SOCIAL STUDIES
AUGUST • SEPTEMBER 2015
The mission of the Social Studies department is to provide students with a meaningful curriculum that
encourages and develops inquiry and critical thinking, social and political awareness, and problem-solving
and decision-making skills, which will lead them to becoming active and informed citizens of their local,
national, and global communities.
Welcome…
Important Meetings:
Thank you, teachers, for choosing
this valued profession, and
especially for choosing to serve
the children of Harlandale ISD.
Many people do not hold teaching
in high regard as say, medicine
and engineering. It is said that
teaching is the profession that
makes all other professions
possible. I firmly believe that.
Without you, we would have a
society without mentors. YOU are
the individuals who bring about
change in students with your
passion for teaching and your
enthusiasm for learning.

9/9 (Board Room)
Elementary Social Studies Curriculum Team Meeting
3:40 PM

9/29 (Board Room)
Grade 6 Social Studies PLC

9/30 (Board Room)
Grade 7 Social Studies PLC

10/01 (Board Room)
Grade 8 Social Studies PLC
I look forward to working with
everyone as we move towards a
system where the C-I-A triangle is
implemented with fidelity in all
content areas. This will occur
through our continued efforts to
ensure TEKS/SEs alignment in our
lessons and assessments.
I consider myself fortunate to find
myself working among such an
esteemed group of people. Like
every new school year, 2015-2016
will prove to be a challenging, yet
meaningful, learning experience
for all members of the Harlandale
family. I wish you the best!
I am here to support you in our
mission of preparing children who
are not only college and career
ready, but also civically engaged.
Please do not hesitate to reach
out for assistance.
-Rubina
RUBINA P. PANTOJA, COORDINATOR
ELIZABETH D. RIVAS, MIDDLE SCHOOL COACH
VERONICA ARAUJO, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
HARLANDALE ISD
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
102 Genevieve
San Antonio, TX 78214
210-989-4395 office • 210-921-4455 fax
SOCIAL STUDIES
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Professional
Development:

9/8 (Institute of Texan
Cultures) Open House for
Educators 6PM-8PM

9/9 (Region 20) Curriculum
Forum 8:30AM-12PM

9/16 (Corpus Christi) EOC
by the Sea – Lead4ward End
of Course Conference

9/17 (Region 13-Austin)
Digital Learning 9AM-4PM

9/24 (Region 20)
Instructional Strategies in
Social Studies for Students
with Disabilities 8:30AM3:30PM
Building Academic Vocabulary in the
Social Studies Classroom
Lack of academic vocabulary continues to be one of the
greatest challenges students have in the Social Studies
classroom. As a classroom teacher, it is our responsibility to
build students’ understanding of words so that they can
“engage with, produce, and talk about texts” used in the
classroom (Flynt and Brozo, 2008). How can we effectively
build academic vocabulary with such limited time? Here are a
few strategies to consider:




Interactive Word Walls
Vocabulary Journals
Word Sorts
Reciprocal Teaching
This list is just a fraction of the strategies that exist for
vocabulary development. My suggestion to teachers is to try
one strategy at a time and then stick with one that seems to
be working for that group of students.
We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural
diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation.
Cesar Chavez, labor rights activist
Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.
Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist
Celebrations
September
7 Labor Day
11 Patriot Day
13 Grandparents Day
Hispanic Heritage Month
17 Constitution Day
23 First Day of Fall
One of the greatest things
you have in life is that no
one has the authority to tell
you what you want to be.
You’re the one who’ll decide
what you want to be.
Respect yourself and respect
the integrity of others as
well. The greatest thing you
have is your self-image, a
positive opinion of yourself.
You must never let anyone
take it from you.
Jaime Escalante, educator
Today in History…
August
6 United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan
during World War II (1945)
7 Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving
President Johnson broad powers to expand the Vietnam War
(1964)
9 United States explodes a nuclear devise over Nagasaki,
Japan (1945)
11 Watts Riots begin (1965)
13 Berlin becomes the dividing city between East and West
Germany (1961)
15 India and Pakistan become independent from British rule
(1947)
21 Hawaii becomes the 50th state (1959)
26 19th Amendment goes into effect, granting women suffrage
(1920)
28 MLK delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the
Lincoln Memorial (1963)
September
1 World War II begins when Germany invades Poland (1939)
2 Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II (1945)
5 Sam Houston becomes 1st president of the Republic of Texas
(1836)
8 Hurricane devastates Galveston (1900)
11 Four hijacked airliners cause the collapse of World Trade
Center, crash into the Pentagon and in a field in Pennsylvania
(2001)
16 “Grito de Dolores” issued by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
(1810)
17 Battle of Antietam – bloodiest battle day in U.S. military
history (1862)
25 U.S. Army escorts children to Central High School in Little
Rock, Arkansas (1957)
26 First televised Presidential debate between Nixon and
Kennedy (1960)
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