Preface ( 

introduction to a book,) For the social studies teachers and would-be

teachers:

"There is more in social studies that is worth learning and sharing, perhaps
more significant than memorizing facts and reciting places and dates. Social
studies is an important tool for genuine change and a substantial key in
nation-building."

The 21st century has dramatically changed the teaching and learning
landscapes. We have witnessed numerous curricular reforms aimed at
responding to the dynamic needs of the learners. Numerous innovations and
initiatives have been launched to meet the evolving demands of the industry,
as well as the society at large.

Amidst this background, the Philippines, as an emerging industrial economy,

puts forward educational reform dubbed as the K-12 Basic Education
Program. It expands and improves the delivery of quality, relevant, responsive,
and inclusive curriculum which intends to develop holistic Filipino learners
with 21st century skills. Social Studies (Araling Panlipunan), as an essential
component of the K-12 curriculum, ensures that all Filipino learners manifest
civic competence and functional literacy where democratic ideals and good
governance are primordial ( "first of all, original.") concerns, thereby creating a
critical mass of citizenry.

Sadly, recent decades saw the decline of learners' interest in the social
studies program here and abroad. This is due to the antiquated (old-fashioned)
and irrelevant pedagogical tool employed (irrelevant pedagogical tool - mga unimportant
or unrelated teaching tools/techniques/strategies nga wala naka help sa learning) in teaching that
caters to rote learning (Rote learning is the process of memorizing specific new items
as they are encountered) such as enumeration of names, dates, and places.
Students had learned to despise the discipline and rendered it irrelevant if not
entirely useless. This is not to put the entire blame on teachers alone who
became accustomed to lecture-discussion as the main strategy in teaching
which averted the liberating goals of social studies education. Much has to do
with the lack of government support in advancing the cause of a quality social
studies education. Teacher education institutions, likewise, failed in providing
research and evidence- based training to pre-service teachers. All these
contributed to the dismal performance of Araling Panlipunan in the lives of
learners.

Lesson 1 What Is Social Studies?

Objectives

• Analyze the concept of social studies

• Distinguish the features of the Philippine social studies Trace the

development of social studies

• Examine the challenges of the Philippine social studies

Introduction

Have you ever noticed the rapid changes around you? It might probably be in
aggregate forms such as technological breakthroughs (kalampusan sa
teknolohiya
), institutional reformation, and process modification or even in vital details of
everyday experiences for instance (pagbag-o
sa proseso o bisan
sa hinungdanon nga mga detalye sa adlaw-adlaw nga
mga kasinatian pananglitan
) , an abrupt decision made by one of your family members of living overseas
or even by you shifting college courses due to some circumstances. These
things could indeed be overwhelming. How do you then deal with these
experiences?

As a future Social Studies educator, it is a must for you to thoroughly

understand how institutional changes affect the minute details of individual
lives. This is vital as you effectively educate learners the dynamism of social
interactions, an essential nomenclature in Social Studies curriculum.
Think

As societies around the world struggle to keep pace with the progress of
technology and globalization, increasing individualization and diversity,
expanding economic and cultural uniformity, degradation of ecosystem
services (a
decreased production of the service through changes
in area over which the service is provided, or decreased
production per unit area.), and greater vulnerability and exposure to
natural and technological hazards (UNESCO, 2017), education as a
mechanism of support should likewise evolve if it is to sustain its relevance.

The K to 12 Basic Education Program implemented in 2012 is a response to

the aforementioned global trends through the passage of Republic Act 10533
or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. It expands and improves the
delivery of basic education by producing Filipino learners who are equipped
with the necessary skills and competence, and are at par with their
international counterparts. The law clearly stipulated this in Section II which
states that:

...every graduate of basic education shall be an empowered individual who

has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles
and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life,
the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in
fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in
autonomous, creative, and critical thinking, and the capacity and willingness
to transform others and one's self. (Section II par.2)

In order to actualize this, the State shall:

(a) Give every student an opportunity to receive quality education that is

globally competitive based on a pedagogically sound curriculum that is at par
with international standards;

(b) Broaden the goals of high school education for college preparation,
vocational and technical career opportunities as well as creative arts, sports
and entrepreneurial employment in a rapidly changing and increasingly
globalized environment; and
(c) Make education learner-oriented and responsive to the needs, cognitive
and cultural capacity, the circumstances and diversity of learners, schools and
communities through the appropriate languages of teaching and learning,
including mother tongue as a learning resource. (Section II)

As gleaned from the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum Framework below,

every learner who completes the K to 12 basic education program will have
been nurtured and developed to become a Filipino with 21st century skills.
This objective is founded on the recognition of the nature, contexts, and needs
of learners. The graduates of the K to 12 Program will have the necessary
physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and moral preparation so they can
determine their own purposes for learning in consideration of present and
emerging needs of their immediate, local, national, and global communities