Monongalia County Schools selects new social-studies materials for grades 6–12

Monongalia County Schools has selected new social-studies instructional materials for grades 6–12, Becky Berry, the district’s social-studies specialist, said on the district podcast Motivation and Momentum.

Berry said the adoption follows a multi-school committee review that combined teachers’ “wish list” with revised West Virginia content standards and a scoring rubric the committee used to evaluate publishers’ materials. "We married those wishes with our standards and came up with a a scoring rubric," she said.

The selection ends a seven-year interval between textbook adoptions that Berry described as typical for the district. She said the committee included teachers from middle and high schools across the county and evaluated both print and online options. "It's been a while since we looked at online materials. They have so many new advancements and so much more engaging resources for students that I'm excited to see them implemented," Berry said.

Berry described West Virginia’s social-studies standards as built on four pillars — history, economics, civics and geography — that spiral from grade to grade. "No matter if it's grades 6 through 12, there's history standards, there's economic standards, civic standards, and geography standards, and those spiral and build from year to year," she said. The district’s chosen materials cover those strands for grades 6–12, she said.

The podcast discussion emphasized skills-based instruction rather than rote memorization, with teachers focusing on continuity and change, causation and comparison to help students analyze sources and evaluate news. Berry said that emphasis supports civics goals, including registering eligible seniors to vote and encouraging civic participation.

Berry highlighted local student achievements she said reflect the district’s social-studies programming: winners in the state Golden Horseshoe competition and active History Bowl participation, including a national placing for Morgantown High this year, which she described as a notable success for the county’s programs.

The podcast did not provide a timeline for classroom rollout or detail on budget or publisher contracts. Berry described her role as supporting teachers, modeling lessons and leading professional development as the district implements the new materials.