Importance of reading and writing in social studies

¶ … Social Studies

The importance of reading and writing for social studies students

One of the frequently-cited reasons for including social studies in the curriculum is to prepare students to become good citizens. Because America is a democratic, free society, students must learn to make good choices because their choices will affect the national community. No matter what occupation they pursue, children will grow up to be voters, people who make economic decisions on a daily basis, and people who hopefully understand and appreciate the value of our increasingly pluralistic society, made up of diverse cultures, points-of-view, and ways of life. To understand civic issues, students must know how to read a newspaper or magazine article for its argument, not merely as a work of literature. They must not just comprehend mathematically a graph or table, but develop an opinion about the data. They must be able to appreciate the cultural background of an author, or simply a person they meet on the street.

Reading for content's sake, as well as literary quality, is essential for comprehending the subject material taught in social studies classes, and learning how to evaluate such content will make students stronger in all subject areas, and encourage them to become more critical and logical thinkers. Writing in social studies classes further fosters within the students' minds the importance of making logical arguments. While students may learn how to write an essay in English classes, in social studies classes students gain additional experience in supporting their thesis statements with facts, accumulating pertinent evidence to support their ideas, and analyzing the consequences of their arguments. Quite often, the issues discussed in social studies classes have real-life implications, like for example, what rights Americans are entitled to enjoy, who to vote for in the next Presidential election, or what students would do to improve the quality of education in their school. Students are able to make a personal investment in their written work when they critically engage with issues about which they feel passionately, and they are given a voice and a platform in the classroom when they express their ideas to others on the page.

Writing in the social studies also encourages students to appreciate different kinds of writing. Writing to persuade is different than merely writing to inform. Students learn to identify biases in sources, and to understand that not everything that they read is true. They can also engage in persuasive exercises where they try to change the minds of other people. This forces them to see that there are two sides to every issue. Being able to express controversial points-of-view in a way that is respectful of others fosters a sense of maturity within the students that will help them in later life.