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Virginia’s History and Social Sciences Standards of Learning aim to raise our aspirations for history and social science instruction and restore excellence, curiosity and excitement around teaching and learning history. The teaching of history should illuminate insights from the past and inspire current and future generations to lead lives that are informed and inspired by those who walked this journey before them.
VDOE Standards of Learning and Instructional Guides:
Virginia’s updated History and Social Science Standards of Learning are now available—and we encourage all educators to take time to explore the instructional guides and resources provided by the VDOE History and Social Science site. These tools are designed to support high-quality, inquiry-based instruction aligned to the revised standards. The site includes planning guides, pacing suggestions, and strategies to help you bring history to life in your classroom. Staying informed and prepared will help ensure a smooth transition to the new standards and strong student outcomes.
VDOE Sessions for Classroom Teachers:
The History and Social Science Program will work with educators by course to teach, discuss, and learn about the instructional implications of the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning. These meetings are meant to provide a forum for collaboration and will provide a scaffolded approach in various stages of inquiry-based learning. Educators will have two opportunities to attend sessions of their choice so to accommodate their division and personal schedules. You must register in advance for these sessions.
Monday, June 23, 2025 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): Virginia Studies, USI, USII – Session 1
Monday, August 18, 2025 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): Virginia Studies, USI, USII – Session 2
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): C&E, Government – Session 1
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): C&E, Government – Session 2
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.): K–3 – Session 1
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.): K–3 – Session 2
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.): VUS – Session 1
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.): VUS – Session 2
Thursday, June 26, 2025 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): WG, WHI, WHII – Session 1
Thursday, August 21, 2025 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): WG, WHI, WHII – Session 2
The History and Social Science Program is pleased to announce professional learning to support inquiry-based learning. You must register in advance for the sessions.
July 8, 2025 (10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.): How to create and utilize appropriate questions in the classroom
August 12, 2025 (10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.): Reading for investigating and research; making predictions
September 9, 2025 (10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.): Information source analysis and where to find the best sources for content; how to scaffold
October 14, 2025 (10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.): Writing for discussion and communication
November 18, 2025(10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.): Ways to check for understanding using inquiry-based strategies
December 9, 2025 (10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.): Culmination of research-based strategies to incorporate inquiry in the classroom and ways to enrich teaching and learning using these strategies
VDOE HSS Inquiry-Based Learning-Session 1 (June 10, 2025) Primary Sources Slide Deck .pdfInquiry-Based Learning Session 1 slides: Introducing Inquiry-based Learning and providing support and resources.
Region 3 Framing the Standards:
Stafford, Spotyslvania, and Caroline are joining together to offer summer professional learning opportunities for History and Social Sciences teachers in Region 3. The sessions will focus on framing the new SOLs with the instructional guides. We would like to encourage you to share this valuable information with your educators. You must register in advance to attend this session.
Each session will cover:
Welcome: Christonya Brown, VDOE Coordinator of History and Social Sciences, will open the session.
New SOLs & Guides: A quick review of the updated History and Social Sciences SOLs, their structure, purpose, and effective use of instructional guides.
Inquiry-Based Learning: Strategies for using inquiry to build student meaning, including the skills continuum, supporting questions, and aligning skills to standards for breakout groups.
Resources: Highlighting VDOE and state institution resources, differentiating between teacher-facing and student-facing materials.
***Special Admin Session Offered: Learn about the shifts in HSS instruction, what to look for, and how to support your teachers during this transition.
This in person session provides practical tools for enhancing student engagement and achievement.
Other Programs in Use:
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