The Five Parts Of Powerful Social Study

There are five parts to powerful social studies that promote excellence and true permanent learning. These five parts are all incredibly important aspects of a social studies curriculum that works. Powerful social studies must be meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging, and active. Each of these parts have distinct purposes individually, but are of even greater value when working together. The first on the list of powerful social studies principles is the concept of making it meaningful, or relevant. We have been told that in order to actually learn there must be a permanent change in knowledge. Without making the content relevant or meaningful to the learner, it is merely impossible for them to obtain the knowledge they are supposed …show more content…
This term means to expand the learning across the curriculum. Social studies umbrellas numerous disciplines that can be crossed and intertwined with other subjects. For example, a social studies lesson on economics could be easily linked to mathematics. This allows for more rich learning for the student. When they are able to make connections across disciplines, it makes the material all the more relevant to them. Not only does the material need to be meaningful and integrative, but it must be value-based as well in the powerful social studies model. This is yet another way to apply the material to the individual lives of the students. They all have value associations that they can relate to. For instance, safety is valued in many aspects of life. In the car, at home in the kitchen, at amusement parks, and even at school. Safety is something valued by most all people, and students will make that connection when learning through social …show more content…
Utilizing all five aspects in teaching are a fantastic way of bettering teacher practice. At the top of the model is the fact that learning must be meaningful. This aspect of the model trickles down into every section. In order for an integrative approach to work, the multiple disciplines must ignite an interest in the student. They must be able to make a relevant connection to the information they are given. Also, a value-based approach must be meaningful. Values are typically universal, and those are the ones that are being reflected upon in powerful social studies. It is important that these values be relevant to the students own lives for them to make connections. When integrating and creating a value-based curriculum, there must be challenging and active aspects to the learning process. Students must be challenged to a higher level of thinking in order to make a lasting impact on their knowledge. They need to be able to connect all of the dots and reflect on their own thinking. They also need to be active participants in the learning process. They must take this integrated, meaningful, and value-based information and work to develop a working model in their minds that gradually grows as they explore and challenge their thinking. All the while, this learning has to be relevant for them. It is not enough to take one aspect of the