Social Studies Beliefs and Commitments

• Because we know/understand that...the importance of civic responsibility
• the importance of social justice
• the role of power and authority
• that application of real world issues through current events promotes relevance in students’ lives
• that honoring cultural diversity plays a key role in learning
• students need opportunities to practice participation skills to carry on our democratic republic form of government
• integrating social studies disciplines within the field is important
• integrating social studies with other areas of the curriculum is important
• the importance of asking questions and gathering information on significant issues
• the importance of global awareness
• that students need an increased knowledge and awareness of the diversity that composes our local, national, and global community
• the importance of respecting and responding appropriately to others' cultures

Trevor-Wilmot District Social Studies Curriculum shall...

• reflect the in-depth study of topics or content
• increase the in-depth study of topics or content in each discipline and decrease cursory coverage of a lock step curriculum
• create a common understanding of essential learning targets and responsible citizenship
• be challenging, authentic, experiential, democratic, collaborative, sociable, reflective, constructivist, developmental, and expressive
• include the content and concepts of cultural responsiveness, government, democracy, leadership, and commerce
• examine the impact of race, gender, religion, and other diversities on historical events
• examine various leadership structures, the effects of Imperialism, trade, and commerce on local, state, national and global levels as well as collective resistance to these structures
• activities should engage students in inquiry and problem solving opportunities about significant human issues
• focus on the impact and connectedness of real world issues to students’ lives and the global community
• provide multiple points of view around a single topic or event
• provide provocative content for discussion
• include thoughtful participation through reading, writing, listening and speaking to convey a content literate community
• encourage authentic exploration of topics and problem solving skills by fostering cross-curricular collaboration
• engage students in critical reading and analysis, and assist students in understanding source reliability, positionality and bias
• encourage active citizenship
• encourage authentic discussion as a method of assessing and evaluating student learning
• provide authentic and relevant learning opportunities
• build upon students’ prior knowledge to increase students’ awareness of issues beyond their immediate experience
• be global in nature and include multiple viewpoints in a safe environment
• develop the social literacy of students by imbedding the historical, geographical political and economic understanding of the content into instruction
• provide opportunities for participation in diverse groups in order to communicate knowledge, viewpoints and experiences through a variety of activities

Trevor-Wilmot District Teachers shall…

• devote time to state standards and responsible citizenship
• provide strategies and skills to determine meaning of words and phrases as used in history/social studies text
• use multiple sources, including print and non-print, to engage readers in the construction of knowledge from particular cultural, political and social locations
• model civic responsibility
• empower students to engage in conversations and investigations that focus on multiple points of view
• guide student learning of content knowledge in order to understand the role of power and authority
• provide opportunities for students to research, have meaningful discussions, formulate questions, and manage bias and multiple viewpoints about significant human issues
• provide opportunities to explore how current events link to the past, present, and future
• activate students’ prior knowledge and cultural diversity to engage students
• activate students’ prior knowledge to develop understanding of cultural diversity
• establish student participation as an expectation and utilize participation as an assessment in discussion
• create integrated and thematic units to promote democratic participation
• teach students how to identify multiple points of view using multiple literary resources
• create learning experiences that are collaborative and inquiry based
• provide a variety of sources in order to help students learn the difference between primary and secondary sources, and point of view
• provide collaborative, real-world, inquiry-based and problem solving activities
• recognize authentic discussion as a form of assessment and model effective discussion techniques
• foster an environment of respect for diversity and view cultural differences as assets
• use multiple and authentic sources to engage students to develop a diverse an in-depth perspective
• rely on discussions, conferences, observations, student writing, and other assessments to determine student learning

Trevor-Wilmot District Students shall…

· be regularly involved in historical investigations with primary sources

· determine meaning of words and phrases in social studies text

· develop the necessary skills in order to think strategically and critically in order to form a global perspective

· know the importance of gathering information to create deliberate and informed viewpoints as responsible citizens

· know the importance of voting, rights , and responsibilities as citizens

· develop an appreciation and respect for other cultures beyond their own

· analyze how power and authority impact historical, current, and personal events

· engage in research, meaningful discussions, formulating questions, and managing bias and multiple viewpoints about significant human issues

· be able to provide and cite evidence to support their perspective regarding a link of events to the past, present, and future

· be able to understand, accurately summarize, and interpret point of view in reading from various sources/texts

· be active participants in their own learning

· participate in diverse groups in order to communicate knowledge, viewpoints and experiences through a variety of activities

· through their learning, extend their social, political, cultural and economic awareness

· understand bias and point of view in order to critically read and analyze multiple sources

· collaborate to engage in real-world, inquiry-based and problem solving activities in order to become active citizens

· actively participate in authentic discussions, take ownership for their learning, and understand the value of focused discussions

· participate in a classroom environment/culture that models various local, national and global communities

Literature Review and Research Base