Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Teaching and Learning the Social Sciences 1
Other languages of instruction: Spanish,
Teaching staff
Tutorials
Format: in person or online, by prior request via email to albert3089@uic.es
Schedule:
Tuesday: 9:00 – 10:15 and 14:00 – 15:00
Thursday: 9:00 – 10:15 and 14:00 – 15:00
If there is any incompatibility with the scheduled hours, a specific time outside this schedule can be arranged, upon prior request by email.
Introduction
The course Teaching and Learning of Social Sciences 1 (CCSS1 - Geography) aims to develop knowledge, skills, and critical perspective for teaching and learning the didactics of geography in primary education.
The course covers theoretical principles and activities for designing, managing, and evaluating classroom tasks to support geography learning in Primary Education.
Throughout the course, topics such as understanding the physical, social, and cultural environment will be addressed, along with the use of innovative tools and resources to foster meaningful learning in children. Special emphasis will be placed on developing pedagogical skills, such as planning classroom activities, employing active methodologies, and integrating new technologies into the teaching process. The course also aims to reflect on the role of Geography in the holistic development of students, promoting values such as sustainability, global citizenship, and respect for cultural diversity.
Pre-course requirements
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Competence in expressing oneself clearly and structurally both orally and in writing.
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Ability to adapt language to communicate complex concepts in a way that is understandable to primary school children according to their developmental stage.
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Ability to read academic texts in both Catalan and Spanish, and to have appropriate strategies for translating and understanding academic readings in English.
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Competence in planning and organizing classroom activities, as well as making necessary adaptations for the different developmental stages and needs of children.
Objectives
Block 1: Introduction to the Didactics of Geography
Objectives:
- Understand what Geography is, its thematic divisions, areas of knowledge, and fields of study.
- Understand geographical thinking and its evolution.
- Characterize the main concepts of Physical and Human Geography and their application in Primary Education.
- Reflect on the educational goals of Geography in shaping children as citizens.
- Learn about cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, to teach and develop citizens with heritage awareness, capable of preserving and protecting heritage.
- Understand the key concepts of geography didactics for primary education in Catalonia.
- Know and implement the current curriculum based on the document of the “Natural, Social, and Cultural Environment” area from the Department of Education.
- Know and implement the current curriculum based on the “Basic Competences of the Environment Knowledge Area” document from the Department of Education.
Block 2: Understanding Space in Children and Learning Geography at School, with Family, and in Educational Leisure
Objectives:
- Analyze how children understand and represent space according to their cognitive development, social context, and family and leisure activities.
- Develop the competence to design learning situations adapted to different levels of Primary Education.
Block 3: Fundamental Concepts in Geography and Representation of Space
Objectives:
- Learn the basic concepts of Geography (space, place, landscape, territory, scale).
- Introduce children to the representation of space.
- Teach children to use and interpret maps and plans.
- Represent space to explore land and sea: from terrestrial geography to the geography of the sea and sky.
- Introduce digital tools and technologies to explore geographical space.
Block 4: Natural Phenomena and Landscape
Objectives:
- Understand the elements of the physical environment and how they influence landscapes.
- Raise students' awareness of environmental issues.
Block 5: Organization of Territory and Population
Objectives:
- Understand how territory is organized at different scales: local, national, and European.
- Understand urban and rural environments and their dynamics.
- Children and the city: an approach through the "Cities for Children" project.
- Explore the concept of smart cities and their implications.
- Analyze the factors influencing population distribution at both local and global levels.
Block 6: Relationships Between Human Activity and the Environment
Objectives:
- Understand the evolution of space occupation by humanity over time.
- Analyze how human activity modifies the physical environment and landscapes.
- Reflect on sustainability and its local and global applications.
- Promote values of responsibility and solidarity in the context of territorial and urban organization.
Block 7: Methodologies for Teaching Geography in Primary Education
Objectives:
- Understand and apply student-centered didactic methodologies.
- Design activities adapted to Primary Geography.
Block 8: Didactic Resources and Materials
Objectives:
- Select and create didactic materials to teach Geography.
- Incorporate digital and traditional resources for geography learning.
Block 9: Geography in Interdisciplinary Projects
Objectives:
- Develop interdisciplinary projects with a geographical foundation.
- Reflect on one’s practice and evaluate results.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CEM-01 - To analyze and understand the educational processes inside and outside the classroom regarding the 6-12 age period.
- CEM-02 - To be familiar with the basics of primary education.
- CEM-03 - To analyze teaching practice and the institutional conditions in which it takes place.
- CEM-04 - To be familiar with the processes of interaction and communication in the classroom.
- CEM-05 - To be familiar with the historical development of the educational system in our country, as well as the political and legislative determinants of educational activity.
