The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation of Science and Social

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Honors College Theses Student Works

Fall 11-28-2022

The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation of Science and Social The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation of Science and Social

Studies into Elementary Education Studies into Elementary Education

Kayla Wendler

Kayla M. Wendler

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation

Wendler, Kayla and Wendler, Kayla M., "The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation of Science and Social

Studies into Elementary Education" (2022).

Honors College Theses

. 143.

https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/honorstheses/143

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Murray State University Honors College

HONORS THESIS

Certificate of Approval

The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation of Science and Social Studies into Elementary

Education

Kayla Wendler

May 2023

Approved to fulfill the _____________________________

requirements of HON 437 Dr. Kimberly Vigil, Assistant Professor

Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education

Approved to fulfill the _____________________________

Honors Thesis requirement Dr. Warren Edminster, Executive Director

of the Murray State Honors Honors College

Diploma

Examination Approval Page

Author: Kayla Wendler

Project Title: The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation of Science and Social Studies into

Elementary Education

Department: Elementary Education

Date of Defense: November 28

, 2022

Approval by Examining Committee:

____________________________ _______________

(Dr. Kimberly Vigil, Advisor) (Date)

____________________________ _______________

(Dr. Susana Bloomdahl, Committee Member) (Date)

____________________________ _______________

(Dr. Miguel Gomez, Committee Member) (Date)

The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation of Science and Social Studies into Elementary

Education

Submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements

for the Murray State University Honors Diploma

Kayla Wendler

December 2022

Table of Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………. ii

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………1

Background……………………………………………………………………………….……...2

Impacts of Science and Social Studies in the Curriculum……………………….…...………….5

Benefits of Science and Social Studies in the Curriculum…………………….………..……….8

Recommendations to Implement Science and Social Studies in the Classroom………...……..13

Conclusion...…………………………………………………………………………...……….18

References………………………………………………………………………...……………20

Abstract

The content areas of science and social studies are areas that students in today's elementary

education classrooms do not interact with daily. In many general education classrooms, literacy

and mathematics take up a majority of the instructional time leaving students missing out on

important skills that help them grow and flourish in society. The importance of science and

social studies within the classrooms goes beyond simple means of expanding their knowledge.

For example, these "forgotten subjects" allow students to connect with the world around them

and incorporate the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. The content areas are used to deepen

students' skills and boost their impact left on society. Articles, journals, and webpages from the

Murray State University library database and other outlets were collected and analyzed. The

purpose of this literature review is to examine both the presence and the impact of science and

social studies within the classroom. This review has the potential to contribute to the field of

education by giving teachers the opportunity to see the detrimental impacts due of the lack of

science and social studies, providing benefits to support the inclusion of science and social

studies, as well as suggesting recommendations that can be implemented to boost science and

social studies content time. Within the literature, I will compare and contrast themes that emerge

and potentially determine patterns between schools with or without these subjects to support the

recommendation of science and social studies being implemented into everyday curricula.

Keywords

Science and Social Studies, "Forgotten Subjects", Expanding Knowledge, Impact, Library

Database, Literature Review, Curriculum

If you were to travel back in time to the days you attended elementary school, what

would you see? For many of us, we would remember the same elements – bright colors, read

alouds, smiling faces, and even recess time outside. When looking back at the content taught in

school one thing is consistent – mathematics and literacy were taught heavily back then and are

continued to be taught heavily now. These content areas are heavily reinforced in the elementary

education classroom leading to students who can generally read, write, and solve a semi-difficult

math problem, but what about social studies and science? How often are those explicitly taught

in today's general education classroom?

Science and social studies content areas provide many benefits for students that are

unseen in everyday life and help students develop for many years to come. One way that science

and social studies can work "behind the scenes" is through different mindsets, frameworks, or

curricula. For example, the National Geographic learning framework allows students to strive to

generate curiosity and create explorer mindsets. They go beyond the idea of a simple test grade

or the end-of-the-year test. This leads more to skills that the students will carry with them for the

rest of their lives, such as curiosity, determination, and many different social skills.

