Office of Curriculum, Technology, & Assessment

Social Studies Standards Document: Introduction/Overview

Preface

In 1997 the South Dakota State Legislature passed SB 170, which amended South Dakota Codified Law 13-3-48 to address the issue of adopting challenging state content standards. The amendment reads as follows: "The secretary of the Department of Education shall prepare and submit for approval of the South Dakota Board of Education academic content standards in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science for grades one through twelve. Each school district shall adopt and implement clearly defined and measurable course guidelines so as to meet the state academic content standards."

In accordance with South Dakota Codified Law 13-3-48, this publication presents the South Dakota Standards for K-12 Social Studies. The final document evolved from a synthesis of published standards from other states, numerous professional publications, local curriculum guidelines, writing sessions with South Dakota K-12 teachers, and feedback from districts throughout South Dakota. In development of these standards, the writers researched and reviewed many respected and well-grounded national and state publications related to social studies, instruction, and assessment.

This document begins with a brief introduction and overview that outlines and explains a vision of the document and the organization of the document.

Introduction and Goals
History
Geography
Civics (Government)
Economics
Organization of the Social Studies Standards

Goals
Goals and Rationales
Goals and Indicators

In social studies classes, students confront questions about the wonder and excitement of humankind in the world. Who are we as a nation? What are our values and traditions? What are our great accomplishments as a nation? What are our responsibilities to ourselves and society at large? What is our place in the world? What will we be like in the future? In helping students answer these questions, social studies courses engage students in the study of history, geography, economics, and civics. Instruction will draw on other disciplines such as philosophy, art, literature, psychology, religion, and the sciences. Social studies classes help students understand their roots, see their connections to the past, comprehend their context, recognize the commonality of people across time, appreciate the delicate balance of rights and responsibilities in society, and develop habits of thoughtful analysis and reflective thinking.

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) describes the primary purpose of social studies as "[ helping] young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world."

The Social Studies Standards are designed to

• develop the knowledge and skills of history, geography, civics, and economics that enable students to place the people, ideas, and events that have shaped South Dakota and our nation in perspective;

• enable students to understand the basic values, principles, and operation of American constitutional democracy;

• prepare students for informed and responsible citizenship;

• develop students’ skills in debate, discussion, and writing; and

• provide students with a framework for continuing education in social studies.

History should be the integrative core of the curriculum. It enables both the humanities (such as art and literature) and the social sciences (political science, economics, and geography) to come to life. Through the study of history, students grasp a better understanding of their own society as well as others. By better understanding the relationship between past and present, students will be equipped to deal with the problems that may arise in the future. We continue to wrestle with questions of justice and personal responsibility and to realize that events are shaped both by ideas and the actions of individuals.

The goal of geography instruction is to provide an understanding of the human and physical characteristics of the earth’s places and regions; how people of different cultural backgrounds interact with their environment; and how the United States, South Dakota, and local communities are affected by conditions and events in distant places. Geographic skills include the ability to use diagrams, globes, maps, and software programs; to interpret graphs, tables, diagrams, and pictures; to observe and record information; and to assess information from various sources.

The goal of civics instruction is to develop in all students the knowledge and skills for informed, responsible participation in public life. Instruction will provide an understanding of politics and government and the skills of good citizenship. Students will develop an understanding of the values and principles of American constitutional democracy.

Students must understand the basic economic principles, how our economic system works, and how other economic systems work. They must learn to make wise economic decisions about their own lives and become intelligent consumers, employers, and workers. A solid grounding in economics will help students prepare for the global marketplace.

The South Dakota Social Studies Standards document outlines the four major areas of social studies: history, geography, civics, and economics. The standards are organized into separate grade levels so that a parent, local school board member, classroom teacher, or administrator could quickly review what social studies learning is expected at a specific grade level.

The grade level standards represent the classroom learning objectives or activities that should be provided at each grade level. These are presented in single grade levels except at grades 9-12. Currently, South Dakota administrative rules require that high school students take three units of social studies (1 unit = one year of United States history, ½ unit = one semester of United States government, ½ unit = one semester of geography, and 1 unit = one year of electives) in order to graduate. It is the responsibility of each school district to align the 9-12 standards into courses offered at the high school level.