Social Studies Syllabus: Primary Level

Social Studies Teaching and Learning Syllabus Primary

• The Social Studies Teaching and Learning Syllabus is for primary levels
• The implementation starts with the 2020 Primary One, Primary Two, and Primary Three Cohorts.
• Implementation continues with the 2021 Primary Four and Primary Five Cohorts
• It then concludes with the 2022 Primary Six Cohort.

Social Studies Education in Singapore

• The Social Studies curriculum spans primary and secondary levels.
• The subject aims to grow knowledge, develop skills, and instill values by examining relevant societal and global issues.
• The Singapore Social Studies Curriculum prepares effective citizens who understand global interconnectedness and appreciate the complexities of the human experience.
• Social Studies ignites curiosity to inquire into real-world issues through aspects of society meaningful and interesting to students.
• Authentic learning experiences help students gain relevant knowledge, develop critical/reflective thinking skills, and appreciate multiple perspectives.
• The curriculum envisions students as informed, concerned, and participative citizens competent in decision-making and contributing responsibly to the world.

Curriculum Aims

• Informed citizens understand rights/responsibilities, their Singaporean identity, and the Singapore perspective on national, regional, and global issues.
• Informed citizens also analyze complex issues, and arrive at well-reasoned decisions through reflective thought.
• Concerned citizens have a sense of belonging, commit to building social cohesion, are motivated to engage in societal concerns, and reflect on ethical implications.
• Participative citizens act responsibly for the good of society and are resilient in addressing societal concerns despite challenges.

2020 Social Studies Primary Syllabus

• A thematic approach frames the SSP syllabus, structured along key themes: Identity, Culture and Heritage; People and Environment.
• The syllabus is organized into three broad clusters: Discovering Self and Immediate Environment; Understanding Singapore in the Past and Present; Appreciating Singapore, the Region and the World.

Syllabus Clusters include:

• Cluster 1 is titled Discovering Self and Immediate Environment.
• Cluster 1 emphasizes exploring who students are, their roles in relation to people/places, and the customs/traditions of some communities in Singapore.
• Cluster 1 promotes appreciation of Singapore's cultural diversity and understanding of how common experiences unite the nation.
• Cluster 2 is titled Understanding Singapore in the Past and Present.
• Cluster 2 focuses on learning about Singapore, the contributions of different groups to its growth/independence, and developing appreciation for the country.
• Cluster 2 aims to promote valuing the adaptability, resilience, and resourcefulness of Singapore's leaders and people.
• Cluster 3 is titled Appreciating Singapore, the Region and the World We Live In.
• Cluster 3 emphasizes learning about Singapore as a nation and the contributions of different people.
• Cluster 3 promotes understanding of Southeast Asia, Singapore's connections within the region, and legacies of world civilizations.

Table 2.1: Clusters of Study Across the Primary Level

• Primary 1 focuses on "Knowing Myself, Others and My Surroundings" with the inquiry focus of "Who am I in relation to the people and places around me?".
• Primary 2 focuses on "Coming Together as a Nation" with the inquiry focus of "What unites the people in Singapore as a nation?".
• Primary 3 focuses on "Understanding Singapore's Environment and Challenges" with the inquiry focus of "What is Singapore's environment like and how do we overcome the challenges we face?".
• Primary 4 focuses on "Understanding Our Past" with the inquiry focus of "How is life in Singapore today shaped by what happened in the past?".
• Primary 5 focuses on "Understanding Singapore's Development as a Nation", and, "Understanding Southeast Asia's Diversity and Interconnectedness".
• Primary 5 frames the inquiry focus as "How has Singapore developed as a nation since its independence?" and, "What makes up Southeast Asia and how are the countries interconnected?".
• Primary 6 focuses on "Understanding Features and Legacies of Civilisations" with the inquiry focus of "How are the legacies of civilisations seen in our lives today?".

Key Learner Outcomes

• At the end of six years of primary education, students will explore identity, culture and heritage of individuals and groups.
• They will understand relationships between people and the environment, examine roles/responsibilities in groups, and recognize importance of resources.
• Students will discuss how Singapore overcomes challenges, cherish what makes Singapore a nation, recognize common ties promoting progress, and describe legacies of civilizations.
• At the end of six years of primary education, students will create plans to locate/collect information and present work, make careful observations, and explore/consider ideas.
• They will process information independently, evaluate and make informed decisions.
• They will fluently express thoughts, work effectively in groups, and present ideas clearly.
• At the end of six years of primary education, students will appreciate cultural diversity and develop personal responsibility in resource management.
• They will recognize how beliefs shape thinking, consider ethical effects of actions, show curiosity, care, develop a sense of belonging, and exercise integrity in information access.

Social Studies and Desired Outcomes of Education

• Learning Social Studies provides opportunities for educators to instill in Singaporeans attributes they aspire to after formal education, known as the Desired Outcomes of Education.
• Students should be confident persons; self-directed learners; active contributors; and concerned citizens.

Social Studies and 21st Century Competencies

• The Ministry of Education has identified competencies increasingly important in the 21st century to help students thrive in a fast-changing, digitalized world.
• Core values and competencies guide holistic education efforts for the future, as outlined in the 21CC Framework.
• Values form the core of one's character and shape a person's beliefs, attitudes, and actions.
• Social-Emotional Competencies are necessary for students to enact their values purposefully and demonstrate good character.
• Emerging 21st Century Competencies (E21CC) comprise knowledge, skills, and dispositions that enable meeting complex demands.
• In the Social Studies Curriculum, the Humanities Inquiry Approach allows content acquisition drawn from various disciplines and cultivates relevant 21CCs.

