Social Studies At Home

(Released to the web October 23, 2008)

It is bad enough that subjects like social studies and science get shorted in our schools due to the inordinate amount of time spent on other "core" subjects and due to the obsession with standardized test scores.  That obsession, combined with the fact that social studies is not tested, means that classroom time for history, civics, and understanding our place in the world is limited at best.  What is worse, though, is that we are failing our children at home too.

In some subjects, such as math, it is possible with hard work and expert direction to make up for lost time; to successfully play catch-up in a year or two of study.  In social studies, history and civics, making up for lost time is not so easily accomplished.  This area of study requires long periods of time, with attention to interdependent associations, for successful understanding.  At the very least, we as parents, grandparents, and others in the home need to keep our end of the bargain and to involve ourselves in raising the next generation of American citizens.

What should we be doing to support this learning at home?  Our efforts need not be drastic or time consuming.  Instead, by integrating the exposure to important ideas into our daily lives and by encouraging discussions during teachable moments, we can inculcate in our children a greater depth of understanding.  As our children mature and develop, our efforts must follow.  Below are some suggestions for parents of students in elementary and middle school.

Remember when you attached magnetic letters and numbers to your refrigerator for your toddler to play with on her way to the pots and pans in the kitchen cabinets?  Those were effective at teaching the alphabet and letter-sounds because you made them part of the environment; they were ever-present and made for impromptu games with your little girl or guy as dinner was prepared.  In the same way, there are environmental factors that can help your older child gain traction in social studies.

For example, a poster sized map of the world and of the United States hung on a wall in your home can be ready to answer questions of geography and political division.  When a story is shown on the news or when a relative calls from another state, you can point to the appropriate place on the map.  Taking a trip with your kids or placing an online order from a retailer located out of state?   Back to the map.  Likewise, an atlas or a globe should be available without digging too far.  When your kids are older and trying to make sense of North Korea, or Darfur, or Iraq, they will by then seek out the map themselves.  Other environmental aids in the home can and should include newspapers and news magazines,  historical picture books, flags, family mementos or heirlooms related to history or civic life (such as political pins, military honors, letters, family photos, etc.),  music and art from other eras, copies of American documents such as the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and similar items.  Having such things woven into the fabric of home life will mean increased use and greater personal meaning for children.

Reading to your children is important for many areas of academic development, and the practice should be maintained as long as possible--even into middle school grades.  Your choice of material can and should include fiction in historical settings, or non-fiction related to history.  There is a wealth of good material from which to choose, including such well-known books as April Morning, Johnny Tremain, My Brother Sam is Dead, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Ann Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, Little Women, Animal Farm, The Red Badge of Courage, and many more.  Reading books like these as a family can spark meaningful discussions about our place in history, about class and race, and about many other issues which don't normally come up in conversation.

Family movie night can also encompass historical meaning.  Boys, especially, will live for movies about war if given the chance.  Watching Midway could start a discussion about  Japanese internment during World War II.  Watching Schindler's List could be revealing for older students.  Similarly, revolutionary war movies like The Crossing, The Patriot, and others concerning the Civil War, the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf Wars can be shared with older children if chosen carefully.   Remember the Roots phenomena?  It is available on DVD.  Another surprisingly good movie for kids is “1776”, which is also available on DVD. This is the movie adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of the same name. It has become something of a cult classic used by many teachers as a resource for lessons today.  Movies which include historical settings of any type can be used as a jumping off point for family discussion.

Travel to local and regional museums and to historical areas is frequently a part of family life, and there is plenty from which to choose on the East coast. We have our own Readington museum complex and their programs, and there are lots of local day trips that can give parents a chance to discuss the American experience in a way that is enjoyable for children. Family outings to places like Jockey Hollow, Rockingham, Valley Forge, Monmouth Battlefield and Washington’s Crossing are an easy and inexpensive means of bringing history alive.

For those able to spend a little more money and time, the museums and historic destinations available in obvious places like Philadelphia, Washington DC, New York City, Newport, Boston, and other cities make for worthwhile trips. The newly restored Intrepid is one example located in New York City.  Two lesser known destinations, though, make for extraordinary opportunities to engage children on a level that relates the entire American experience to them all at once. Both destinations can be reached and experienced from our area in a matter of two or three days.

Old Sturbridge Village is a complete recreation of life in the 1830’s as set in a community located about an hour West of Boston. An entire day is required for the complete experience, and many choose to return for a second day. As visitors walk through the gates to the village, the 200 acres and 40 something buildings of this “living museum” bring into sharp focus the reality of the early American experience. With reenactors dedicated to the authentic demonstration of 1830 living, Old Sturbridge Village engages children with an almost visceral intensity.

Another worthwhile destination, though not as complete nor with as much depth, is the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. The vital importance of maritime history in a developing America is on display here. Hands-on activities and authentic displays of ships and a nineteenth century coastal village help children understand America’s relationship to the sea and the importance of maritime trade.

One source of living historical knowledge is grandparents, older aunts and uncles, and seniors living nearby.  Encouraging an educational connection between the old and the young can pave the way for deeply personal lessons in history and life experience.  Have your child record conversations with grandparents about their life when they were growing up.  You'll be amazed at what is brought out in this exchange.  Bring your child along when you volunteer at an event aimed at seniors or when you visit a relative in assisted living.  Ask a senior about what it was like during the war or what their first job was like and watch your child's eyes grow bigger witnessing the reply.

Some parades in our area can still provide amazing connections to our past.  Two years ago in the John Basilone memorial parade in Raritan, NJ, one of the few remaining survivors of the Bataan death march rolled by in a vintage Jeep.  That moment could lead to a valuable discussion with your child about survival and the worth of American principles to individual citizens.  Parades also provide an opportunity to teach respect for our flag, our public servants and our military.  Decades ago children would hold their hand over their hearts as the American flag passed by in a parade and salutes were offered to marching soldiers.  That isn't often seen today.

Our own behavior is a model for our children.  Modeling such things as reading a daily newspaper of record, critically examining a news story, talking about the economy over dinner, voting in elections, visiting a school board or town council meeting, writing a letter to the editor or to a political representative, holding your hat over your heart during the national anthem, volunteering in some capacity, arguing with a talking head babbling on your television screen, visiting a gravesite, seeking out connections with people who have different experiences than you, and dozens of other small gestures in daily life is the key to encouraging our offspring to do the same.  Leave these things out of your life, and so will your children.

Sometimes teachable moments come at odd times, so be ready.  A family game of Monopoly can be the impetus for a lesson on the Great Depression.  An epithet overheard in public is an opportunity to talk about race or culture.  A drive past a nearly forgotten historical marker on the side of the road can reveal new facts about local life.  Instead of silently shaking your head at a news headline, share your frustration with your child.  Take advantage of these opportunities whenever they occur.  In doing so, discussion related to history, civics and other topics will be natural and more meaningful to your children.

In no other subject area is the partnership between home and school so critical as in social studies, which encompasses history, geography, civics and more.  If parents and family do not contribute to the growth and maturation of understanding in this area of learning we jeopardize the success of the American experiment and perhaps more.  We desperately need to raise the profile of social studies in our public schools, it is true.  But, we also need to take responsibility for our part at home.