Redesigning Social Studies Education: Empowering Students through Authentic Inquiry [View all]

'Recently, the United Nations data center reviewed tweets from around the globe to determine the issues that people in each member nation cared about the most. According to this snapshot, the top ten most important issues for Americans are:

Better job opportunities
Freedom from discrimination
Good education
Honest and responsive government
Political freedom
Taking action on climate change
Protecting forests, rivers, and oceans
Equality between men and women
Reliable energy at home
Transportation and roads

Not surprisingly, they are all social studies issues. Most of the modern challenges we face are rooted in the four spheres of social studies—civics, economics, geography, and history. In order for the next generation to thoughtfully and meaningfully address the issues we care about, it needs high-quality social studies instruction; however social studies is difficult to teach because it is so personal, political, complicated, and even uncomfortable at times.

Despite the challenges, Lowell School (DC) has made a commitment to innovative social studies education because we believe that through this work, students will gain the knowledge and skills they need to understand societal forces, grapple with complexity, and make a difference in the world.

A framework for relevant social studies curriculum

In 2013, the National Council for the Social Studies created the Framework for Social Studies Standards, which sought to redefine social studies education in the United States.'>>>

http://blog.lowellschool.org/blog/redesigning-social-studies-education-empowering-students-through-authentic-inquiry?utm_content=56278515&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook