The University of Texas at Arlington

Dr. Leisa Martin

Assistant Professor of Middle Level Social Studies Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education and Health Professions

UT Arlington Faculty

Dr. Martin received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in social studies education from The University of Oklahoma, a M.S. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Florida International University, and a B.S. in Psychology from The Florida State University. Dr. Martin is a former middle school social studies teacher, and she began teaching at The University of Texas at Arlington in 2012. She is honored to be a 2012 service-learning fellow.

Service Learning Class

EDML 4370: SOCIAL STUDIES AND DIVERSITY IN THE MIDDLE LEVEL GRADES (3 credit hours) Examination of materials, methods, content, and assessment learning experiences associated with middle level social studies. Content areas include history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, culture, science, technology, and society. Opportunities to demonstrate application of current researched-based theory in a service-learning experience. Prerequisites: EDML 4300 & 4350; BEEP 4384; LIST 4343. Advisor permission required.

Academic Outcomes

• To foster the University of Texas at Arlington middle level teacher education students’ academic achievement, civic engagement, and personal development, they will teach social studies lessons for middle level social studies students.
• The University of Texas at Arlington middle level teacher education students will reflect on their teaching.
• The University of Texas at Arlington middle level teacher education students will reflect upon their service learning experience.

Service Learning Project

Social Studies Service-Learning Project

Description: In this service-learning project, Dr. Martin will collaborate with her Community Partner (Junior Achievement). Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that creates curriculum materials on economics and entrepreneurship. Junior Achievement needs volunteers to teach their curriculum in the local schools. The local schools need volunteers to teach the Junior Achievement curriculum. In EDML 4370 (Social studies and diversity in the middle level), The University of Texas at Arlington middle level students learn about lesson planning, the middle level teacher education students need an opportunity to teach social studies lesson in the local schools, and they need an opportunity to reflect upon their service-learning experience. This service-learning project provides benefits to The University of Texas at Arlington middle level teacher education students, Junior Achievement, and the local schools.

Teams and responsibilities: Dr. Martin will collaborate with her Community Partner (Junior Achievement) to provide the middle level teacher education students the opportunity to teach a social studies lessons to middle level social studies students.

Partner: Junior Achievement