Science and social studies might be difficult to understand and teach effectively at first,

but recognizing the importance of science and social studies, and implementing quality

instructional practices, will guide the students to become model citizens. The need to engage

with science and social studies content areas goes beyond the overview of the subject. Science

and social studies both involve a deeper form of higher-order thinking. Science and social studies

empower students to learn skills and attain abilities that are not otherwise attainable within

general education. Although it is quite simple to teach students efficiently by integrating them

into other content areas, many students go without exposure to them. In the review of the

literature acquired from the Murray State University library database and other outlets, patterns

regarding the topic are explored more deeply to determine their impact on students in elementary

education classrooms.

Background

The Space Race

The reduction of science and social studies content area times started around the Cold

War (Kalaidis, 2013). The United States and Russia were in the widely-known Space Race, and

when Sputnik was flown into the air by the Soviet Union, many people within the country had

doubts and concerns regarding our ability to advance new technology and weapons. Many

people, parents, politicians, and scientists became concerned about the stress and importance

placed on the education system. It was believed that if we had a strong education system, we

would have more advancements in different areas such as technology and even weaponry

(Kalaidis, 2013). The talk of the United States falling behind Russia and possibly even other

countries led to the passing of The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) on September 2nd,

1958. This act placed a very high value on education and the advancement of student knowledge.

It provided funding to educational institutions within the United States at all grade levels:

interdisciplinary, elementary, middle, and high. This new act pushed the government to be very

involved in the learning process that occurred within the school building. It showed that the

government was invested in the school systems and wanted growth and success from the students

(Kalaidis, 2013).

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act

The Space Race was not the only item that was implemented that affected the course and

outcome of schools within the United States. In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

provided disadvantaged or underprivileged students with the right and ability to receive equitable

learning (Kalaidis, 2013). The No Child Left Behind Act primarily focused its eyes on four main

groups of students within the school systems: impoverished students, students of color, disabled

students (students receiving special education services), and students who did not or were not

fully exposed to English. This act's main goal was to make the schools more responsible for the

learning of their students and make it equitable learning for every student (Kalaidis, 2013).

During the NCLB era, state testing was the main form of pushing this common goal of

learning. States now gave standardized tests to each one of their students at the end of the year

from third grade to eighth grade and once within grades 10 and 12 (Lee, 2014). This practice

forced teachers to make sure that all of the students were being exposed to the same type of

learning material, and that they were all given the same strategies and instruction. It attempted to

hold the teacher accountable for the learning of each student within their classroom despite their

learning or personal differences.

NCLB was considered controversial primarily because of one reason: the yearly academic

reports. Each school was essentially given a grade of how they were doing in terms of student

success and then given areas where they could work on. If the government or school board deemed

your progress or work "unsatisfactory," the school could receive penalties. The worst of these

penalties often surrounded "Title 1," or low-income schools. If these lower-income schools did not

receive sufficient marks on their adequate yearly progress (AYP) then the administrator may have

been asked to leave, or worse, the school may have been shut down (Lee, 2014).

While the NCLB was good for the disadvantaged students within the classroom, it placed

a lot of pressure and stress on the teachers to teach content efficiently and effectively. NCLB was

an attempt at reinforcing the curriculum to support the needs of all students. According to

Wexler (2019), "...the No Child Left Behind Act legislation made standardized reading and math

scores the yardstick for measuring progress…" (p.4). This created an instructional change

movement within the schools of the United States – standardized test scores became a driving

factor behind curricular changes that were made to various content areas (Lee, 2014). Schools all

across the country wanted to receive the incentives and publicity that came with good test scores.

Many schools received funding and still do, based on the test scores they receive at the end of the

year. Due to this a major shift and drastic narrowing of the United States curricula occurred

(Kalaidis, 2013). With the new act in place, many teachers changed their curriculum to match the

end goal of higher math and reading scores at the end of the year.

As previously stated, the NCLB act was considered controversial by some, therefore plans

for change and a new structure were implemented. In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act, or

ESSA, replaced NCLB (Lee, 2014). This act is created with the same purpose as NCLB but it

gives the schools more ability to be flexible and gives the schools more support in reaching the

goal. For example, in regards to academic rigor and testing, each state can now set the goals for

the students, states are allowed to choose which test they require students to take, such as the

ACT or the SAT, the states are required to use a challenging set of students and the Common

Core State Standards are recommended but not required.

