IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES: CAN WE? SHOULD WE?

The focus of the curriculum in the elementary schools today is on reading, writing, and mathematics, an emphasis reinforced by state competency testing programs. This trend is lamented by science and social studies educators who argue that one of the major goals of today's education should be to produce citizens who are technologically literate. This requires that: (1) students understand the link between technology, themselves, and society in general; (2) elementary students understand the relationship between technology and social change; (3) students understand that most science/technologv/society (S/T/S) issues involve conflicting assumptions, interpretations, and opinions; (4) students should not feel powerless in the face of complex S/T/S issues; and (5) youngsters should come to value a scientific approach to understanding their world and universe. Topics addressed include: the unique contributions of history and social science, the area of values and S/T/S, and the question of how to move S/T/S into elementary social studies. (BZ) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ert