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District officials outline K-12 social studies sequence, emphasize civics and inquiry skills
Summary
Curriculum staff presented the Concord-Carlisle districtapproach to social studies from kindergarten through high school, highlighting DESE-aligned skills, an 8th-grade civics capstone and inquiry-based lessons under way in several grades.
Shelley (staff member) and curriculum coordinators summarized the districtsocial studies program and said instruction across grades emphasizes inquiry, source evaluation and civic action. "We really focus on building background knowledge and giving them hands on experiences as historians," said Allison Forstetter, K-5 curriculum coordinator. Forstetter described early-grade work on community and place-based learning and said grade 2 students visit local sites such as the Orchard House and Walden Pond.
Johanna Glaser, chair of the social studies department at Concord-Carlisle High School, said the high school program gives students more disciplinary choices and keeps civic engagement central. "We want our students to understand themselves and the world around them, to know how our government works and how societies function," Glaser said. Robbie Robbins (staff member) described the middle school sequence that moves from global cultures in sixth grade to ancient civilizations in seventh and a civics-focused U.S. history capstone in eighth grade.
The presenters stressed skills the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) promotes: analyzing purpose and point of view, evaluating credibility and evidence, distinguishing fact from opinion and taking informed civic action. Shelley said eighth graders this year will take the stategrade 8 civics test; she noted the test "does not count towards accountability." Several teachers reported implementing the statedeveloped Investigating History curriculum in fifth grade classrooms and said grades 3 and 4 were planned for future rollout.
Presenters described professional development priorities: inquiry-based lessons, primary-source analysis, writing instruction and projects that pair research with community engagement. Glaser highlighted a new course, "Through It All: The Black Experience in America," developed with student input and noted recent field trips to the Museum of African American History and the Black Heritage Trail in Boston.
School committee members asked for clarification and praised the K-12 continuity. Dr. Hunter (Superintendent) and committee co-chairs urged staff to flag any budget or resource needs as they continue curriculum work.
The presentation combined classroom examples, state-aligned standards and a description of classroom practice across elementary, middle and high school levels. No formal vote was taken on curriculum policy during the meeting.
