Unfortunately, the gravity of high-stakes testing has squeezed some critical components of a social studies program outside of the classroom. School districts tend to focus on reading, writing, math, and most recently science--subjects that are being tested to reflect the effectiveness of schools. The question is: what can a teacher do to make sure social studies is taught? Social studies is a patriotic subject that reflects the history and laws of lands, the attitudes of many peoples, and the sense of civic values in which students are best able to uphold the "...duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy" (NCSS, 2009). As a pre-service teacher I know the value of social studies education within the classroom because of my own experiences as a student and my recent knowledge of theory and curriculum. It is my responsibility to allow my students to experience those opportunities.
In order to make sure social studies is taught I am a firm believer in the power of subject integration. Math, science, reading, and writing can all be taught with an emphasis on social studies. Ideally, I will teach social studies at least three days per week. However, if this is impossible to do, I will teach social studies within other subjects as a means of integrating subjects. A wonderful activity that would integrate social studies and writing would be the creation of a classroom Constitution. This activity would best benefit 5th and 6th grade students. The students would study the Constitution of the United States of America--the people who drafted the supreme law and the historical time period--and then they would create a classroom Constitution outlining the rights of the teacher and the students. This particular activity aligns with my firm belief in the teacher philosophy of Essentialism. I believe that there is a certain amount of "core knowledge" that students need to know and understand in order to be productive participants within our ever-globalized nation. However, my teaching ideologies and beliefs tend to straddle all four of the major teaching philosophies: Essentialism, Existentialism, Progressivism, and Perennialism. Overall, social studies cannot be overlooked in the classrooms of today. I will end with this powerful quote: "Dynamic social studies is based on a conviction that civic education is fundamental to the preservation of our constitutional democracy and, therefore, the primary component of all education in the United States " (Maxim, p. 211). Its is paramount to the future productiveness of our citizens.
Nice job on your final Blog. You get a 5.
LJR