Middle School, Social Studies Curriculum

Content Standards

Currently, content standards for social studies are designated at the state level for public schools in most states. In some cases, the standards are presented in ways that guide teachers in helping students see important aspects of social studies and in ensuring that students can apply and transfer what they learn. In other instances, standards are presented as a sort of grocery list of information and skills that lacks coherence and often lacks meaning as well. In the latter instances, it is important for teachers—perhaps working with content [Page 575]specialists—to craft the lists of standards into a curriculum that helps students understand the concepts and principles that provide structure and meaning for social studies; connect the various aspects of social studies; connect the events, the people, and link ideas from social studies to their own experiences; and develop the habits of thought and mind that will ultimately allow them to be informed and contributing citizens. The National Council for the Social Studies suggests that standards-based social studies curriculum K–12 be developed around the following concepts, which they call thematic strands: Culture; Time, Continuity, and Change; People, Places, and Environment; Individual Development and Identity; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Power, Authority, and Governance; Production, Distribution, and Consumption; Science, Technology, and Society; Global Connections; and Civic Ideals and Practices. A brief examination of these concepts or thematic strands suggests that they are particularly applicable for middle grades social studies during a developmental period when young adolescents are eager to understand their world better and to develop a clearer sense of their possible roles in that world.

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