Incorporating the New Literacy Requirements for Social

Studies
The Importance of Teaching and Learning Social Studies
Amanda DAddona

ABSTRACT
In this paper I discuss the importance of teaching Social Studies. This paper also
addresses the question of why students need to learn Social Studies. The Common
Core State Standards new literacy requirements for Social Studies courses are
discussed in this paper. The Common Core State Standards are requiring Social
Studies educators to incorporate literacy lessons to meet the new standards. The
goal is for students to gain skills such as, critical thinking, problem solving, and
decision making. I discuss the research that I have done, and that I agree with the
arguments that the authors present in their articles. Students need to obtain these
literacy skills in order for them to apply them to their everyday lives. I explain how
Social Studies educators are shifting from teaching out of a textbook to using
primary sources. In the paper I argue how using primary sources in lesson will allow
students to have a better understanding of the time period that they are learning
about. Finally, I display how these skills can be applied to real world situations.

INCORPORATING THE NEW LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

Overall, the paper displays the importance of the literacy skills that are learned in
Social Studies courses.

INCORPORATING THE NEW LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

Incorporating the New Literacy Requirements for Social Studies

The new Common Core State Standards require literacy skills to be included
in Social Studies curriculum. In Social Studies classes, it is vital that students have
specific literacy skills. Literacy skills are important for students to be successful
because they will benefit from them in their Social Studies courses, college, and
their careers. Literacy skills will allow students to be able to ask questions, analyze,
evaluate evidence, and draw conclusions. Putting a heavy emphasis on literacy
skills in Social Studies will make students more prepared for when they leave their
secondary schools and move on to college or enter the work force. Students will not
only be prepared for their futures and will also be informed American citizens.
Students will be informed American citizens because of the skills they have gained
such as, problem solving and decision making. The importance of teaching Social
Studies is so that students will be able to apply these skills that are learned into
their everyday lives.
The articles, Is the Common Core Good for Social Studies? Yes, but by
John Lee and Kathy Swan, and Social Studies in the Spotlight: Digital Collections,
Primary Sources, and the Common Core by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson
explain the importance of literacy skills in Social Studies. In both articles the authors
address how the Common Core State Standards are pushing new literacy
requirements into Social Studies curriculum (Lee & Swan, 2013). The authors in
these articles agree that these literacy skills will better prepare students for their
futures.
In the article, Is the Common Core Good for Social Studies? Yes, but the
authors discuss the skills that students will acquire from the new literacy
requirements. The C3 Framework was created based off the Common Core State

INCORPORATING THE NEW LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

Standards, to further assist the process of literacy skills being incorporated into
Social Studies curriculum (Lee & Swan, 2013). The C3 Framework stands for the
College, Career, and Civic Life. Students should be learning skills that will allow
them to be ready to take on their next stage in life. Social Studies courses are
preparing students for the real world by including the C3 Framework and literacy
requirements into the curriculum. The article argues that there are two different
ways to undertake the new literacy requirements. One of the approaches would be
content area reading, while the other approach is disciplinary reading. These
approaches to teaching the new literacy requirements will help students develop
skills such as critical thinking, and problem solving skills.
The new approach to teaching literacy skills that was presented in the article
by John Lee and Kathy Sawn are effective for teaching Social Studies. Students often
question why they are being taught Social Studies. It is clear to see that developing
literacy skills in Social Studies courses will be useful for students in the future.
These literacy skills will not only help students be more successful in other high
school courses, these skills will transition with students as they move on to higher
level educational institutions and the workforce. When teaching Social Studies
courses it is important to have students that are critical thinkers. During Social
Studies classes it is vital that students participate in classroom discussion about
historical events. Students will be able to take more away from a class discussion
when they have questioning and reasoning skills, along with problem solving and
decision making skills. When students have these skills the learning experience will
be more effective. The literacy requirements that are included in the Common Core
State Standards will allow students to develop these skills that will further assist

INCORPORATING THE NEW LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

them in the rest of their high school career. These skills can also be applied to
students futures as seen through the C3 Framework.
In the article, Social Studies in the Spotlight: Digital Collections, Primary
Sources, and the Common Core, the authors Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson,
argue how it is vital that students analyze primary sources in Social Studies courses.
The article explains how different primary sources can be used to help students
better comprehend the time period they are learning about. Through analyzing
primary sources students will also gain critical thinking skills (Johnson & Lamb,
2013). Primary sources that can be used in the classroom for students to obtain
reading and critical thinking skills include, articles, books, infographics, legal
documents, letters, and photographs. By having students analyze primary sources,
they will gain insight into the time period that they are learning about and also
acquire literacy skills by questioning and analyzing the sources. The literacy
requirements in the Common Core State Standards for Social Studies can be
integrated into lesson plans by using primary sources. Students will not only gain a
better understanding of the time period that is being discussed through reading
primary sources, but also strengthen their critical thinking skills.
The argument that is presented by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson is that
the use of primary sources in Social Studies classes will help students better
comprehend the curriculum that is being taught to them. When students are
learning about a specific time period in Social Studies, teachers want their students
to be able to note the significance of the events being taught to them. This can be
accomplished by having students read primary sources. Students will find the
information being taught to them more relatable if they are reading first hand
accounts of the particular time period that is being studied. When reading primary

