Honors Level Course Implementation Guide

Social Studies

Structure and Content of The Honors Portfolio

The Honors Portfolio contains three primary sections:

1. Curriculum Content

2. Instructional Materials and Methods

3. Assessment

The first component of each of the three major sections will always be “Teacher Rationale” which provides an explanation for what should be found in a particular section. Greater details of each section follow in the accompanying information within each section.

Section I“Curriculum Content”

I. Curriculum Content

How is the honors level course adapted and differentiated for advanced learners? How does the honors level curriculum support vertical alignment for college and career readiness?

Honors Level Course Portfolio Evidence must include:

1. Teacher Rationale for Curriculum Content (intentional reflection & philosophy)

2. Standards and Objectives

3. Curriculum Plan (Pacing guides, course syllabus & sequence, curriculum maps, etc.)

I. Curriculum Content 1. Teacher Rationale for Curriculum Content

Must Include:• An explanation of how the essential standards for the Social Studies course at

the Honors level are being taught in greater depth, complexity and rigor than how they are taught at the Standard level. Essential to supporting the teacher’s rational for the curriculum content are:

– The teacher’s explanation of content extensions and/or additional objectives selected for the course and listed in the Standards and Objectives section of the Honors Implementation Guide – Section I.2

– Justification based on the emphasis placed upon the quality of the work expected rather than the quantity of work in alignment with the course specific standard

– Evidence that the concepts and conceptual lenses increase in sophistication beyond those used at the Standard level

– Evidence that the Honors level course has an accelerated pace and content

• Examples

• Resources (Section I.2 – the next part of this first section)

I. Curriculum Content

2. Standards and Objectives Section Must Include: A list or abstract outlining specific objectives or clusters from the Common

Core Literacy Standards for History/Social Studies that will be strategic areas of focus

A detailed explanation of how the Common Core Literacy Standards for History/Social Studies that are used in the Honors level course exceed the expectations of a standard level course.

A list of any Essential Standards/Clarifying Objectives that the teacher, curriculum office or the school’s Social Studies department has added to the course.

Examples

An Example of an Extension that might be added to a Honors American History Course

Extension example:• An Honors American History course might include the case study of “The

Passing of the Frontier: Did it have to happen in order to advance America politically and economically?” A case study in history should bring together the two complementary attributes essential to

historical comprehension: chronology and historical inquiry. The teacher’s explanation of the design of a case study should detail how the case study is constructed around one or more value tensions i.e., common wealth versus private wealth, law versus ethics, diversity versus unity, common good versus individual rights, freedom versus equality and isolation versus international involvement.

 

I. Curriculum Content

An Example of advanced topics and issues that might be added to Honors Courses in Social Studies

Advanced topics exampleIN WORLD HISTORY

• Afghanistan: The Roots of the Problem: Study of the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan during the 1970s and 1980s.

IN AMERICAN HISTORY

• Re-Thinking the War of 1812: Slaves, Indians, and Redcoats on the Southern Frontier

This topic would focus on examining the effort of the British military along the Gulf Coast to win the War of 1812 by abolishing slavery and enlisting thousands of southern slaves and Indians in the British Colonial Marines.

IN C&E

• Undemocratic elements of the Constitution

• Recount vs. Audit

• Insider trading and Congress

IN ECONOMICS

• The Economics of Sports

IN ANY HISTORY COURSE

• Historiography 

I. Curriculum Content

An Example of an Essential Standard that might be added to a Honors Civics and Economics Course

Example: CE.C&G.#? Create innovative solutions for social and political problems and various ways to attain those solutions.

I. Curriculum Content

An Example of a Clarifying Objective that might be added to a Honors American History Course

• Essential Standard - AH1.H.6 Understand how and why the role of the United States in the world has changed over time.

Clarifying Objective - AH1.H.6.1 Explain how national economic and political interests helped set the direction of United States foreign policy from independence through Reconstruction.

Clarifying Objective - AH1.H.6.2 Explain the reasons for involvement in wars prior to Reconstruction and the influence each involvement had on international affairs.

Teacher Added Clarifying Objective Example: AH1.H.6.3 Evaluate the United States’ involvement in the solutions to political or economic problems around the globe in terms of advantages and effectiveness.

I. Curriculum Content

• Extensions

• Advanced Topics

• Additional Essential Standards

• Additional Clarifying Objectives

Beyond The Standard Goal

I. Curriculum ContentIdeas of ways to help extend and develop a honors level course

Resources (Listed in Section I.2 of the Curriculum section)

• (2010). National standards for civics and government. (p. 266). Calabasas: Center for Civic Education.

• (2010) National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: A Framework for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. Maryland: National Council for the Social Studies.

• The Civic Mission of Schools http://civicmission.s3.amazonaws.com/118/f0/5/171/1/Guardian-of-Democracy-report.pdf

• AP Central Course Descriptions: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/descriptions/index.html

• Link to AP Course Home Pages: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/index.html

• AP Central Teacher’s Resources Search: http://sitesearch.collegeboard.org/?q=*&tp=ap&lnd=1

I. Curriculum Content

I. Curriculum Content

3. Curriculum Plan (yearly/semester plans, pacing guides, course syllabus, scope & sequence, curriculum

maps, etc.) Must Include:• An outline or overview of course content identifying

targeted objectives for specified time intervals (e.g., days, weeks, grading periods, etc.) as well as conceptual lenses.

