William pitcher college Department Of Social Studies

William pitcher college Department Of Social Studies

Social Studies cover three subject areas. These are Geography, History and Religious Education in both STD (Secondary Teachers Diploma) and PTD (Primary Teachers Diploma) programmes.

Subject themes offered in Social Studies per subject area in the STD programme.

Geography

I

  • Map reading and interpretations, techniques of collecting information, modelling and improvisation
  • Theories of the earth’s origin and characteristics
  • Introduction to Plate tectonics
  • Major features produced by earth movements and slope development
  • Weathering and the work of denudation and agents
  • Introduction to soil formation, profiles, classification, transportation erosion and conservation. Emphasis in geological settings in Swaziland
  • Introduction to climatology, causes of climate change
  • World and regional weather patterns


II

  • Introduction to population geography, theories, population dynamics, demography, transition models, distribution
  • Introduction to urbanisation, trends and dynamics, urban implosion causes and consequences
  • Settlements, classification, patterns, factors and distributions
  • Introduction to migration, local, regional and global, dynamics and impacts
  • Means of existence, subsistence, commercial and characteristics
    III
  • Introduction to research in geography
  • A systematic study of regional geography, the geography of Swaziland, neighbouring countries, west, central , east Africa and developed countries
  • Methods of teaching and learning geography in secondary schools

Religious Education

  • The origin, importance and transmission of the Bible.
  • The early history of Israel, prophecy and conquest of the kingdom
  • Biblical scholarship and the Gospels, the Biblical, Source, Form and Redaction Criticism
  • The four gospels, primitive church and the book of revelations
  • The origins and dimensions of religion
  • Concern and concepts of religion
  • Secularist views of religion
  • Introduction to the teaching of religious knowledge at secondary schools


History (information not available at the time of update)

Subject themes offered in Social Studies per subject area in the STD programme.

Geography

The physical environment- introduction to the study of the universe, climate, map reading and interpretation

The evolution of man – socialisation of man, developmental studies, current affairs

Regional and local geography- the geography of Swaziland, current social problems, culture concept, the geography of African countries, case studies,

World geography- world trade, science and technology,

Methods and strategies of teaching and learning social studies in primary schools.

Religious Education

The religiosity of man, Theology of the old testament, origin of the Bible, history of Israel, biblical stories, history of the gospels, Swazi religion, world religions, the sacred and the profane, interpretation of the Bible, underdeveloped forms of religion, sacrifice and salvation in religion.

Methods of teaching religious education in primary schools.