Social Science is about people and their placement in the natural world.

The subjects in this curriculum area are:

History

History is the study of how our past influences our present. The main ideas that are studied in history are: Conflict and consensus, war and peace, civil action and the foundations of New Zealand.  Students can then study elements of these topics that most interest them.

Geography

Geography is the study of the environment as the home of people. It seeks to interpret the world and how it changes over time – past, present, and future.

It explores the relationships and connections between people and both natural and cultural environments.

Geography investigates the ways in which features are arranged on the earth’s surface. It describes and explains the patterns and processes that create them.

Students learn to think spatially and use maps, visual images and new technologies, including geographical information systems (GIS), to obtain, present and analyse information.

Senior Social Studies

Senior social studies is about how societies work and how people can participate in their communities as informed, critical, active, and responsible citizens.

Students examine the causes and effects of social issues that relate to identity, culture, and organisation, and learn to take actions that may bring about social improvement.

They investigate how individuals, communities, and societies respond to change and how ideas about society develop over time.

Business Studies

Business Studies is about how individuals and groups of people organise, plan, and act to create and develop goods and services to satisfy customers.

Business is influenced by and impacts on the cultural, ethical, environmental, political, and economic conditions of the day. Issues such as sustainability, citizenship, enterprise, and globalisation are central to both business and the study of business

• What is the role of business in society?

• What responsibility do businesses have to their customers?

• How do businesses behave and why?

Junior Social Studies

Unuhia te rito o te harakeke kei whea te kōmako e kō?

Whakatairangitia – rere ki uta, rere ki tai;

Ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao,

Māku e kī atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata!

The social sciences learning area is about how societies work and how people can participate as critical, active, informed, and responsible citizens. Contexts are drawn from the past, present, and future and from places within and beyond New Zealand.

Our Pathway: Te Ara Tikanga

Social Science subjects are part of the Te Ara Tikanga pathway which also includes Languages.

History is the study of how our past influences our present. The main ideas that are studied in history are: Conflict and consensus, war and peace, civil action and the foundations of New Zealand.  Students can then study elements of these topics that most interest them. The focus is on connections to our past and how those past events have created our present.

Geography is the study of the environment as the home of people; what is where, why there, and why should we care? Students taking Geography will learn to interpret natural and cultural landscapes and how things change over time – past, present, and future.

It explores the relationships and connections between people and the natural and cultural environments.

Geography investigates the ways in which features are arranged on the earth’s surface. It describes and explains the patterns and processes that create them.

Students learn to think spatially and use maps, visual images and new technologies, including geographical information systems (GIS), to obtain, present and analyse information.

Senior Social Studies

Senior social studies is about how societies work and how people can participate in their communities as informed, critical, active, and responsible citizens.

Students examine the causes and effects of social issues that relate to identity, culture, and organisation, and learn to take actions that may bring about social improvement.

They investigate how individuals, communities, and societies respond to change and how ideas about society develop over time.

Business Studies

Business Studies is about how individuals and groups of people organise, plan, and act to create and develop goods and services to satisfy customers.

Business is influenced by and impacts on the cultural, ethical, environmental, political, and economic conditions of the day. Issues such as sustainability, citizenship, enterprise, and globalisation are central to both business and the study of business

• What is the role of business in society?

• What responsibility do businesses have to their customers?

• How do businesses behave and why?

The focus for Business Studies and Commerce is on Entrepreneurial skills, leading to setting up functioning businesses through a project approach in years 12 & 13.

Horticulture

The science of growing food. We study the decisions people make when growing food crops and the links between culture and environment that influence these decisions. Students will have gained knowledge about the biological foundations of plants to reinforce other areas of study. They will also learn about the influence of climate factors in crop success. Change, innovation and tikanga are core components of learning modules.

Horticulture employs a range of seasonal and permanent workers. We aim to open a range of skills, knowledge & career opportunities within the food growing industry in New Zealand.

Junior Social Studies

Unuhia te rito o te harakeke kei whea te kōmako e kō?

Whakatairangitia – rere ki uta, rere ki tai;

Ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao,

Māku e kī atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata!

The social sciences learning area is about how societies work and how people can participate as critical, active, informed, and responsible citizens. Contexts are drawn from the past, present, and future and from places within and beyond New Zealand. Our Modules of learning explored in years 9 & 10 are on the following: Culture and collective identity, Place and Environment, Sovereignty, organisation, and government, the Economic World, Māori history, Colonisation, and Power. The focus is student centred learning where students ask questions, gather information and background ideas, and examine relevant current issues, explore and analyse people’s values and perspectives, consider the ways in which people make decisions and participate in social action, and reflect on and evaluate the understandings they have developed.

Our Pathway: Te Ara Tikanga

Everything in Te Ara Tikanga is about our lives here and now, where we have come from, where we are going, and how we can be informed, empowered and inspired for our lives. We have crossover with multiple departments and are integrated into bilingual pathways. Our modules of learning involve writing our histories, exploring our planet, growing our food with community action, making our own businesses, and making a better Kelston for us all