![]() To this end, the standards provide a framework for effective social studies within various curricular perspectives. Specific decisions about curriculum organization are best made at the local level. These standards are intended to be useful regardless of organizational or instructional approach (for example, a problem-solving approach, an approach centered on controversial issues, a discipline-based approach, or some combination of approaches). On the other hand, issues can also be taught in separate discipline-based classes (e.g., history or geography). These important issues can be taught in one class, often designated “social studies,” that integrates two or more disciplines. Social studies marshals the disciplines to this civic task in various forms. In democratic classrooms and nations, deep understanding of civic issues-such as immigration, economic problems, and foreign policy-involves several disciplines. Diversity among learners embodies the democratic goal of embracing pluralism to make social studies classrooms laboratories of democracy. The civic mission of social studies demands the inclusion of all students-addressing cultural, linguistic, and learning diversity that includes similarities and differences based on race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, exceptional learning needs, and other educationally and personally significant characteristics of learners. Young people who are knowledgeable, skillful, and committed to democracy are necessary to sustaining and improving our democratic way of life, and participating as members of a global community. Civic competence rests on this commitment to democratic values, and requires the abilities to use knowledge about one’s community, nation, and world apply inquiry processes and employ skills of data collection and analysis, collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving. By making civic competence a central aim, NCSS has long recognized the importance of educating students who are committed to the ideas and values of democracy. Although civic competence is not the only responsibility of social studies nor is it exclusive to the field, it is more central to social studies than to any other subject area in schools. The aim of social studies is the promotion of civic competence-the knowledge, intellectual processes, and democratic dispositions required of students to be active and engaged participants in public life. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. …the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. ![]() National Council for the Social Studies, the largest professional association for social studies educators in the world, defines social studies as: What Is Social Studies and Why Is It Important? These updated standards retain the central emphasis of the original document on supporting students to become active participants in the learning process. As in the original document, the framework moves beyond any single approach to teaching and learning and promotes much more than the transmission of knowledge alone. ![]() The approach originally taken in these curriculum standards has been well received in the United States and internationally therefore, while the document has been revised and updated, it retains the same organization around major themes basic to social studies learning. These revised standards reflect a desire to continue and build upon the expectations established in the original standards for effective social studies in the grades from pre-K through 12. ![]() It incorporates current research and suggestions for improvement from many experienced practitioners. This revision aims to provide a framework for teaching, learning, and assessment in social studies that includes a sharper articulation of curriculum objectives, and reflects greater consistency across the different sections of the document. However, much has changed in the world and in education since these curriculum standards were published. Since then, the social studies standards have been widely and successfully used as a framework for teachers, schools, districts, states, and other nations as a tool for curriculum alignment and development. NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES (NCSS) first published national curriculum standards in 1994.
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