Curriculum Planning: Social Studies

Importance of social studies Enables children to better understand their world, their place in it, and ways to respect the rights of others Helps children acquire skills for living Respect, self-control, sharing

Concepts to teach during social studies lessons Multicultural Intergenerational Democracy Ecology Change Geography Community Current events Holidays Friendship

Multicultural concepts Children are more likely to focus on differences than similarities; help them focus on similarities When planning lessons, select materials that reflect the ethnic heritage and backgrounds of all children If possible, involve children’s families to learn their needs and customs

Intergenerational concepts Meant to provide children with a positive view of aging and older adults Themes that can contain concepts of older adults: Families, friends, helpers, games, nursery rhymes, neighbors, hobbies, holidays, music, me/myself, etc.

Democracy concepts Helping children learn governmental concepts Pointing out the flag, pictures of the president, recognizing the national anthem or Pledge of Allegiance Activities can include: Voting on a new class pet’s name Voting on a snack Letting children outline rules for use for a new toy Let children plan types of sandwiches for a picnic Let children vote on plans for classroom celebrations

Ecology concepts Study of the chain of life Activities can include: Focus on water, land, air, grass, trees, birds, and insects Activities can include: Nature walk pointing out plants, trees, flower, gardens, shrubs, or birds Plants/animals in the classroom Making bird feeders Building a terrarium A recycling center in dramatic play

Change Concepts Children need to learn that change is constant and affects their lives in many ways To help them understand, include change they’ve experienced Video about babies Record height at beginning, middle and end of year and discuss how they changed Explore baby clothes or toys

Geography concepts Children need to understand that the earth provides them with food, shelter, and raw materials Activities include: Digging in sand or a garden area Helping children read symbols on maps Making a map of the classroom/neighborhood

Community Living Helping children learn about the community in which they live Introduce children to places in the community Library, museum, police station, fire station, bus depot, post office, train station, radio or television station Discuss the community helpers Police officer, firefighters, postal workers, dentist, musician, chef, banker and librarians

Current Events Children are usually unaware of events outside their own environment Should be encouraged to share events affecting their lives Ex: show-n-tell News bulletin board can allow children to display cards, picture, invitations, drawings, etc.

Holiday Concepts Holiday celebrations teach children about their own culture and other cultures Try to teach children the social importance of the holiday Avoid introducing a holiday more than one week before it occurs Choose holidays that represent many cultural groups

Friendship Concepts Friendship success is dependent on the child’s ability to share, communicate, take turns, and cooperate Your job is to coach children by helping them see what they are doing and how their actions affect others If a child grabs another child’s toy, say, “Ask Mike if you can play with some clay.” If a child is working in the dress up area and asks another child if she wants to play, say, “You made Kimmy happy when you asked her to play.”

Activity: As a class, choose a theme With a partner, brainstorm activities that could be used in various social studies areas to fit the theme Compile a list of at least 5 activities Have each group share one activity & write it on the board - without repeats! Then, as a group, decide which activity could most smoothly be integrated into the theme