1) The document discusses the importance of having a separate social science room in schools. It outlines features like providing space for hands-on activities, safekeeping expensive equipment, and creating a conducive learning environment. 2) An ideal social science room is furnished with various audio-visual aids, models, maps, textbooks and other learning materials. Proper storage facilities like cabinets and files are also required. 3) Having a dedicated social science room helps make teaching more effective, develops a sense of pride in students, and allows the subject matter to be organized and classified properly. It facilitates both theoretical and practical learning.

1. ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
Submitted to
Miss. Sally Paul Submitted by,
Social Science Teacher Sahla Yoosaf. R
Social Science Optional

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Features, Significance and Ways
to Organise Social Science Room

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Index
Sl.No Content Page No
1. Introduction 4-6
2. Importance of Social Science Room 7-10
3. Equipments of the Social Science Room 11-14
4. Conclusion 15
5. References 16

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INTRODUCTION
Social Science is a subject of study at the secondary school level
which offers a systematically study of man in relation to his society.
Social science is quite important because it present which would help
the nation to mould a better future. In general, any branch of study they
deals with the social life of man and employs scientific method for its
study may be conceived as Social Science.
Charles Beard’s perception regarding: it is “social sciences are a
body of knowledge and thought pertaining to human affairs”.
James High , defines “Social Science as though bodies of learning
as study which recognize the simultaneous and mutual action of
physical and non-physical stimuli which produce a social reaction.”
Individualand societies are inseparable the existence of one being
dependent on the other. Man is a Social animal because he is born in a
society, he develops in the society and social adjustment is his ultimate
aim.

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Community resources that facilitate learninginclude everything in
the community that can be used to illustrate a concept of generalization,
or to help children’s internal lives a value. Such resource includes every
community situation in which children get opportunity to apply their
intellectual, social or personal potentials and skills. It also includes every
experience that allows them to express their feelings and clarify their
values.
Teaching of social science is an important part of the secondary
school curriculum. Social Science form that part of the school curriculum
which include subject matter and activities that enable the child to
acquire a human relationships, a knowledgeof environment, dedication
to values and principles of society and participate in the process through
which society is maintained and improved. Community provides
“Concrete” “Visible” “Tangible” resources which are extremely
“dynamic” “interesting “and “meaningful” for the teaching of Social
science.
Here we are going to discuss about the features, significance and
ways to organize Social Science Room.

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There was a time when nobody even thought of a separate room
for the teaching of Social Science the first reason for that could be that
Social Science are teaching subject had not come into existence. History,
Geography, Civics, and Economics etc. were taught as teaching subjects.
For that not a subject room but a classroom was needed. Moreover
teachers generally used text book method. In this method, the teacher
asked the different students to read a few lines each from the text book
and his (teachers) job was to elucidate these lines. It encouraged lecture
and cramming. It was a time when people, no doubt, realized the
necessity of having a separate room for subject like Craft and Physical
Science, but they could not conceive even in their wildest imaginations
that there could be a separate room for Social Science.

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Importance of Social Science Room
According to Ghate, “Every subject which is recognised as
deserving of study in a school should have a room of its own”.
Following arguments can be given for a separate Social Science room.
1) Teaching not confined only to classrooms:
Teaching of Social Science is not confined only to classroom
teaching but some activities are also performed in it. Either of the
two things can be done in this connection. Either the classroom
can be converted into Social Science laboratory or a separate
laboratory can be provided fo it. If for teaching of Social Science,
the material is brought from the store room to the classroom, in
that case it will have to be taken back to the store room after the
instructions. In this way not only there will be a wastage of time
but chances of breakage of equipment are also high.
2) Wastage of the hard work of the teachers:
Many times it happens that the teacher draws some sketches on
the black-boardwith a good deal of skill and labour, butas soon as
the period is over and the teacher leaves the classroom, another
teacher enters the class, rubs off all the hard work put in by the
previous teacher. If the teacher had a separate Social Science,
room, in that case he could have kept these pictures and sketches
safely in it and would have used them at the time of need.

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3) Creation of congenial environment and atmosphere:
It will have to be admitted thatenvironment and atmosphere play
a very prominent part in the teaching learning process. In the
ordinary classrooms the students come there simply to pass the
time. But the very atmosphere of Social Science room is such that
the student must concentrate. A Social Studies room is more
attractive than an ordinaryclassroom with bare walls without any
decoration. In the words of M.P. Moffat, “Classroom furnishing
and their arrangements have a direct bearing upon the quality of
their arrangements have a direct bearing upon the quality of
results obtained. Satisfactory outcomes can be expected only
when adequate and comfortable workingfacilities are provided. It
is furnished to provide a suitable environmentfor acquiring Social
Science skill”. Such a subject room with a pleasant social climate
becomes a learninglaboratoryin which greatemphar’s is placed in
student activity, and student participation in classroom
procedures. Moreover there is no scope for memorization and
non-functionalised instructions in such a room.
4) To safeguard costly equipment:
There are certain equipments like Epidiascope etc. which are very
costly. They must be kept in lock and key. It is the responsibility
of the teacher to keep them safe and secure for which he can seek
the cooperation of the students. It also develops a feeling of
belongingness as well among the students.

