Heather Bradford
University of Phoenix
MTE/520
Bret Werner
May 27, 2013
Multiple Perspectives Analysis Paper
Teaching social studies can be quite a task when trying to figure out whose perspective we must teach from considering social studies is, for the most part, a narrative. When teaching social studies one of the most important things to remember is to be objective; facts are facts. History should be universal, however we all know that is hard to keep controlled. Since teaching social studies is so important it is crucial that we allow our students to learn the topics from multiple perspectives.
Teaching from multiple perspectives is vital because when teachers cover historical events from only one perspective they may be inadvertently giving students a reason to dislike different countries or societies. There is a well-known statement, “there are two sides to every story.” This statement could not be more right when teaching social studies. Every country has their own reason for starting war just like every culture may have their reasons for believing in a specific god. The differences are not always necessarily wrong. Differences are what create history and the changes our world has seen since the beginning of time. Allowing students to view our world’s history from several perspectives will enable students to show respect to other cultures, which can create more understanding individuals instead of creating racial biased individuals. With the integration of technology into our cultures, synergy between countries around the world is a must. In the past decade students have been given opportunities to connect with students of other countries/societies much easier than in the past; with a click of the mouse they can chat with others from thousands of miles away. This being said, teachers must teach cultural tolerance in order to produce well-rounded individuals.
Although it may be hard to