At Children’s Day School, social science (or social studies) is the integrated study of the social sciences (including history, geography, sociology and political science) and humanities (including literature and philosophy). The principal goals of the CDS social science curriculum are for students to understand history as well as social and political systems, to apply that understanding to social issues, to explore recurring human and social themes through literature and to develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.
On a typical CDS day, social science activities might include:
- preschoolers learning about different kinds of families
- first graders mapping San Francisco neighborhoods
- fourth graders becoming art historians and detectives as they unravel the clues in Chasing Vermeer
- sixth graders discussing My Brother Sam Is Dead in connection with the study of the American Revolution
- eighth graders honing their critical reasoning skills in discussions of the works of Socrates and Plato
In preschool, skills developed by students include:
- learning about themselves (Who am I?)
- teaching someone else
- recognizing the impact of their actions on others
In elementary school, skills developed by students include:
- learning about their school community
- exploring history and social issues through topics such as urban ecology and immigration
- studying the organization of political systems such as states
In middle school, skills developed by students include:
- studying Ancient civilizations and Asian cultures
- examining oppression as a social force throughout history
- mapping world geography
- studying United States and world history
- exploring the history of conflict among societies
- critically analyzing fundamental assumptions and beliefs through the study of philosophy