Te Au Tikanga-ā-iwi Social Science

The teaching of social science encompasses educating students about human society, including history, geography, economics, and political science. It aims to foster critical thinking, cultural awareness, and informed citizenship through the analysis of social structures, events, and issues.

Social Science Class 8

Social Science class 8

Within the subject of Social Science, the class 8 student continues to develop their understanding of the physical and historical world.

Prior historical knowledge of the Renaissance, world exploration and (possibly) the Age of Enlightenment presented in the lower school helps students to continue their chronological study of history within the high school. As the Class 8 year is one of turning towards inwardness, even, at times, self-absorption. The study of the environment is presented within Geography to reassure the class 8 student of the interconnected relationship of all things.

In History, The industrial revolution is studied to understand key advancements and impacts of this time period. Critical thinking skills are developed through discussions and research about inventions that have shaped society. Comparing and contrasting their own lives to that of children working in factories helps students to grasp the impact of industrialization and the advancements of humankind. Students also explore key role models and historical figures of this time worth emulating. This can be done through mini research projects as this helps to develop their report writing skills.

In Geography, The study of the environment helps students cultivate a sense of care, wonder and connection to the world. Throughout these lessons, observational skills are honed by witnessing the interconnectedness of all things within the environment. Exploration of human environmental impacts both positive and negative are explored. This is aimed not only to help develop critical thinking skills but also for the students to re-discover notions of beauty and goodness in the world.

Students are encouraged to express and present their ideas through various means such as verbal discussions, practical investigations, static images, creative responses, research reports and dioramas.

UNITS OF LEARNING

In some schools these could be stand alone Main Lessons and in some schools they could be taken as ongoing practice lessons or a combination.

Industrial Revolution

ESSENTIAL

Possible Content:

Sequential order of inventions and developments
Research an inventor and invention
Social impacts of urbanisation and industrialisation
Comparison to present time, self and modern connection
Realising the difficulties of manual labour through practical exercises such as working in the garden with limited tools.
Looking at cottage industry - working on crafts to create a market activity
Life in the Industrial Revolution as a factory worker/child labourer
History
Entry into colonisation - looking at the Waikato region in relation to identity
Camps to support history curriculum - Waitangi, BoI Paihia

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To foster a sense of connectedness to the world.
Foster skills for learning.
To develop social skills more consciously.
To re-discover notions of beauty and goodness in light of one’s own responses to the world.
To support the individual’s developing sense of uniqueness.
To promote active searches for meaningful role-models or people who are worth emulating.
To stimulate personal goal setting and a sense of responsibility for oneself.

Geography

Possible Content:

Linked to camps - walking the local river, travelling all around the region and talking about the geographical features of the local area
Learning about latitude and longitude
Map reading
Learning about different biomes - diorama activity of creating a biome
Learning about countries or regions through planning a week away in that country and then presenting it
Looking at push/pull factors and why people move - factors in migration (refugees)

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To foster a sense of connectedness to the world.
To re-discover notions of beauty and goodness in light of one’s own responses to the world.
To stimulate personal goal setting and a sense of responsibility for oneself.

ESSENTIAL (could be at Class 9)

Early Contact

ESSENTIAL

Possible Content:

Establish connection between industrial revolution and the settlement of the colonies
Early trade and European settlement in Aotearoa
Relationship between trade and the Musket wars.
Musket wars - localised, what they meant to local areas.
Declaration of Independence
Signing of ToW - historical context only - people involved and reasons for it - no civil rights focus.
Impact on tangata whenua of all of the above.

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To foster a sense of connectedness to the world.
To polish skills for learning.
To develop social skills more consciously.
To support the individual’s developing sense of uniqueness.
To promote active searches for meaningful role-models or people who are worth emulating.

Social Science Class 9

Social ScienceClass 9

In History, The study of revolutions and social movements are presented to meet the theme of polarity within the Cass 9 year. Specific events from the eighteenth century such as the French, Haitian and/or American Revolution may be studied. Also, the development of civil rights in the nineteenth and twentieth century may be explored.

