Social Studies Goals for Graduates:

As a result of their education in the Rockwood Social Studies Program, Rockwood School District students will:

• Use critical thinking skills.
• Understand the rights and responsibilities of active citizens.
• Identify democratic values and principles embodied in the Constitution and fundamental charters of freedom.
• Use interpersonal skills such as cooperation, adaptability, and conflict resolution.
• Develop understanding for cultural diversity at the local, state, national, and global levels.
• Use available resources to research and process information in a changing world.
• Demonstrate effective oral and written communication.
• Recognize spatial, historical, political, social, and economic relationships.
• Connect the past with the present and future.
• Demonstrate characteristics of life-long learners.

Elementary
Elementary Social Studies provides students with a framework for looking at the world in which they live. A solid foundation in social studies is essential for development of responsible and productive members of our nation and world. Strands such as history, geography, economics, government, cultural awareness, and social science processing are utilized to help students make logical connections and reasoned decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society.

Instructional emphasis is placed on developing and applying knowledge and skills that will enable students to approach and resolve issues of importance in an increasingly interdependent world. Students in elementary social studies will use texts, primary and secondary sources, maps, charts, graphs, photographs, films, software, and other related materials to construct a framework of integrated knowledge within and across disciplines.

Students will have the opportunity to acquire and organize information, present ideas, construct narrative histories, use social science tools, and work with categories of information such as cause/effect, sequence, comparison/contrast, and analogy.

Middle School
A solid foundation in the social studies is necessary for a young person to develop into a responsible and productive member of our world community. History gives them a "memory" of who we are as a people and offers examples of solutions to problems and an appreciation of the contributions of many. Knowledge of economics and civics gives understanding to factors that influence our daily lives as well as world events. Geography helps them appreciate the differences among people and how powerful the interaction is between humans and the world.

Recognizing that middle school is the bridge between elementary and high school programs, this curriculum was developed to build on the social science skills of the elementary program and to prepare students for the high school courses and lifelong learning. The curriculum recognizes that social science concepts are best learned when an emphasis is placed on the integration of history, geography, economics, civics, cultures, current and future issues, other content areas, and especially language arts. Through differentiation and acceleration, this curriculum is designed to ensure that students acquire key social science skills necessary for lifelong, active participation in order to become responsible, decision-making citizens in their local, national, and global communities.

High School
The Social Studies Department provides a variety of courses that are tied to the social sciences and the humanities in order to promote civic competence. A solid foundation in the Social Studies is necessary for students to develop into responsible and productive members of our world community. Areas such as government, history, economics, geography, sociology, and psychology are utilized to help students make informed and reasoned decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society.

Instructional emphasis is placed on acquiring and applying knowledge and skills that will enable students to construct new, integrated approaches to resolving issues in an increasingly interdependent world. Students enrolled in Social Studies courses will utilize texts, primary and secondary sources, maps, graphs, charts, photographs, films, and other related materials to construct a framework that integrates knowledge within and across disciplines. Through the use of writing and focused projects, students will have the opportunity to acquire information, analyze data, present ideas, develop arguments, formulate policies, and construct categories of information such as cause/effect, sequence, comparison/contrast, or analogy.