Regarding student success, the ESSA assesses schools for more than test scores, this act

considers items like climate and safety, the readiness of the students, and English-language

proficiency. Schools also have to set goals for all students and ambitious goals for the students

who are falling behind, this ambitious goal setting is used to assist the students who are falling

behind (Lee, 2014). The ESSA put more emphasis on student success, requiring schools to have

plans in place for students that are struggling, this group includes but is not limited to, high

school dropouts, special education, low socioeconomic class, and students that consistently

struggle with their school work. This act provided students within the school building with more

opportunities to succeed than they originally had with the NCLB act.

Decreased Time of Content Areas

In looking at how curricula changed as a result of NCLB, science and social studies time

dropped dramatically to support and teach the concepts that were tested on standardized tests

(Kalaidis, 2013). Many times, teachers and administrators assume that the social studies

curriculum is "squeezed" into the daily lives of students due to the heavy emphasis on state

testing (Townsend, 2007). Schools all over the United States increased math and literacy time

and decreased science and social studies time. Many schools implemented reading blocks that

allotted 90 minutes of structured time strictly to literacy activities and lessons to improve

student's reading and writing skills (Wexler, 2019). This left the marginalized subjects

particularly science and social studies, to receive less than two hours a week, which translates to

around only twenty-five minutes a day (Wexler, 2020). This dramatic decrease in science and

social studies class time left students falling behind on essential skills that will help them

succeed in their future school careers and even for the rest of their lives.

Impacts of Lack of Science and Social Studies in the Curriculum

While many things led to the dramatic decrease in science and social studies time in the

classroom, one thing is for certain: the lack of these content areas left students falling behind in

terms of overall academic success. The Center on Educational Policy found that over five years

36% of departments decreased their time allotted for social studies, even more than science

(Townsend, 2007). While science and social studies time decreased, the subjects that were

assessed via standardized testing, that is math and language arts, took the majority of the time

within the classroom. This decrease in time for science and social studies impacted the students

in different ways. Some students saw a decrease in their performance due to a lack of knowledge,

while other students were never exposed to the information in the first place. \

Achievement Gap

As previously noted, with the implementation of mathematics and literacy blocks, much

of the focus within the schools were placed on those content areas. The theory behind increased

literacy times is that "if students just read enough, and spend enough time practicing

comprehension skills, eventually they'll be able to understand more complex texts" (Wexler,

2019 p.7). Reading times became widely passive, meaning that the majority of the time spent

reading short books included reading passages that were unconnected from any content area and

instead are connected to skills (Wexler, 2020). For example, a teacher is starting a unit about

space and the solar system, and the teacher introduces the book There Was an Old Lady Who

Swallowed an Astronaut. This book displays items that are observable in space but truly drive

home the literacy skill of sequencing rather than meaningful science content. The content of

space is placed in the background and sequencing skills are placed in the foreground, with this

style of learning, many students are expected to first, practice those sequencing skills, and then

perhaps grasp some science content.

The best way to help students increase their overall content knowledge in science and

social studies is to spend their time reading to learn instead of learning to read (Wexler, 2019).

Even though science and social studies concepts are difficult to grasp, the younger students are

still capable of understanding. Assisting students through reading with tougher content extends

their background knowledge which helps their foundational skills grow. This is important

because the intentional integration of literacy with science or social studies can improve both

subjects (Dhandhania, 2016).

When learning science and social studies content areas, much of the understanding stems

from background knowledge. According to Kalaidis (2013), we are currently in a "Civic

Achievement Gap" (p.4), where many students and adults are not able to recite knowledge about

our country – information that is supposed to be taught in an elementary social studies

classroom. Only one-third of Americans can state all three branches of government and only

23% of Americans know that the first amendment gives us the right to freely practice any

religion we want (Kalaidis, 2013). Many students come from different backgrounds of life, one

of which includes disadvantaged students. Disadvantaged students usually come from a lower

socioeconomic status and their exposure to vocabulary is lacking and they have slower language

processing speeds (Casey, 2013). Implementing explicit and intentional science and social

studies content allows students to increase their background knowledge, and then they will be

able to perform better and grow their comprehension skills.