Within history lessons class discussions are encouraged to help explore opposing ideas and perspectives. These discussions help to develop reasoning skills and foster empathy, tolerance, and appreciation for diverse perspectives. This in turn, helps students navigate the complexities of balancing the theme of polarity within their Class 9 year.

After studying the physical environment in Class 8 the Class 9 student moves into the study of geology. Within this subject, the theme of polarity can be applied to the contrasting forces and processes that shape the Earth's surface and structure. Students gain an understanding about cause and effect by examining geological phenomena such as plate tectonics, rock formation, and erosion.Students fine tune their observational skills by being given opportunities to either examine different types of rocks or by being able to attend places of great geological significance. This exploration can lead to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of geological processes and their impact on the environment.

UNITS OF LEARNING

In some schools these could be stand alone Main Lessons and in some schools they could be taken as ongoing practice lessons or a combination.

Revolutions

Possible Content:

Choice of revolution/s depends on the school/class/teacher
Motivations behind revolutions - values, belief systems
Philosophical thought at the time
Haitian and French Revolution - compare and contrast
American Revolution
Russian Revolution - tied in to Animal Farm and the NZ Land Wars (Kawau Island Camp)
Propaganda
Parihaka
Protests
Political boundaries and historical maps

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To awaken to the polarities of subject knowledge through both heart and will.
To show how causes, issues, “facts”, phenomena, opinions, etc. can pull in two directions, have two sides.
To bring claims of rights and responsibilities to consciousness.
To foster tolerance and social engagement.
To build inner courage and perseverance.
To bring idealism to the fore, to push ideas to the limit.
To work with the discovery of assertion and a sense of place in the world.

ESSENTIAL

New Zealand Wars

Possible Content:

For all of the content it is important that both sides are shared equally and in an unbiased way. To give the students the opportunity to experience the reasons behind each side without bias.
Origins and reasons for the New Zealand Wars
Impact of the New Zealand Wars - locally and nationally
Changing relation - Maori fighting against Maori - support for the Crown
Pivotal events - explore at least one deeply
Northern wars - Ruapekapeka
Taranaki was - Parihaka
Waikato wars - Rangiriri
Te Kooti

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To awaken to the polarities of subject knowledge through both heart and will.
To show how causes, issues, “facts”, phenomena, opinions, etc. can pull in two directions, have two sides.
To bring claims of rights and responsibilities to consciousness.
To foster tolerance and social engagement.
To build inner courage and perseverance.
To bring idealism to the fore, to push ideas to the limit.
To work with the discovery of assertion and a sense of place in the world.

ESSENTIAL

Social Science Class 10

UNITS OF LEARNING

In some schools these could be stand alone Main Lessons and in some schools they could be taken as ongoing practice lessons or a combination.

NZ History

Possible Content:

Continuation of New Zealand history (from Class 9)
The Land Wars
Revisit Te Tiriti from a civil rights perspective
Land Back Movement and acts of land reclamation and occupation EG Bastian Point, Long March, Raglan Golf Course, Moutua Gardens
Language - Native Language Act, Kōhanga reo, Kura kaupapa
Waitangi Tribunal
Tame Iti
It is important to focus on the positive outcomes of the above events - development of the reo, contemporary Maori art and sport, political representation.

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To find the balance between the polarities.
To bring more consciously the aesthetic sense.
To bring to recognition the virtues of truth, goodness, beauty as active choices.
To help begin recognizing the individual’s life-path toward adulthood.
To overcome selfishness, develop compassion, have ready hearts.
To bring the rhythmic system/emotions into harmony.
To recognise relationships between the inner and outer worlds.
To foster awareness of one’s own actions.
To broaden the powers of perception.

Geomorphology

Possible Content:

Landscapes
Erosion
Civil engineering
Climate change

Mythology/ Odyssey and Myths/Literature

Is this placed correctly in Humanities? The framework for how this is taught might be better placed in English

Possible Content:

Landscapes
Erosion
Civil engineering
Climate change

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To find the balance between the polarities.
To bring more consciously the aesthetic sense.
To bring to recognition the virtues of truth, goodness, beauty as active choices.
To help begin recognizing the individual’s life-path toward adulthood.
To overcome selfishness, develop compassion, have ready hearts.
To bring the rhythmic system/emotions into harmony.
To recognise relationships between the inner and outer worlds.
To foster awareness of one’s own actions.
To broaden the powers of perception.

