Madison details new grades 6–8 social studies aligned to 2023 state standards, adds inquiry-driven units

Chris Pacquiao, the district coordinator for grades 6–8 social studies, told the board the revision was driven by the 2023 Connecticut State Social Studies standards and a desire to build vertical alignment across grades. "We needed to update each of the courses to the more recently passed Connecticut State Social Studies standards," Pacquiao said, noting an increased emphasis on both physical and cultural geography.

Pacquiao and Megan Pacuko described grade-level units designed to create a coherent narrative through history: sixth grade focuses on foundational geography and inquiry (one example is a Marco Polo investigation using primary-source excerpts), seventh grade centers on the 20th century including World War I and II and decolonization, and eighth grade culminates with a transfer experience that asked whether artificial intelligence "enhances our learning or does it limit our learning?" Presenters said students synthesize varied sources, revise positions based on evidence, and defend their conclusions.

Megan Pacuko described classroom products and assessment-aligned projects in which students transform chapter readings into visual artifacts and storyboards. The grade-by-grade design also intentionally integrates English language arts material to reinforce nonfiction reading and writing skills across content areas.

Presenters highlighted professional development to support teachers as the district adopts the new standards and curricular materials. The transcript does not record a formal board vote during this session; presenters said work will continue over the summer and that some classroom pilots have already been completed.