Blog Post #1
I remember learning about social studies a lot when I was younger. Most lesson plans that I can remember doing were involved with learning about people in society, in some way. We learned about different cultures around the world, did many history lessons, learned about the ways that a society can be ran, and many other things. I remember doing many fun history projects, doing geography quizzes that lead to prizes, and doing a class play about historical figures as well. At the time I wasn't aware of how important this information was going to be to me in the future, but know I realize how important it is to learn about social studies in order to live in a civilized society.
I think that it is important for elementary social studies classes to be engaging and meaningful because the students are going to need to know this information when they are older. It is important to learn about social studies in order to apply the information to be a successful, respectful civilian of a society. When talking about the different aspects of social studies in the classroom, it is necessary to make sure that the content and the way that the content is presented, is fun and engaging for the students. When lessons are "fun" for students, the likelihood of them remembering and retaining the information is much higher. The students need to be able to recall information about different cultures, history, geography, and so on, later in their school studies as well as adult lives.
I would break up "social studies" and "inquiry" in order to personally define social studies inquiry. Social studies is made up of different components that all have to do with people and the way that they live in society. Some of those components being geography, economics, history, etc. An inquiry has to do with asking questions and taking information. So together, I would define "social studies inquiry" as information tracking/taking data for all of the social studies components.
I think that it is important for elementary social studies classes to be engaging and meaningful because the students are going to need to know this information when they are older. It is important to learn about social studies in order to apply the information to be a successful, respectful civilian of a society. When talking about the different aspects of social studies in the classroom, it is necessary to make sure that the content and the way that the content is presented, is fun and engaging for the students. When lessons are "fun" for students, the likelihood of them remembering and retaining the information is much higher. The students need to be able to recall information about different cultures, history, geography, and so on, later in their school studies as well as adult lives.
I would break up "social studies" and "inquiry" in order to personally define social studies inquiry. Social studies is made up of different components that all have to do with people and the way that they live in society. Some of those components being geography, economics, history, etc. An inquiry has to do with asking questions and taking information. So together, I would define "social studies inquiry" as information tracking/taking data for all of the social studies components.
By: Katie Byers
Katie,
ReplyDeleteWay to nail all of these questions! I wish I remembered as much as you were able to recall about early social studies experiences. Some of your memories reminded me of similar experiences, but I have already posted my blog and cannot change my responses now.
What I liked most about your blog post is that you mentioned they need the understanding of other cultures in order to be respectful members of society. I am always amazed at the narrow views most adults hold, simply because they have not been educated on the values of other cultures. They have the MAGA mindset and it's disgusting.
Really enjoyed reading your first post.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
DeleteThank you so much! I definitely think that students need to be taught and understand the different cultures from around the world and their histories as well. It will benefit them so much in their every day lives when it comes to knowing that everyone is different from you and that's okay, nobody is alike and we were made to be that way. Thanks for the feedback!
Katie Byers
I loved that what you remembered from your social studies lessons were projects. This was a good reminder to me as a future teacher to not just lecture my students or provide them with readings, but to do interactive projects that are more memorable and engaging. Hands-on activities are the perfect way to get students involved and help them really connect with the concepts, especially in a topic like social studies where likely all of the information is new to them. I loved that you shared about the importance of providing fun and exciting content to students, and even incorporating prizes as a motivator. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren,
DeleteThank you! Yes, when I was an elementary student I remember being super excited about anything that was hands on. I felt way more engaged in the content at hand and realized that it was way easier for me to remember information when my tasks were hands on. Every students is different obviously when it comes to what type of learner they are, but changing up the types of teaching that we do all the time will get all kids excited and involved in the content. Thanks for the comment!
Katie Byers
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI think you did great to answering all these questions, and having a great memory in what you did in learning about social studies because I struggled in remembering what it was like for me. I really like your reasoning for why its important and how to keep kids intrigued and interested by having fun in the learning process because its more likely that it will stick with them and that that's important. Well done on the blog!
Hi Madison,
DeleteThank you! I definitely believe that if students are more excited about content it is going to be easier for them to engage and recall the information later. Nobody remembers content when they are disengaged and not interested. In my future classroom I plan on trying my best to make sure my students love school and love learning by making the atmosphere fun! It makes it more pleasurable for everyone! Thanks for the feedback!
Katie Byers