Welcome to the Social Studies home page for George Read.
We have attempted to create a framework for Social Studies education which is challenging and supports the ideal of preparing young people to become effective citizens. Delaware's and George Read's adoption of this curriculum framework will have decided implications for our children, our schools, and our state. New kinds of assessment will require a rethinking of instruction. New instructional methods will require new tools. Specific populations of students--special education, gifted and talented, or those who speak English as a second language--will require assistance or accommodation to help them meet or exceed these standards. If these standards and the assessments which follow are to have a positive impact in the upcoming years, then it is necessary to make the fundamental implications of their adoption clear from the start.
Website Resources:
The Core Disciplines:
History, Geography, Economics, and Civics
How will a coordinated study of these core disciplines contribute to effective citizenship? If all students take history or economics, it is obviously not because all students will become historians or economists. But history, geography, economics, and civics each offer distinct approaches and develop specific skills for examining common subject matter, which can be integrated in addressing a particular issue or event. What follows is a brief explanation of the specific importance of each core discipline.
History organizes events and phenomena in terms of when they occurred, examining where, how, and why they took place. Students study how individuals and societies have changed and interacted over time. They gather historical data, then examine, analyze, and interpret this data, presenting their results in a clear, critical manner. They organize events through chronologies, and evaluate cause-and-effect relationships among them. Citizens need to be able to research issues in order to understand the effect of historical developments and trends on contemporary events. They need the ability to examine the actions of other people faced with similar choices in different times. Studying history empowers students to form conclusions about the potential consequences of available options.
Geography organizes life situations in terms of where they occur. People interact with the natural world in culturally distinct ways to produce unique places, and those places change over time. The methods and perspectives of geography give students a spatial understanding of the world, and the ability to evaluate information in spatial terms. Citizens need to be able to examine the varying ways that peoples interact with their environments, and appreciate the diversity of the places those interactions create. They need to understand that the different ways in which people view places and conceptualize regions will affect their actions. Studying geography increases students' ability to analyze complex situations, events, and trends, and draw logical inferences from them.
Economics analyzes the production, allocation, distribution, and use of resources. Students examine the inherent relationship between costs and benefits, and the values associated with them. Understanding economic principles, whole economies, and the interactions between different types of economies helps students comprehend the exchange of information, capital, and products across the globe. Citizens need to be able to assess the impact of market influences and governmental actions on the economy in which they live. They need to understand the relation of economic systems and values to cultural values. Studying economics better equips students to make sound personal economic choices, and to participate effectively in social decision-making as citizens in an increasingly competitive and interdependent global economy.
Civics directly addresses citizenship education in the context of political systems. Students study the assumptions upon which governments are founded, and the strategies governments employ to achieve their goals. With respect to the United States, students learn the underlying principles of representative democracy, the constitutional separation of powers, and the rule of law. Citizens need to comprehend that an essential premise of representative democracy is the willingness to place a premium on personal participation in social decision-making. Studying civics prepares students to translate beliefs into actions and ideas into policies, to discharge their responsibilities while protecting their rights and the rights of others.
top
