CAREERS USING SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
"I like this. I think it is well-done for students. Overall, well done!" ''Dr. History'' radio personality --Dr. Charles Self, Professor of History
ISBN-13: 978-1535260145
ISBN-10: 1535260149 $17.50
(Formerly titled When Am I Ever Going to use this Stuff? ISBN 0-9706237-8-X ISBN-13: 978-0-9706237-8-2)
Description:
From the Inside Flap: Introduction: When faced with an uninteresting part of their lesson, social studies students will sometimes say, “When am I going to use this stuff?” This book will address this common lament by giving several lesson plans that demonstrate how the skills learned in social studies classes are used in a wide variety of jobs. Despite the mandate of state officials that every student take history classes, not all of your pupils are motivated by the subject area. It is difficult for students, who are not already history buffs, to see the long-term value of what they are studying. Unfortunately, students often rank history among their most boring classes in surveys. Many see it as little more than another hurdle to clear to fulfill their graduation requirements. When they encounter a bit of historical trivia in class they will say, “Do I need to know this ten years from now?” They view historical knowledge as something that a student memorizes for the test and quickly forgets. Even in their popular speech, students often say, “That’s history, forget it!” What they don’t realize is that adults have a very different perspective on history. If you are a history teacher, I’ll bet you have had a conversation at a social gathering that went something like this: History teacher: “Hi, how are you?” Acquaintance: “Fine, thanks.” Acquaintance: “So, what do you do for a living?” History teacher: “I am a history teacher.” Acquaintance: “Oh, I don’t know how you can handle those kids. I could never do that job.” History teacher: “It is challenging, but I love it.” Acquaintance: “You know, I used to hate history in school. My teacher just droned on and on with endless lectures, and then we were expected to regurgitate these countless names and dates on a test.” History teacher: “Well, we do things really differently today. We use simulations, films, online activities, class discussions, debates, projects, etc. to keep it interesting.” Acquaintance: “Boy, I wish I had your class. The funny thing is that, today, I love history. I watch the History Channel all of the time, and I love a good history book. It’s fascinating.” History teacher: “I get that a lot from people.” After an adult has been in the workforce for a number of years, their perspective changes. There are skills from many different classes that have proved useful at one point or another in their career. Some classes have been more useful to them than others, but few have seemed like a complete waste of time. This book will show that even in careers that don’t seem directly related to social studies, working people use skills that they first learned in social studies classes. These skills help them in their current jobs. The core subject of social studies is history. All of the other social sciences have their origins in the study of history. In fact, the first thing covered in almost every college class is the history of that subject area. So, in essence, history is the starting point of every other discipline. A student can’t learn a subject unless he or she knows its history first, and everything has a history. This book will help you show your students that, on any given day, a professional might use skills that he or she first acquired in a social studies class. In each lesson that follows, a professional will be shown in a work situation that requires them to draw upon social studies skills. These lessons may be used in a social studies class at the beginning of the course to teach students the value of studying history. Alternately, the lessons could be interspersed amongst the regular history lessons throughout the year to highlight the various skills used in social studies. They could even be used as a part of a unit studying careers in a living skills or career exploration class. The possibilities are endless, but, no matter how you use them, your students will find them both interesting and practical.
About the Author: Richard Di Giacomo is a history teacher with over 20 years experience. He has taught at every level from preschool to adults. He has taught every level of students from at risk students and limited-Enlish students to the honors level. Students often rank his simulations as their most enjoyable and memorable activity of the school year.
