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The Three Social Studies Traditions

Social studies, unlike other subjects, has long been noted for its susceptibility to different interpretations as to its history, nature, and purposes (Nelson, 2001). The multiplicity of interpretations, in turn, have resulted in a myriad of patterns with which teachers tend to teach the subject. Because of their implications on various aspects of social education, notably curricular reform, these patterns have occupied the attention of social educators for decades (White, 1982). Perhaps the most influential work in this particular area of social studies research is that of Barr, Barth, & Shermis (cited in White, 1982). Basing their ideas on the results of their analysis of various documents that nearly span an entire century, they have identified three patterns with which teachers tend to approach the teaching of social studies and termed these patterns traditions. They are: 1) Citizenship Transmission, 2) Social Science, and 3) Reflective Inquiry. These traditions differ in ...
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Teaching Students How to Verify and Evaluate Information

Research skills, herein defined as the students’ ability to access, verify, evaluate, and use information, constitute one of the most important 21st century skills that students must acquire in order to survive in the information age. They are important because they enable students to locate the information that they need in order to engage in problem-solving tasks successfully in a world characterized by superabundance of ever-changing knowledge (Wagner, 2008). Unfortunately, many students lack these important skills. For instance, the Project Information Literacy Report, which was conducted by an institution that focuses on gathering data about young adults and their research habits, revealed that 84 percent of students experience difficulty where research is concerned (Chapman, 2010). According to Chapman (2010), the report showed that students feel overwhelmed by superabundance of information, and have the tendency to look for the correct answer rather than evaluate information ...
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Burn, Cool, Unload, Reload

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Just as many film savants had predicted, Oppenheimer bagged the Best Picture Award in this year’s Oscars. I saw the film days before the ceremony, and I, too, made the same prognosis. It just has the making of a classic: magnificent screen performances from its lead actors (Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey, Jr., and Matt Damon), fabulous cinematography, and an innovative screenplay. The last is hardly surprising since unconventional storytelling is one of the hallmarks of Christopher Nolan’s works. But just as many people found Nolan’s 2017 film Dunkirk a little confusing owing to its unconventional storytelling style, some people might also be hard-pressed to fo llow Oppenheimer ’s narrative, which jumps back and forward in time. People who are not familiar with the historical events from the end of the First World War to the beginning of McCarthyism in the United States would also be at a disadvantage. In other words, Oppenheimer is a marvelous film that will remind you of the 1941 f...
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