- CEM-06 - To address and resolve discipline problems.
- CEM-07 - To promote cooperation and individual work and effort.
- CEM-08 - To promote educational actions in values oriented towards preparing an active, democratic citizenship.
- CEM-09 - To be aware of and deal with school situations in multicultural contexts.
- CEM-10 - To design, plan and evaluate teaching activity and learning in the classroom.
- CEM-11 - To be aware of and to apply innovative practices in primary education.
- CEM-12 - To participate in the definition of the educational project and the general activities of the school in compliance with quality-management criteria.
- CEM-13 - To be familiar with and apply basic educational research methodologies and techniques and be able to design innovative projects and identify evaluation indicators.
- CEM-14 - To understand the learning processes relative to the 6-12 age period in the family, social and school contexts.
- CEM-19 - To identify and plan the resolution of educational situations affecting students with different ability levels and learning speeds.
- CEM-23 - To analyze and incorporate in a critical way the most important issues in current affairs affecting family and school education: the social and educational impact of audiovisual languages and screens; changes in gender and intergenerational relations; multiculturalism and interculturalism; discrimination and social inclusion; and sustainable development.
- CEM-24 - To be familiar with the historical evolution of the family, the different kinds of families, lifestyles and education in the family context.
- CEM-25 - To understand the basic principles and fundamental laws of the experimental sciences (physics, chemistry, biology and geology).
- CEM-26 - To be familiar with the school curriculum for these sciences.
- CEM-27 - To consider and resolve problems associated with science in daily life.
- CEM-28 - To value the sciences as a cultural item.
- CEM-29 - To recognize the mutual influences of science, society and technological development, as well as pertinent citizen behaviour, in attaining a sustainable future.
- CEM-30 - To develop and evaluate curriculum content through appropriate teaching resources, and to promote the acquisition of basic skills by pupils.
- CEM-31 - To understand the basic principles of the social sciences.
- CEM-32 - To be familiar with the social science curriculum.
- CEM-33 - To integrate historical and geographical study from an educational and cultural perspective.
- CEM-34 - To foment civic education and critical social thought.
- CEM-35 - To value the importance of public and private institutions for peaceful coexistence between peoples.
- CEM-36 - To be aware of the role of religion throughout history and its relation to culture.
- CEM-37 - To develop and evaluate the curriculum content by means of appropriate teaching resources, and to promote the corresponding competences in pupils.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- Understands the basic principles of social sciences.
- Knows the school curriculum for social sciences.
- Carries out historical and geographical study from an instructive and cultural perspective.
- Fosters democratic citizenship education and the practice of critical social thinking.
- Values the relevance of public and private institutions for peaceful coexistence among peoples.
- Develops and assesses curriculum content through appropriate teaching resources and promotes the corresponding competencies in students.
- Analyses, relates and synthesises bibliographic sources.
- Organises and manages different social learning environments inside and outside the classroom.
- Debates presented arguments appropriately.
- Respects the opinions of others.
- Searches for and manages useful, current information for social sciences.
- Develops assertive attitudes.
- Expresses opinions and critiques orally and in writing, clearly and comprehensibly.
- Integrates ICT throughout the teaching-learning process.
Syllabus
Block 1: Introduction to the didactics of geography
Block 2: Children's understanding of space and learning geography at school, at home, and in educational leisure
Block 3: Fundamental concepts in geography and spatial representation
Block 4: Natural phenomena and landscape
Block 5: The organisation of territory and population
Block 6: Relations between human activity and the environment
Block 7: Methodologies for teaching geography in primary education
Block 8: Teaching resources and materials
Block 9: Geography in interdisciplinary projects
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Lecture method (LM)
Consists of the direct transmission of content by the teacher, usually through lectures, to present conceptual frameworks, specific vocabulary and theoretical structures in an orderly way.
Justification for use: Blocks 1 and 3 require students to acquire a basic conceptual corpus (thematic division of Geography, concepts of space, place, landscape, territory, scale) before being able to apply it. The lecture method is efficient for introducing this initial theoretical framework.
Case study (EC)
Based on the analysis of a real or plausible situation so that students identify problems, weigh alternatives and draw conclusions applicable to teaching practice.
Justification for use: fits with Block 5 (smart cities, Cities for Children project) and Block 6 (relations between human activity and the environment), where work is based on concrete cases of territories, cities or real environmental conflicts, analysed from a didactic perspective.
Exercise and problem solving (REP)
Methodology focused on practising specific procedures and techniques through guided exercises, with a generally closed or semi-closed outcome.
Justification for use: relevant for Block 3, in tasks such as reading, interpreting and creating maps and plans, or using digital tools for spatial representation, which require practising specific procedures.
