Social Studies Powerful Elements

Social Studies Powerful Elements:






*Meaningful-engaging, and connects with students real world situations

*Integrative-Draws on more than one discipline, subject or skill set
--Social studies teaching and learning requires effective use of technology, communication, and reading/writing skills that add important dimensions to students’ learning.

*Value-Based-Strenthens students' sense of democratic values and social responsibility.
--Through discussions, debates, the use of authentic documents, simulations, research, and other occasions for critical thinking and decision making, students learn to apply value-based reasoning when addressing problems and issues.

*Challenging-Critical thinking, reflecting, reading between the line, incorporates different perspectives
--Challenging social studies includes the rigorous teaching of the core disciplines as influential and continually growing tools for inquiry.
*Active-Particiapartory, makes use of manipulating or or physical environment.
--Powerful social studies teachers develop and/or expand repertoires of engaging, thoughtful teaching strategies for lessons that allow students to analyze content in a variety of learning modes.
--Students work individually and collaboratively, using rich and varied sources, to reach understandings, make decisions, discuss issues and solve problems.

I think that the social studies powerful elements are very beneficial and are key points that teachers can follow in order to make sure that their lessons are covering all that they should be. In the future when i teach social studies, i plan on using these elements to stay on task and make sure that my students are being taught sufficiently.

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically… Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.
~Martin Luther King Jr.