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Language arts is
about reading and writing. Science is about the physical world. But when it
comes to defining social studies, many people seem stumped. Is it history? Does
it teach children to read maps? Do children learn to recite the Pledge of
Allegiance and the preamble to the U.S. Constitution?
In short, yes. But
social studies today is much, much more. The world we live in is an increasingly
diverse, exciting and sometimes complex one. People from around the world live
as neighbors. Television and the Internet expose even very young children to
places and information that people of past times could never have experienced in
a lifetime. And governments at all levels grapple with complicated social and
international questions that require sensitivity and creativity to resolve.
The modern day
elementary social studies curriculum is an attempt to help prepare children to
process their life experiences. It is designed both to prepare children to
become responsible, contributing members of society, as well as to solve problems
and make reasoned decisions. Here is an overview of the types of social learning
that takes place at the various grade levels:
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Kindergarten
and grade one
The focus is on the development of the child as an individual, as well as a
member of a family, school, community and world. Social learning is largely
about helping children interact with others and understand the rules that
govern groups (i.e. their first grade class) beyond their families. In
the early primary grades, children are often unaware that they are learning
"social studies," since the term is rarely used. Much of the
social learning is introduced through books, field trips to places around
the community, as well as classroom activities in which children learn how
to express their emotions and solve their differences peacefully and how to
work together to complete projects.
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Grade two
and three
In second grade, students explore their own rural, urban or suburban
communities. In grade three, children's learning is expanded to include
communities around the U.S. and the world. These are studied from a
social/cultural, political, economic, geographic and historical perspective.
A typical third grade social studies project might involve using the
Internet to link up with students from schools in other parts of the U.S. or
around the world to share information about school life, culture, language
and more. Students at these two levels continue to learn about
self-identity. To help them better understand their own history, students
might interview their parents or grandparents and prepare a multi-media
project comparing past times with their modern day lives. Social interaction
and citizenship continue to be emphasized.
-
Grades four
and five
Students focus on local, state and national political institutions and their
leaders along with the history of such institutions. Concepts of
citizenship, such as power, equality, justice and liberty, are discussed.
Students also study the relationship between local events and those
throughout the history of the state and nation. The daily newspaper,
television news and in-class discussions about local, state, national and
world events may be used to further these concepts. To foster an
understanding that history is the story of ordinary people and their
everyday lives, teachers may take students on visits to local historical
sites and museums or have them review town records and maps from past times.
In fifth grade, students also take the state's new elementary social studies
exam, which tests their ability to work with historical documents and
engages them in a great deal of critical reading, writing and thinking.
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permission to reprint this article, please contact the
Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518)
464-3960.
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