Major: Social Science Teacher Education
When are people old enough to vote? This issue is being debated right now in the United States and Europe. Some people think fourteen-year-olds should have limited voting rights. What's your standpoint? Whichever side of the debate you take, one thing is clear: Kids deserve to learn about the world -- its history, cultures, behaviors, and politics -- so that they can shape the future. They need facts. And they need the skills to analyze and organize those facts so they can form opinions and take action.
Can you see yourself empowering kids to become active citizens? If so, consider becoming a social science teacher.
This major prepares students to teach specific social science subjects at various grade levels.
Did You Know?
- Many subjects are grouped under the umbrella of social science, including psychology, anthropology, archaeology, economics, sociology, and political science.
Are You Ready To...?
- Volunteer for a civic organization working to improve public life
- Consider studying abroad for a semester
- Contribute actively to classroom discussions about historical and current topics
- Become a student member of the National Council for the Social Studies
It Helps to Be...
Prepared to model good citizenry for your students. That means keeping up on current events and issues, respecting different points of view, and getting involved in the larger community. If your students see you do these things, they'll want to follow your lead.
College Checklist
- Is the program fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the state board of education?
- Does the program meet the standards of the National Council for the Social Studies?
- Will you be required to focus on specific subjects within social science, such as anthropology, or will you divide your time equally between many subjects?
- What grades will you be certified to teach?
- Will the program help you find work after graduation?
- Does the program encourage study abroad?
Did You Know?
- If you're willing to move and/or get certified in more than one subject, you'll increase your job options.
Course Spotlight
Before you graduate, you'll student teach for a semester. Maybe you'll educate students about the U.S. Constitution by staging a convention in which teams present arguments about whose rights should be represented and why. Perhaps you'll present a unit on the Great Depression, with students keeping diaries from the viewpoint of a young person living in those stark times. This is a chance to try out your lesson-planning and classroom-management skills before you jump into your first teaching job.
