Two Approaches For Creating Social Studies Curriculum

Linking Social Studies Curriculum and Elementary School Career Education

Teachers and curriculum developers recognize the similarities between Social Studies standards and elementary school career education methods. As a result, some teachers and curriculum developers use both Civics, Geography, and Economics standards and career awareness methods to design elementary school curriculum.

Social Studies Standards

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) developed the standards. The NCSS Standards are the foundation for curriculum designs and program frameworks. When teachers and developers create quality instructions programs, the standards serve as guides that improve student performance expectations.

The teachers and developers create curriculum based on -

• Strands/ Standards
• Concepts
• Performance objectives/ Accomplishments

As a result of curriculum, subjects -

• Identify people who help keep communities and citizens safe
• Describe how people earn a living in the community, home, school, and the other places where people work
• Recognize how jobs are similar, different, and significant
• Acknowledge that some jobs are interdependent
• Explain why people have jobs and work to get goods and services

Source: Social Studies Standards

Elementary School Career Education Standards

Like the Civics, Geography, and Economics Standards, the elementary school career education standards help teachers and curriculum designers create and deliver career awareness, career development, and career research programs and services for children, youth, and adults. The National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG) mastery indicators are the leading source of career awareness and career exploration methodologies.

Mastery indicators measure three domains:

• Personal Social Development (PS)
• Educational Achievement and Lifelong Learning (ED)
• Career Management (CM)

Mastery indicators occur in three different learning stages:

• Knowledge acquisition (K)
• Application (A)
• Reflection (R)

Under each level, indicators of mastery highlight the knowledge and skills needed to achieve the goals as the stages describe learning competencies. National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG 2004) learning competencies show a correlation with Civics, Geography, and Economics Standards when students -

• Identify and demonstrate your positive personal characteristics - honesty, dependability, responsibility, integrity, and loyalty
• Identify and demonstrate effective communication and positive social skills
• Recognize and demonstrate that you should have knowledge about, respect for, be open to, and appreciate all kinds of human diversity
• Demonstrate the ability to get along well with others and work effectively with them in groups
• Recognize that your personal priorities, culture, beliefs, and work values can affect your decision-making
• Describe how education, work, and family experiences might impact your decisions

Source: National Career Development Guidelines

Merging Social Studies Curriculum and Career Education Standards

Teachers and developers demonstrate the links between elementary school Social Studies standards and career education methods. The standards encourage the integration of Civics, Geography, Economics, career awareness, and career exploration concepts. The Civics, Geography, Economics, and elementary school career education standards share the same themes and are both useful in development of elementary school Civics, Geography, and Economics activities, lesson plans, tool kits, projects, and games. The Social Studies Standards and National Career Development Guidelines are fundamental systems for Civics, Geography, and Economics curriculum design.

Sources:

Social Studies Standards - Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: I. Introduction Report (2009)
Arizona Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Tennessee Department of Education
National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG 2004)

Paint Careers With Colors is an excellent example of the use of Social Studies standards and elementary school career education methods.

Dr Mary Askew specializes in career tests, websites, and books for students. Students need eye appealing, easy to use, yet comprehensive career resources. Find out how students can reach their career potentials at http://www.hollandcodes.com. Contact Dr. Askew at learning4life.az@gmail.com.

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