September was quite a busy month for our social studies community. Multiple curriculum committees met to work on revising scope and sequences and mostly to develop unit guides. It has been such a highlight for me to work in these smaller groups. The conversations are invigorating and I always walk away encouraged about the direction our curriculum is going. In these meetings, I'm constantly reminded that we really do have some of the best teachers in the world right here in Blue Valley. The learning experiences being provided to our students are top notch. Keep on, keeping on.
As of now, a majority of our middle school courses have unit guides, or at least a strong draft of a guide for each unit. Our World Geography course is in good shape as well. Thanks to work completed over the summer and in August, other courses are off to a good start, such as U.S. History, Psychology, Sociology, Government, and World History. I have to give a shout out to the APUSH curriculum committee as I'm quite proud of them. They worked diligently on developing a scope and sequence in light of a new framework and some unknowns regarding exactly how the next AP exam will shake out. Way to go.
Some of you are hearing various bits of information regarding the HGSS Assessments (History, Government, Social Studies Assessment). As of now, the only information we know is that they are planning on field testing this spring in 6th, 8th, and 11th grade. We do not have any definitive information regarding when, and exactly what will be assessed. As soon as we do, I promise to keep you all informed. Thank you for being patient and flexible. To be honest, I'm not at all concerned or worried about the state assessments. As mentioned above, we are already focusing on historical thinking skills, utilizing DBQs, and teaching students how to interpret historical events from multiple perspectives. We need to continue to focus on these best practices and skills and most of all focus on what is best for improving student learning. Keep our eyes on the prize.
Last thing to mention. I'll reiterate this on October 10th, but KSDE has released a HGSS Skills Chart, illustrating the skills a students should have mastered for each discipline by grade level (well, grade level for elementary, grade bands for secondary). As our curriculum committees have met, we continuously reflect on this chart and ask if the learning experiences we are incorporating in our unit guides in fact support students developing these skills. I encourage everyone to keep a copy handy and start to reflect in your own practices. Will students leave your classroom at the end of the year with these skills?
As of now, a majority of our middle school courses have unit guides, or at least a strong draft of a guide for each unit. Our World Geography course is in good shape as well. Thanks to work completed over the summer and in August, other courses are off to a good start, such as U.S. History, Psychology, Sociology, Government, and World History. I have to give a shout out to the APUSH curriculum committee as I'm quite proud of them. They worked diligently on developing a scope and sequence in light of a new framework and some unknowns regarding exactly how the next AP exam will shake out. Way to go.
Some of you are hearing various bits of information regarding the HGSS Assessments (History, Government, Social Studies Assessment). As of now, the only information we know is that they are planning on field testing this spring in 6th, 8th, and 11th grade. We do not have any definitive information regarding when, and exactly what will be assessed. As soon as we do, I promise to keep you all informed. Thank you for being patient and flexible. To be honest, I'm not at all concerned or worried about the state assessments. As mentioned above, we are already focusing on historical thinking skills, utilizing DBQs, and teaching students how to interpret historical events from multiple perspectives. We need to continue to focus on these best practices and skills and most of all focus on what is best for improving student learning. Keep our eyes on the prize.
Last thing to mention. I'll reiterate this on October 10th, but KSDE has released a HGSS Skills Chart, illustrating the skills a students should have mastered for each discipline by grade level (well, grade level for elementary, grade bands for secondary). As our curriculum committees have met, we continuously reflect on this chart and ask if the learning experiences we are incorporating in our unit guides in fact support students developing these skills. I encourage everyone to keep a copy handy and start to reflect in your own practices. Will students leave your classroom at the end of the year with these skills?