So, What is Social Studies Anyway?

What is Social Studies? Courses in history, geography and social sciences? Something that prepares young people for citizenship? Something that follows state and district curriculum guides/standards? Something that is taught from adopted textbooks?

Examples of Typical Social Studies Primary (K-3) social studies consists of units on holidays and cultural universals studied in the context of family, neighborhood or community. Middle Grades (4-6) social studies consists of units on state and American history and geography, geographical regions and on past and present world cultures.

Continued…. Grades (7-9) Cultures of Eastern and Western Hemisphere along with exploration of US and ND History Grades (10-12) US History focusing on causing and effect. Impact of events on the rest of the World. Government and Econ on preparing students to be effective citizens.

Competing Visions of Social Studies  Transmission of the cultural heritage  Social science  Reflective inquiry  Informed social criticism  Personal Development Most teachers are an eclectic mix of those, not usually a pure type. All approaches agree that citizenship education should be a major focus of social studies, but differ in their perspectives on citizen education and their descriptions of how it be played out in the classroom.

Perspective 1--Social Studies Should be Taught as: Transmission of Cultural Heritage Citizenship Education Should Consist of: Transmitting traditional knowledge and values as a framework for making decisions. Mainstream approach to elementary social studies Support for status quo Emphasis on Western Civilization Uncritical celebration of, and inculcation into American political values and traditions Defines social studies curriculum as helping children develop the skills needed by the society and designing school experiences that prepare children to fill adult roles. Examples: Thanksgiving, Christopher Columbus

Perspective 2--Social Studies Should be Taught as: Social Science Citizenship Education Should Consist of: Mastering social science concepts, generalizations, and processes to build a knowledge base for later learning. Emphasis on data-gathering skills Better coverage of discipline knowledge/content Preservation of separate disciplines Curriculum should equip students with knowledge that is lasting, important and fundamental to the human experience. Academic disciplines as storehouses of important knowledge and as sources of authority about how this knowledge is organized and taught. Examples: Political Science and Economics (separated)

Perspective 3--Social Studies Should be Taught as: Reflective Inquiry Citizenship Education Should Consist of: Employing a process of thinking and learning in which knowledge is derived from what citizens need to know in order to make decisions and solve problems. Emphasis on analyzing values and making decisions about social and civic issues Influenced by John Dewey Discussions of problems and issues that feature critical thinking, values analysis, and decision making Examples: Class meetings, problem solving discussions

Perspective 4--Social Studies Should be Taught as: Informed Social Criticism Citizenship Education Should Consist of: Providing opportunities for an examination, critique, and revision of past traditions, existing social practices, and modes of problem solving. Curriculum should teach students to combat social injustice and promote social change. Curriculum should center around social policy issues Examples: Discussions, grass-roots movements, service-learning projects

Perspective 5--Social Studies Should be Taught as: Personal Development Citizenship Education Should Consist of: Developing a positive self-concept and a strong sense of personal efficacy. Curriculum planning should follow the natural course of child development Content should connect to interest and learning needs associated with its corresponding ages and stages Influenced by Piaget and his stages of development Examples: All about me units, teaching about cultures of those in the classroom

How would you name your own position as an social studies teacher? How did you come to hold this position?

How do these perspectives connect to... Instructional Strategies ? Selection of Content ?

What do these varying perspectives demonstrate? There is competition between well-articulated, alternative interpretations of how social studies carries out its “citizen education mission!”

Who are the members of the NCSS, and what do they think? NCSS: The National Council for the Social Studies-NCSS membership represents K- 12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty members, curriculum designers and specialists, social studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines that constitute the social studies.

NCSS Definition of Social Studies Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.

What does this mean for us?

Generalization #1 Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Civic issues such as health care, crime, foreign policy etc, are complex and draw on many disciplines. Health care, for example, require some understanding of law, psychology, history and sociology as well as economics. Social studies is multidisciplinary by nature.

Generalization #2 Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. “Coordinated and systematic”--all disciplines are not necessarily addressed at all grade levels, yet units may address many disciplines. For example, a unit on changes in a community might be led with history, while geography and economics support the unit.

Generalization #3 The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. When social studies consists of memorizing facts, reading textbooks, watching videos, answering questions and illustrating knowledge already learned, its impact on students is minimal. These activities provide little help for students when they try to understand how and why people act the way they do and whether particular behaviors are good and worthy of adopting. But when social studies focuses student attention by confronting interesting problems related to their social world students will naturally want to observe, ask questions, research information, express observations in ideas and drawings, argue for their viewpoints and act to change things. When students “do” social studies, they draw on thinking skills and knowledge from the entire school curriculum as they construct and understanding of their social world.

Social Studies as “The Great Connector” Social studies is the core within which all parts of the curriculum can be based. Social studies can integrate math, science, art, music, physical education, health, reading, language arts, and all other content knowledge. The school curriculum often splits knowledge into separate areas of study, but the real world, in which citizens live and work, is not so compartmentalized.