Knowledge plays a crucial part in students' comprehension of passages, books, and even

questions on tests. Higher vocabulary and background knowledge allow students to exceed in the

skill of comprehension (Wexler, 2019). The students who don't acquire these items will be

behind especially if not provided with support (Wexler, 2019). Due to the lack of exposure that

occurs as a result of the exclusion of science and social studies content areas, disadvantaged

students are placed further behind and are given less of a chance of succeeding compared to their

peers (Kalaidis, 2013). If students don't obtain the knowledge to understand a passage they are

reading, then they will never be able to perform the desired skill no matter how much it is

practiced (Wexler, 2020).

Common Core Standards

In an attempt to address the learning or achievement gap noted earlier, the educational

initiative of Common Core State Standards was created. In 2010, the United States government

passed the Common Core State Standards, and these standards were adopted into the curriculum

of many states (Bidwell, 2014). These standards were created to act as a beneficial guide to all

educational stakeholders. Furthermore, the standards were used to provide a clear outline of what

students would learn in each designated grade level. This new set of standards was used in an

attempt to address the learning gap regarding disadvantaged students by creating a new uniform

set of standards that can be used throughout the United States (Greer, 2018). Content standards

would guide what content the students would learn, and performance standards would guide

what students would perform. The CCSS also focused on college readiness and provided

teachers with specific skills to teach and help students master to be prepared for the future

(Greer, 2018).

Despite the implementation and numerous modifications to the Common Core State

Standards, students' academic performance did not waver much from the original (Kalaidis,

2013). The standards are a cohesive progression of content starting at kindergarten and spanning

throughout the academic career of students until grade 12. The lack of the forgotten content areas

of science and social studies proved to be important, as students lacked many of the key items

that would assist them in effectively processing the standards.

Benefits of Science and Social Studies in the Curriculum

There are many added benefits to including science and social studies content areas, and

many of these added benefits come in the form of the students growing through foundational

skills that can be used at numerous points in their later lives. Often, the important benefits

provided by science and social studies content areas go unseen on standardized tests. Instead,

these benefits work behind the scenes to create higher-order thinkers and developed citizens.

Higher-Order Thinking

Science and social studies can impact a student's academic achievement simply by giving

students context to different scenarios or ideas in the past, promoting and encouraging higher-

order thinking. These content areas give the schools the best chance of creating a "well-rounded

education for the students" (Dhandhania, 2016 p. 3). A major component of learning is higher-

order or critical thinking, and often higher-order thinking requires background knowledge.

Background knowledge on a topic has a great impact on the student's success and

understanding of different skills and topics. While the Common Core State Standards placed

efforts to eliminate the gap between students within the classroom, it seemed to not help in its

entirety (Kalaidis, 2013). A student's background knowledge can only grow if they are exposed

to the content on numerous occasions. With the addition of repeated content, the disadvantaged

students in the classroom are placed on a level playing field with the content if time is spent

building their background knowledge (Wexler, 2019). Adding science and social studies content

areas is a great way to increase background knowledge. For example, if teachers want to learn

more about the branches of government and they are only mentioned once, not much learning

will occur. But, if the class repeatedly learns about the branches of government throughout the

week, and then repeatedly revisited, then the student's exposure increases and student knowledge

increases alongside it.

Science and social studies content areas help students grow their skills within the related

content area classroom as well as within the core content areas of mathematics and language arts

(Wexler, 2020). By diving into rich content, such as science and social studies, students can ask

complex questions which expose them to higher-order thinking. If exposed to the science and

social studies content within the regular education classroom, students can grow their reading

comprehension as well as background knowledge (Wexler, 2019). The exposure leads to higher-

order skills that are depicted on the top tiers of Bloom's Taxonomy. For example, students will

develop the skills of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation through the exploration and

investigation of the complex ideas found within science and social studies content areas. This

increase in content would allow students to develop an interest in the topics and have the ability

to logically explore those topics in greater depth (Wexler, 2020). There is a vast amount of

information that is learned through science and social studies content. As previously mentioned,

much of the information allows for more background knowledge to grow and strengthen.

