Social Sciences

Social Studies, Geography and Tourism lie under the umbrella of Social Sciences. At Okaihau College Social Studies is a Year 7 to 10 subject and Geography is an NCEA subject offered at Levels 1, 2, and 3.

The social sciences learning area is about how societies work and how people can participate as critical, active, informed, and responsible citizens. Contexts are drawn from the past, present, and future and from places within and beyond New Zealand.  Junior students study Social Studies which looks at a diverse range of topics including cause and effect of disasters, local history, systems of government, consumer studies, responses to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, conflict including the Northern Wars and the Maori Battalion, sustainability and migration. Senior subjects within social sciences include Tourism and Geography.  Tourism investigates local, national and global tourism. Geography studies the environment as the home of people and how they affect each other.  Various topics covered in geography include sustainable tourism at the Poor Knights and in the Bay of Islands; the global patterns of plastic pollution, mountains and earthquakes; topographic map skills are learnt, as well as geographic research skills. Field trips are a large part of Geography.