Elementary Social Studies: Trite, Disjointed, and in Need of Reform?

Abstract

Elementary social studies has used the same scope and sequence for more than a half century despite significant changes in society. Efforts to reform the curriculum are adversely impacted by inertia, tradition, the culture wars, traditional state autonomy in setting curriculum, publishers, and competition between disciplines for space within the curriculum. The pressure exerted on teachers and schools by the No Child Left Behind Act to emphasize basic skills can result in the further marginalization of social studies at the elementary level unless a consensus can be built around a new curriculum. By including all social studies disciplines, drawing on the time-honored conceptual structures of individual social studies disciplines, and relying on the current standards of social studies learned societies, educators could frame a new social studies curriculum that addresses the interests of most stakeholders and offers meaningful social studies education to elementary students.

Keywords:

• curriculum
• elementary students
• social studies