Two-Column Notes

Date:
Name:
8/20/201 Brianna Appelfeller
6

Page #

MR Title(s): Why Kids Dont Like Social Studies

MR Source(s): Schug, Mark C., Robert J. Todd, and R. Beery. "Why Kids Don't Like Social
Studies." Ed. Ronald L. VanSickle. Research in Social Studies Education (1984): 47-53. Web.
The Text Says
I Say
Notes (key concepts, direct quotes, etc.)

50

51

Class/Subject:
EDTL 2760

13 percent of the high school students

hinted that social studies was important
because of its emphasis on citizenship
education.

My notes, commentary

It is nearly unbelievable that this statistic

percentage is so low, in my personal opinion
social studies (especially in high school) is one
of the most important subjects. Through social
studies we learn the way in which our
government works, the way that our world has
progressed and the way our countries interact
with one another. We learn about the way
people interact, how religions work, and the
geography of our planet. This is extremely
important! In my own experience, if I wouldnt
have been in my high schools government
class, I would have been clueless when it came
to registering to vote, and I would not be nearly
as interested in keeping up with current events.
Social studies teachers dont just teach about
the past, they teach to show the present, and
how to control our future.
When students reflected upon their social This quote brings to light not that students
studies classes, they were unable to recall
necessarily dislike the subject, but dislike the
quickly significant learning experiences like lack of engagement. These students are

a field trip, simulation game, or a class

discussion of a controversial issue.

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Clearly, many students find social studies

content to be uninteresting because the
information is too far removed from their
own experiences, too detailed for clear
understanding, or repeats information
learned earlier.

obviously seeking a more hands-on learning

experience, which may be the way they learn
best. When these students are not actively
participating because they do not enjoy the
way the course material is being taught, it
leads them to believe that it is purely because
they do not enjoy the subject itself.
From personal experience, I am very aware that
the subjects contained within the general
subject of social studies are often very
comprehensive and hard to understand. The
subjects, such as government, tend to be very
broad with a lot of information that is necessary
to learn in a short amount of time. Yes, it
appears that students are learning the same
material over and over again, and may seem
very repetitive, but in reality, you are learning
some repeated information, but you are also
diving deeper into the course material, and
learning it at a different depth. Many students,
according from most of the text, believe that
social studies has no importance in their future,
this may be because they have yet to
completely understand the information or how
it will relate to their everyday lives.

Connections to previous MR:

Because this is our first text, the only thing I can connect to is my previous learning experiences at my
high school. I always had a love for social studies and it was always an easy subject for me to
understand, but I can completely understand where the students of this text are coming from. These
subjects are confusing, and every student learns differently, making them seem even more difficult.