The Importance Of Teaching Social Sciences
History, Geography, Cultural Studies, Economics -- these are but a few of many social sciences being taught in schools today. Why are social sciences incorporated into the school curriculum and what are their relevance to students’ education?
Image source: mags.school.nz
Social sciences give students awareness about the world and their environment may it be in the past or the present. Topics such as Ancient History or the French Revolution can provide students with an idea what mankind has experienced before and relate them to what people see and feel today. This gives students an understanding how society worked before and how it does so today. In a way, it gives them perspective as they compare past and present.
Social science lessons such as natural disasters, the solar system, flora, and fauna, among many others, allows students to cultivate a more holistic understanding of the environment and man’s relationship with nature.
Social sciences also help students develop critical thinking. Studying the words and works of ancient and modern philosophers can give students unique point of views which can help them make relevant observations, locate connections between concepts, and how different things affect our lives.
Lastly, the study of many societies in subjects such as religion, ethnicity, nationalities, and languages can make students aware of the world they live in. That it is a rich, diverse, and multicultural planet where its inhabitants are interdependent and inter-related.
Image source: waikato.ac.nz
Adam M. Smith is an educator who’s lessons in social sciences and biology captures the core value of Teach for America. For more information on education, visit this blog.
