History recounts the past and informs the future. History teachers are keepers of vital information, empowering students to understand not only where they came from but also where they are going by educating future conscientious citizens and leaders.
To maximize this role, history teachers benefit from understanding the connection between the study of history and social studies. Passing on these lessons to students helps future generations develop a holistic and complex understanding of knowledge and human experience. Programs like the Master of Science in Education (MSEd.) in Teaching History online program at Northwest Missouri State University include an interdisciplinary approach at their core, ensuring future leaders are equipped to integrate history and social studies in their classrooms.
What Is Social Studies?
The National Council for the Social Studies defines social studies as “study of individuals, communities, systems, and their interactions across time and place that prepares students for local, national, and global civic life.” Various topics make up the social studies including but not limited to history, economics, politics, geography, human rights and social justice.
The major difference between the social studies field and other disciplines is its emphasis on civic understanding. The Center for Responsive Schools notes that social studies have civic-focused themes like culture, individuals and groups, environments, power and governance, and global connections.
Integrating History and Social Studies in Educational Settings
Though historians usually classify history as part of the humanities, much of the work of historians aligns with the goals of social studies. History and social studies are therefore interlinked as the study of human behavior in the past holds strong relevance for analysis and decision-making in today’s world. Understanding connections among historical events, societal changes and cultural dynamics and through a social studies framework develops understanding for students. This is why social studies is a powerful tool for history educators who want to make sense of the complex relationships between past and prevent events and contemporary issues.
A 2019 study on the integration of social studies into elementary education shares insights into ways educators can prioritize social studies and history education. However, not much research on social studies curriculum integration exists. Still, the study notes “Exposure to social studies curriculum will equip students with the ability to keep control of their lives in this changing world, developing civic competence or social conscience within students…Such skills will allow students to exercise and develop inquiry processes, data collection and analysis, decision-making and problem-solving skills; skills of which individuals will need all throughout their life.”
Edutopia recommends the following strategies to teacher looking to integrate social studies in the classroom:
- Have students team up and collaborate.
- Make lessons cross-curricular and integrated with other disciplines. This approach helps students to make connections and follow their curiosity.
- Make it real with relatable. Understanding humans as social beings and the importance of societal systems is one key aspect.
Disciplines and Subjects Relevant to History Teachers
In the Paedagogica Historica paper “Rethinking the history of education: considerations for a new social history of education,” Johannes Westburg and Franziska Primus investigate the relevance of history education for today’s pupils. They explain that in the context of global events like COVID-19 or the Black Lives Matter movements, a social approach to historical education is even more relevant.
They also explain that this approach is nothing new since similar political upheaval caused educators to cast a more critical eye over the history education process in the ’60s and ’70s. In other words, history educators have an opportunity to not only deliver facts but also encourage empathy, critical thinking and engagement with social studies topics and contemporary issues.
The MSEd. in Teaching History at Northwest gives future history educators, curriculum developers, educational consultants and educational administrators the tools to integrate social studies into the classroom. By starting with a practical basis for developing a curriculum, using education technology and employing educational strategies, participants build the foundation they need to become effective teachers. All in all, graduates complete the program with a good understanding of how history engages with the social studies, as well as the power to convey this knowledge to their students.
Learn more about Northwest’s online MSEd. in Teaching History program.
