National Curriculum Standards
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Social Studies Mandates: In order to better enable a rising generation to understand the history and principles of the founding of the United States in 1776, and, through this, form a more perfect Union: The American founding envisioned a political order in harmony with the design of “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” seeing the rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness as embodied in and sanctioned by natural law and its traditions. The path to a renewed and confident national unity is through a rediscovery of a shared identity rooted in our Founding Principles. Thus, it is necessary to provide America’s young people access to what is genuinely inspiring and unifying in our history.
State Course of Study: Teachers should maximize and expand students’ knowledge through the use of integral tools, including cooperative learning, large and small group discussions, hands-on activities, current technology, and the use of primary sources. Students greatly benefit from a positive learning environment that challenges and encourages their efforts and progress. In addition, effective teachers recognize the strong need for a sense of belonging exhibited by this age group and therefore provide cooperative learning experiences where students develop a sense of personal identity as well as a sense of responsibility.
Generalized Pedagogy: Middle School students are interested in acquiring a deeper understandings. As they enter transitional stages characterized by physical, cognitive and social changes, they begin to analyze and evaluate relationships between ideas and practices. Their curiosity can be utilized to help them identify important concepts and ideas embedded in the history of the United States. Effective teachers utilize a variety of instructional strategies and assessment tools to address various learning styles. Rather than providing all the answers, innovative teachers help students develop critical-thinking skills by encouraging them to evaluate their own opinions as well as those of others.
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.” ~Abigail Adams