Objectives In Teaching Social Studies

A first question that needs to be asked about the social studies curriculum stresses, "Which objectives should pupils achieve?" These objectives need to be ordered so that each pupil may be successful in learning, Pupils need guidance to perceive purpose and reasons for achieving these objectives. A second question pertains to the selection of leaning activities to achieve the stated objectives in social studies. Here is where alignment of learning opportunities and objectives for pupil attainment is vital. Another salient question emphasizes the organization of the social studies curriculum. Should there be the separate subjects, the correlated, the fused, or the integrated curriculum? Then too, we need to appraise pupils to notice if the objectives have been attained.. Evaluation techniques need lo be used which will satisfy pupils and the teacher that the chosen objective have been realized by the former. Thus, a variety of evaluation techniques need to be used to appraise pupil progress.

Multicultural Education

There are pupils in our school who come from multiple cultures. I also came from a unique culture when attending the public schools. I liked to study and learn. My mind was very inquisitive with a great desire to know. One thing I did not like was how others perceived my cultural background. How was I different from the dominant culture in school? I did not speak any English when beginning grade school, but spoke the low German language instead. This caused problems in that an accent was involved when rapidly mastering the English language. My first grade teacher spoke down to me in that she asked very frequently it I understood what was being said. I must say at the beginning of the first grade there were some embarrassing moments due to not having a first grade speaking vocabulary in English. For example, the teacher asked the first graders if we made our beds. I said I did not because of feeling that meant actually making the bed posts and other parts of the bed. The teacher then asked me if I at least put on the sheet. In low German sheet means body wastes. I felt offended. The World War Two years and prior caused very hard feelings toward conscientious objectors toward war of which the General Conference Mennonites, my religious group, were active participants in. Due to conscience toward killing other human beings, the General Conference Mennonites did alternative, rather than military service. Already in the 1939-1940 school year as a sixth grader I was wrestled to the ground and called "a yellow bellied bastard", not willing to be drafted later into military service." My father always said not to retaliate in any way. My mother would have agreed but she had a devastating stoke which left her in a vegetarian state from which she died twenty-two years later. The rest of the public school years did not improve in terms of others feelings toward General Conference Mennonites. I have mentioned just a few of my experiences as a member of a minority group. I have very strong feelings in emphasizing a multicultural social studies curriculum. Here the objectives need to emphasize, strongly, the following: