Justin Strudler – How Social Studies Should Be Taught
Originally posted at: http://justinstrudler.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/how-social-studies-should-be-taught/
I love social studies. I love tracing the realities of now to the events of then. I love thinkin about what my ancestors were likely doing at each period of history. I love looking at todays problems and finding the causes or even the solutions in history. History can teach us so much about the world we in and the people we live in, but when If I were to step into the average Social Studies class in my school I wouldn’t see anything like that (some classes are exceptions I will admit). For the most part kids are forced to outline textbook chapters. Memorizing facts about dates and turning points, wars and treaties, dynasties and kings. . . Learning formats for DBQs, learning tricks to answer the multiple choice questions. . . I don’t think any of that accomplishes the goals that learning history is supposed to achieve.
I think the goals of learning history are broad and connected to everything we do in life. Making good citizens,
I love social studies. I love tracing the realities of now to the events of then. I love thinkin about what my ancestors were likely doing at each period of history. I love looking at todays problems and finding the causes or even the solutions in history. History can teach us so much about the world we in and the people we live in, but when If I were to step into the average Social Studies class in my school I wouldn’t see anything like that (some classes are exceptions I will admit). For the most part kids are forced to outline textbook chapters. Memorizing facts about dates and turning points, wars and treaties, dynasties and kings. . . Learning formats for DBQs, learning tricks to answer the multiple choice questions. . . I don’t think any of that accomplishes the goals that learning history is supposed to achieve.
I think the goals of learning history are broad and connected to everything we do in life. Making good citizens,