What in the heck is Social Studies?!?

Day Three & The Adventure Continues!

                                   WHAT IS SOCIAL STUDIES?

When I was in school learning about social studies I remember learning about history. I don't remember learning about all of the wonderful things that makes up social studies. You are asking right now...what is social studies? Social studies is the body of integrative knowledge concepts, skills, generalizations and theories in the social studies field. 

I have provided the picture in the top made with tagxedo, and it shows different areas that make up social studies. Social studies is : History, Civics, Geography, Social Science, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology. After I read about what makes up social studies it hit me! Oh yeah, I remember learning about those different areas in school, but I never associated them with social studies.

                      There are five elements that make Social studies helpful

1. Meaningful- How do we teach it to students so they can apply it to their lives or connect it to the real world.

2. Integrative- Multidisciplinary with other subjects. Making that connection to the other subjects. I now realize how my teachers did this, but at the time I didn't make that connection. It can be connected to all subjects, even math!

3. Value Based- Social values, social issues, opposing points of views to support positions. As teachers we want to encourage our students to become better citizens. We want students to know they have a social responsibility, and how they fulfill that responsibility. I recall my teacher having us elect a few students and those students made campaigns, and we voted on them. With out realizing it the teacher introduced to us our social responsibility of voting, and it's importance. 

4. Challenging- Thoughtful approach , making connections between past events and current events. Opinionated questions. We as teachers need to raise the bar on challenging our students. We need to use the zone of proximity to make the students think! THE GOAL IS TO MAKE STUDENTS THINK!!

5. Active- Real-life approaches. Hands and MINDS on! Engage students, and make room to teach beyond the test. Try to bring in actives that will encourage students to do, and not just watch. My seventh grade social studies teacher encouraged us to protest the newly enforced "Locker Times". This is still my favorite memory from middle school. 

This chart is from Will At Work Learning by Will Thalheimer, PHD.

After seeing this chart in class I just couldn't believe how low the percentages were! After thinking about it for a few minutes...it hit me: the only things I remember from middle school are the things that I did. I don't remember the reading assignments the teacher gave us, but I do remember going on strike over locker times. 

MY GOAL FOR TEACHING IS TO DO JUST THAT! I WANT TO TEACH MY STUDENTS BY DOING! PROJECTS, GAMES, ANYTHING TO GET THEIR BODIES AND MINDS INVOLVED IN THE MATERIAL!

As I end this blog I will leave you with this my adventurers:
Knowledge has two levels HIGH (concept) & LOW (facts).
--What kind of knowledge do you want  your students to have?

Until next time