Skills that are obtained within science and social studies impact a student's achievement while in

the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. Critical thinking, reasoning, and abstract

abilities allow students to obtain and strengthen the knowledge that will guide their success in

secondary education as well as later in life (Ciullo, 2015). Additionally, these content areas allow

students to learn how to become critical thinkers and become strong and striving oral and written

communicators, articulate their opinions and understand how to make their voices be heard –

skills that are currently lacking in today's workers (Kalaidis, 2013). This gives students

opportunities to explore these content areas, provides them with a "leg up" with their peers who

might not have been exposed to these before, and creates a developed, critical thinker who can

explore complex topics.

Transfer

Many of these complex ideas and topics do not have a direct relation to everyday life. For

example, while talking to college students about science and social studies content areas, most of

them can recite that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and that Christopher

Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. While these items are important to specific concepts in

science and social studies, many added benefits are seen through transfer. Transfer is "...a

phenomenon in which something a person has learned at one time affects how a person learns or

performs in a later situation (Ormrod & Jones, 2018, p. 75). For example, a preschool student

could be learning about shapes in math class, and when that student reaches fourth grade they

will learn about geometry. The student's prior knowledge of shapes will assist them in

understanding the concept of geometry.

Positive transfer is using previously learned information to help learning in other

contexts. Many students do not understand how to retrieve information that has been previously

learned in order to help them learn something new and difficult. When students are explicitly

taught content that is interconnected to skills, students will be better able to use that information

in future situations, "learners are much more likely to apply new knowledge and skills when they

engage in meaningful rather than rote learning" (Ormrod & Jones, 2018, p. 76). Making

connections between different content areas allows students to pull items from longer-term

memory and access them more readily.

Students can transfer more than just old content knowledge to new content knowledge,

students can also transfer their beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and ways of thinking. These items of

transfer can have a huge impact on their learning and achievement (Ormrod & Jones, 2018). This

emphasizes the importance of exploring the world around students and creating a strong mindset

within students. If students have the confidence to explore complex ideas and discuss those ideas

in class, then they can continue that confidence throughout their academic careers. Teachers

determine the mindset of their students and increasing students' belief in themselves is rather

important to their academic success and their mental stability while completing their journey

through education.

Developed Citizens

The information learned also allows students to recognize the benefits and challenges of

the living world, and interpret a world with multiple cultures and ideologies (Dhandhania, 2016).

Additionally, these content areas influence citizenship, teach students about key events and

figureheads, and integrate literacy skills (Ciullo, 2015). Citizenship allows students to become

active members of society and have a plethora of social skills that can be used to create friends,

have empathy for people living in different situations, and develop a personality and uniqueness

about themselves.

The research gathered and discussed within this literature review has many different

meaningful implications that should be considered in terms of the overall course curriculum and,

more specifically, the implementation of the science and social studies curriculum. A study from

the Carnegie Corporation of New York found that students who receive effective social studies

content are likely to become active and participating members of society (Kalaidis, 2013). These

students are more likely to vote in relevant elections, four times as likely to volunteer in their

community and work on community issues, and are confident in their ability to communicate

their ideas and opinions with their elected representatives (Kalaidis, 2013).

Becoming a developed citizen goes beyond simply becoming active within the

community, it is also understanding and learning from the world around you. Science and social

studies are extremely important for understanding the world and the people that live in it

(Dhandhania, 2016). Much of the learning is concerning the past and what has shaped our

communities and where we live. By being exposed to content, students can understand the

societal structure, and governing, and give the students more knowledge to support

understanding who they are and their place in the world. It also gives them the opportunities to

understand the roles and responsibilities by giving them relevant information and knowledge,

along with skills and attitudes that help create active, responsible, and reflective members of

society (Dhandhania, 2016). Making relevant observations, identifying similarities and

differences, and making connections only scratches the surface of skills that students can benefit

from by experiencing these content areas.

