Social Studies Department

Philosophy

An awareness of how and why societies function in their respective place and time in history is vital to the development of responsible, inquisitive, and global citizens in today’s increasingly complex and multi-cultural world.

Essential Agreements

• Students will develop historical and cultural knowledge through the study of history, geography, and the other social sciences.
• An emphasis will be placed on developing participation, critical thinking, writing, and research skills.
• We will review the EBV adopted standards and check our alignment with them once a year.
• Throughout the year, each of the five themes of Social Studies will be connected to the content.
• Each unit will have at least one hands-on, experiential learning opportunity.
• Technology will be used for research, experimentation, or presentation, at least once per quarter.
• Students will have a significant writing activity once per quarter that is assessed using a writing process and evaluation system.
• Students will participate in an interdisciplinary or cross-curricular activity involving Social Studies at least once per quarter.
• Students will demonstrate ability to access and analyze a variety of print and non-print sources through the research process frequently throughout the year.
• Students are encouraged to move beyond memorization of facts and dates so that they begin to analyze historical events and see how they can be relevant to their own lives.