Discovering the Social Sciences
Essential Question: What do social scientists do?
Overview
Students learn why the study of the social sciences is important to understanding human behavior. In the Preview activity, they explore why studying familiar subjects is important. Each student brings four personal artifacts to class, such as an old family photograph or an advertisement for a toy they would like to purchase. In a Response Group activity, students discuss the artifacts from the perspective of each of these social science traditions: economics, geography, political science, and history. They learn that the social sciences offer powerful ways to understand individuals and society. In Reading Further, students explore how archaeologists use artifacts to understand the past. In the Processing activity, students complete a project specific to a social scientist of their choosing.
Objectives
Social Studies
• Create simple definitions for the terms economist, geographer, political scientist, and historian.
• Identify artifacts that social scientists use in their research.
• Draw conclusions from examination of artifacts from an archaeological perspective.
Language Arts
• Present and support choices. (speaking)
Social Studies Vocabulary
social scientist, social science, economist, economy, geographer, political scientist, historian, archaeologist
Essential Question: What do social scientists do?
Overview
Students learn why the study of the social sciences is important to understanding human behavior. In the Preview activity, they explore why studying familiar subjects is important. Each student brings four personal artifacts to class, such as an old family photograph or an advertisement for a toy they would like to purchase. In a Response Group activity, students discuss the artifacts from the perspective of each of these social science traditions: economics, geography, political science, and history. They learn that the social sciences offer powerful ways to understand individuals and society. In Reading Further, students explore how archaeologists use artifacts to understand the past. In the Processing activity, students complete a project specific to a social scientist of their choosing.
Objectives
Social Studies
• Create simple definitions for the terms economist, geographer, political scientist, and historian.
• Identify artifacts that social scientists use in their research.
• Draw conclusions from examination of artifacts from an archaeological perspective.
Language Arts
• Present and support choices. (speaking)
Social Studies Vocabulary
social scientist, social science, economist, economy, geographer, political scientist, historian, archaeologist