Rutherford County Schools Social Studies instruction is grounded in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS), which provides students with a strong foundation for understanding their community, nation, and world. Instruction focuses on helping students think critically, develop civic responsibility, and make connections between the past and present.

In grades K–5, students learn about history, geography, civics and government, culture, and economics. Lessons are designed to move from students’ own experiences outward, helping them see how individuals and groups interact and contribute to society. Students are encouraged to ask questions, analyze information, and apply what they learn to real-life situations. By following the NCSCOS standards, we are preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives they need to become informed, responsible, and engaged citizens.

Social Studies Standards for Grades K-5

Inquiry K-2

Compelling Questions

- - Identify inquiry as a process to answer questions and solve issues.
  - Recognize a compelling question with prompting and support.
  - Explain why or how a compelling question is important to a topic or issue.

Supporting Questions

- - Identify what questions are needed to support the compelling question.
  - Recognize how supporting questions connect to compelling questions.

Gathering and Evaluating Sources

- - Demonstrate an understanding of facts, opinions, and other details in sources.
  - Identify the information surrounding a primary or secondary source including who created it, when they created it, where they created it, and why they created it.

Communicating Ideas

- - Construct responses to compelling questions using information from sources.

Taking Informed Action

- - Identify problems related to the compelling question that students think are important.

Inquiry 3-5

Compelling Questions

- - Identify content required to provide an answer to compelling questions.
  - Construct compelling questions that promote inquiry with peers.

Supporting Questions

- - Understand how responses to supporting questions provide responses to compelling questions.
  - Construct and respond to supporting questions that help answer compelling questions with peers.

Gathering and Evaluating Sources

- - Understand academic and domain-specific words in sources to create responses to compelling questions.
  - Organize relevant information from primary and secondary sources using the origin, authority, structure, credibility, reliability, and context of the sources to guide the selection.

Developing Claims and Using Evidence

- - Construct claims in response to compelling and supporting questions.
  - Accurately use information from sources when making claims.
  - Make inferences from information in sources.

Communicating Ideas

- - Construct responses to compelling questions with specific claims and information from teacher-provided sources.

Taking Informed Action

- - Identify ways to address problems related to the compelling question.

Behavioral Sciences

- Understand cultural practices in local communities and around the world. (K)
- Understand how culture, values, and beliefs shape people, places, and environments. (1)
- Understand how values and beliefs shape culture in America. (2)
- Understand how values and beliefs of individuals and groups influence communities. (3)
- Understand ways in which values and beliefs have influenced the development of North Carolina’s identity as a state. (4)
- Understand ways in which values and beliefs have influenced the development of the United States. (5)

Economics

- Analyze basic economic concepts. (K)
- Understand the role of basic economic concepts in the decisions people make. (1)
- Understand how the availability of resources impacts economic decisions. (2)
- Understand how economic decisions and resources affect the local economy. (3)
- Understand how economic decisions and resources affect the economy of North Carolina. (4)
- Understand the impact of personal financial decisions. (4)
- Understand how economic decisions have impacted the United States in terms of consequence, growth, and trade. (5)
- Understand the impact of personal financial decisions. (5)

Civics and Government

- Understand that people work together to create and follow rules. (K)
- Understand how people engage with and participate in the community. (1)
- Understand how freedom, equality, and democracy contribute to the government of America. (2)
- Understand the structure and function of state and local government. (3)
- Understand the role of citizens in local and state government. (4)
- Analyze the structure and function of the United States government in terms of cooperation and compromise. (5)
- Understand the ways in which the federal government has protected individual rights of citizens. (5)

History

- Understand change over time. (K)
- Understand how people and events have changed society over time. (1)
- Understand how various people and events have shaped America. (2)
- Understand how various people and historical events have shaped local communities. (3)
- Understand the role of various people, events, and ideas in shaping North Carolina. (4)
- Understand the role of various people, events, and ideas in shaping the United States. (5)

Geography

- Apply simple geographic representations, tools, and terms to describe surroundings. (K)
- Understand interactions between humans and the environment. (K)
- Apply geographic representations, tools, and terms to describe surroundings. (1)
- Understand interactions between humans and the environment in different places and regions around the world. (1)
- Understand how interaction between humans and the physical environment is impacted by movement and settlement. (2)
- Understand how geography impacts the development of regions and communities. (3)
- Understand the role geography has played in the development of North Carolina. (4)
- Understand the ways in which geographic factors and features have influenced development of the United States. (5)

NCSCOS Quick Reference Guides

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Parent Guides

RCS Curriculum Partners

Benchmark Advance

Rutherford County Schools follow the North Carolina Social Studies Standards (NCSCOS) to guide instruction. We use Benchmark Advance curriculum resources along with supplemental materials, interactive activities, and digital tools to deepen student learning. This approach helps students develop critical thinking, understand history, geography, civics, and economics, and make connections between past and present. By blending Benchmark Advance with additional high-quality resources, we provide meaningful learning experiences that prepare students to be informed, engaged citizens.

RCSNC Elementary Common Websites & Applications

Additional Resources Used for Classroom Instruction

Rutherford County Schools provides students with access to a variety of approved online tools and educational websites that support learning anytime and anywhere. These resources offer interactive activities and materials aligned to the curriculum. Some tools require student accounts, which may involve limited sharing of basic information such as name, date of birth, or email. Parental consent is required for students to create and use these accounts, ensuring compliance with state and federal privacy regulations.

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