The Social Studies Curriculum should:
- Be taught to all students K-12.
- Provide a consistent, well-structured K-12 curriculum at all grade levels which emphasize a local to global continuum.
- Be based on sound research theories and principles.
- Prepare students with higher-order thinking skills.
- Utilize current technology to enhance the curriculum.
- Recognize and address the different learning styles of students.
- Incorporate relevant concepts from other social science disciplines.
- Demonstrate the life-long use of social studies knowledge and skills.
- Promote cultural understanding, appreciation and respect for others.
- Prepare students to live successfully in a diverse and global society.
- Examine the impact of individual and societal actions.
- Increase student understanding of their responsibility as citizens of the world, their country, state and community.
- Help students understand the economic systems of the world and their interactions.
- Promote awareness of global issues.
- Emphasize how people have expressed themselves throughout history.
- Create an historical perspective of those who make up America's diverse population.
- Involve students in the life of the community.
- Provide students with skills to deal with conflicting issues.
The Social Studies Curriculum will:
- Be coordinated, articulated and required at all Tacoma schools K-12.
- Use developmentally appropriate methods and materials to meet the needs of students.
- Promote cooperation through classroom activities.
- Guide students in developing research skills.
- Teach higher order thinking skills.
- Teach skills in detecting bias.
- Teach the basic principles of democracy.
- Teach cultural understanding, appreciation and respect for others.
- Teach awareness of global issues.
- Use a variety of teaching methods and content from other disciplines when appropriate.
- Examine the impact of individual and societal action.
- Encourage a common interest in the future of humanity.
- Teach an understanding of basic economic realities.
- Increase student understanding of their responsibility as citizens of the United States.
- Teach students how to impact varying levels of social, economic and political systems.
- Provide appropriate political science instruction at all levels.
- Provide appropriate history instruction at all levels
- Provide appropriate geography instruction at all levels.
- Present diverse ideas and conflicting points of view.