Teaching Social Studies in Primary

Grade
 EXPECTED TOPICS
The Nature of Social Studies
O Definition of Social Studies
O Goals of Social Studies
O Social Studies Curriculum in Elementary
Grades
O Teaching Strategies
O Learning Activities
O 15 ways to make elementary social studies
lesson more exciting
 EXPECTED TOPICS

K to 12 Social Studies Curriculum

O Social Studies of Kinder
O Social Studies of Grade 1
O Social Studies of Grade 2
O Social Studies of Grade 3
 EXPECTED TOPICS
Teaching Philippine History in Primary Grades
O Physical Characteristics
O Human Characteristics
O Landforms and Waterforms
O Natural Resources
O National symbols
O Regions of Philippines
O Nationalism
O Filipino Traits
 EXPECTED TOPICS

Teaching Philippine Government in Primary

Grades
O Filipino Heroes
O Presidents
O Rights of a child
EXPECTED ACTIVITIES OR OUTPUTS
O LESSON PLANS IN SOCIAL STUDIES
O TOS AND EXAMS IN SOCIAL STUDIES
O TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
O MODERN INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
O SEATWORKS
O QUIZZES
EXPECTED ACTIVITIES OR OUTPUTS

INDIVIDUAL
DEMO TEACHING
Welcome to the world of social
studies!
TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES
 WHAT IS SOCIAL STUDIES?
*Social studies is the integrated study of the social
sciences and humanities to promote civic competence.
*Social Studies is the study of cultural, economic,
geographic, and political aspects of past, current, and
future societies.
 *TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES
*Social Studies is more than a collection of
facts for children to memorize; it is an
understanding of how people, places, and
events came about and how people can
relate and respond to each other’s needs
and desires. Social Studies is also how we
develop respect for different viewpoints
and cultural beliefs.
*Social Studies is the study of cultural,
economic, geographic, and political aspects
of past, current, and future societies.
 *TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES
*Within the school program, social studies
provides coordinated, systematic study
drawing upon such disciplines as
anthropology, archaeology, economics,
geography, history, law, philosophy,
political science, psychology, religion, and
sociology, as well as appropriate content
from the humanities, mathematics, and
natural sciences.
 PRIMARY PURPOSE OF SOCIAL
STUDIES
*The primary purpose of social studies is
to help young people develop the ability
to make informed and reasoned decisions
for the public good as citizens of a
culturally diverse, democratic society in
an interdependent world
 NCSS
*In 1994, the National Council for the Social
Studies (NCSS) developed new standards
for teaching the social studies. Through ten
themes, social studies are taught in an
integrated approach. To integrate the social
sciences fully, it is important that the
teacher understand each of the six social
sciences.
 NCSS
*The National Council for the Social Studies
(NCSS), established in 1921, is the national
professional organization of teachers
concerned about social studies. The national
organization publishes Social Education and,
for the elementary grades, Social Studies and
the Young Learner.
 In 1994, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) developed new
standards for teaching the social studies. Through ten themes, social studies
are taught in an integrated approach. To integrate the social sciences fully,
it is important that the teacher understand each of the six social sciences.

Ten Themes
Six Social Sciences
1.Culture
2.Time, Continuity, and Change 1. Anthropology
3. People, Places, and Environment
4. Individual Development and Identity 2. Economics
5. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
6. Power, Authority, and Governance 3. Geography
7. Production, Distribution, and Consumption
8. Science, Technology, and Society 4. History
9. Global Connections
10. Civic Ideals and Practices 5. Political
Science/Civics
6. Sociology
Anthropology is the field of study concerned with the
discovery of what people were like from earliest existence.
Basically, the how, what, and why people change over the
years.

Physical Anthropology is the study of the

physical aspects of human kind. Human
habitations - ancient dwellings, monuments,
objects of art, tools, weapons, etc.

Cultural anthropology is concerned with the

different types of human behavior, past, and
present, found throughout the world.
Economics is the field of study concerned with the
production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of
products.

Production The making of goods and products. The

study compares the goods and services provided by
businesses in their community.
Distribution To dispense goods or services. The study
shows how goods and services are made available to
consumers through advertising, selling, and shipping.
Exchange involves taking one thing for another in
trade; may be goods or services for money or other
goods or services.
Consumption is determined by the needs and
wants of the buyer.
History is the study of how people lived in the past.
This may include how people lived in local communities,
the United States, or the world.
Students study:
Changes and continuity in American democracy.

The gathering and interactions of peoples, cultures, and ideas

- how these helped develop the culture of USA.

Economic and technological changes and their relation to society,

ideas, and the environment - history of changes in the USA.

