Blog Post #1

Looking back to my early experiences with Social Studies

What I remember about social studies from elementary school:

Truthfully, a mixed amount of knowledge depending on the concept. My learning experience when it came to social studies was a bit scattered since I went to multiple elementary schools in places with different expectations of students. I feel as though it's appropriate to write a list of what sticks out in my mind. 

SOCIAL STUDIES MEMORIES (that really stuck with me)

- learning about the origins of Thanksgiving and making mayo in a jar...

- voting for the continuation of sun butter in the cafeteria

- PRESIDENTS PRESIDENTS PRESIDENTS, just learning about them because honestly my president knowledge isn't great

- John Greene videos about government 

- where each state is in the U.S. and being tested on it

That's the list of the concepts I can retrieve from my mind when it comes to social studies. Which does astonish me because I grew up in areas that were very diverse in culture, and I feel like we should've been taught more about the people we were growing up with and the community we were growing up in. Many of what I was taught was mostly memorization rather than a discussion or opportunity to devise questions.

Why is it important for Social Studies to be meaningful and engaging in PreK/Early Elementary:

We know that young children are going to be much more interested in their learning if it's engaging and presented in a relatable way. It's so important because social studies is made up of such a wide field of knowledge and if we start getting kids interested in it at a young age, they'll have a great foundation for the more complicated terms/ideas. Making it meaningful and engaging will get children excited about it. There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to social studies, and it ultimately helps children learn more about themselves plus the world around them.

How I would define Social Studies inquiry (no google, just my brain):

I would define this as a way to learn and teach social studies that actually gets kids thinking. Having students use inquiry means we're presenting them with a question and the tools needed to answer it through their own efforts. It can provide multiple answers or ideas when it comes to a specific area of focus. Students need to think beyond what they're told and interact with the content rather than just take it in.