Social Subjects Reports

Term 1 Tracking Reports for S2 and S3

In S2 Social Subjects, young people continue to build both their knowledge of the world around them and the key skills that will support their learning across the curriculum and beyond school. At this time of the year, young people will be studying four major topics: 

• Slavery

• A Divided World

• Earth Forces

• Big Questions

The first three topics allow pupils to explore History, Geography and Modern Studies in meaningful ways, developing an understanding of human rights, global conflict and cooperation, and the impact of natural processes on people and places. RMPS is delivered through our Big Questions unit where pupils consider the existence of God, life after death, and other ethical dilemmas. This enables them to reflect on a range of beliefs and values, think critically about ultimate questions, and develop respect for different perspectives.

Alongside this knowledge, pupils will focus on developing the skills that are central to success in Social Subjects: leadership, problem solving, teamwork and communication. They will be encouraged to take on different roles within groups, contribute ideas clearly, listen to the views of others, and apply their knowledge to tackle challenging questions.

Young people in S2 are working towards achieving Curriculum for Excellence Level 3 in Social Subjects. Reports will show their progress in relation to the national expectation that most young people will achieve Level 3 by the end of S3. While the majority of young people in S2 will be working towards Level 3, some may still be consolidating Level 2 outcomes as they develop their skills and knowledge at an appropriate pace.

In December, pupils will take part in a project-based learning task, where they will bring together the understanding and skills gained from these units. This will give them the opportunity to show creativity, work collaboratively, and take increasing responsibility for their own learning while presenting their findings in a way that demonstrates confidence and critical thinking.

Through this approach, we aim to give pupils not only a strong grounding in important Social Subjects content, but also the transferable skills they will use throughout their education and in later life.

In S3 Social Subjects, pupils are beginning to specialise in one or more of the subjects offered by the faculty. This marks the start of a shift from the broad, general Social Subjects course in S1 and S2, allowing young people to build on the knowledge and skills already developed and to lay the foundations for the more specialist learning they will undertake in S4 and beyond.

Across all areas, pupils continue to strengthen transferable skills of leadership, problem solving, teamwork and communication. These skills are developed through group work, independent research, analysis of evidence, and discussion of different perspectives – ensuring pupils are well-prepared not only for their chosen subjects but also for life and learning beyond the classroom.

Each subject area offers its own focus at this stage:

• Geography pupils are studying development in Africa, with a strong emphasis on interpreting geographical data and working collaboratively in groups.

• History pupils are learning about the First World War and have developed research skills through the production of a detailed trenches investigation.

• Modern Studies pupils are examining inequality in wealth and health, developing analytical skills such as drawing conclusions and choosing options from a wide range of sources.

• Scottish Studies pupils are exploring Scotland’s landscapes and developing their ability to handle geographical sources.

• RMPS pupils are considering views on crime and punishment and are developing a prison for the 21st century.

• All young people study core RMPS, where they are currently developing opinions on the moral issue of abortion.

• Travel and Tourism pupils are looking at worldwide tourism, learning to interpret trends and patterns through handling data.

Almost all young people in S3 will be working towards achieving Curriculum for Excellence Level 3 by the end of the year. Some young people may still be consolidating their learning at Level 2, while others will begin to encounter aspects of Level 4 as they progress.

Through this balanced combination of subject knowledge and transferable skills, our young people in S3 are gaining confidence, independence and the ability to apply their learning in thoughtful and practical ways.