Problem-based learning (ABP)
Students start from an open problem, with no single predefined solution, and must research, draw on prior knowledge and collaborate to reach a proposed solution.
Justification for use: linked to Block 4 (natural phenomena and landscape, environmental problems) and Block 6 (sustainability), posing real environmental challenges that students analyse and for which they propose didactic responses for Primary education.
Project-based learning (AOP)
Methodology in which students develop, over a period of time, a complete product or didactic proposal, integrating knowledge and competencies from various areas.
Justification for use: the natural methodology for Block 9 (geography in interdisciplinary projects), also covering Block 8 (creation of teaching materials), as it allows students to design a complete geographical learning situation for Primary education.
Cooperative learning (AC)
Organisation of work in small groups with individual and group responsibility, where each member's success depends in part on joint work.
Justification for use: cuts across several blocks, but is especially relevant in Block 7 (student-centred methodologies) and Block 2 (designs of learning situations adapted to different levels), where the joint design of didactic proposals benefits from discussion and the exchange of ideas among peers.
Learning contract (CA)
Consists of an explicit agreement between the teacher and the student (or a small group) that establishes learning objectives, tasks, deadlines, resources and assessment criteria adjusted to a particular situation, negotiated between both parties.
The methodologies described are not applied rigidly or exclusively throughout the course; rather, they are used flexibly and alternately depending on the group's needs, the day-to-day reality of the classroom, and the stage of the learning process the students are at. The teacher systematically observes how sessions unfold in order to detect different learning paces, specific difficulties or emerging interests, and adjusts the choice of methodology accordingly, with the aim of offering as personalised an educational response as possible within the context of a class group.
This alternation is not arbitrary: each methodology is associated with specific techniques and tools that facilitate its practical application in the classroom. For example, the lecture method relies on diagrams, concept maps or presentations to structure information; case studies require the prior selection of real or plausible situations and analysis guidelines; problem-based learning and project-based learning are implemented through work outlines, monitoring rubrics and tutoring sessions; and cooperative learning is structured through group organisation techniques such as role assignment or peer assessment.
In this way, methodology is not conceived as a closed, predetermined procedure, but as an open framework that the teacher continuously adapts based on direct observation of the group, ensuring that each student has access to the teaching-learning strategies best suited to their process.
| METHODOLOGY | TRAINING ACTIVITY |
| Problem-based learning Cooperative learning Project-based learning Learning contract Case studies Presentation methods / lecture Problem-solving exercises | Practical classes Theory classes Group study and work Individual / independent study and work Tutorials |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
- Contributions to classroom discussions and debates: 10%.
- Individual written presentation: 15%.
- Individual oral presentation: 10%.
- Group problem solving: 10%.
- Group written presentation: 15%.
- Written test: 30%.
- Observation techniques: 10%.
Bibliography and resources
Geography as a discipline:
Luna, A., & Mendizàbal, E. (2004). Geography in Catalonia. Belgeo. Revue belge de géographie, (1), 17-34. https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/10319 (Optional Reading)
Riera, P. (1996). La divisió territorial de Catalunya de 1936: l'organització del territori. Institut d'Estudis Catalans, 111. https://publicacions.iec.cat/repository/pdf/00000385/00000005.pdf
Vilà-Valentí, J. V. (2010). La Contribució de la geografia. Recerca i país: la contribució de la filosofia i d'algunes ciències socials (pp. 53-67). Institut d'Estudis Catalans. https://publicacions.iec.cat/repository/pdf/00000385/00000061.pdf
Learning geography:
Jarvis, C. H., Kraftl, P., & Dickie, J. (2017). (Re) Connecting spatial literacy with children's geographies: GPS, Google Earth and children's everyday lives. Geoforum, 81, 22-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.02.006
Li, Z. Z., Arcodia, C., Yang, E. C. L., & Le, T. H. (2024). Children's learning processes in family travel: A narrative review through a social cognitive lens. Tourism Management Perspectives, 54, 101320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2024.101320 (Optional Reading)
Teaching geography
