This first in a sequence of two three-credit courses is designed for students majoring in one of the social studies disciplines and planning careers as K-12 social studies teachers. Teacher candidates will learn to organize instructional materials into standards-based social studies units and daily lessons appropriate for the elementary and middle school grades. In conjunction with a co-requisite practicum, this course includes both community- and public school-based experiences dealing with a range of topics necessary to building a functioning learning community in social studies classrooms, including an introduction to theories of social studies education, standards-based lesson and unit planning, social studies pedagogy, classroom management, and learner diversity.