Social Studies and a Better World

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As educators, we want to inspire. Too often we're trapped by various pressures. We feel like we can't touch sensitive ethical issues. We feel like there's no time to go deep into real topics that impact students' thinking.


A couple of days ago I wrote about getting deep into social studies lessons. Then I read a blog about a related topic on edweek.org. Zoe Weil made several great points along the same lines as my recent post:
It is a school's job to protect students' physical, mental, and emotional safety. That safety comes when children learn to have agency; to contribute meaningfully in the world; and to cultivate qualities such as integrity, compassion, and kindness. Our education system must present ethical concerns through school curricula, empowering teachers and students to think about these issues in different ways. We must help students become adept researchers able to examine the complex systems that impact all of our lives. We must ensure, through schooling, that students receive the knowledge, tools, and motivation to be what I call solutionaries—or problem-solvers—for a healthier and more just world.
Getting deep into Social Studies, at every level k-12, is about empowering future citizens of the world. Their emotional, physical, mental, and future financial well-being is at-risk without strong social studies instruction. It about teaching and helping them process topics for several outcomes:

  1. Giving students agency - power to do - ability to choose wisely.
  2. Studying historical topics and figures to cultivate integrity and compassion.
  3. Helping students to think critically about complex life problems.
  4. Giving students hope that individuals and communities have the power to solve complex problems.
So, as I previous mentioned, I'm going to continue working on the Social Studies units for Team Tom. Our students deserve great content delivered through challenging tasks. I finished a lesson on the hero Todd Beamer yesterday and am working on Rosa Parks today. The unit will be out soon...hopefully, students' lives can be impacted!

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