Social Studies in Science

I love teaching science because the subject is its own little microcosm of all the other subjects.  We of course teach literacy and tons of math, but there is much more beyond these two most typical tie-ins.  Foreign language can come into play.  My Spanish-speaking students have a leg up when it comes to the periodic table.  (One of many examples, the chemical symbol for gold: Au --> Aurum (Latin) --> Oro (Spanish)).  PE ties in (I teach physics of sports to my freshmen).  I really want to get into the chemistry – art connection in the future. 

While social studies may not be as obviously important as math or literacy to the science classroom (or pander in such a way to the current trends in education) I think its significance is on par with these “Big Two.”  Science has its own whole branch of history to study.  I love my science history texts.  Right now in physical science we are researching the men (yes, all men, we talk about that too – another important social studies topic) that have made substantial contributions to the atomic model.  We focus in on the changes in this one science concept throughout history  - how it has been shaped by technology and how it shapes how we think about our world. 

I love teaching about the history of the atomic model or H.A.M. as I call it, but I think my favorite thing to teach is my physical science semester on chemistry and climate change.  While the science of climate change is well established the social sciences side of global warming pulls in that controversy Schmoker recommends when we are trying to engage the “indifferent” student (Which we all know is all of the time).  It has taken me some time to get this curriculum to where it is today.  It has taken a lot of making things from scratch and “stealing” things from other science teachers, but I am actually teaching central science content (atoms, energy, temperature, density, chemical bonds, reactions), nature of science, literacy, math, and social studies together in one logical package.  If you all enjoyed the same autonomy I do and if we each had our own Timer-Turners like Hermione I would say we should get together and develop similar integrated curricula for your classroom so that science could be easier and central to the work in your classrooms instead of something extra to worry about.