The subjects of History and Geography are taught within the strand of integrated studies at YCIS.
Students need a sense of the past in order to understand the present and think about the future--thus, the study of History provides the opportunity for students to develop a sense of identity in an increasingly changing world. Students also need to study people, places, and environments around the world and the issues and concerns raised as economies become dependent on each other--thus, the study of Geography is integral to a child's development as a global citizen. Because History, Geography and Science are often linked together, they are often taught in the YCIS Primary curriculum as themes rather than separate subject areas.
History and Geography are part of the curriculum called Integrated Studies. It is taught with Science, but not all the topics listed in this curriculum are taught every year because of time constraints. One History and Geography topic and two Science topics are usually covered each term.
The aims of the History and Geography programme are to:
- Develop the social research method of enquiry--using primary and secondary sources, analysing data and presenting results in a variety of ways;
- Enhance communication skills by using the appropriate vocabulary within the relevant context of each discipline;
- Appreciate the growing interconnectedness of people, communities and societies and the need for improved ways of solving world problems;
- Develop mapping skills--using a wide variety of graphs, charts, diagrams, maps and models--and present them in oral and written presentations;
- Study heritage and citizenship of earlier communities and civilisations of the world and their influences on modern day society;
- Use an integrative approach when studying topics that are best explained using both History and Geography and scientific frames of reference such as climate, environment and natural disasters.
