Policy 6142.94 - History/Social Science

History/Social Science

The Board of Education believes that the study of history and other social sciences is essential to prepare students to engage in responsible citizenship, comprehend complex global interrelationships, and understand the vital connections among the past, present, and future. The District's history-social science education program shall include, at appropriate grade levels, instruction in American and world history, geography, economics, political science, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.

The Board shall adopt academic standards for history-social science which meet or exceed state content standards and describe the knowledge and skills that students shall be expected to achieve at each grade level.

The Superintendent or designee shall develop and submit to the Board for approval a comprehensive, sequential curriculum aligned with the District standards and consistent with the state's curriculum framework for history-social science. The curriculum shall be designed to develop students' core knowledge in history and social science and their skills in chronological and spatial thinking, research, and historical interpretation. History-social science instruction shall also include an explicit focus on developing students' literacy in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and other language skills.

At each grade level, the curriculum shall integrate age appropriate instruction designed to develop student achievement in the following areas:

1. Knowledge and cultural understanding, including historical, ethical, cultural, geographic, economic, and sociopolitical literacy;
2. Democratic understanding and civic values, including an understanding of national identity; constitutional heritage; and an individual’s civic values, rights, and responsibilities;
3. Skills attainment and social participation, including basic study skills, critical thinking skills, and participation skills that are essential for effective citizenship.

The Board shall adopt standards-aligned instructional materials for history-social science in accordance with applicable law, Board policy, and administrative regulation. In addition, teachers are encouraged to supplement the curriculum by using biographies, original documents, diaries, letters, legends, speeches, other narrative artifacts, and literature from and about the period being studied.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide a standards-based professional development program designed to increase teachers’ knowledge of adopted instructional materials and instructional strategies for teaching history-social science. Teachers are encouraged to use a variety of instructional strategies to engage students in active learning, and to bring this discipline to life.