History. Sociology. Geography. Civics. Political Science. Economics. Anthropology. These disciplines — often grouped together under the heading of “social studies” — were developed to foster a deeper understanding of the world we all inhabit. The best educators work hard to take their students outside of boundaries on a map, lists of dates or dull expositions on theory. They draw lines between every lesson and the lives of the students they are teaching.
Students are challenged to envision their life in a different culture or a different time. To see the progression of political priorities. To understand how the demands of a unified society and economy can shape the lives of the individuals living within it and to evaluate events from multiple perspectives.
And because human beings are moral people, students will invariably place their knowledge into frames of justice versus injustice, generosity versus greed, transparency versus deception, acceptance versus exclusion, freedom versus tyranny. Many students will also regard their studies through the lens of the faith and moral guidance they were taught by their parents: There is a reason, after all, that most of the world’s religions have a solid base in scholarship.
