EDG4376 Reflection #15

Knowledge of the social sciences is essential to everyday life, and personally, I feel that they should play a much larger role in school curriculums then they do. Currently, reading and mathematics are taking over, and not because they are important subject areas children must become proficient in, but because the FCAT has taken over. Of course, studying anthropology will educate students about the classification and physical traits of Homo sapiens. However, children need to know the basics of economics too. Businesses and money make the world go ‘round and students need to be taught the value of a dollar if they are expected to succeed in life. Geography is important as well; sadly, many elementary students in Florida are unable to point out the state they live in while looking at a blank map of America. The same goes for political science. This subject is something I was never taught in school, and believe me it was tough to teach myself the ways of politics. The arts and humanities can teach elementary school children the beauty and enrichment of diverse cultures, which is imperative if children are to practice tolerance and acceptance. And of course, American History should play a vital role in any school’s social studies curriculum. Children in America need to know about the significant facts and figures that have shaped our country, such as Christopher Columbus, the Declaration of Independence, slavery, and the Civil War.

However, when it comes to elementary schools, I believe sociology should be at the core of the social studies curriculum. Young children need to be taught the basics of society in order to learn about themselves and what type of roles they want to partake in life. Basic social skills need to be thoroughly explained and proper behavior should be demonstrated. If sociology and psychology can be integrated into the social studies curriculum, children can be given a beautiful opportunity to create a strong foundation of who they want to become for the rest of their lives. And to me, this concept should not stop at the elementary school level. Behavior modification, communication skills, and social interaction skills need to be reinforced throughout middle and high school as well. Sociology is a broad concept that covers it all, including topics such as culture, education, family, religion, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, criminology, social networks, and technology. Children today will have a much easier time growing up in today’s society if they are exposed to reality.