Social Studies

The purposes of the K to grade 5 standards are to: 

• promote respect for people of diverse backgrounds and human rights, and develop students’ understanding of characteristics of leadership and informed action; 

• build students’ conceptual knowledge of history, geography, civics, and economics;

• encourage inquiry, questions, and development of reasoning and research skills; 

• build content knowledge about the geography and history of students’ cities and towns, state, and nation; and 

• build content knowledge about the narratives of United States history, including the interactions of Native Peoples, Europeans, and African Americans in the colonial, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Reconstruction, and 20th century Civil Rights periods. 

Standards for History and Social Science Practice, Pre-K–12 

The seven Standards for History and Social Science Practice encompass civic knowledge, dispositions, and skills and the range of disciplinary skills often used by historians and social scientists. They focus on the processes of inquiry and research that are integral to a rich social science curriculum and the foundation for active and responsible citizenship. 

1. Demonstrate civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

2. Develop focused questions or problem statements and conduct inquiries.

3. Organize information and data from multiple primary and secondary sources. 

4. Analyze the purpose and point of view of each source; distinguish opinion from fact.

5. Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and relevance of each source.

6. Argue or explain conclusions, using valid reasoning and evidence.

7. Determine next steps and take informed action, as appropriate.