People and Places/ Ancient Civilisations

Possible Content:

Subsistence Farming
Development of written language
Geography of human evolution

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To find the balance between the polarities.
To bring more consciously the aesthetic sense.
To bring to recognition the virtues of truth, goodness, beauty as active choices.
To help begin recognizing the individual’s life-path toward adulthood.
To overcome selfishness, develop compassion, have ready hearts.
To bring the rhythmic system/emotions into harmony.
To recognise relationships between the inner and outer worlds.
To foster awareness of one’s own actions.
To broaden the powers of perception.

Social Science Class 11

UNITS OF LEARNING

In some schools these could be stand alone Main Lessons and in some schools they could be taken as ongoing practice lessons or a combination.

Comparative Religions

Possible Content:

Animism
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
Confucianism
Taoism
Spirituality
Non-religions
Self-reflection

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To develop and guide capacities for critical thinking.
To develop a reflective questioning attitude to the world of phenomena and opinions.
To develop an understanding of the individual in relation to the community.
To craft personal opinion with awareness, reasoning and reflection.
To retain an attitude of reverence for life in all its manifestations.
To be given time to reflect on philosophical issues as they arise in relation to their studies.
To develop a personal sense of aesthetics and style.
To develop an awareness of the internal processes of phenomena.
To encourage free and healthy individualization.
To explore the meaning of destiny: what have I got to offer the world?

Conflict (Modern Conflict, Historical Conflict, Power & poverty)

Possible Content:

Globalisation
Wealth inequality (Power and Poverty)

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To develop and guide capacities for critical thinking.
To develop a reflective questioning attitude to the world of phenomena and opinions.
To develop an understanding of the individual in relation to the community.
To craft personal opinion with awareness, reasoning and reflection.
To retain an attitude of reverence for life in all its manifestations.
To be given time to reflect on philosophical issues as they arise in relation to their studies.
To develop a personal sense of aesthetics and style.
To develop an awareness of the internal processes of phenomena.
To encourage free and healthy individualization.
To explore the meaning of destiny: what have I got to offer the world?

Social Science Class 12

UNITS OF LEARNING

In some schools these could be stand alone Main Lessons and in some schools they could be taken as ongoing practice lessons or a combination.

Philosophy

Possible Content:

Pre-socratic philosophers
Western philosophy and Greek philosophers
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Logic and Reasoning (argument and logical fallacies)
Ethics
Aesthetics
Politics and government

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To perceive the inter-dependence of phenomena, processes and human endeavours.
To be able to acknowledge one’s own strengths, weaknesses, capacities, learning needs, learning style.
To be aware of themselves as members of a world community.
To feel in command of their future direction/destiny.
To have well-developed moral, ethical and personal standards.
To make visible and refine their areas of strengths.
To find appropriate ways of dealing with their areas of weaknesses.
To be able to stand by the fruits of their creation/productivity.
To foster a sense of one’s potential to make a difference.

Issues of Our Time or Modern Conflict

Possible Content:

Social Movements
Social Media
Political engagement

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

To perceive the inter-dependence of phenomena, processes and human endeavours.
To be able to acknowledge one’s own strengths, weaknesses, capacities, learning needs, learning style.
To be aware of themselves as members of a world community.
To feel in command of their future direction/destiny.
To have well-developed moral, ethical and personal standards.
To make visible and refine their areas of strengths.
To find appropriate ways of dealing with their areas of weaknesses.
To be able to stand by the fruits of their creation/productivity.
To foster a sense of one’s potential to make a difference.

Human Development and Psychology

Relevant Pedagogical Aims:

Possible Content:

History
Perspectives in Psychology
Psychology and the body (sensations and perceptions)
Psychology and the mind (intelligence, cognition, memory)
Human/Child development
Social Psychology
Human psychology: Motivation, emotion, personality