Recommendations to Implement Science and Social Studies in the Curriculum

Many teachers that are a part of the United States school systems want to incorporate

science and social studies content areas into their classroom time. Based on a survey given in

2020, many teachers and administrators believe that these content areas are important to teach to

younger children. Many students share these same opinions, expressing positive attitudes

towards science: exciting, valuable, important, and understandable (Wendell & Rogers, 2013).

While many teachers believe that the incorporation of these subject areas is important,

they struggle to find appropriate ways to incorporate them into their daily schedules. With the

implementation of reading blocks, structured specials such as recess, library, and computers,

along with opportunities for the student movement, there seems to not be enough time in the day

(Wexler, 2020). Teachers also face difficulties teaching science and social studies content

because of the low content knowledge and experience, low self-efficacy, and insufficient support

from their mentor teachers and even other administration figures (Brunner & Abd‐El‐Khalick,

2019). With the lack of knowledge over the content areas, many teachers look for different ways

to teach these topics, the most common resource being relying on outside curriculum materials to

assist with the deficits within their knowledge.

Inclusion into Other Content Areas

There are many ways that teachers can incorporate science and social studies content

areas into other content areas, such as language arts and mathematics (Tallman, 2016). Selecting

passages that have a content meaning instead of simply picking a read-aloud that aligns with

only a literacy standard allows students to be connected to appropriate-level content as well as

grow their literacy skills (Wexler, 2020). Even an easy transition like substituting a daily reading

with an article that is aligned with the standard and gives access to explicit historical context and

provides meaningful access to different forms of content that allow students to learn. (Ciullo,

2015).

Allowing students to practice specific skills through proper text selection allows for

opportunities to address both comprehension development as well as content acquisition (Ciullo,

2015). For example, a teacher wants to include science and social studies in her literacy class but

has to teach the Core Content Standard of making connections. The teacher could introduce a

unit regarding the light bulb and electricity. Giving the students access to literature pieces

regarding the invention of the lightbulb by Thomas Edison in 1880 and exploring how electricity

works through a science experiment gives students a direct correlation to science instruction.

Social studies could be introduced into the unit through the effects that the lightbulb has made on

our community, and how lightbulbs have changed over time. The teacher could incorporate

primary sources that directly relate to the topic. With all of this combined, the unit could be

wrapped up with making connections in students' daily lives regarding the use of electricity and

the lightbulb. An extension for this would be looking at connections to the world and seeing how

other people in the community, country, or world use electricity or their access to electricity.

Incorporating science and social studies into writing rotations or class time can have a heavy

effect on students' ability to comprehend and connect to what they are learning. Scientific writing

usually comes from the processes of estimating, hypothesizing, recording, explaining the process

in which an experiment takes place, and writing conclusions that can be used to enhance future

experiments (Tallman, 2016). Using these types of writing in writing rotations, helps shift the

goal from learning to reading by reading passages with no relation, to reading to learn by

implementing information that will be useful to their content knowledge in the future. It allows

the students to learn how to use the skills which can then be used multiple times and on many

different styles of passages.

National Geographic Framework

Another way that teachers can receive assistance implementing these content areas is by

incorporating different frameworks within the daily life of students to increase the processes of

thinking that are desired. The National Geographic Explorer Mindset Framework is an excellent

example of a framework that can be used to increase students' participation, interest, and learning

surrounding the science content area. This framework outlines a way of thinking that each

"explorer" should embody and that is the ASK mindset. This ASK mindset incorporates

attitudes, skills, and knowledge that each student should embody. This framework provides

students with a way of engaging with the world around them through attributes, competencies

that can be learned, demonstrated, and assessed, and descriptors of what attributes should look

like (Society, n.d. 2019).

The charts given by resources included within this framework span from preschool to

senior year of high school, and the content within the charts is grade-level appropriate and

distinguished by categories. The Attitudes Chart breaks down three attitudes that should be

exhibited in every grade level: curiosity, responsibility, and empowerment. The Skills Chart

breaks down the components into four broad categories: observation, communication,

collaboration, and problem solving. This attitude and skills chart supports the idea that even

younger students can grasp the ideas taught in science and social studies at a developmentally

appropriate level.

