SOCIAL STUDIES

Social Studies is the integration of knowledge and human experience for the purpose of citizenship. Students gain knowledge of history, civics and government, geography, and economics; understand the interaction between and among history, the social sciences and humanities and apply that knowledge and understanding as responsible citizens. An effective program develops several important aspects of a child’s education including the development of literacy and 21st century skills, as well as cultural responsiveness.

East Hartford High School’s Social Studies program is designed to help students acquire logical and critical thinking skills in order to face a future of rapidly increasing change. It is a social studies education, focusing most directly on the learning which young people need for participating in society, which the public welfare requires. All courses include instructional objectives that are theme-based and are aligned with the Connecticut Framework as well as Common Core State Standards. Students are consistently assessed in writing arguments and in citing evidence from their reading. In an effort to better prepare students for the Smarter Balanced Assessment, performance tasks are incorporated into each unit.

This content of all social studies courses are organized according to ten National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. These themes represent a way of organizing knowledge about the human experience in the world.  

  • Culture
  • Time, Continuity, and Change
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Individual Development, and Identity
  • Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
  • Power, Authority, and Governance
  • Production, Distribution, and Consumption
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Global Connections

Civic Ideals and Practices