When Am I Ever Going to Use This Stuff?

by Richard Di Giacomo, John Di Giacomo (Editor)

Overview

Motivate your students to study history and social studies. When faced with an uninteresting part of their lesson, social studies students will sometimes say, ''When am ever I going to use this stuff?'' This book addresses this common lament by providing 50 lesson plans that demonstrate how the skills learned in social studies classes are used in a wide variety of jobs. This is more than just another careers book. These activities give your students the chance to interview actual working professionals who use social studies skills in their jobs whether they studied social science in college or not!

Product Details

BN ID:	2940014674850
Publisher:	Magnifico Publications
Publication date:	10/19/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Richard Di Giacomo graduated from San José State University with a BA in
Ancient and Medieval history, a BA in Social Science and an MA in American
History. He has been a teacher for over 20 years and has taught in a variety of
schools from private and continuation schools to public high schools. He has
taught everything from at risk and limited English students to honors and
college preparatory classes. The subjects he has taught include: US and World History, Government, Economics, Bible and Ethics, History of the Cold War, and Contemporary World History.
He has been a reviewer and contributor to textbooks, and a frequent presenter at social studies conferences on the use of simulations, videos, and computers in education. Rich’s love for history led him to develop this unique book that will help motivate students to study history and other social sciences regardless of what their career may be.

Editorial Reviews

I like this. I think it is well-done for students. Overall, well done! ''Dr. History'' radio personality --Dr. Charles Self, Professor of History

Independent review - Charles Self

History teacher, Mr. Di Giacomo, has put an impressive amount research and thought in answering the question posed by the title. Mr. Di Giacomo offers in his guide to teachers an approach to the learning of history that holds the promise of reaching the disenchanted kids I see as a clinical psychologist who raise the question in the title of his work, a title that is answered in the text. I hope that it catches on. If it does, the potential consequence is in itself mind blowing. Dr. Wright Ph.D.

Independent review - Colin Wright

History teacher, Mr. Di Giacomo, has put an impressive amount research and thought in answering the question posed by the title. Mr. Di Giacomo offers in his guide to teachers an approach to the learning of history that holds the promise of reaching the disenchanted kids who raise the question that is the title of his work, a title that is answered in the text. I hope that it catches on. If it does, the potential consequence is in itself mind blowing. My occupation as a clinical psychologist brings me into regular contact with adolescents who are struggling with parents and others over their grades. One of the disconcerting things for me in this is the number of kids who hold school and formal education in contempt. It is not unusual for me to be told by these young folks that the only reason that they go to school is to see their friends. They confront me with the question that is the title of Richard Di Giacomo's teachers guide for history. This is saddening to me. The fundamental job of the brain is to learn. And it loves to learn; it thrives on learning, and here are these bright kid talking about hating it. But they don't really hate it at all. They talk of hating memorizing and yet they can tell you all about such things as the prominent figures in the music of their genre and have memorized the lyrics of songs which often the more adult ear often hears as unintelligible. They don't think of this as learning. They think of it as music - but learning it is. In college, my classmates and I found ourselves in the company of a gifted professor of history who used the methods espoused by Mr. DiGiacomo in his guide to accomplish what I had considered to be impossible - he taught me and most if not all of the others lucky enough to be in his classroom to love history. I will always be gratefully indebted to that learned gentleman. He not only taught me to love history. He caused me to understand that there is a basic joy in all learning beyond which I had fully understood. --Dr. Colin R. Wright, Ph.D.

Dr. Colin R. Wright