The changing role of America in the world - how

American went from an isolated country to how it
depends on resources and goods from other nations
today.
Geography is the study of the earth, including its
features and the distribution of its human inhabitants and
other life. Students need to become familiar with the five
geography themes:
Location: Describes where specific places or points are on a
map or the earth’s surface
Place: Describes the unique or distinct characteristics (both
physical and human) of a location.
Relationships within places: Describes how people react to
their environment and the changes they make.
Movement: Characterizes how people travel from place to place,
how they communicate with each other, and how they depend on
products and information from other areas.
Regions: Categorizing an area according to its features (climate,
landform, land use, natural vegetation, culture, and etc.
Political Science, also referred to as civics, is the study of how
people govern themselves.

In K-5 classrooms, the examination of the political system is

important so that children gain an understanding of how
government works.

In 6-8 classrooms students need to develop a coherent and

consistent set of values, particularly those contained in the
political documents that frame the values, beliefs, and ethical
principles to which this nation adheres.

In the upper grades classes can have a self-governing board to

hear about problems that arise in the classroom and decide
how to solve them.
Sociology is the study of humans and their
interactions in groups. Groups may be as small as a
nuclear family or as large as a union. Sociologists
look for common values and beliefs.

Sociologists tend to conduct case studies of either

individuals or a group over a period of time. A case
study usually consists of information pertaining to the
daily routine of the individuals or the group.
 What Are the Goals of Social Studies?

1. To acquire knowledge from history, the social

sciences, and related areas
2. To develop skills to think and to process information
3. To develop appropriate democratic values, beliefs,
and dispositions
4. To have opportunities for civic participation
 Why is Social Studies Education important?

Kindergarten classes will eventually graduate

college as citizens who live in a world
characterized by a staggering volume of
information, varying sets of values, and a growing
interdependence among nations. However,
children will not automatically become citizens
when they graduate or reach voting age; they are
citizens now, with rights, responsibilities, and a
confusing array of choices before them. The
abilities for making personally and socially
productive decisions do not just happen. They
require that the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of
social studies be introduced early and built upon
throughout the school years.
 Why is Social Studies Education important?

Kindergarten classes will eventually graduate

college as citizens who live in a world
characterized by a staggering volume of
information, varying sets of values, and a growing
interdependence among nations. However,
children will not automatically become citizens
when they graduate or reach voting age; they are
citizens now, with rights, responsibilities, and a
confusing array of choices before them. The
abilities for making personally and socially
productive decisions do not just happen. They
require that the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of
social studies be introduced early and built upon
throughout the school years.
HISTORY
GEOGRAPHY
GEOGRAPHY
GEOGRAPHY
GOVERNMENT
 “The ASEAN1. _____________”

Raise our 2.________ high, sky

3.________
Embrace the pride in our 4._________
ASEAN we are bonded as 5.__________
Look-in out-ward to the 6.________.
For 7._________, our goal from the very
start
And prosperity to last.
We dare to 8. ________we care to
9.________.
Together for ASEAN
Raise our flag high, sky high
Embrace the pride in our heart
ASEAN we are bonded as one
Look-in out to the world.
For peace, our goal from the very start
And prosperity to last.
We dare to dream we care to share.
Together for ASEAN
we dare to dream,
we care to share for it’s the way of ASEAN.
 KINDER

Ako at ang Aking Pagkilala sa sarili

kapwa at pakikipag-
ugnayan sa
kapwa bilang
pundasyon sa
paglinang ng
kamalayan sa
kapaligirang
sosyal
 1

Ako, ang Aking Pamilya Ang sarili bilang

at Paaralan kabahagi ng pamilya at
paaralan tungo sa
pagkakakilanlan bilang
indibidwal at kasapi ng
komunidad, gamit ang
konsepto ng
pagpapatuloy at
pagbabago, interaksyon
distansya at direksyon
at ang pagpapahalaga
sa kapaligirang pisikal
at paaralan
 2
Ang Aking Komundad, Pag-unawa sa kasalukuyan
Ngayon at Noon at nakaraan ng
kinabibilangang
komunidad, gamit ang
konsepto ng pagpapatuloy
at pagbabago,
interaksyon,
pagkakasunod-sunod ng
pangyayari, mga simpleng
konseptong heograpikal
tulad ng lokasyon at
pinagkukunang yaman, at
konsepto ng mga saksi ng
kasaysayan tulad ng
tradisyon oral at mga labi
ng kasaysayan
 3
Ang Mga Lalawigan sa Pag-unawa sa pinagmulan
Aking Rehiyon at pag-unlad ng sariling
lalawigan at rehiyon
kasama ang aspektong
pangkultura, pampulitika,
panlipunan at
pangkabuhayan gamit ang
malalim na konsepto ng
pagapapatuloy at
pagbabago, interaksyon ng
tao at kapaligirang pisikal
at sosyal
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE IN SOCIAL STUDIES

