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
Construct maps and other graphic representations of both familiar and unfamiliar places
Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their environmental characteristics
Use maps of different scales to describe the locations of cultural and environmental characteristics
Explain how culture influences the way people modify and adapt to their environments
Explain how the cultural and environmental characteristics of places change over time and influence population distribution and use of natural resources in specific places/regions
Native Americans
Create and use a chronological sequence of related events to compare developments that happened at the same time
Compare life in specific historical time periods to life today
Explain how culture influences the way people modify and adapt to their environments
Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments
Explain how human settlements and movements relate to the locations and use of various natural resources
South Windsor History
Compare life in specific historical time periods to life today
Explain why individuals/businesses specialize and trade
Explain how cultural and environmental characteristics affect the distribution and movement of people, goods, ideas
Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments
Compare and summarize different kinds of historical sources and how they explain events in the past
Construct explanations using reasoning, correct sequence, examples, and details with relevant information/data
Explain connections among historical contexts and people’s perspectives at that time
Regions of the United States
Explain how the cultural and environmental characteristics of places change over time
Explain how cultural and environmental characteristics affect the distribution and movement of people, goods and ideas
Explain how human settlements and movements relate to the location and use of various natural resources
Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments
Identify examples of the variety of resources that are used
Additional Resources
Where to go for additional information and support
