Social Studies

Day 3, Thematic Units

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

When my mom was in college, she was assigned a social experiment for her sociology class. At the time, she worked at a cosmetics counter in a department store. She chose to apply her make-up in socially awkward ways for a six-week period and record how people treated her. Her boss gave her permission and the experiment began.

The hardest part for my mom was keeping a straight face when people interacted with her. The confusion on their faces and the mental battle of whether to say something or avoid her was written across their faces. Hushed whispers, wide berths, and stifled snickers followed her that six-weeks. The findings? People don’t know what to do when others are outside of the social norm. We have a herd mentality and assume what is socially acceptable is the best and only way. There is great discomfort when faced with alternative options for normality.

Imagine the pharisees when Jesus came to town. He deconstructed their teaching, preached a different way, and grew his following exponentially. Jesus broke the social norms and like my mom, likely experienced hidden whispers, wide berths, and stifled snickers. But eventually, many people changed their minds about Jesus. They were drawn to his authenticity and compassion. He welcomed all, regardless of social status or cultural heritage. He stood out because he was different. On purpose.

While spiritually we study the life of Jesus and his teachings, often in secular classrooms we cannot focus on this. However, we can shine the spotlight on the lives of the many heroes who changed the world, one bold act at a time. History-makers like Anne Frank and Corrie Ten Boom put their lives on the line for a cause greater than their own. When teaching our students about historical events, we can humanize history by incorporating biographies that inspire.

Think about the unsung heroes of wars: the code-talkers, who used Native American dialect to communicate over radios, the bombers who crashed planes into war ships who left behind grieving families, and women who served the diseased and dying as nurses and volunteers. History can come alive if the stories are added to the curriculum. And the great thing? Many of these heroes clung to their faith and students will be exposed to their underlying hope the deeper they dig into these heroic lives.

Thematic units in social studies and history curriculum can be enlightening. Instead of sticking to the book, explore the standards and find ways to connect today’s youth to yesterday’s lives. We will find that we aren’t as different as we think and maybe a student will be inspired for a lifetime.

Do the Heart Work

1.      How did biographies impact your learning? Which ones were the most impactful?

2.      Who in your class could benefit from historical biographies included in thematic units? How?

3.      Which of Jesus’ teaching seemed the most radical to you? Why?

Digging Deeper

               “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:25-28 (NIV)

              I don’t think Jesus was teaching on how to make friends and win over enemies with this teaching. His words were unpopular, even hostile to the religious elite. But Jesus was not swayed by human opinion or social norms. He stood for what he knew was right and taught those truths regardless of the consequences.

              The history makers acted a lot like Jesus. Many stood for what was right in the face of tremendous oppression. Just as we are thankful for Jesus, we can teach our students to be thankful for the history-makers too. Leaving a mark on history for the good is something we want this generation to learn to do.

If You Get Spare Time

              Even if you teach a subject other than social studies, the need for including biographies is huge. How can you reshape your class to include more biographies? Each topic of study lends itself to learn about people. People shaped history. Find at least one way to include inspirational studies of history-makers in your lessons each week and watch the spark for learning grow in your students.