Critical, Adaptive and Inventive Thinking

• The Social Studies syllabus sharpens critical, adaptive, and inventive thinking by providing learning experiences to make sense of information.
• It allows for reasoned consideration of diverse views, and uses evidence to explain decisions, guiding skills and understanding through inquiry.

Communication, Collaboration and Information Skills

• Social Studies hones communication, collaboration, and information skills, teaching students to understand different perspectives and communicate ideas sensitively.
• The Humanities Inquiry Approach provides opportunities to develop these skills by working in groups to identify, evaluate, and present information.

Civic, Global and Cross-Cultural Literacy

• Social Studies helps nurture civic, global, and cross-cultural literacy, developing students who are both locally anchored and globally confident.
• The Social Studies curriculum provides students with necessary knowledge for civic, global, and cross-cultural literacy, discovering diversity in Southeast Asia and legacies arising from civilizations.

Digital Literacy and National Education

• Holistic education and 21CC development enhance students' digital literacy to find, think about, apply, and create information in digitalized environments.
• Drawing on available platforms and effective technology use, students leverage core values and social-emotional competencies to act safely and responsibly when using technology.
• National Education is anchored on citizenship dispositions enabling students to realize their part in the flourishing of their community and nation, incl. sense of belonging, reality, hope, and will to act.
• Disposition cultivates active citizens with a collective resolve and shared mission towards building Singapore.

Key Syllabus Features

• Key understandings reflect main insights students gain per topic that provide a larger learning purpose and prioritize worthy content.
• Each level is framed by an inquiry focus question for the year, along with guiding questions for deeper understanding, thoughtful inquiry, and social action.
• Flexibility is given to schools in choosing field-based learning sites and performance tasks from Primary Three to Primary Six.
• Emphasis is placed on skills/values for citizenship, with articulated skills and an emphasis on holistic student development for informed, concerned, and participative citizens.
• Field-based learning allows students to contextualize learning in real-world settings through hands-on exploration.
• Performance tasks assess students' ability to translate key knowledge, skills, and values in real-world contexts for Primary Three to Six.

Syllabus Overview from Primary One to Six:

• Primary One: Students learn about themselves, people around them, and their immediate environment.
• Primary Two: Students understand Singapore as comprising diverse people and learn the customs and traditions and that National Symbols/common experiences bind the nation.
• Primary Three: Students learn about Singapore's locations, how people adapt to overcome challenges, consequences of actions on the environment, and the importance of resources.
• Primary Four: Students will study Singapore's early history and the contributions of settlers and how the Japanese affected the people's lives.
• Primary Five (Part 1): Students discover how national identity is built through National Symbols, national events, and places, and that different people contribute to Singapore's defence/social cohesion.
• Primary Five (Part 2): Students learn about the physical environment, diverse lifestyles in Southeast Asia, and interconnectedness among countries.
• Primary Six: Students learn the features of civilizations, examine the legacies of civilizations of the Indian subcontinent and the Chinese civilisation.

Primary One: Knowing Myself, Others and My Surroundings.

• Students will learn who they are in relation to the people and places around them and understand how actions affect the people and places.
• Everyone is unique, people play different roles, can share common attributes, and there are different places around them.
• The learning experiences will allow students to develop an appreciation for the places around them.
• A suggested location for these activites is the School Trails
• Inquiry Focus: “Who am I in relation to the people and places around me?"
• Key Understandings:
  • My identity makes me unique.
  • My identity can be shaped by the groups I belong to.
  • I can relate to the places around me.

Primary Two: Coming Together as a Nation

• Students will understand that Singapore is made up of diverse groups of people and learn their customs and traditions.
• Key Understandings:*
• Singapore is made up of diverse groups of people
• Our National Symbols and common experiences help to unite us as a nation.

Primary Three: Understanding Singapore's Environment and Challenges

• Students will learn about the location of places in Singapore. Students will learn how people have adapted to overcome challenges.
• Key Understandings:*
• Knowing the location of places in Singapore helps me know my country better
• We use resources wisely to protect the environment
• We adapt to overcome challenges to meet our needs

Primary Four: Understanding Our Past

• How is life in Singapore today shaped by what happened in the past?
  • Stories and historical records help us understand early Singapore.
  • Our settlers came from different parts of the world.
  • The contributions of our settlers are reflected in Singapore today.
  • The Japanese Occupation affected the people in Singapore in different ways.
  • Our leaders contributed to Singapore's journey towards independence.

Primary Five

• Understand how our national identity can be built through national symbols, national events and places in Singapore.
  • Our National Symbols, national events and places in Singapore help to build our national identity
  • Different people have contributed to the building of Singapore’s defence
  • People from different groups have contributed to the building of social cohesion in Singapore

Primary Six

• How are the legacies of the civilisations seen in our lives today?
  • Teatures of ancient civilisations can be seen in our lives today.
  • Legacies of the civilisations of the Indian subcontinent influence our lives today.
  • Legacies of the Chinese civilisation influence our lives today.
  • Legacies of the ancient kingdoms and empires of Southeast Asia have influenced the region and can still be seen today.

Pedagogy

• The increasing complexities of the global environment we live in necessitates that the SSP curriculum equips students with the knowledge, skills and values that would enable students to succeed at becoming effective citizens.
• The four pedagogical elements
• 1. Learning as Question-Driven
• 2. Reliance on Evidence
• 3. Double Movement of Reflection
• 4. Knowledge Construction