Course Contents

Unit 1: Citizenship and Human Rights Education Introduction to the course, Definitions, Rationale for teaching and learning of Citizenship • Key Concepts of Citizenship education • Controversial Issues—What, Why and How to teach them Towards creating a better world—developing citizenship values, skills and dispositions through the teaching of controversial issues • Links with other subject areas • Citizenship rights The Evolution of the concept of Human Rights • Rights and Responsibilities, Defining Human Rights Civil, Political, Social, Economic and Cultural Rights Women’s rights, Children’s rights, Interdependence • Human dignity, Justice, Equality, Freedom, • Universality, Indivisibility—Are human rights universal? • Reflection and Review Unit 2: History - People, Past Events and Societies Definition, Rationale and Methods of History • Key concepts: Time and Chronology • Change and Continuity Cause and Effect • Multiple causation • Multiple perspectives, Interpretation of history • Reflection and Review Unit 3: Geography - People, Place and Environment Definition and Rationale for teaching and learning Geography Key Concepts/Themes of Geography: Location, Place, Humanenvironmental Interactions, Movement, Regions Skills required for teaching and learning Geography Global Warming—exploring the issue • Global Warming—a myth or reality? • Controversy about the theory of, and responses to Global Warming • Reflection and Review Unit 4 Culture and Diversity Rationale for the study of Culture • The Dynamic Nature of Culture • Groups and Institutions Society, Socialization • Civilization • Cultural Adaptation Assimilation, Acculturation • Diffusion, Dissonance • Multiculturalism and its implications • Reflection and Review Interdependence • Peace and Sustainability • Understanding Peace and Conflict Why ‘Peace Education’, Teaching children the skills to resolve conflicts • Positive attitudes and skills—empathy, cooperation, anger-management, and problem-solving • Communication and Negotiation • Reflection and Review Unit 5 Power, Authority and Governance Power, Government Systems and Regimes • Institutions of Government, political processes and participation • Civil society—individuals, groups and institutions • Reflection and Review Unit 6 Production, Distribution and Consumption Definition of and Rationale for teaching and learning of Economics • Conflict between wants and resources, Choice, Scarcity • Opportunity cost Economic systems • Production and distribution of Wealth • Supply and demand Reflection and Review

Course Synopsis

This course enables prospective teachers to reflect on the purpose of teaching social studies and help shape their approach to teaching the subject. It prepares them to integrate knowledge with skills, values and attitudes, essential for democratic citizenship, in their teaching, and to encourage informed and responsible civic action. The teachers of social studies have an added responsibility for helping students understand their world, facilitating the development of a wide range of skills and competencies to enable them to become critical consumers of knowledge, and encouraging them to participate as informed, caring and peace loving citizens to improve the society. The task of the social studies teacher becomes more challenging given the dynamic nature of society and subject matter, the nature and needs of the learners and wide varieties of learning contexts. This course will acquaint teachers with an understanding of the key concepts of the various disciplines comprising the Social Studies. This will broaden their understanding of recurring social issues; help them to understand the controversies (current and persistent local, national and global issues). They will also become familiar with the use of a range of skills such as information gathering and processing, map reading, thinking, interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. This will help promote students’ growth as individuals and as citizens of Pakistan and of an increasingly interdependent world. This course will encourage prospective teachers to further develop their instructional repertoire and assessment practices in order to improve the teaching and assessment of concepts, skills, values and social actions, This course will prepare prospective teachers to provide for their students activity-rich opportunities for inquiry, cooperative learning, discussion, role play, etc. It will equip prospective teachers with strategies to deal with controversial issues in their classrooms. Hence, this course combines content with different teaching strategies to make the teaching and learning of social studies a valuable and interesting educational experience for both teachers and students.

Course Learning Outcomes

Student Teachers will be able to: • Understand the nature, methods, key concepts, and skills in the social studies disciplines (e.g. history, geography, political science, civics, anthropology, sociology, economics) as tools to educate for informed, responsible, and active citizenship. • Develop an understanding of current, persistent, and controversial issues (e.g. global warming, cultural diversity, universality of human rights) and acquire the skills to teach controversial issues in the classroom. • Recognize diversity and differences as assets and learn to evaluate different perspectives and biases. • Encourage and promote inquiry and a constructive critical approach in teaching practice. • Engage in critical reflection on personal experiences (at university and in elementary grade classrooms) to improve practice. • Develop a repertoire of content and pedagogical knowledge as well as assessment tools appropriate for teaching social studies.