This is a Great Time to Teach Social Studies in the Classroom

Social studies, as defined by the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS), “is the study of society and social phenomena through observation, analysis, interpretation, and critical thinking.” This definition emphasizes that social studies is not just about studying people in isolation from their environment; it also includes an examination of how people are shaped by their surroundings.

Why Teaching Social Studies is Important

Social studies is an important subject because it teaches us how the world works and the different cultures that exist in it. It’s the study of human society, past and present. It includes the study of history and geography, economics, politics, culture, society and social institutions.

Why are these topics important, you ask?

• History is important because it is a record of the past and can be used to understand the present. It also helps us to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. As you may have heard the saying “the past should not determine the future”, social studies helps us evolve and improve our living conditions.
• Geography is important because it gives us a better understanding of different cultures and customs around the world. Geography also helps us understand what type of climate we are living in and where natural resources are located. Geography has always been important but with globalization becoming more common, it will become even more so in the future.
• Economics deals with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services by individuals, households, firms and governments. The importance of economics stems from the fact that it is central to understanding how the world works. Economics can be applied to any area of human activity like business or sports or even politics.
• Politics is a very important topic in today’s society. It has been the subject of many debates and discussions. Politics is a part of every person’s life, whether they are aware of it or not. Politics affects our everyday lives, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear.
• Culture is the sum of all the customs, values, traditions, and beliefs that are passed on by one generation to another. One of the most important aspects of culture is its ability to shape and influence how people live their lives. Culture shapes what people eat, how they dress, how they behave in public places, and even what language they speak. Culture is not just a matter of personal preference or individual taste. It’s a powerful force that influences every aspect of life from birth to death.
• Society is a collective of people living in a particular geographical location or in a particular country and is an important concept for understanding how individuals interact with each other. Without social institutions, a society would be nothing but a large group of individuals. Social institutions are the glue that holds society together. They are the norms and values that we live by and they provide us with an identity.

Benefits of Teaching Social Studies From an Educational Perspective

For children, social studies can help them learn about the world around them and how to be a good citizen. For adults, it can help them become more culturally literate and understand how their actions affect society as a whole.

The benefits of social studies are numerous. It can help you understand your own culture better and how it relates to other cultures around the world. It can help you become more aware of other people’s needs and perspectives. It can teach you about how to make informed decisions that will have a positive impact on your community or country. Social studies teaches students to be active citizens who are aware of their own power in shaping their communities as well as a global citizen who understands the complexity of our world today. Students who study social studies are better at problem solving skills, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills.

The Present Day Situation of Social Studies in the Classroom

Social studies is an academic discipline which studies the development and behavior of human societies. It can also be defined as a set of courses or programs that explore these topics.

The present day situation of social studies in the classroom is a hotly debated topic. It is not just about what should be taught, but also how it should be taught and by whom. Some people believe that it should be taught as a separate subject with its own course, while others believe that it should be integrated into other subjects.

There are three main reasons as to why social studies should not be taught as a separate subject:

1) It is not an effective way to learn social studies because students will have to learn about other subjects in order to understand the content of the course.

2) The curriculum will be too broad and there would need to be more time allocated for teaching which can lead to overcrowding of classrooms and less time for the core subjects like math and science.

3) Social studies can still be integrated into other subjects by providing students with a better understanding of their surroundings through reading, writing, speaking and listening activities.

How to go about Teaching Social Studies on a Regular Basis

Teaching social studies requires a deep understanding of the subject and plenty of creativity. Many teachers, however, are frustrated by the lack of resources to help them teach social studies well, in addition to their other subjects. The following blogs provide some great ideas for how to teach this subject effectively and creatively.

In order to teach strategy for social studies, we must first understand what the word strategy means. Strategy, in regards to social studies, is a plan of action or method employed to reach an end. It is a step by step guide that includes an ordered sequence of steps and can be easily adapted in order to achieve set goals and objectives. Teaching strategy for social studies requires educators to first identify their desired outcome.

The social studies curriculum is a big and complex subject. To teach it well, teachers need to be aware of the different social studies disciplines and how they relate to each other. Teachers also need to know about the content and skills that students need in order to be successful in social studies.

The skills that need to be taken into the account are critical thinking, problem-solving, using evidence, developing perspectives and connecting topics:

• The first step to critical thinking is to be aware of our biases. Our biases are the things that we automatically think and believe without questioning them. Once we are aware of our biases, we can start to question them and see if they are true or not. Critical thinking is not just about being a skeptic. It’s about being skeptical in the right way. We need to be skeptical in order to find out the truth, but we also need to be open-minded enough to change our minds when new evidence comes up that disproves what we thought was true before.
• To solve problems, the first step is to identify the problem. The problem may be a gap in knowledge, a process that isn’t working, or something else. The next step is to brainstorm potential solutions. Once you have come up with some ideas, you should evaluate them and choose the best one.
• Evidence is the best way to make your argument more convincing. It can be anything from facts to statistics, from articles to books. It is important that you use evidence in order to convince your audience and make them believe what you are saying. The best way to use evidence is by using a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative evidence includes quotes, anecdotes or any other information that cannot be measured or quantified. Quantitative evidence includes statistics, facts or graphs that can be measured or quantified. In order for your argument to be more persuasive it is important that you provide a variety of different types of evidence so that you can cover all bases and make sure your audience understands where you are coming from.
• Perspective is the ability to see things from a different point of view. It is a skill that allows you to take in information and consider how it affects others. Perspective is an important part of empathy, which is the ability to understand what someone else may be feeling, even if you don’t know them personally. Perspective can help people who are struggling with mental health issues or who are experiencing trauma. The first step in developing perspective is being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and experience their emotions. This can be done by asking questions about what they’re feeling and why they feel that way, or by imagining how they might have felt in a similar situation. The next step would be to develop your own perspective on the situation, so that you have a better understanding of both sides and can then try to find a solution together with them.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Teachers should focus on teaching students how to think critically, solve problems, use evidence, develop their perspectives and make connections between topics. This can be achieved through the various social studies topics. If you’re looking for a completely free option that provides age-appropriate learning videos for each Social Studies topic, you may want to consider 2cool4school.org. Their curriculum is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and easy to navigate. Each topic in every subject links to a YouTube learning video that teaches the Social Studies topics in a fun, age-appropriate way. Given the huge variety of approaches in the videos, your child will never get bored of learning. All videos have been vetted by real humans.