• All items identified in Section I.2 – Standards and Objectives, clearly identified.

• Evidence that clearly and strongly supports the additional quality point credit that is awarded to students taking and passing the Honors level course

Section II“Instructional Materials

and Methods”

II. Instructional Materials and MethodsHow is the honors level course taught?

Honors Level Course Portfolio Evidence must include:

1. Teacher Rationale for Instructional Materials and Methods

2. Instructional Materials and Methods (instructional resources, methods, strategies, equipment, and technology)

3. Sample Units, Lesson(s), and Assignments

4. Student Work Samples

II. Instructional Materials and Methods Portfolio Section1. Teacher Rationale for Instructional Materials

and Methods for Advanced Learners Must Include:• A reflective narrative explaining the choice of instructional

practices, materials and methods utilized in the honors course

• Focus on the differentiated content objectives

• Explanation of how the content objectives to identified Instructional Materials and Methods listed in section II.2 differentiate the instruction in this Honors Level Social Studies course from that of the standard level course.

II. Instructional Materials and Methods Portfolio Section

2. Instructional Materials and Methods (instructional resources, methods, strategies, equipment, and

technology) Must Include:• A list of instructional materials used to differentiate the

honors course.

• A list of instructional methods used to differentiate the honors course.

• References to units, lessons, and assignments submitted in the following section (II.3 Sample Units, Lesson(s), and Assignments).

II. Instructional Materials and Methods Portfolio Section 3. Sample Units, Lesson(s), and Assignments Must Include:

• One completed concept-based unit that has been listed in the semester/yearly Unit Plan

• At least one assignment/learning experience that provides a detailed description of the evidence from one or more of the instructional strategies that were documented in the Materials and Methods section

4. Student Work Samples Must Include:• One or more student work samples for the assignment/learning experience submitted in

the Sample Units, Lesson(s), and Assignments section.

• One or more student work samples for each lesson plan submitted in the Sample Units, Lesson(s), and Assignments section.

• One or more student work samples documenting student work in real world settings (this will be applicable if the teacher has indicated that students will participate in independent study, project-based learning, service learning or shadowing opportunities).

Section III“Assessment”

III. Assessment

How is the Honors Level Course assessed?

Honors Level Course Portfolio Evidence must include:

1. Teacher Rationale for Assessment Practices

2. Assessment Practices (grading practices, use of rubrics and/or scoring guides, use of formative and summative assessment)

3. Assessment Samples (pre-assessment, description of formative assessment, and summative assessment)

4. Student Work Assessment Samples

III. Assessment Portfolio Section

1. Teacher Rationale for Assessment Practices for Advanced Learners Should Include:

• An explanation of how pre-assessment is used to determine prior knowledge of advanced learners.

• An explanation of how the assessment practices address the standards and measure student mastery.

• An explanation of how the performance tasks documented in the Instructional Materials and Methods section of this portfolio are used in this Honors Level Social Studies course.

• An explanation of how criteria are communicated to the students prior to the assessment.

• An explanation of how the assessment data is used to guide student learning and inform instructional practices.

• An explanation of how ongoing feedback through the use of formative and summative assessment is incorporated and used throughout the course.

III. Assessment Portfolio Section

2. Assessment Practices (grading practices, use of rubrics and/or scoring guides, use of formative and summative assessment)

Must Include:

A reflective narrative which explains the teacher’s choice of assessment practices and addresses the following:

• Course grading criteria and how it is communicated to students.

• The use of pre-assessment for mastery learning.

• The use of formative assessment and how formative data is used.

• How are authentic and performance assessments/performance tasks used in this Honors Level Social Studies course?

• How are student self-assessment and peer-assessment used in this Honors Level Social Studies course?

• How are rubrics and scoring guides used in this Honors Level Social Studies course?

III. Assessment Portfolio Section

3. Assessment Samples (pre-assessment, description of

formative assessment, and summative assessment) Must Include:• Sample assessments for the practices listed in the

Assessment Practices section. • Evidence of at least one sample Formative Assessment Plan

• At least two different types of summative assessments aligned to the content standards.

• Sample pre-assessments that address different learning styles or provide choices for advanced learners.

III. Assessment Portfolio Section

4. Student Work Assessment Samples Must Include:

• The practices listed in Section III.2.

• Samples of actual student assessment work. – Two to three actual student assessments for the practices that

were listed in Section III.2..

– One to two actual performance tasks completed by a student. (Remember to include the rubric used to score.)

• No student names. (Remove or block out the names of students so that they do not appear on any work samples you submit.)

Wrap Up & Contacts

Closure

North Carolina Honors Course Implementation Guide and Rubric• State-wide framework• Local flexibility• Guidelines for rigor required for

honors credit weighting

For Information On The Honors Implementation Process Contact:

• Michelle McLaughlinmichelle.mclaughlin@dpi.nc.gov

• Fay Gorefay.gore@dpi.nc.gov