Teaching Social Studies in The Elementar

1
T-SSC 1 (Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary Grade Level: focus in Philippines history and government)
Dr Frederick W Gomez_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract
Teaching social studies in the elementary grade level is a challenging task to a classroom teacher. A teacher
must be articulate enough to visualize and materialize what is in the mind to make the learner become active and
motivated participant in the classroom learning encounter. Teach what the kids want to learn about because a child
is curious about the world around them and love to discover and explore why things are the way they are. Live and
act the way the child adopts the learning environment. Social studies are really a boring subject but if a teacher
Teach what YOU are passionate about it will fascinate the learner. Think and act loud to your experience and
connect to the experience of the learner.
A social studies teacher often asked. What would YOU do? - Have the learner close their eyes and
imagine…your voice and the rising and falling tone has the driving point on the “idea” or “incident” that the “piece”
you wanted to deliver or use photos (from the internet) and other artifacts to tell about the political climate or
cultural environment of the time. Likewise, the A-Z Vocabulary/ Social Studies Word Wall or Word Bank and art
history IS history, show children paintings and sculptures from your chosen time period and have kids make
inferences about the culture. Come-up a picture analysis. A social studies teacher employs strategy on visual
discovery, word power portfolio, flip and flap books, pictogram and the reenactment of the events.
However, if the learning environment of the child can support more visual it is advised to visit the museum,
parks, and other places which have historical value. Word, letter, number, parts puzzle games has something to
highly motivated the learner. Postcards activity is of great help. Have students create postcards from the culture or
time period they are studying. The postcard should be written as if the child actually lived at that time and is
explaining daily life to a faraway friend. The postcard could mention recent activities, chores, weather, etc. You
can provide students with a photocopied postcard outline and picture or have students create their own. The idea
of a postcard is a bit difficult for young children, but with some concept development and modeling beforehand, it
can be a great synthesis activity and provides a unique opportunity for writing practice.
The Paper bag history or portfolio is a great culminating activity. Have students collect or create ‘artifacts’
to represent a time period or historical person/event. Children must put a set number of items in a paper bag and
pull them out one at a time, in a predetermined order, for the class to predict what event is being
represented. Likewise, the artifact discovery is also of great help. Choose items from a specific time period or
culture (books, blueprints, photos, musical scores, paintings, etc.). Have students explore the artifacts and discover
the time period through them. Sequential questioning- No explanation is given, but students can ask as many
questions as they want. This works especially well for items for which student have little background information
because they must actively construct knowledge. After the questioning session, ask “When did the session become
interesting to you? Which question(s) brought the most information?”. These are only few of the many teaching
strategy, technique and tactics that a social studies teacher must be inform. However, this study found-out that to
become effective and efficient social studies teacher “one will be well-informed regarding the geography of the
place, location, space, events, and the “interaction” of the inhabitants.
Introduction
As this course develops students understanding on thinking, reading, and writing social studies and literacy
goals can be integrated. It provides the opportunity to develop students’ critical thinking and literacy practices as well
as their understanding about their role in the world and the community around them. Its focus in Philippine history
and Government which prepares students to teach the duty of citizenship, inculcate the values of nationalism,
patriotism and develop the self-reliant, self-sufficient technically and vocationally equipped citizen. The learning
encounter in this subject will take place in a team/groups at the whole class. We expect the team member will share
their ideas, listen and try to understand the ideas of others, ask each other questions about the topic engaged during
the team discussion and ideas shared, build on each other’s ideas, cite examples from the texts/RRLS (Review of the
Related Literature and Studies) or each experiences to support the ideas, and treat each other with respect. As a
participant in a team discussion, do what can encourage the peers to participate, move the team discussion forward,
and make the classroom safe free from annoying and unnecessary ideas for different perspectives. The team must
cooperatively and collaborate shield from the outside interference so that focus and serenity will be maintain.
Consider these behavioral practices and cautions to support active listening as you participate in a team
discussion/class: Good and best practice includes looking at the person who is talking to you; making an effort to
hear the exact words the speaker is saying; reflecting back what you hear; responding to others’ ideas by extending,
supporting, or challenging those ideas with your own thoughts; using specific examples from course readings to
support your ideas or connect the ideas of others; use nodding or other signs to show what a classmate says matters.
