Friday, March 29, 2013

Purposeful and Powerful Elements of Social Studies

To establish a social studies learning environment that is purposeful and powerful, the NCSS emphasizes its vision by identifying five imparative elements: meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging, and active. Incorporating these five elements into the social studies environment is long term and continual through social studies instruction and activities. When students are exposed to the five elelments in social studies instruction and learning, they gain an understanding of their world to become well-informed citizens of society whose positive contributions will foster, thrive, and enable their community on a local level as well as an international level to flourish. Teaching economics in the second grade at Bishop Dunn Memorial School gave me the opportunity to practice the five elements. As a teacher, I strongly believe the five elements are the foundation of social studies instruction and learning.

Purposeful and Powerful Social Studies Elements 

Meaningful-students are engaged to make self-to-world connections

Integrative-students utilize more than one discipline

Value-Based-students' sense of democratic values and social responsibility are strengthened

Challenging-students' perspectives and critical thinking skills are incorporated

Active-students participate and utilize manipulates and the physical environment

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