Intro to Social Studies

Really stellar social studies education appears in context and in relation to the students learning it.  The goal of social studies should be to enable students to understand, participate in, and make informed decisions about their world.  If children are subject to only learning social studies in a text book, it is highly unlikely that critical thinking skills will develop.  Furthermore, social studies instruction opens up significant opportunity for children to hone their sense of justice and can provide a platform for activism and gaining broader perspectives.  Key social studies concepts, such as culture, time/continuity/change, people, places, and environments, power, authority and governance, should serve as guidelines by which teachers can expand what is called upon them in state standards and frameworks.  Once again, it is, as with other disciplines, really important that teachers utilize a variety of modes for learning to eliminate the tendency toward boring, "text-book teaching".