AUGUST 2021 1

EED 5 - TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE

ELEMENTARY GRADES (PHILIPPINE HISTORY
AND GOVERNMENT)
Prepared By: Prof. SIXTO O. Orzales

Objectives

At the end of this module, you are expected to: Clarify and
explain the meaning and importance of Social Sciences and
Social Studies. Create an infographic discussing the
importance of Social Studies/Teaching AP.

Let's Try This!

GET IN THE KNOW:

SOCIAL SCIENCES DEFINED

SOCIAL STUDIES (ARALING

PANLIPUNAN) DEFINED

IMPORTANCE/RELEVANCE OF
TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES
(ARALING PANLIPUNAN)
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Fill out the Schema Map below. In the Schema box, write down the things you know about Social Sciences and Social Studies.
The Misconception and New Learning box will be answered at the end of this module.

There are various definitions of social science. A short one is “the scholarly study of human society and social relationships”.

Start Here!
Social Sciences Defined
The European Science Foundation has a longer one: “Social sciences are key to the understanding of many…societal issues
such as the balance between economic growth and impact on the environment. In other words the social sciences examine
what it means to be a social being, ranging from the minutiae of human behaviour and brain functions, to large scale social
movements, demographics, economics and politics.”

The social sciences include: anthropology; business and management; economics; human geography; law; media studies;
political science and international relations; psychology; social policy and sociology.

Source: https://campaignforsocialscience.org.uk/about-us/social-sciences/
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Social Studies (Araling Panlipunan) Defined

Araling Panlipunan is a learning discipline that is concerned with the study of society. It develops the pupils' literate and
effective participation as a citizen of the country (Corpuz and Salandanan, 2012).

“The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public
good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.”
– National Council for Social Studies

Social studies can also be referred to as social sciences. It’s a field which deals with human behavior, relationships, resources,
and institutions.
Specific topics within social studies that are studied in school coursework include geography, anthropology, economics, history,
sociology, political science, and civics.

Aim And Purpose Of Social Studies

The main goal of teaching social studies is to teach students to become good citizens. We are living in a diverse society — one
that requires knowledge of social studies to succeed. With a social studies background, children become adults that can
participate civilly in our democratic society.

Social Studies In The 21st Century

Social studies connect students with the real world. In today’s interconnected world, students must be prepared to interact
with people of all cultures and communities, and social studies prepares them for this.
Importance/relevance of Teaching Social Studies (Araling
Panlipunan)

All children who go through the school curriculum become something when they graduate. And no matter what that something
is, they will need to interact with others from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students must study how
society works, and how people work in a society in order for it all to work once they enter society after graduation.

8 Reasons: Why Is Social Studies Important For Students?

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Students learn skills through social studies that help them succeed in further education as well as life.

Here are all the amazing ways learning social studies benefits kids and society together:

1. Better Reading And Learning

Social studies is one area in education where content integration is key. Students are given reading material that corresponds
with the current learning topics. Giving reading materials in context helps students become better readers. They also become
better learners because they are asked to use analysis, critical thinking, and writing to show understanding.

2. Citizen Responsibilities And Values

How can we expect young people to contribute positively to society, engage in discourse, and thrive in a democratic society if
they are not exposed to the topics and aspects of history and life that made society the way it is? Students need an
understanding of history, political science, culture, and all humanities to be able to understand why it is important to be a good
citizen.

3. Cultural Understanding
Students should be exposed to cultures far beyond what they experience personally every day. Not every student has the
opportunity to interact with other cultures on a daily basis. We need students to learn about, understand, and appreciate
cultural differences if we expect them to have meaningful interactions with people of all backgrounds in the future.
4. Economic Education
Economics is a crucial part of social studies, whether studied on its own, or as a part of history, anthropology, or
political science. By learning economics, young people understand how their financial decisions have an impact on
their future, as well as the future of society.

5. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a part of social studies — students are taught to evaluate others’ decisions and make connections
between influences and circumstances. Young people get the opportunity to learn from others’ mistakes through
social sciences.
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6. Real-World Understanding
Studying social sciences gives students an understanding of the real world around them. Students learn about places,
cultures, and events around the world, what conspired to make them the way they are, and can make inferences
about how the rest of the world works.

7. Political Skills
From social studies classes, students learn about government, political ideas, country economy and resources, and
more. Students gain political skills by analyzing and evaluating existing systems and imaging the future of the place in
which they live.

8. Respect History
History is what made the world the way it is, and it is essential that people study it in order to have an appreciation
for and understanding of the way the world works. Learning about history is what makes it possible to learn from the
past and plan for the future.

Making Sense of the World: Social Studies for Young Students

One of the reasons for teaching young people social studies is for them to be able to participate civilly in a
democratic society. Children start as early as kindergarten to understand the world around them, and schools should
follow suit and start teaching social studies concepts such as communication, critical thinking, and culture as early as
possible.

Qualities Of Purposeful Social Studies

1. Meaningful
Social studies should be meaningful to students. Teachers should embrace the natural interests of students and plan
topics around those interests.
2. Integrative
Integrating all aspects of life is key to a successful social studies curriculum. Not only should current events and other
classes be integrated, but also aspects of daily life as well. Every moment is a teachable moment.

3. Value-Based
Key values of democracy are opportunity, equality, justice, and freedom of speech. These values should be echoed
throughout all parts of social studies.
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4. Challenging
Teachers can challenge children in social studies classes in ways they aren’t or can’t be challenged in other classes.
In-depth critical analysis should be implemented — getting students to think and reflect will help them engage and
challenge them to care about what’s going on around them.

5. Active
Get students active and engaged with debates, discussions, role playing, projects, and simulations. This is one area of
school where kids should really get into it!

Let's REFLECT!
This time, fill out the New Learning section with the new things you have learned about Social Science/Social
Studies. Then, fill out the Misconception box with the misbeliefs/misconceptions you have had before taking this
module.

Sentence-Phrase-word
S - Choose a sentence that was meaningful to you that you felt captures a core idea of the text provided in this
module.
P - Select a phrase that moved, engaged or provoked you.
W - Choose a word that captured your attention or struck you the most.
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lET'S aPPLY WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

Create an infographic discussing the importance of teaching Social Studies/AP. Your work will be rated based on the
following criteria.

Concepts and Insights (40%)

Clarity (30%)
Mechanics (30%)