No field of study is more important to human beings than the social sciences. To understand society is to learn not only the conditions that limit our lives but also the opportunities open to us for improving the human condition. Increasing our knowledge of human society is as important as learning more about mathematics, physics, chemistry, or engineering. For unless we can develop societies in which human beings can live happy, meaningful, and satisfying lives, we cannot reap the benefits from learning how to make better automobiles and skyscrapers, travel in space, or construct faster computers. Albert Einstein summed it up this way: “Politics is more difficult than physics, and the world is more likely to die from bad politics than from bad physics.”
Because all expressions of human culture are related and interdependent, to gain a real understanding of human society, we must have some knowledge of all its major aspects. If we concentrate on some phases and neglect others, we will have a distorted picture. But social science today is such a vast and complex subject that no one student can hope to master all of it. Thus, social science itself has been broken up into anthropology, sociology, history, geography, economics, political science, and psychology.
Social Studies provides opportunities for students to know the variables in the environment and how to interact with them, and develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that will enable them to become engaged, active, informed, and responsible citizens. Recognition and respect for individuals and collective identity are essential in a pluralistic and democratic society. Social Studies helps students develop their sense of self and community interdependence, encouraging them to affirm their place as citizens in an inclusive, democratic society. The relationship between Social Studies and certain social science subjects like Psychology, Pol. Science, Geography, History, Sociology, Economics, Science and Technology, and Anthropology brings out the eclectic nature of Social Studies for effective human capacity-building and national development.
Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction. I differentiate instruction by making the product assignment challenging but not so difficult or complex that the students are unable to complete it on their own. Being a teacher, I would provide clear directions and create a task that reflects real-world application. Instructional scaffolds promote learning through dialogue, feedback, and shared responsibility. Through the supportive and challenging learning experiences gained from carefully planned scaffolded learning, instructors can help students become lifelong, independent learners.
Keywords: social studies, social science, sociology, education.