Social Studies
Goals
The general goal of the Social Studies Department is to produce a "good" citizen. A good citizen is one who can contribute to the improvement of his/her society. Such a student should develop critical thinking skills making it possible to analyze the thoughts of others and to synthesize his/her own thoughts. A student should have the evaluative tools at hand to provide him/her with guidelines for making good decisions. Finally, a student should have the willingness to contribute his/her talents and to recognize the talents and contributions of others.
More specifically, the goals of the Social Studies Department are:
- To provide a student with the opportunity to examine the values and beliefs held by individuals and groups
- To develop the student's ability to think critically about important issues which face contemporary American and world societies
- To help students produce a body of tested principles and generalizations about human relations while helping them understand the limits of such generalizations
- To furnish opportunities for student creativity so the individual's talents can be developed
- To help the student clarify his/her substantive values
- To encourage students to appreciate the progress, accomplishments and even failures of humans and to develop a corresponding spirit of tolerance for the ways in which different groups and societies have established their histories
- To use library and classroom resources to find, assimilate and apply information
- To write and speak for a variety of audiences and purposes in a clear and concise manner
Graduation Requirement
All Students who graduate from Garces Memorial High School must successfully complete 3 years of Social Science.