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5) Inculcates the Spirit of Pride and Seriousness among the
students:
If there is a separate room, in the teaching of social science, it will
inculcate in the spiritof pride and seriousness among the students.
They will take the subject more seriously.
6) Draws proper attention of the students:
Social Science room can develop proper attitudes among the
students. eg:- they will become more serious in their attitudes
towards work. They will work in cooperation with their class
fellows. They will not waste their time.
7) Teaching becomes more effective :
Teaching can be more effective only if all equipments needed for
its teaching are availableand these are organizedin such a manner
that these are easily located and after use put back at its proper
place.
8) Helpful in proper classification:
The subject of social science comprises many subjects are History,
Geography, Political Science and Economics etc. The aids will be
related to all these subjects. A permanent base in the form of
laboratory will help in keeping the material in proper
classification.

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9) For providing a functional environment :
Knowledge consists of both theoretical as well as practical aspects.
The classroom facilities must be capable of rapid transformation
into a laboratorysetting. The physical equipmentin the laboratory
will provide a workroom for the pupils, making the environment
functional, not merely theoretical. The students will feel at home
and comfortable and have an incentive to work.

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Equipments of the Social Science Room
A Social Science room should be provided with the following
equipments.
i) Audio visual material including film strip, epidiascope,
projector, magic lantern and tape recorder etc.
ii) Bulletin –boards
iii) Charts and graphs
iv) Slides album containing slides showing architecture, dancing,
music, painting etc.
v) Text books and reference books.
vi) Literary material
vii) Globes
viii) Maps and Atlases
ix) Models
x) Some meteorological instruments such as barometer, rain
gauges etc.
xi) Flags
xii) Periodicals and magazines
xiii) Newspapers

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xiv) Pamphlets published by various agencies including Central and
State governments and also agencies such as UNO and
UNESCO etc.
xv) Rocks and Minerals
xvi) Stamps
xvii) Survey instruments such as compass, chain, arrows divider,
scale etc.
xviii) Time charts and graphs etc.
xix) Unit booklets, dealing with different units.
The utility of these items is given in brief.
1) Chalk board :
Chalk boards are used for drawing outline pictures as well as
writing summaries and important words, phases, headings and
sentences. These boards are generally located at a place in front of
the room, which may be comfortably visible to all the students.
There should be provisions for having different types of boards.
2) Bulletin Boards :
There should be a provision for bulletin board outside the social
science room preferably in the corridors. The provision of bulletin
has double advantages.
(i) The teacher can give useful information to the students
through it.

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(ii) Creative work done by the students can be pasted on it for
all other students to see.
3) Furniture:
There should be 50- 60 easy chairs and tables in the Social Science
room. Some people have a wrong notion that if the furniture is
light, it will be moved to and fro too often which will result in its
damage. Therefore they try to make it heavy. It is done to such an
extent that they get in fixed on the floor. But this is a wrong notion.
Today we are living in an age where the student is expected to
develop the faculty of independent thinking.
4) Books :
In Social Science laboratorythere should be a small library for both
teachers and students where the teachers may be able to study
standard social science books on the subject written by eminent
authors and the students may be able to avail of the same facility.
5) Cabinets and Files :
Cabinets and files are required store different materials. The filing
system is helpful in locating the needed article at once.
6) Paints, Water colours etc:
Social science room should be provided with paints, water colours,
coloured pencils, inks, pen holders, brushes, rulers, compasses,
erasers, scissors, blotters, special papers of different size paste

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paper clips, drawing sets, pins and nails etc. All these things are
needed by the students for their practical work in Social Science.
7) Collections:
A corner in the social science room be reserved for old coins, old
clothes, dresses, utensils, historical relics, old paintings and art
pictures etc. Such items may be got collected through social science
students. Flags of different nations be also exhibited in the social
studies room. If need be, a brief history of such flags may also be
tagged with the flags.
8) Screen:
Just above the chalk –board, there should be a screen to show
slides and movies. The screen should be of appropriate size.

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Conclusion
The governmentrecognises the importance of a separate room for
subjects in Physical Science, but on account of financial and other
considerations they consider a separate room for social science is useless.
In this context, it is worth considering whether students do not make
experiments in social sciences, whether the students are not expected to
make use of charts, models, globes or other materials in the learning of
social science. Do they not need a place where they can sit and discuss
their research work? It is generally seen that there are certain institutions
which no doubt, purchase the equipmentfor social science but lock them
in some store and do not make any use of them. With the result that it
becomes obsolete and useless on account of non-use. In case the teacher
has a separate room, there are chances of making use of this material on
a larger scale.

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References
 The teaching of Social Studies – D.D.Mehta (Tandon Publications,
Ludhiana)
 http://www.slideshare.net
 http://books.google.co.in