The new social studies curriculum has a vibrant emphasis with in-depth teaching rather than survey procedures. In-depth teaching stresses the importance of pupils understanding concepts and generalizations more thoroughly than was true formerly. Rote learning and memorization are things of the past unless they are truly vital in ongoing lessons…

Quality sequence in the social studies is of utmost importance. Sequence emphasizes "when" selected concepts should be stressed in ongoing lessons and units of study. The social studies teacher needs to observe pupils carefully in teaching and learning situations to ascertain suitable, ordered experiences for pupils. Pupils face frustration if the…

This paper suggests that leadership is needed to assist teachers in doing an excellent job of teaching social studies. The principal or supervisor must provide the necessary leadership. This leader needs to observe teaching and learning situations frequently in the classroom setting. Teaching suggestions are provided by the leader to teachers so…

Vocabulary development is essential for a student to become a good reader. By learning new words in terms of meaning and use, the student can increase his/her listening, speaking, reading, and writing vocabularies. A student may increase vocabulary development when communicating informally with others or formally within a classroom setting. This…

The following topics and objectives are presented as essential for teachers, principals, and supervisors to study in working towards a modern elementary social studies curriculum: (1) objectives in the social studies; (2) trends in the social studies; (3) scope and sequence; (4) materials used in teaching; (5) readiness in learning; (6) number of…

A discussion of geography's place in the curriculum and suggested methods for teaching geography are presented in this paper. Geography may be included in the curriculum in a variety of ways, such as infusing it throughout the curriculum or designing an integrated curriculum with geography as the core. Principles of learning derived from…

The social studies curriculum should be assessed continuously to bring in the latest research, trends, and recommendations of experts. A survey of teachers, administrators, parents, and other community members may be conducted to determine preferences for the curriculum. An effort should be made to decide what is in the curriculum and what should…

A person can communicate more accurately by possessing a rich vocabulary, be it in listening, speaking, reading, or writing. Then too, students need a well developed vocabulary which is integrated across the entire curriculum. This paper focuses on the plethora of vocabulary terms in diverse curriculum areas, including social studies, science,…

Social studies curricula should include units on the Old Order Amish and the Hutterites. The author outlines the life styles and beliefs of each group, stressing their independence from the national society and their interdependence within their own communities. (AV)

Contains generalizations about the Old Order Amish which can be translated into general and specific objectives for a social studies unit on minority groups in the United States. (CM)

Types of elementary social studies curricula can be categorized according to the amount of subject integration included in each approach. Individual subjects such as history, geography, or economics may be presented as separate and distinct, or these descriptives may be integrated fully within the presentation of social studies materials. Faculty…

Three valuable approaches to utilize in improving the social studies curriculum may be to develop resource units, teaching units, and lesson plans. Resource units contain a collection of more objectives, learning activities, evaluation techniques, and bibliographical entries than can possibly be used by a given teacher for a particular classroom…

Four issues concerning the social studies curriculum are raised and discussed in this paper. The first addresses the matter of scope in the curriculum. It is recommended that the student be the focal point in determining scope. Next, it is asked whether the goal of social studies should be that of preparing students for life or of helping students…

The author discusses the importance of student success in ongoing learning activities so that an adequate self-concept may be developed. Success can be achieved by providing interesting and meaningful activities, taking into account individual pupil differences, and providing opportunities for students to experience real-life situations. (DE)