INCORPORATING THE NEW LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

sources students will be enhancing their critical thinking skills because they
constantly have to be analyzing the sources that they are reading.
The arguments presented in both articles are relatable to each other. Both
articles argue that the Common Core State Standards and the C3 Framework are
pushing Social Studies teachers away from teaching from textbook activities, and
rather having students analyze primary and secondary sources (Lee & Swan, 2013).
This approach to teaching Social Studies will require the use of the new literacy
requirements. If students are expected to be able to analyze and apply the primary
sources that they are reading, they must have the literacy skills to read these
primary sources. The literacy skills that are developed through reading primary
sources allows students to become critical thinkers. The critical thinking skills that
students develop can benefit them in their futures.
The arguments that were presented in both articles are valid. When learning
Social Studies, students often have a difficult time relating to the topics that are
being discussed. Some students feel that certain times periods of history are not
relative to them because they occurred so long ago. Teachers are beginning to
move away from the textbook approach of teaching and are incorporating primary
sources in their lessons. Students will be able to relate and have a better
understanding of the topics that are being discussed. For example, in the article
Social Studies in the Spotlight: Digital Collections, Primary Sources, and the
Common Core, the authors examine how primary sources such as, articles, can be
used in the classroom. Lamb and Johnson claim, Students can read scanned copies
of The Great Nation Futurity and Annexation in the United States Magazine and
Democratic Review. By reading the original articles rather than a paragraph in a
textbook, youth get a much better idea of why OSullivan used the term manifest

INCORPORATING THE NEW LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

destiny when speaking out in opposition to the annexation of Texas. (Johnson &
Lamb, 2013, p. 62) This example displays how students will gain better
understanding of events in history by reading directly from the primary sources
themselves rather than in a textbook.
Students need to know the significance of taking Social Studies classes.
Students need to be aware that they are acquiring skills through Social Studies class
that will assist them in their futures. Some skills that they will acquire through Social
Studies courses include, problem solving, critically thinking skills, and decision
making skills. These skills are necessary to be successful in college, and also their
future careers. The C3 Framework also requires students to be knowledgeable in
civics (Lee & Swan, 2013). Skills that are taught through Social Studies class also
include, how to be responsible American citizens. Skills such as critical thinking and
decision making can be useful when a student reaches the age when they can vote.
Students will be able to think critically about what their political beliefs and values
are. Then, they can apply this critical thinking knowledge to decide who they would
potentially vote for in an election. A main goal as a future Social Studies teacher is
to make sure that my students leave high school as informed and responsible
American citizens.
Students often question why they have to learn history. Many high school
students do not feel that the history that is being taught to them is relatable and
therefore not important for them to learn. By looking at the Common Core State
Standards and the new literacy requirements for Social Studies, it is evident to see
why students need to take Social Studies courses. According to the C3 Framework,
skills being taught in Social Studies classes are helping in preparing students for
college, careers, and civic life. Incorporating primary sources into lesson plans will

INCORPORATING THE NEW LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

help students gain these necessary skills. By reading primary sources rather than
textbooks, students will be able to see what people were doing and thinking about
during the time period that is being taught. Students will find primary sources to be
more relevant rather than reading the boring dry material that is usually found in
textbooks. Using their critical thinking skills students will be able to engage in
effective classroom discussions about what they feel was really going on during a
specific time period.
After researching the Common Core States Standards for Social Studies, there
is evidence that can be provided to students that proves the importance of learning
Social Studies. The literacy requirements will allow students to develop necessary
skills such as a higher level vocabulary, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills,
and decision making skills. These skills that will be learned will help students be
successful in their future whether they attend college or enter the work force. It is
important as a teacher of Social Studies to show students they are going to be
applying the skills that they are learning in their Social Studies courses to real world
experiences that they may face. Ultimately, students should be leaving Social
Studies classes having the skills such as, critical thinking, and problem solving that
they need to in order to be successful in their everyday lives.

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References
Lamb, A., & Johnson, L. (2013). Social studies in the spotlight: Digital collections,
primary sources, and the common core. Teacher Librarian, 41(1), 62-66,71.
Retrieved from http://www.library.manhattan.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1446976257?accountid=12258
Lee, J., & Swan, K. (2013). Is the Common Core good for social studies? Yes, but.
Social Education, 77(6), 327-330. Retrieved from
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-teaching-social-studies.html