I think the first thing a social studies lesson has to be is
part of an interdisciplinary program.
What I’m learning is that teachers today have little if any time anymore
to teach social studies straight up. It
must be incorporated into other subjects to make the best use of every minute
of every school day -if it is going to be taught at all. And I think incorporating social studies into
other elementary school subjects can really work and actually make social
studies more meaningful to students. Combining social studies with literacy, is
a no-brainer, literature can make social studies come to life whether that
means reading stories about figures from history or stories that illustrate
forms of governments, for example. Integrating social studies into other
disciplines may be a little trickier for some subjects and some areas of study of
social studies, but the challenge will require the lens to be placed squarely on
the goals and objectives of what the lesson is teaching.
Social studies lessons have to involve the students. The aim of social studies lessons is to get
the students to think about themselves, their world, and themselves in the
world. But finding the connection or the
hook to see themselves in the lesson is the trick. This involves providing a motivating piece of
the lesson that makes the students see the importance of studying social studies
for them. Often motivating students will
come from using student’s love of being social.
Working together as group, collaborating on a project, or being part of
a whole class activity can make students want to study social studies. Social studies is social, it is about being a
human in the world of today, yesterday and tomorrow as part of world filled with
other human beings.
A good social studies lesson builds on what students have studied before and allows them to make connections to what they are learning about in other subjects or connections to things that can bring into the class and connections to exploring and learning new material. Social studies lessons that allow the student to be challenged with new ideas, knowledge and understandings will engage students if the lessons are correctly designed as to not be so difficult that they are frustrating or too easy that the students loose interest. A social studies lesson needs to be flexible enough to expand or tighten to allow students to learn most effectively.
Social studies lessons should be about recognizing the similarities and differences in all of us. Social studies is such an important topic today, as our classrooms represent the amazing diversity of our country and world. We need to have an understanding of other’s cultures, backgrounds, lands and beliefs to have a respect for each other. Social Studies lessons should help students grow in their knowledge of our very big, but at the same time very small world and its inhabitants. Social studies lessons should include helping students see the diversity of people in our world and the people in our classrooms. Diversity also includes the many ways students learn, their interests and motivations. Lessons should include recognizing, capitalizing on and teaching methods that keep in mind the diversity of students.
Lessons should meet the New Common Core and State
Essential Standards to provide students with the knowledge and skills deemed
necessary for our world today. But this
knowledge is not enough for the social studies lesson to impart. The social studies lesson should provide
knowledge in a way that will develop students to be problem solvers,
questioners and thinkers about what they have learned. This is functional content that allows the
students to learn more than facts and figures but knowledge that they can apply,
ponder and puzzle about.
Meaningful, well-planned social studies lessons incorporate a “dynamic” approach capitalizing on the curious elementary student that will become tomorrow’s aware and informed citizen. The Dynamic social studies approach is outlined by George W. Maxim in his book, “Dynamic Social Studies for Constructivist Classrooms”.
