Social Studies
The Social Studies curriculum will prepare all students to live in the global community of the 21st century. This standards-based and developmental curriculum will challenge all students to develop literacy skills, intellectual curiosity, decision-making abilities, and critical and creative higher-order thinking skills. Therefore, all students will be motivated to become active, responsible, and open-minded citizens. The curriculum is designed to allow for a wide variety of learning experiences appropriate to students at each grade level. All students are provided opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the areas of history, geography, civics, economics, and behavioral sciences.
The major goals of the Social Studies curriculum are to:
Engage students through the inquiry process which includes developing questions and planning inquiry, applying interdisciplinary concepts and tools, evaluating sources and using evidence, and communicating conclusions and taking informed action.
Cultivate essential skills such as gathering and interpreting information from primary and secondary sources as well as electronic media, and to have students demonstrate an understanding of history and social studies issues in written work.
Develop and demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions from various past and present civilizations.
Foster each student’s understanding of significant events and themes in United States history, world history, and international studies.
Understand the role of Connecticut in major events in United States history.
Social Studies standards are in alignment with the 2015 Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies frameworks. These frameworks are based on national C3 standards (College, Career, and Civic Life) and require that four major disciplines in social studies be taught:
1. Civics 2. Economics 3. Geography 4. History
The frameworks connect directly with the Connecticut Core Standards (CCS) for English/language arts and literacy in history and social studies. All units share skill standards, but not all standards are embedded in every unit.
Social Studies Units and Skills/Student Outcomes
What students should know and be expected to do by the end of the unit
Maps and Globes:
Geography
Geography
Construct maps, graphs and other representations of familiar places
Use maps, graphs, photographs and other representations to describe places and the relationships and interactions that shape them
Use maps, globes and other geographic models to identify cultural and environmental characteristic of places
Explain how weather, climate and other environmental characteristics affect people’s lives in places or regions
Cultural Awareness and Celebrations
Compare life in the past to life in the present
Generate questions about individuals and groups who have shaped a significant historical change
Compare perspectives of people in the past to those in the present
Explain how historical sources can be used to study the past
Generate possible questions about a particular historical source as it relates to a particular historical event
Generate possible reasons for an event or development in the past
Communities
(Urban, Rural and Suburban)
(Urban, Rural and Suburban)
Describe roles and responsibilities of people in authority (local/state/national judge, mayor, governor, police)
Explain how all people, not just official leaders, play an important role in a community
Describe how communities work to accomplish common tasks, establish responsibilities and fulfill rules of authority
Apply civic virtues when participating in school settings
Follow agreed upon rules for discussions while responding attentively to others when addressing ideas and making decisions as a group
Explain the need for and purposes of rules in various setting inside and outside of school
Explain how people can work together to make decisions in the classroom
Identify and explain how rules function in public
Describe how people have tried to improve their communities over time
Describe the goods and services that people in the local community produce and those that are produced in other communities
Describe the goods and services that people in the local community produce and those that are produced in other communities
Additional Resources
Where to go for additional information and support
Submit a Ticket for Broken Device
Technology Tips
if Learning from Home