The incorporation of this framework can empower students to learn about the world

around them and develop new ways of understanding and exploring the world around them. One

piece, in particular, the Understanding Perspectives Chart, displays an interconnected model of

how we can relate items that are being discussed or are happening to multiple different levels of

perspectives. The perspectives shown are spatial, cultural, political, economic, historical,

geological, and ecological. It exhibits a direct definition and guiding questions regarding how to

choose which relation suits the topic best. Using charts such as this presents a way of thinking to

the students that goes beyond simple mindsets and develops deeply-constructed understandings

of the content and the world around them. It also provides a guide for teachers to help them plan

meaningful instruction.

Certifications

Alongside the framework, National Geographic offers a teacher certification that any

style of teacher can obtain through the National Geographic program. This certification program

qualifies teachers leading students in the grades pre-k through 12th grade to uncover curiosities,

explore the world around them, and express their creativity to bring different experiences into the

classroom (National Geographic Society, 2019). Completing this certification requires educators

to go through three stages in order to be considered a National Geographic Educator. The first

stage is a workshop style program where educators collaborate to learn the material and receive

exposure to the content areas. The second step is designing and implementing the materials from

stage one into classroom activities – creating unique and interesting outlets for the students to

learn. The third stage is reflecting on the growth that has been made during the duration of the

program. This is a great form of professional development that the teachers can not only use

during the program but throughout their educational profession to improve and succeed in the

world of education.

Additionally, other certifications can be applied for and completed within these content

areas that can add a new level of development within your classroom. PBS, Project Wet, Project

Wild, NAAEE, and KAEE are a few of the names of additional certifications or extended

resources that can be used to provide this development. PBS has a wide variety of extended

resources involving social studies content that can help enhance the classroom experience.

Project Wet and Project Wild have researched based curriculums that provide students with

hands-on activities in relation to the science content area. For example, Project Wild has

activities such as one labeled Oh Deer. This is an interactive scenario that is created with the

students to learn about the basic needs of survival. Some students are selected to act like deer and

the rest of the students get to pretend to be food, water, or shelter. The students who represent the

deer have to close their eyes and pick what they think is most important: food, water, or shelter.

The students then turn around and attempt to make pairs. If pairs are made then more deer are

reproduced, but if pairs are not made then those deer are considered dead. This activity directly

relates to math because there is an opportunity to graph the population growth and fall, and it

teaches students science by showing them what are necessary means for survival. Resources such

as these can also provide interactive lessons as well as online resources that can give students

opportunities to participate in online field trips or connections with the outside world (Project

Wild et al., 2014 p.34)

By taking courses, attending conferences, or paying a fee, teachers are exposed to new ways of

thinking and new lessons that they can use within the classroom. These additional certifications

can shape the format or outlook of the classroom and introduce students to a new way of

thinking that they did not have in the past. Students can be exposed to new forms of mindsets

that can shape the rest of their academic careers and help them succeed in the future.

Conclusion

As noted throughout this review, there are many negative impacts and added benefits that

science and social studies content areas have on elementary-aged children. Negative impacts

include creating an achievement gap and setting disadvantaged students at a greater deficit.

These negative impacts play a major role in students' later academic success. Added benefits

include higher-order thinking, greater ability to transfer, and produce more developed citizens.

Whether you teach these content areas or not, integrating these content areas into daily

instruction can be a simple task with some guidance.

When looking closer at the benefits and recommendations there are many reasons to

implement science and social studies into the daily routine of the classroom. Whether it's to

increase students' background knowledge, close the achievement gap, or create developed

citizens, the students in the classroom will be positively impacted. Through the intentional

inclusion of science and social studies within other content areas, exploring the National

Geographic Framework, or completing educator certifications, many teachers are qualified to

expose their students to a differentiated experience that allows them to grow and strengthen their

minds through creative thinking and outlooks they most likely did not understand.

Allowing students first-hand experiences with these content areas allows them to think

broader and focus on the world around them, it also pushes them to become involved and learn

more than simple ideas taught in a textbook. We can equip students with items that can lead them

to become successful in their academics and have a lasting impact on society. Therefore, next

time that you think about creating a lesson using a simple read-aloud or a textbook, think about

how implementing science and social studies might have a lasting impact on the students within

your class.

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