To graduate high school every student must take one U.S. history, one government and economics and one other social studies credit. 

Even though it may seem boring currently, students need to know history and politics for when they go into the real world. 

“Students need to know history so that they can make informed decisions when voting or when advocating for certain issues,” social studies teacher Fara Stewart said. 

Chris Dowdell said he wants to prepare his students to navigate the future.

“My approach to it is we look at things that happened in the past, and we analyze what happened and how we deal with it and whether it was successful or not, so that when it comes up again we have a guide for the problems that are similar in the future.”

In the era we live in, people are more connected than ever, and one goal of the social studies department is to help students navigate this increasingly connected world.

“I think with the way the world is changing now, especially with globalization, it’s important to get an idea of what’s happening in other parts of the world,” said David Smith. “They can learn other cultures, and as people move here or move away, they know what to expect and how moving can shift things like global trade, government, and politics.” 

Smith said that learning and teaching social studies has impacted the way he travels.

“It’s made me be more open-minded when visiting places,” Smith said. “I like to take in the culture. I want culture, I want to try the food, what they do there, and what makes each place unique.” 

Besides learning about other cultures and their history, social studies can be useful for other hobbies.

 “Knowing obscure facts about history is an amazing perk when watching ‘Jeopardy!’” Stewart said.