The Positive Impacts Of Social Studies

The Social Studies covers a very diverse fields of studies that focus on the “humanities, mathematics and natural sciences” (NCSS). With these diverse fields it is the objective to teach the student to understand and then create self-informed decisions that will have positive effects on society. This objective will help the student to understand why and how people react to shifts in society, geography, government, economy, stability, and so forth. When students understand the reasons and reactions to these shifts better and more informed decisions can be made when such issues rise again. This understanding will further cultivate cultural improvements for those who study and teach the Social Studies.

The first question that must be addressed

To put it simply, social studies may be dying. This can be seen in the largest research project focused on teaching social studies in the classroom covered by Jeff Passe’s book The Status of Social Studies: Views From the Field. Passe’s book revealed a particularly startling example in California by a researcher: “Pace (2011) examined a variety of California classrooms in which social studies was not tested and found that literacy and testing concerns did encroach on social studies curriculum, having a more negative effect on teacher curricular control (“gate-keeping”) in low performing than mid-and high-performing schools”. Therefore it was “…concluded that in these schools students from lower income backgrounds were taught less social studies content, assigned work that required more formulaic than creative responses, and expected to comply with a textbook- and skills-based curriculum” (Passe, pg. 291-292). We can see that teaching to the standards revolving around passing students on high risk tests are actually damaging the very future of our society. By removing focus from the Social Studies we have children that are no longer able to make informed decisions or exercise civic