social studies throughout the

school day can provide numerous benefits for the students. It can help students become more

culturally diverse and aware, as well as aid them in making informed and reasoned decisions.

There are a plethora of different and important social studies topics that can successfully be

integrated into different times of the day. It is so unfortunate that so many studies and research

has proven that the time allotted for the subject of social studies has declined nationally. It would

be interesting to see this study done throughout all elementary grades, as well as lower SES

schools to compare the results. This study was limiting in that aspect, because there was nothing

to compare or contrast, aside from the findings of grade one versus grade five. The authors also

mentioned two primary limitations from their study. One of these limitations is their ability to

generalize the results and findings. Further research throughout different grades would need to be
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conducted. They also mentioned the limitation of both schools being in a high SES area. They

reiterated that they chose these schools because social studies was more likely to be integrated in

a high SES school than a low (Pg. 6, 2018).

Implications

The authors, Whitlock and Brugar, did not specifically give any recommended

implications. The authors mentioned that there needs to be more research done. The results

raised the following questions for the authors: “whether or not social studies can truly be

integrated into unstructured times, or should “integration” have a different meaning in these

cases? Is it a positive thing to see so much social studies in spaces where teachers could choose

to not to anything academic at all? Or is the subject area of social studies in dire straits if

teachers are resigned to thinking of creative ways to integrate it into snack or informal spaces

before academic work?” (Pg. 10, 2018). Whitlock and Brugar did emphasize the importance of

teachers having expertise in the curriculum that they are implementing, as well as the

pedagogical ability to answer students questions. They stressed how more information needs to

be developed when it comes to time management for social studies purposes. “If we start

illuminating these spaces for other teachers, as Jules and Natasha illuminated them for us, we can

begin to see the possibilities for quality social studies where we hadn’t thought to look” (Pg. 10,

2018).

Reflection

I found this study very interesting. The main thing that I took from this study was

different ways to integrate social studies into the classroom, as well as the importance of quality

integration. I feel as if this would be a more reliable study if the class of the teacher was also
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observed. Readers of this study do not really know how the social studies integration was

received by the students, all we know is that the teachers actively worked to integrate social

studies into unstructured times. I will definitely use this study in my future classroom to ensure

that the social studies curriculum is not only implemented during the allotted social studies time,

but throughout the day in unstructured times. Three questions that stuck out to me while reading

and analyzing the study are: How do we know that the students attained the curriculum

objectives, based merely on classroom observations? If the study took place in a lower SES

community and school, would the results differ? Why do the authors believe that schools in

lower SES communities would not have teachers that integrate social studies?
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References

Whitlock, A., & Brugar, K. (2018). Teaching elementary social studies during snack time and
other unstructured spaces. The Journal of Social Studies Research, The Journal of Social
Studies Research, October 2018.