Humanities (Social Studies)
Social Studies
Overview
Social Studies is compulsory for all Express and Normal (Academic) students at the Upper Secondary level. Together with either Geography (Elective), History (Elective) or Literature (Elective), they make up the subject commonly known as Humanities.
The Social Studies curriculum seeks to prepare our GEMS to be citizens of tomorrow by helping them to understand the inter-connectedness of Singapore and the world they live in, and to appreciate the complexities of the human experience. More importantly, we seek to develop our GEMS to become informed, concerned and participative individuals, competent in decision-making with an impassioned spirit to contribute responsibly to the society and world they live in.
The Department’s approach is based on the Humanities Inquiry approach. Through inquiry and authentic learning experiences, our GEMS attain relevant knowledge and understanding about issues concerning Singapore and the world, develop critical and reflective thinking, and suggest solutions to the myriad of issues facing our society.
Issue Investigation
The Secondary 3 Issue Investigation (II) project is a critical part of the Social Studies curriculum. It forms an important component of our GEMS Continual Assessment. In II, our GEMS work to identify and research on societal needs in Singapore. Our GEMS also research and suggest ways to mitigate these issues.
In 2024, the II theme was ‘Sustainability’. Students worked in groups to research and gain appreciation of the perspectives of different stakeholders, understand the measures taken, as well as the challenges and trade-offs in managing these issues. They made recommendations and advocated for active contributions towards the betterment of society.
To align to the Singapore Smart Nation vision, students were taught how to create a website to feature their II research, data collection and suggestions to appeal to their target audiences.
The following are screenshots and links to some artistically designed II websites from the 2024 cohort.
For this project, students carried out an investigation into the degree of food wastage in Singapore, and proposed some strategies to mitigate this problem.
Link: https://socialstudiesissueinvestigation.weebly.com/what-is-food-wastage.html
This group of students was concerned about plastic waste in Singapore, thus they researched on how ordinary Singaporeans could help in reducing its usage.
Understanding the importance of food security, this group of students researched on how Singaporeans could complement government agencies in safeguarding the nation’s food supply.
Link: https://leticiatohwenting.wixsite.com/foodsecurity
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Enrichment programme – Model United Nations (MUN)
To foster critical thinking and hone research and writing skills, the Humanities Department offers the Model United Nations (MUN) enrichment programme to selected Secondary 3 students. Through participating in various MUNs, students gain a better understanding of global issues and insights on the mechanisms of international relations. They also get to sharpen their public speaking and debating skills during these academic simulations.
In 2024, our GEMS participated in the National Youth Environment Conference (NYEC) organised by Nan Hua Secondary School from 17th to 19th April. The conference saw our GEMS involved in deep discussion about current environmental issues which have lasting impact. They also had the opportunity to work and learn from students from other schools.
Our GEMS enjoying themselves at Nan Hua Secondary School, where the National Youth Environment Conference (NYEC) was held.
Speaker Series Programme
The Speaker Series programme is a series of talks organised by the Humanities Department, where speakers from various segments of society are invited to share with Secondary 3 students about different societal concerns in Singapore. The goal of the Speaker Series programme is to help students better understand and appreciate how the concepts and issues in the Upper Secondary Social Studies syllabus relate to real life, the roles played by the different stakeholders, and how individuals can contribute to society.
For the first session of the Speaker Series 2024 on 1st February, we invited representatives from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to share with the Secondary 3 students about Singapore’s efforts in ensuring food security. This topic is aligned to our school’s ALP (Applied Learning Programme) focus on sustainability. The speakers shared interesting information about food security and measures taken by SFA to safeguard a diversified and reliable food supply. Our students found the talk interesting and insightful. This session was also held in hybrid mode via Zoom and we were joined by students and teachers from Broadrick Secondary School, Gan Eng Seng Secondary School and Sembawang Secondary School. It was a wonderful time of learning together as a community!
For our second session held on 21st March, we welcomed the President of Willing Hearts as our guest speaker. Mr Teh talked about the operations of Willing Hearts, and how they served the beneficiaries through the daily preparation of meals. He also shared with us on how students can play a part in helping the beneficiaries by volunteering to prepare meals for them, or to befriend them.
For more information, do refer to the following links: