Learned
- What you have learned about the 10 themes in social studies. What are the 5 strands in social studies? Are all 10 themes represented in the strands? Explain.
The 10 basic themes of social studies principles were incorporated at the national level for ensuring better education standards. Each of them includes many of the areas contributing to social studies areas and evidently reveals a diverse focus.
Man study, creates, and become accustomed to culture. Knowing culture helps people appreciate themselves and others. Human beings look for their historic ancestry and to position themselves in the chronological path. A drive to know what things looked like in the earlier period and how the world and it people evolved helps us resolve significant mysteries about our present situation. Today’s learners are conscious about the world outside their limited environment. As people learn this, they form their critical vision and geographic viewpoints. Individual identity is fashioned by a person’s cultural backgrounds, by associated individuals, and by organizational impacts. Analysis of different types of human behavior improves learning of the relationship between community rules and resulting individual identities, the associations between societal procedures that impacts individuality development, and the moral values which influence the underlying personal behaviors. Institutions have a massive pressure over us. They imply deep social principles on their members. Individuals need to understand the evolution of structures of influence, control, and governance and the corresponding meanings of each for maintaining civic competence. The function of governments in developing policies differs based on the geography and time. Technology is yet another concept that can be considered as old as the primary rudimentary tool ever made by primitive human beings. Our present day life would be impractical devoid of science and technology and its supporting entities. People around the world are now interdependent and technological associations makes human race better every day.
It can be seen that the basic five strands of social studies are Geography, Culture, History, Economics and Government. Considerable volume of concepts in the ten themes and the five strands of social studies are seen mutually inclusive. Technology is the only entity in ‘the ten themes’ that is not clearly seen in ‘the five strands’ all other concepts are visible in both the lists.
- How can you build conceptual knowledge related to the themes in social studies in young children?
- What are the characteristics and types of play? Why are they significant to learning?
The different types of play includes Unoccupied play, Solitary play, Onlooker play, Parallel play, Associative play, Cooperative play, Dramatic/Fantasy play, Competitive play, Physical play and Constructive play. Different types of games assist children in developing their brain functions and also for their physical development.
- What are some inhibitors of play for today's children? Will this make a difference to their learning capacities?
The penetration of technology in to the lives of children has a drastic effect on their play time and play interests. Television and computers have become the tier-one inhibitors of physical play. Gross-motor skills, like kicking, walking, and skipping are enhanced by physical play activities. Television is totally a passive activity and is the prime play inhibitor.
- What are reciprocal relationships with families? Why are they important?
Establishing reciprocal relationships with families is a strategy by which the teachers look for information about students’ personal lives, their family backgrounds, and community practices. The information thus collected is integrated into their syllabus and are adapted to structure instructional methodologies. The advantage of this system is that the children identify the learning system much more close to their heart and the topics are made much more easily digestible to them.
What are some factors that influence the success of a reciprocal relationship with families? What is your role as a teacher?
Building a reciprocal relationship with parents can be challenging. There can be many reasons for that like the poor educational background of the parents or in some cases the parents might have been poor students themselves. In certain cases the diverse cultural roots of the students’ family may find it difficult for them to get accustomed with the majority culture. As a teacher we need to empower them and help them feel a comfort zone so that they can open up and collectively involve in the teaching methodologies.
Works Cited
- Richert, Kit. "How To: Create Partnerships with Parents and Families." How To: Create Partnerships with Parents and Families. Web. 8 Nov. 2014. <http://teaching.monster.com/counselors/articles/8144-how-to-create-partnerships-with-parents-and-families>.
- Rock, Amanda. "Types of Play." Types of Play: Early Childhood Social Development. About Parenting. Web. 8 Nov. 2014. <http://preschoolers.about.com/od/activitiesfun/a/Types-Of-Play.htm>.
- Sunal, CS, and ME Haas. "The Ten Themes of the Social Studies Standards." The Ten Themes of the Social Studies Standards. Education.com. Web. 8 Nov. 2014. <http://www.education.com/reference/article/ten-themes-social-studies-standards/>.
- Chadwick, David. Approaches to Building Conceptual Understandings. New Zealand: Learning Media Limited, New Zealand, 2010. Print.
