29: Teaching Societal Issues Across the Secondary Curriculum

Societal issues are too important to confine to the social studies. Every subject can and should make important contributions to the development of students’ understanding of complex issues that they will face as adults. While the previous two chapters offer suggestions for addressing societal issues in the secondary social studies, science, and mathematics curricula, this chapter attempts to orient the reader toward the possibilities for addressing societal issues in other areas of the high school curriculum, namely, English, the fine and performing arts, modern foreign languages, physical education and health, and vocational education. The imperative of interdisciplinary approaches to societal issues and the educative power of the daily operations of the school, including co-curricular activities, will be discussed, as well.