INTRODUCING HUMANITIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS!

The humanities all play an important role on the overall curriculum for primary schools and in inter-curriculum skills. If well instructed, they can teach children vocabulary skills, creative skills, literacy skills, spiritual, social and even patriotic skills. How these objectives can be achieved will be examined below.

History has a very crucial role in the primary curriculum. This is because it provides solutions to some instrumental questions within our lives. It allows children to understand how the world around them became what it is today. It also allows them to trace the origin of the people surrounding them. Children in lower levels of learning are usually not familiar with events in the past. They do not know that the past exists and history is the platform for introducing children to this crucial aspect of their lives. It also teaches children the ability to piece together different types of information and hence they learn the principle of drawing conclusions from evidence presented. On top of this, history allows children to form links between the present day and the past. In summary, here are some of the questions that history helps to answer

• What was our origin?
• What helped us reach here?
• Which people were responsible?
• What makes up the past?

Targets for the subject range from class to class; it is almost impossible to exhaust all the targets related to history. However, it should be noted that one of the most crucial stages occurs when children reach the age of seven. While in this stage, teachers normally set specific targets such as: possessing the ability to place events in sequence from the past and the present. Teachers also expect these children to start understanding the reasons why some events in the past occurred as they did. They should also have the ability to distinguish between the way they are living now and the way people in the past lived. Children are also expected to realize that elements of the past were clearly represented in certain ways. This should also stimulate a sense of curiosity in them so they should ask questions concerning those past events.

Teachers handling relatively young children need to realize that those children learn best in a practical environment. This is why the subject is taught through visits to the museum. Using this teaching technique, children can see how, where and when certain people in the past lived. They can also comprehend certain aspects of their curriculum by relating it to images they see. Similarly, teachers also make use of historical sites depicting elements of the curriculum, for the same reason as the museums. Certain teachers also make objects about a central character in a certain topic say King George 1V’s reign. They also display pictures of the main players within a historical topic and then use it to tell a story. Another example of a specific technique that may be used to deliver topics within the history curriculum includes use of video recordings. Here, a specific topic is selected say ‘The Vikings’ then actors play out the roles of all the important characters within that topic of study. This makes it seem less rigid and more visual for the children. Consequently, it will heighten their chances of remembering.

ICT is incorporated in the teaching of history within schools. This is normally done in a variety of ways. Teachers can use websites made distinctly for history to give a pictorial view on some of the websites present. These websites also provide activities that children can perform in groups or individually in order to understand a certain topic precisely. Examples of websites that children can visit in an attempt to incorporate ICT within their learning experience include ‘The time trail’-here children learn about important topics in the history curriculum through colorful displays. ‘Quiz is’ this website allows to children to measure their understanding of the subject matter through quizzes in a variety of historical topics. Another website display information about ‘The great fire of London’. It has been specifically designed for children in year two and they can easily understand it. There is also a website on ‘historical clothing’; children read about historical clothing and are then given instructions on how to make some of their own. Alternatively, the teacher can get students to create their own website. Here, children can be given the opportunity to select a topic of their choice. Afterwards, they should be allowed to highlight some points within the topic through their own words with the help of word processors. They also draw images using various computer application systems as this helps them out in the process. A good example of website created by children was one made by the students form the Neale Wade Community College. This was part of the Multiversum project that aimed at including more ICT in history classes. These children were first oriented into the world of ICT and history through practical lessons and at the end of the syllabus; they were able to put into practice what they learnt from their teacher.

However, according to statutory orders, more time should be allocated to mathematics, sciences and English. A subject in humanities like history does not fall into the sort of ‘core’ treatment that the former three subjects receive. Consequently, it becomes very difficult o try and fit all the requirements of the curriculum within the limited time allocated for history. The mode of teaching in history currently needs to be organized in such a way that teachers maximize on limited time despite having a lot of material to teach.

Geography as a subject in the humanities is a crucial subject. First of all, children are able to learn about their location in relation to the rest of the world. They also learn how certain locations are affected by the environment and how they can change with time. Besides this, children will be able to locate certain areas practically even if it is their first time there through development of map skills. They also learn about the link that location or the environment has between economic and social activities of the inhabitants. This is achieved through fieldwork activities.

One of the techniques that teachers can use to instill geographical skills is through enquiries. Here, a teacher can select a certain question and use it as a baseline for teaching map work, field work and thinking skills. For example a teacher selects the topic ‘their local orchard’. The main question that children can work around is ‘can houses be built in this orchard?’ what is the orchard’s future?’ Such an enquiry will help children develop an understanding of the world around them. It will also help them develop skills in geography within a relevant context. Besides these, children will learn to relate how different aspects of a location can change with time. As the teacher deals with this unit, children should start with simple tasks and resources. But as the weeks progress, they can change this to become more complex. For example, at the start, the scales of the maps are simple and even the maps themselves are quite easy to understand. However, as time progresses, teachers should increase the level of geographical vocabulary. They could also expect the children to draw their own maps. By asking the children questions about their surrounding, children develop communication skills by observing what they see and then speaking them out. They also develop intellectual skills by relating patterns, colors and other displays to the question put forward to them. They also learn how to be creative since they are required to represent their findings pictorially through the use of maps.