K = Awareness of Self in a Social Setting

1st = Understanding School and Family

2nd = The Neighborhood

3rd = The Community

4th = The Region

5th = The United States & Its Close Neighbors - Canada&

Mexico

6th = The Eastern Hemisphere

7th = A Global View - the world as a home of many different

people

8th = The United States - history and economic development

 Teaching strategies
In the new primary classroom children do not just sit and
listen to the teacher telling them things. They work things out
for themselves. They talk about things with other children.
They work together. They try to make use of what they learn
in a practical way. They read books and they write things of
their own. The classroom should be a friendly place and
children should be comfortable to talk and play and try new
things without being scared of being punished for getting
things wrong.
Different children learn in different ways. Teachers
need to use a variety of teaching methods such as:
• Working with the whole class at one
• Getting children to teach each other
• Getting children to work in groups
• Getting children to work by themselves
• Arranging for community members to come to the
classroom to help children
• Taking children into the community to see and
learn
• Using themes to provide an area of interest and
bring together learning from individual subjects
• Teaching some subjects separately
• Using texts books to teach
• Using many other kinds of writing,
pictures or things from the
community as teaching aids
To assist and encourage students to learn,
teachers perform certain tasks. These are
referred to as teaching strategies. Teaching
strategies can be teacher-centred or
directed or child-centred. The most
effective are those which actively involve
the child in the learning process.
Typical teacher-centred or teacher-directed
strategies include:
• Teacher talk, instructions, explanations,
lectures or reading aloud
• Directed question and answer sessions –
usually for revision
• Audio-visual presentations
• Text books or worksheets
• Directed assignments
• Demonstration and modelling
• Guest speakers
• Field work
• Classroom displays
Child-centred strategies include:
• Group work
• Role play/drama
• Activity centres and/or task cards
• Skills practice
• Research/inquiry
• Class discussions/debates
• Problem-solving activities
1) What would YOU do?
Before introducing a historical event (such as a war, the slave
trade, or the adventures of an early explorer), present the
situation to students hypothetically. Have them close their eyes
and imagine… or use photos (from the internet) and other
artifacts to tell about the political climate or cultural environment
of the time. What shapes history are the things that people
were willing to fight for and change, so getting students to care
about what their ancestors did is critical. Have students think or
write independently about how they would have responded to a
historical dilemma, and after they have gathered their thoughts,
have them discuss in groups. For example, pose the scenario
of the English (Pilgrims) who wanted religious freedom—what
would students do? Try to overthrow the government? Make
do with the situation and work within the system? Someone will
eventually suggest finding a new place to live, and that’s when
you can say, let’s find out what some people REALLY did 500
years ago.
 Put students in groups and give them three
choices based on the discussion, and try to get the
entire group to decide on one choice. Be sure to
discuss how to respectfully agree or
disagree. Groups could make a chart listing the
reasons for their choice. While this may seem
advanced for the elementary grades, remember
that students don’t have to give realistic responses
or think out all possible consequences: just getting
them to THINK about their choices and those of
people long ago is enough to get them engaged
and thinking critically in a way that is
developmentally appropriate.
2) A-Z Vocabulary/ Social Studies Word Wall
or Word Bank
Create a word wall for the unit you are
studying, and have students suggest words
to add. This can be done traditionally on a
wall, or in other ways, such as a file folder
word bank. These file folders can be kept up
for reference during your unit, then put in the
writing center for students to continue to
incorporate the vocabulary in their writing.
3) Art history IS history
Since art dates back tens of thousands of years, there is
artwork for almost every time period and culture your
students will study. Show children paintings and
sculptures from your chosen time period and have kids
make inferences about the culture. Even young children
can draw conclusions about the popular styles of dress
(and therefore climate and geography), hobbies and
interests, and cultural values of ancient people just by
looking at artwork. Art is a reflection of the time period
and culture it is created in, so any introduction to art is an
introduction to history. Check with your art teacher to find
additional resources, videos, prints, activities, etc.
4) Visual discovery
Introducing new units, topics, or concepts with pictures
can be extremely powerful. Type your subject into a
search engine and click on ‘images’ to run a search just
for pictures. Show students a FEW powerful images to
elicit inferences about the time period or historical
event shown. For example, you can show a photo from
the 1950’s that has two store entrances, one for whites
and one for ‘colored only’. Have students predict what
those terms mean and what’s happening in the
picture. Students can also write questions they have
about the images. This is great to do as pre- and post-
unit activities: after the unit, students can interact with
the images to demonstrate what they have learned.
5) What am I?
Create pop-up books for important
vocabulary in the social studies units you
teach. Each student can pick a term and
create one page. Glue the pages
together to create a book for your class
library. The book can be a pop-up, as
shown here.
6) Flip books and flap books
Folding paper in various ways can
create information presentations that
are far more interesting than
worksheets.