A Meaningful Social Studies Lesson

During the past year (almost!) of graduate school I have found myself thinking back to my own experiences in elementary school. To be honest, I don’t feel as though I remember as much as some of my peers do, (the only thing I remember from kindergarten is that my teacher was mean), however I remember enough to know Social Studies was one of my favorite subjects in elementary school. I loved learning about places and people, and I loved looking at the clothing of the people from the “olden days”. I think I enjoyed Social Studies so much because of the meaningful lessons my teacher’s created, incorporating field trips and fun activities. I also remember Social Studies being incorporated in other subjects, and that helped capture my interest. I remember writing and illustrating stories I had written in the perspective of people during various time periods, such as during the pioneer or industrial years. By integrating Social Studies with Literature and Art, I was able to take new information and use it in ways I enjoyed, such as drawing and writing. When teaching all subjects it’s important to integrate with other subjects when appropriate so that the student are able to get the most out of each learning experience. This is especially important with Social Studies because it is often (unfortunately) a subject put on the back burner with some teachers and if incorporated with other subjects they have deemed “more important” students will get a more complete and rich education.