Social studies at the junior high level includes classes in history, culture, geography, sociology, economics, civics, and other social sciences. Although social studies teachers find the subject fascinating, junior high students are not always interested in learning about topics such as culture, mythology, and geography. Such students are often more interested in popular books like Twilight (2005), New Moon (2006), Eclipse (2007), and Breaking Dawn (2008) by Stephenie Meyer. However, teachers can use the popular fiction that students are reading such as The Twilight Saga to interest students in social studies topics.
Native American Culture
The term Native American refers to the indigenous populations originally living in the Americas prior to the migration of Western populations during the post-Columbian era. The Quileute people are an example of Native Americas who live in the western area of Washington state in the United States.
Jacob Black, who is one of the main characters of The Twilight Saga, is a teenager of the Quileute Tribe. Other characters from the books who are of Quileute origin include Billy Black, Sam Uley, Seth Clearwater, Leah Clearwater, Quil Ateara, and Embry Call. The Quileutes play an important role in the books by protecting Bella.
The junior high social studies teacher can introduce the subject of Native American culture by discussing the Quileute Tribe in the Twilight books. The teacher can then introduce additional materials on the Quileute people still living in western Washington state. Finally, the teacher can introduce information on other Native Americans across the United States and the rest of the Americas.
Mythology
The term mythology refers to the myths, stories, legends, and folklore about the origins, history, religion, ancestors, and people of a culture. Vampires are mythological beings whose current form evolved from southeastern Europe in the eighteenth century. Werewolves are also mythological creatures that appear in both European and Native American folklore.
The plot of the Twilight series revolves around the conflicts between and with vampires and werewolves. Two of the main characters, Edward who is a vampire and Jacob who is a werewolf, vie for the love of Bella throughout the four books.
The junior high social studies teacher can introduce the subject of mythology by discussing the stories and legends of vampires and werewolves in The Twilight Saga. The teacher can then expand the discussion by exploring other mythologies concerning vampires and werewolves. Finally, the teacher can introduce and teacher other mythologies such as Celtic, Greek, and Chinese mythologies.
Geography
The term geography refers to the study of the world including the land and landforms, weather and other natural phenomena, and people and places. Human geography is the study of the human, cultural, social, political, and economic interactions with the environment. Physical geography is the study of the physical world including geology, oceanography, ecology, and climatology.
The majority of the action in the Twilight books occurs in Washington state in real places such as Forks, La Push, Port Angeles, and the Quileute Indian Reservation. A large chunk of the action of New Moon also happens in Italy.
The junior high social studies teacher can introduce the subject of geography by discussing the places that Bella and the other characters visit in The Twilight Saga. The teacher can then discuss other aspects of those places such as the landscape and weather of Washington state and the people and place of Italy. Finally, the teacher can introduce other aspects of geography by expanding to talk about other places of interest.
Junior high social studies teachers can use popular fiction like Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn to inspire junior high students to want to study different social studies topics. The Twilight Saga provides starting points for discussing Native American culture, mythology, and geography.
The Twilight Saga
Meyer, Stephenie. Breaking Dawn. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008.
Meyer, Stephenie. Eclipse. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.
Meyer, Stephenie. New Moon. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006.
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005.
Suggested Readings on Native American Culture
King, David C. First People: An Illustrated History of American Indians. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 2008.
Kirk, Ruth. David, Young Chief of the Quileutes: An American Indian Today. New York: Harcourt Children's Books, 1967.
Mann, Charles C. Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491. Simon & Schuster, 2009.
Suggested Readings on Mythology
Bellingham, David. The Kingfisher Book of Mythology. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2001.
Caduto, Michael J. Native American Stories: Myths and Legends. Fulcrum Publishing, 1991.
DK Publishing. Secret Worlds: Myths and Monsters. New York: DK Children, 2003.
Suggested Readings on Geography
Grabowski, John F. and Patricia A. Grabowski. The Northwest: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1992.
Stein, R. Conrad. America the Beautiful: Washington. Chicago: Children's Press, 1992.
Travis, David. The Land and People of Italy. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
Heather Marie Kosur - About Me I earned a BA in English studies with a minor in creative writing from Illinois State University in May 2007 and an MS in ...
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