Evaluation of the national Lebanese grade one social studies curriculum. (c2007)

Abstract

Human beings seek to create their social identities to help them belong to a particular group or culture within a diverse society. If the family is the main source of knowledge for children about society, the school should be the second main source. Lebanese educators should be aware that children learn facts about their country, understand the diversified Lebanese population and develop a positive attitude towards their culture through well designed social studies concepts and themes. These goals are reached through several means; one of which is social studies education. Upon examining the national social studies curriculum taught in our Lebanese schools, I find that it does not meet the philosophy and objectives of developing students' social and cultural awareness. My main aim is to determine the importance of social studies education and the capacities it establishes in our children and to highlight the current status of civic education, how it is taught through the national social studies textbooks and what is needed to improve. It is my hope that studying this issue from several perspectives would set concrete guidelines for what to teach in social studies, how to teach it and why. Furthermore, the literature reviewed identifies several ways in which the link between rai sing a good citizen and social studies curriculum occurs. Practical suggestions for educators can be built on these research findings. Further research can be carried by those who aim to plan social studies curriculum and textbooks that include relevant and well-balanced information. The designed kit includes a list of themes that should be included in a well-rounded social studies curriculum highlighting a unit about national and religious celebrations and holidays in Lebanon, comprising a number of lessons. It provides worksheets, poems, songs and handouts to enrich the curriculum with relevant social studies activities to facilitate the teaching process of this designated unit.