Social studies has the potential to be one of the most interesting and useful content areas taught to elementary students.  There are a variety of methods a teacher could use in classroom instruction.  Some teachers choose to let students participate in cooperative learning activities.  Through inquiry based learning, students learn responsibility and social skills as they are learning social studies content.  Other teachers may feel that the discovery method is best and let students generate questions and research to find their answers.  I believe a teacher could combine these different methods so that all students could benefit.  All students are capable of learning, but each may learn best with different instructional methods.
     Hands-on learning can easily be incorporated into the social studies curriculum.  For example, students could look at a washboard to see how people used to wash their clothing.  Different types of realia would help students to better understand history.  By bringing these authentic items into my classroom, I will help students gain a better appreciation for history.
     Students should be encouraged to continue learning throughout their lives.  Social studies is a content area taught in the classroom, but students will be using it and learning about it outside the classroom as well.  I hope to teach my students how to go after the answers, so they will be able to continue learning long after they have left the classroom.
     Social studies can and should be integrated with other curriculum areas.  I want my students to realize that social studies impacts and is impacted by each of the other content areas.  By integrating the curriculum, students will see how essential content areas such as math, reading, and science are to what they learn about social studies.  In turn, all content areas are strengthened through integration.