CSPG 59 - Social Studies (7-12)
Modified: January 2023
Instructional Area Code 8875
Social Studies is a combination of disciplines that study, but is not limited to, individuals’ rights and responsibilities, including how individuals facilitate governmental functions and contribute to the well-being of their community through civic action (civics and government); analyze and interpret past events; describe physical and human phenomena that make up the world’s environments and places (geography); describe the behavior of individuals and institutions engaged in the production, exchange, and consumption of goods and services (economics); and describe portions of behavior, past and present activities, interactions and organizations of people associated together for benevolent, cultural, religious, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.
Grade Level Scope of Certificate
An individual holding a valid PA certificate for Social Studies is qualified to teach Social Studies courses to students in grades 7-12. A person holding this certificate is also qualified to teach this content in the sixth (6th) grade. (See CSPG #104).
An individual holding a valid PA certificate for Social Studies is qualified to teach courses and programs in areas to include the following: Pennsylvania, United States, or world history; geography; civics and government; economics, international trade and global economies; political science; local/state/national commerce, international relations; American and World Cultures; psychology, sociology, archeology, anthropology, philosophy, and personal finance.
An individual holding a valid PA Citizenship Education certification may only teach the following courses: Pennsylvania, United States, or world history; geography; civics and government; economics, international trade and global economies; political science; local/state/national commerce, international relations; American and World Cultures.
Educators holding Citizenship Education or Social Studies certificates may teach Citizenship Education courses.
A person holding a previously issued valid PA certificate for a single discipline certification area (History, History and Government, Geography, Economics, Economic Geography, Government, Political Science, and Philosophy) may be assigned to teach only that particular subject area. In addition:
- Civics courses may be taught by an educator holding the older and a valid PA single discipline certification area for Political Science or for History and Government.
- World Cultures may be taught by an educator holding the older and valid PA single discipline certification area for History, History and Government, Geography, or Anthropology.
- American Cultures may be taught by an educator holding the older and valid PA single discipline certification area for History, or Geography, or Sociology.
- An educator holding the older single discipline PA certification area for Sociology or Anthropology may continue to teach American or World Culture courses.
An educator certified in this field may:
- Provide professional development.
- Serve in the role of mentor or advisor.
- Assist students in understanding how to read content area materials.
22 PA Code: Chapter 4: §4.22 (c)(4), §4.23 (c)(4), §4.23 (e)
Chapter 49: §49.11, §49.81, §49.142
PA Public School Code: §1202, §1212, §1604
This revision supersedes all earlier CSPGs carrying this number and/or addressing this subject. Previous printing dates on this subject: 3/75, 2/79, 1/81, 1/87.
Summary of Changes
- Added Personal Finance.
- Clarified specific content areas.
- Updated formatting.