What Happened to Social Studies?

Social studies isn't what it used to be. More than just civics and history, social studies prepares students for their futures in a variety of ways.

"They learn to be divergent thinkers," says Lola Major of the social studies students she teaches at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in Lethbridge, Alberta. They learn "to look at all points of view and then make a critical analysis." Social studies can help students become better thinkers and better people, she explains.

They might organize an all-candidates forum at their high school or draw political cartoons about current events, as Major's students do. They might travel to Russia to observe first hand the social, political and economic conditions there, as Barry Lindahl's West Vancouver Secondary School students have done.

Regardless of the activities, students learn a mix of history, geography, humanities, politics, economics and environmentalism that "helps them understand how their world evolved," explains Lindahl.

They don't stop at understanding and critical analysis. Lindahl's students write about social issues for essay competitions, including the Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition. Major's students make posters for the anti-racism competition sponsored by the Department of Canadian Heritage and for contests sponsored by the Legion and Veterans' Affairs commemorating Remembrance Day. They also serve at community charitable organizations such as the local soup kitchen and Tabs for Insulin.

Both teachers emphasize that today's social studies students are tomorrow's businesspeople, politicians, professionals and voters. Social studies courses help them understand how our society developed, learn from the mistakes and successes of the past and create a better future.