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Some cautions to avoid include interrupting before the person has finished speaking, being preoccupied with other
things, free from using multimedia gadgets while in forum with the team unless necessary for research validation
purposes. Conveying immediate disagreement or impatience by how you look at the person, or quickly suggesting
other perspectives without understanding those of the speaker are saying will be discourage. In order that the sharing
will have the “common sense” always refer to your daily, weekly monthly, and semestral OBTLP.
Methods
In teaching and learning social studies in the elementary grade level (focus in Philippine history and
government) need a contemporary methods, approach, strategy and technique to meet the learning style of the
contemporary world. Study shows that new generation retain/focus their attention in an elapse of seven (7) minutes
lifespan. Number one reason of the many variables is due to the adaptation on the sophisticated multimedia
infrastructure. The decay of time and space in their generation created the “sigma” on “WIFI” to “PSYFI” generation.
This would mean, “from hardware to software.” The “WIFI” dedicated “time and space” turn into “time + space”
hyperlink into MEM (Mind – Energy – Movement) into behavior reader. Therefore, to get the five (5) sensual
capability of man, the social studies teacher must design an Instructional Materials that would create another window
of another senses which is “common sense.” The computer aided instruction in the classroom “flatlines” academics
into way of life. So, the best practice of the social studies teacher is always attached to visual aids. The teacher is the
visual aid of the subject. Therefore, the pleasantness and well-groomed personality brings wisdom to the learner.
Using the internet browser and connecting people to the different world is a human invested capital.
Findings
Social studies is a process of inquiry that involves asking questions, conducting investigations, analyzing
texts (we use text broadly and include photographs, films, internet resources, books, historical artifacts and document,
etc.), developing arguments or opinions, and communicating conclusions. Reading, writing, and thinking are
embedded in that inquiry process. High leverage practices such as modeling the use of literacy strategies, facilitating
discussion, finding and adapting appropriate social studies resources, planning lessons with backward design, and
reflection will help you develop your students’ understanding of social studies content, concepts, and literacy
practices. Our work in social studies methods is literacy rich. We will work regularly with informational texts
alongside content as you learn to teach reading, speaking, listening, writing, and critical thinking.
Specific objectives related to understanding and teaching social studies as a subject area. The overarching
goal is to have students learn social studies in a way that reflects the integrity of the disciplines and reflects students’
interests, experiences, etc. In the study you’ll observed that:
1) Learn key concepts and ways of thinking to support social studies investigations.
(e.g., inquiry and text-based reasoning; accounts and significance; change,
continuity, and chronological thinking; perspective recognition; place and interaction
between people and their environment; spatial reasoning; value democracy; structure,
function, & purposes of government; role of citizens; costs and benefits; scarcity; producers
& consumers; needs & wants; cause and consequence), and identify how to integrate them
into lessons.
Along this line, one will;

2) elicit, listen, notice and respond to students’ thinking, particularly how students process written
and visual texts and think about social studies content. Attending and responding to students’
thinking includes honoring students’ incoming knowledge, interests, experiences, and culture.
During the course of the discussion teacher as a facilitator need to blend the “learning environment”
according to the “atmosphere” and the “objectives” of the “topic(s).” Teacher must always be guarded by the
3
“Outcomes-Based Teaching Learning Plan” to avoid wasting “time and space” with the learners. There are times
that “student questions, talk and share ideas outside from the OBTLP so, teacher knows how to interface the
lesson by “welcoming” student ideas and connect it back to the desired goal and objectives of the lesson. Teacher
3). Find, select, and work with social studies resources to create representations of social studies
content that reflect the integrity of the disciplines. Recognize the dominance of some narratives
and make choices to share silenced narratives to help students recognize multiple perspectives
as well as their own perspective reflected in social studies topics.
This is the role of the social studies teacher to be resource oriented. The teacher is well-informed the
collection of the RRLS (Review of the Related Literature and Studies) relevant to the social studies topics to be
“share,” “imparted,” and “delivered.” The selection must be within the “period” or “experience” of the learner.
Starts where they are.
