Essay On Social Studies

Education contains a multitude of different areas of study, from English studies to an assortment of different sciences. Often overlooked among the group of diverse practices, there is social studies. However, regardless of it being looked over often, social studies happens to be the area of study that I wish to major in for the reason that I wish to teach to high school students, to do that I have to know the answer to a few questions. The questions I must personally answer are, what is social studies? Why and how should we teach social studies? What makes me a good teacher candidate for social studies?

First and foremost, what is Social Studies? That question is answered in a multitude of different ways, but the best definition I have found has been from the NCSS “The primary purpose of social studies is to help students develop the ability to put together informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.” (NCSS, 1992). My own personal definition that I

Why and how should we teach social studies? This multi-faceted question is difficult to answer, but my personal reasoning for why we should teach social studies is that learning and knowing the discipline will allow students to have a higher understanding of the world around them and consequently they will be able to continue learning about it with the knowledge gained in the practice of social studies. As to how we should teach social studies, there are many ways. The most supported method is to teach it in a variety of different ways but to try and keep it a more student based lesson (Cantrell, 1972). This variety of methods allows for students who learn differently than others to have lessons based around their learning abilities and most of them are student based lessons therefore it has the students preform the work, which in turn forces and prompts them do the