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Social Studies

The New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework is designed to prepare students for college, careers, and civic life with courses that are rigorous and aligned to New York State Learning Standards, both Common Core and Social Studies. It incorporates the New York State Common Core Learning Standards and recommends the use of the C3 Inquiry Arc as instructional methodology. Social Studies practices are identified, as well as the key ideas, conceptual understandings, and content specifications.

A strong and effective social studies program helps students make sense of the world in which they live, allows them to make connections between major ideas and their own lives, and it helps them see themselves as active members of a global community. (NYC DOE, 2014)

While knowledge of content is very important, it is equally important to engage our students in historical thinking. Students engaged and challenged to think like historians, raise questions, think critically, consider many perspectives and gather evidence in support of their interpretations as they draw upon chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research, and decision-making. These are the skills that will serve them well as participating citizens of a democracy. (NYC DOE, 2014)

The six social studies practices of gathering, using and interpreting evidence, chronological reasoning and causation, comparison and contextualization, applying geographic reasoning, understanding economics and economic systems, and engaging in civic participation. (NYC DOE, 2014)

Contact Info

Marybeth Rhodes
Director of Humanities
mrhodes@mtvernoncsd.org