What's New?   A series of curriculum information pamphlets published by the Ministry of Education for parents and trustees.

This issue looks at the new national curriculum statement, Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum, which was published in October 1997. What's New? will show you: the new social studies curriculum what's in the social studies curriculum how the levels of student achievement are described how you can help your child at school.

Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum

Why a new curriculum?

The official curriculum schools have been using is over thirty years old. In that time, many ideas
have changed about the best way of helping students to understand the world around them and
to develop the skills and knowledge they need to play their part in society.

The big picture

The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, which all state and integrated schools must follow, has seven essential learning areas. One of the areas is Social Sciences. Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum is the core curriculum statement in this learning area.

A social studies statement in Māori, Tikanga-ā-iwi, will be published in 1998.

The new social studies curriculum is the fifth of seven new statements to be completed as part
of the curriculum reforms started in 1993.

Primary and junior secondary

Schools have been teaching social studies from year 1 (junior primary) to year 10 (form 4) for many
years using earlier syllabuses. This new curriculum statement replaces those earlier syllabuses.

From the start of 2000, schools must base their teaching in years 1 to 10 on the new curriculum.
This curriculum describes what students should know about and understand in social studies and the
skills they should be developing as they go through their schooling (see inside).

Senior secondary

In the senior secondary school (years 11 to 13), there are a number of social science subject options,
for example, history, geography, and economics.
Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum does not replace these programmes, although it may be
used to develop a new senior secondary school subject (social studies) alongside history, geography,
and economics at years 11 to 13 (forms 5 to 7).

What's in the social studies curriculum?

Social studies education aims to enable students to participate in a changing society as informed,
confident, and responsible citizens.

The curriculum is divided into five strands that teachers must cover in their social studies programmes.

• Social Organisation
• Culture and Heritage
• Place and Environment
• Time, Continuity, and Change
• Resources and Economic Activities.
• These strands overlap and are often combined in social studies lessons.

Students will also be developing skills in three important processes:

• Inquiry
• Values Exploration
• Social Decision Making.

The strands and processes are usually linked with each other when social studies is being taught.
For example, a child might be studying immigrant groups coming to New Zealand from Europe.
This could involve the strands Culture and Heritage and Place and Environment, along with the
processes of Inquiry and Values Exploration.

Eight levels of achievement The social studies curriculum is organised to clearly show the standard of student achievement. Each of the five strands is described in eight levels of achievement objectives.
	Strand: Resources and Economic Activities Level 1 objectives different types of work people do. Students could demonstrate such knowledge and understandings when they: describe what work is; describe the different types of work done in the community; give examples of the various work roles that children, women, and men have.
	Level 7 objectives how and why people's participation in economic activities has changed, and the consequences of this. Students could demonstrate such knowledge and understandings when they: identify factors that have changed people's participation in economic activities (e.g., technological developments; changing social attitudes towards the working week, the environment, and women in paid work; the availability of labour; and business decisions); explain how these factors have changed people's participation in production, distribution, consumption, and exchange; describe consequences of these changes for people and for societies.
Children will typically be working towards level 1 objectives during the first two years of primary school. They may be achieving at level 3 or 4 at year 7 to 8 (forms 1 to 2) and at level 7 or 8 by the end of secondary school.

Catering for individual needs

Students in the same class may be achieving at different achievement levels.
Individual students may also be achieving at different levels in different social studies topics.

Settings in New Zealand and Beyond

Social studies programmes based on this new curriculum will enable students to gain knowledge and understandings about events, places, and people significant to New Zealand in the past and in the present. As well as topics set in New Zealand, students will study topics in other settings that include communities and societies in places beyond New Zealand.

Altogether the curriculum describes six settings: New Zealand, the Pacific, Europe, Asia, Other Settings (which each school can decide on), and Global Settings. (Global Settings include international issues and organisations like the United Nations or the Commonwealth.)

Helping your Child at School

There are many ways you can help your children with their social studies.
Teachers will be planning to introduce the new social studies curriculum in your school. Ask them about their intentions and attend any meetings held by the school.

Listed below are some things you can do to help children think about the different strands. Your own interests or hobbies may help your children to understand some of the topics they study.

You are the best "resource" your children have.

Your friends, relatives, or neighbours may also have something to contribute.
You, yourself, may become a useful resource for your school's social studies programme. Your child's school may be interested in hearing from you about your experiences and making use of your skills.
Discussing current affairs with your child could also help them with their social studies.
Below are some key questions that may help to clarify the learning in each strand.

Listen to your child's questions. Help them to understand the issues.

strands Social Organisation	useful questions Who is in your family group? What are the clubs or organisations you belong to? What roles do people take in different groups? What do you know about political parties, members of parliament, local government, and counsellors?
Culture and Heritage	What city, district, or country did you come from? What things that you do or possessions that you have are important to you and your family? What customs and traditions do you celebrate? Which songs do you enjoy?
Place and Environment	What is special about the place where you live? How do you look after the places you most value? How do you make changes to the places you live in? Do you change your clothes or behaviour when you visit a special place, such as a church or school, or when going to a dance? What differences are there between the places where you live and those where people in other countries live?
Time, Continuity, and Change	What was different when you were your children's age? Where can children obtain information about what happened in the past? What important people or events have changed or shaped your life?
Resources and Economic Activities	How do you know what to buy? What are your rights as a Economic Activities consumer? What range of things do you spend your money on each week? What are taxes collected for? What do you feel about the nature of work and the use of resources?

You can order extra copies of this what's new? from Learning Media, Box 3293, Wellington, fax 04 472 6444.
Item number 98146.

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