Class 11-12

While studying Social Sciences, students should be able to understand contemporary social issues as well as their experiences in the classroom and be able to link it all up with the subject. There is not just one way of evaluation. What is important to see is to what depth children have understood the topic and if they have been able to see its linkages to their daily life. If they are able to articulate their views in writing, related as they are to their experience, this would be fulfilling the objectives of education.

If real learning has to happen in children in the classroom, a good preparation on the part of the teacher is a must. We teachers need to know what kind of preparation is necessary. It’s always better to think ‘How does the child learn?’, rather than thinking ‘How to teach the child?’, because the child learns only when he is ready to learn by himself. There is no end to learning, education is a continuous process. While learning in school is one stage, adopting the same in life is another stage.

‘Mathematics Mela’ was an alien and unimaginable word to me before this was held in our school. Generally schools arrange science exhibition or science mela where children display things that take place in day to day life and are also connected with principles of science. These exhibits, or events, are presented from the point of view of science and children participate in it with a lot of enthusiasm. This was my only experience about melas.

Teaching social science in upper primary has its own uniqueness since learners can understand changes in human society through the community around us, by close observations at homes, through newspapers, media etc. A teacher also gets similar experiences from community.