4). Form and ask questions in discussion that engage students in the process of inquiry, make their
thinking visible, and extend their thinking as much as possible within the limits of their
experience.
The thinking aloud of the learner starts where they are. RRLS theories is of great help relating their
experiences as theoretically withheld.
5). Model key literacy and thinking practices for students so that the practices and the thinking
are visible to students learning them.
Modelling practices can help established a repetitive action. Doing these actions scholastically
established “habit.” As creating the habit this will be the highway towards building a culture
6). Use backward design to plan investigations (a lesson and a sequence of lessons) that give
students the opportunity to engage in inquiry and the support to develop their social studies
thinking, reading, and writing practices (including defining learning goals, instructional
sequencing, assessment, differentiation based on learners’ needs and background).
A short, medium and long-range plan must be made without overruling the previous topic(s). lesson
plans always consider “feedbacking,” “recall,” and “drill” on the previous topic(s) to develop mastery and
familiarity.
7). Enact and rehearse investigative lessons to support a specific learning goal and reflect on how
they might be improved.
This is the time for the implementation on the RRLS, the applicability, the relevancy, authenticity,
modelling and its repetitiveness established a high validity and reliability. Thus, the following technique, strategy
and tactics are found during the “descriptive” study made. Thus:
Teaching social studies in the elementary grade level is a challenging task to a classroom teacher. A
teacher must be articulate enough to visualize and materialize what is in the mind to make the learner become
active and motivated participant in the classroom learning encounter. Teach what the kids want to learn about
because a child is curious about the world around them and love to discover and explore why things are the way
they are. Live and act the way the child adopts the learning environment. Social studies are really a boring subject
but if a teacher Teach what YOU are passionate about it will fascinate the learner. Think and act loud to your
experience and connect to the experience of the learner.
4
A social studies teacher often asked. What would YOU do? - Have the learner close their eyes and
imagine…your voice and the rising and falling tone has the driving point on the “idea” or “incident” that the “piece”
you wanted to deliver or use photos (from the internet) and other artifacts to tell about the political climate or
cultural environment of the time. Likewise, the A-Z Vocabulary/ Social Studies Word Wall or Word Bank and art
history IS history, show children paintings and sculptures from your chosen time period and have kids make
inferences about the culture. Come-up a picture analysis. A social studies teacher employs strategy on visual
discovery, word power portfolio, flip and flap books, pictogram and the reenactment of the events.
However, if the learning environment of the child can support more visual it is advised to visit the museum,
parks, and other places which have historical value. Word, letter, number, parts puzzle games has something to
highly motivated the learner. Postcards activity is of great help. Have students create postcards from the culture or
time period they are studying. The postcard should be written as if the child actually lived at that time and is
explaining daily life to a faraway friend. The postcard could mention recent activities, chores, weather, etc. You
can provide students with a photocopied postcard outline and picture or have students create their own. The idea
of a postcard is a bit difficult for young children, but with some concept development and modeling beforehand, it
can be a great synthesis activity and provides a unique opportunity for writing practice.
The Paper bag history or portfolio is a great culminating activity. Have students collect or create ‘artifacts’
to represent a time period or historical person/event. Children must put a set number of items in a paper bag and pull
them out one at a time, in a predetermined order, for the class to predict what event is being represented. Likewise,
the artifact discovery is also of great help. Choose items from a specific time period or culture (books, blueprints,
photos, musical scores, paintings, etc.). Have students explore the artifacts and discover the time period through
them. Sequential questioning- No explanation is given, but students can ask as many questions as they want. This
works especially well for items for which student have little background information because they must actively
construct knowledge. After the questioning session, ask “When did the session become interesting to you? Which
question(s) brought the most information?”.
Conclusions
A teacher as a person, teacher and professional are always continuously pushed to enhance prepare students
for high critical thinking. Engaged on the art of questioning that will bring the learner to a higher level of teaching
learning encounter. Teacher must be innovative, reinventive, and a bender to incorporate meaningful social studies
curriculum in elementary grade level. The integration of content areas is an effective way to gain time and help
learners make powerful connections. Using project-based, collaborative, and cooperative learning as an instructional
method to drive content integration effective way to help learner how to think.
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Along this line, one will;

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