Social Studies, Curriculum

The primary goal of social studies curriculum is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to become active participants in society. Citizenship education is a common thread transcending different perspectives on social studies curriculum, though there has been long-standing disagreement on the definition of the phrase as it relates to curriculum and instruction. The Goals 2000: Educate America Act passed by Congress in 1992 called for the development of national standards in many areas of education but omitted social studies from its list. The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), founded in 1921, and a group of educators responded by advocating for and eventually adding social studies to the agenda for the development of national standards. A task force of social studies curriculum ...