Bednarz, S., Heffron, S., & Huynh, N. (2013). A road map for 21st century geography education. Washington, DC: Association of American Geographers. https://media.nationalgeographic.org/assets/file/NGS_RoadMap_GERC_6-21.pdf (Optional Reading)
Cardona, F. X. H. (2021). La didàctica de la història i la geografia de Catalunya i la formació de mestres. Didàctica, Història, Cooperació i Justícia Social. Reconeixement al doctor Antoni Gavaldà, 71. https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/5180574#page=71
Lestegás, F. R. (2002). Concebir la geografía escolar desde una nueva perspectiva: una disciplina al servicio de la cultura escolar. Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, (33), 173-186. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/1122458.pdf
Sánchez, J. G., & i Obiols, R. B. (2017). Presentació. L'ensenyament de la geografia al segle XXI. Documents d'Anàlisi Geogràfica, 63(3), 521-526. (Optional Reading)
Methodologies for learning geography
Iglesias Vidal, E., & Soler Masó, P. (2022). Possibilitats i complicitats entre el lleure educatiu i l'escola. Guix: elements d'acció educativa, 2022, núm. 492, p. 12-17. https://dugi-doc.udg.edu/bitstream/handle/10256/22424/Guix492_Possibilitats-i-complicitats.pdf?sequence=1
Medina, M. L. G. (2003). La didàctica de la geografia i la interdisciplinarietat en ciències socials mitjançant les excursions escolars. El cas d'Alexandre de Tudela (1861-1935). Actes de la VII trobada d'història de la ciència i de la tècnica, 245. https://publicacions.iec.cat/repository/pdf/00000380/00000012.pdf
Landscapes and geography
Castiglioni, B. (2011). L'educació en paisatge des de l'òptica del Conveni europeu del paisatge i noves perspectives. Paisatge i Educació. Plecs de Paisatge: reflexions, 2, 153-167. (Optional Reading)
Clot-Garrell, A. (2023). Abandonar, transformar, recordar: dues mirades a les ruïnes contemporānies. Digithum, (31), 1-5. https://raco.cat/index.php/Digithum/article/view/n31-clot-garrell/522024 (Optional Reading)
Funke-Casellas, A. (2024). Un nou barri barceloní? Resignificació del sentit de lloc i gentrificació operativa a la Cerdanya. Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia, núm. 98, p. 41-73. https://revistes.iec.cat/index.php/TSCG (Optional Reading)
Franquesa, J. (2023). Rurbanisme o la mirada integral. Compàs d'amalgama, (8), 50-54. (Optional Reading)
Mendizàbal, E. (2009). Aproximació a la geografia històrica i cultural dels paisatges de Catalunya. Cercles: revista d'història cultural, 104-128. https://raco.cat/index.php/Cercles/article/view/196515/263634
The geography of the sea
Bonet, O. B., González, È. O., & Martín, À. P. Fer-se a la mar. Narratives d'una descoberta pedagògica. (Optional Reading)
Territory and population
Clot-Garrell, A. (2023). Abandonar, transformar, recordar: dues mirades a les ruïnes contemporānies. Digithum, (31), 1-5. https://raco.cat/index.php/Digithum/article/view/n31-clot-garrell/522024
Ghafoor-Zadeh, D. (2023). Moving through, interacting with, and caring for the city. Children's and young people's everyday experiences in smart cities. Digital Geography and Society, 4, 100051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diggeo.2023.100051 (Optional Reading)
Soler, E. G. (2023). Geografies de la infància i temps de lleure en entorns rurals: experiències i percepcions de nens i nenes de primària. Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia, (96), 7-32. https://revistes.iec.cat/index.php/TSCG/article/view/150817/149136
Geography and sustainable development
Meadows, M. E. (2020). Geography education for sustainable development. Geography and Sustainability, 1(1), 88-92. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666683920300018
Resources for learning geography
Humble, N. (2023). Future paths for GIS in K-12 education: A review of possibilities and constraints. European Journal of Geography, 14(3), 79-88. https://www.eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/429/326 (Optional Reading)
Intzidou, G., Lambrinos, N., Tourtouras, C., & Seroglou, F. (2021). Metadata: A pedagogical tool for the teaching of map projections in Elementary School. European Journal of Geography, 12(3). https://eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/94/66
Volioti, C., Keramopoulos, E., Sapounidis, T., Melisidis, K., Kazlaris, G. C., Rizikianos, G., & Kitras, C. (2022). Augmented reality applications for learning geography in primary education. Applied System Innovation, 5(6), 111. https://www.mdpi.com/2571-5577/5/6/111 (Optional Reading)
Geopolitics
Rodon, T., & Guinjoan, M. (2018). When the context matters: Identity, secession and the spatial dimension in Catalonia. Political Geography, 63, 75-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2018.01.004 (Optional Reading)
Books (optional readings)
Arias Ferrer, L., Egea Vivancos, A. (2022). Didáctica de geografía e historia en educación primaria. Síntesis.
Hernández Cardona, X. (2002). Didáctica de las ciencias sociales, geografía e historia. Graó.
Hernández Carretero, A. M. (coord.) (2019). Estrategias y recursos didácticos para la enseñanza de las Ciencias Sociales. Pirámide.