Social Studies is a very important subject for students in elementary school to learn. Social Studies teaches children about history, social skills, economics, geography, science, and the world in general. Even at the kindergarten level, children need to learn about rules and getting along with one another, respecting one another. For Social Studies to be left out of curriculum is harmful to a child's development as an active citizen in their school environment and later when they go out into the world. Children need the skills of basic Social Studies to be able to interact with one another and be active members of their classroom.
Social Studies standards are part of the curriculum for Tennessee, even though the lower grades, especially kindergarten through second, do not teach Social Studies as a subject. If Tennessee did not have set standards, the National Council for Social Studies has standards that a teacher or school could use to develop a curriculum. The NCSS also has resources for members and teachers to use when planning lessons.
There are endless resources for Social Studies activities and ideas. The internet provides good sources just by searching and many well known websites, such as NASA and the Museum of Natural History, have an education page for teachers and students.
As a teacher, knowing where to look and what to teach are only two of the important factors in teaching. Having a critical voice, for social studies as well as all subjects and areas of teaching, is vital in teaching today. Knowing when and how to assert your opinion and push for change in how and when things are taught is very important in being an effective teacher. Developing the critical voice is a lifelong process, as this voice will change as a teacher gains experience and learns more about her students each year.
Another good way to be an effective teacher, especially in Social Studies, is to make activities that are interactive and engaging for students. Using Living History Museums and Story Paths are good ways to put students in history and help them to know the perspective of the people who actually lived out the events they are studying. Learning does not have to be papers and worksheets. Students learn better when they are doing social studies – acting it out or learning about it in a group or with a partner, creating posters or becoming a character.
Social Studies can be integrated with other subjects very easily. Reading a book about history or science will combine these two subjects well. Using time lines from history to determine the time between events combines Social Studies with math. Art and music can easily be integrated by having students sing songs about events or create drawings of people or events. So, even if Social Studies is not part of the curriculum, it can easily be integrated with other mandatory subjects to students don't lose out on the critical and important subject matter they need.
As a teacher, I have learned this semester that I need to integrate Social Studies so my students will not be lacking in the various subjects that Social Studies encompasses. By creating interesting activities and keeping children engaged with Social Studies, teachers can make Social Studies fun and students will want to know more and enjoy learning.
