Introduction to understanding the SOSE curriculum

Abstract

Whether through newspaper articles, government initiatives and reforms, special news broadcasts on television, advertisements or conversations by various members of the community, the issue of a 'healthy student body' is one that attracts wide attention. Depending on the context of the situation or school curriculum, the meaning given to what is meant by a 'healthy student body' will vary. As this section deals entirely with the curriculum Key Learning Area (KLA) of Society and its Environment (SOSE), for the purposes of this section, this term will be developed to mean the health of not the physical body, but the health of the community - the social body politic - displayed through qualities such as student displays of citizenship, participation, knowledge of processes involved in democratic societies, awareness of issues in society, ways to work with others and more of the features considered important in the successful study of SOSE. As will be considered throughout this section, effective teaching of SOSE is vital to avoid an impending 'civic literacy deficiency' (Burgh, 2004, p. 32).