An example of how teachers can deliver geographical aspects to their students is through field trips. Teachers could take children around a chosen location near the school. Upon arrival, children are asked to select stones of various sizes and some sticks. The stones are supposed to be arranged in such a manner as to create a pictorial representation of what the children can see. This creates a sense of relevance of the maps. However, teachers should first give examples themselves to allow the children to follow them. Later on, children are then allowed to represent the images they saw through drawing maps. They are allowed to choose their own symbols after guidance from the teacher.

ICT is incorporated in geography through a number of avenues. It is used a tool for interaction between students coming form different locations. For example children in Britain can see for themselves how geographical features vary from their own in Northern Ireland. This can be achieved through web cameras and video conferencing facilities. Besides this, children can also learn how to present geographical concepts through power point and word processing programs. Through these forms of software, they can represent locations through maps and other images. This allows them room to express their ideas because there are aids within those software packages that can help them along the wait. On top of this, children also conduct research through ICT. The use of the internet is crucial in teaching geography. It has information about numerous maps and geographical features that have been created for children. Examples of such websites include QCA, SLN, Dorset, Kent and Staffordshire websites. Children get inspired by the images on display and this reinforces their ability to remember them. ICT also helps children manipulate data for class purposes. This is normally done through the use of software application made for data processing. Children can also learn how to make geographical presentations through power point.

Geography has already received attention for government agencies. The Offset annual report of 2006 highlights a variety of problems that exist in the teaching of geography. First of all, teachers are inadequately qualified for the tasks. As if that is not enough, very few of them undergo training while on the job to improve their skills in the area. It should also be noted that most teachers equip children with minimal knowledge in the subject and then expect too much from these very children. Consequently performance is low. Out door activities by the inquiry were also found to be inadequately done. Most of them had very little relation to geographical ideas. Those that did had, focused on scientific and nature related courses instead of focusing on investigation and communication about their outdoor world. Besides this, it was also found that minimal time is allocated to this subject because teachers concentrate on subjects they feel more confident about.

Religious education plays one of the major roles in inter-curricula activity. It helps children in the development of their spiritual aspect. It also helps them understand why other groups behave the way they do since they learn about their religious practices. In addition, children are equipped with a sense of right or wrong since most religions mould their character.

According to statutory orders of the curriculum, most schools were found to comply with requirements in religious education curriculum. However, there were still some problems highlighted like the low expectations of teachers. There was also relative weakness in assessment within the subject. New technology is also poorly incorporated into the training practices for the subject. On the other hand, teachers followed the QCA guidelines and most of them are in line with requirements. About two fifth of the schools in the UK take their children for religious education field trips which provides a positive influence in their lives.

A specific example of how religious education is taught is through relation of holidays to events within their religions. For example teachers teach year one children the significance of Christmas through giving the meaning of the birth of Jesus. They also organize some outdoor activities such as visits to mosques, churches or Buddhist temples. They read some narrations from religious books like the bible. In this case teachers should make use of versions of the religious books that are made for children. For example, the children’s bible has pictorial representations of some of the characters and this enforces their remembrance.

Teachers have set targets on this subject. Some of the expectations that teachers have for this subject include proficiency in reading assignments from religious books, here children are supposed to have related what they read to some of the things they had talked about in class.

ICT can be used in this subject through websites that allow children to learn in a colorful yet effective way. These include; a site by Staffordshire called ‘religious stories’, a site by Startholyde University called ‘Images and artifacts’ and a site by top marks called ‘the ten commandments’. Teachers can also make children do assignments through the computer and have them sent to them through e-mail. This however applies to children who are almost completing their primary school education.

All the three humanities subjects give room for the development of literacy skills. This is because as children become proficient in these subject areas, there is a need for them to communicate to each other. When properly channeled by teachers, it improves their vocabulary and enhances their communication skills. Children also grow socially. In religious education, they learn about other religions and why some of their classmates adhere to different types of faith. In geography, they are able to identify different locations throughout the world and this goes a long way in creating a sense of appreciation for the differences they see in certain individuals. Besides this, children also learn how to get along with others from a seemingly different background since they have to work in groups while completing tasks in any of the three subjects.

The three humanities subjects can also be integrated by highlighting some important topics in all of them. For example, teachers can instill in children a sense of patriotism regardless of the subject being taught. Besides this as children develop a sense of spiritual growth through the integration of the three subjects.

The humanities do not take as much precedence as mathematics and sciences within certain schools. It is therefore essential that schools leave more time for these activities. Teachers should also equip themselves with more knowledge in the subjects especially geography. This should also be topped up by adding relevance to outdoor activities. These will go a long way in enhancing children’s capabilities within these areas of study.

INTRODUCING HUMANITIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS!

INTRODUCING HUMANITIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS!