Objectives in Teaching Social Studies
The social studies teacher needs to choose carefully those objectives that pupils are to achieve. The learning opportunities are to be aligned with the stated objectives, leaving leeway for pupils' questions and comments about course content. Quality evaluation procedures need to be used so that it can be ascertained what pupils have achieved and learned. Optimal achievement is a must! The social studies teacher needs to start in planning the social studies curriculum with a statement of carefully selected objectives. It is vital to choose meticulously each objective that pupils are to achieve. This will determine what pupils am to learn as a result of teaching. The social studies teacher should emphasize knowledge, skills, and attitudinal objectives. Too frequently, knowledge objectives predominate in teaching. However, quality skills and attitudes are equally salient to stress in ongoing lessons and units of study. I will begin by discussing knowledge objectives for pupils to achieve. Here, broad guidelines will be given in the selection of subject matter. Subject matter chosen should be important now and, if possible, in the future, although the future is impossible to predict. It needs to be relevant for pupils to use in solving problems in lessons and units being pursued. Subject matter needs to be important and not trivial. Too frequently, what is trivial is taught and this wastes much of the pupil's and the teacher's time. To state important objectives, it might be wise to plan with other teachers so that ideas may be shared in terms of what is important to teach in the social studies. College/university level textbooks may be consulted to obtain ideas on vital subject matter in history, geography, political science, anthropology, sociology, and economics, as the subject matter relates directly to what is being taught. College level textbooks written in history and the social sciences, are written by specialists in their respective fields of academic knowledge. The content from these college/university texts may be presented, using a variety of learning activities, on the understanding level of pupils being taught. The learner is the focal point of instruction. it is he/she that must do the learning and is to benefit from instruction (Ediger, 1997). I have assisted student teachers and cooperating teachers whom I have supervised in the public schools in units on The Middle East, where I was a teacher for two years on the West Bank of the Jordan. The following are selected objectives that we planned together for pupils to achieve: 1. The Patriarch Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, on the Tigris/Euphrates river, to begin a country/nation in the land of Palestine. 2. His son Isaac became the forefather of the Jews whereas Ishmael, also a son at Abraham, became the forefather of the Arabs. Jacob, the son of Isaac had twelve sons who later took over the land of Palestine, dividing it into twelve parts with each son's descendants occupying their respective inheritance. 3. Saul became the first King of Israel in 1040 BC followed by David as King forty years later. Israel reached its zenith with King Solomon who followed his father King David. 4. After the harsh rule of King Solomon, the kingdom was split between Soloman's son Rehoboam, who ruled the southern kingdom known as Judah, and Jeroboam, who ruled the northern kingdom known as Israel. 5. In 720 BC, Israel was captured by Assyria, Whereas Judah was captured by Babylon in 586 BC. 6. The Jews were taken in large numbers lo Babylon, returning to Palestine in 516 BC. under the leadership of Nehemiah. 7. The walls around Jerusalem then were rebuilt as well as the ancient temple. 8. Herod the Great enlarged the Temple and the wall around Jerusalem in 25 BC. 9. The Roman Empire captured and ruled Palestine in 70 AD; many Jews then migrated to other areas of the Middle East. …