The Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies
On June 9, 2016, the State Board of Education approved the K-12 Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Social Studies. The K-12 Social Studies GSE should be implemented during the 2017-2018 school year.
Please visit the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies Webpage for content and instruction resources that includes GSE teacher notes, content tutorial videos, curriculum maps, sample units and more.
Georgia Performance Standards
The Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies were designed to develop informed Georgia citizens who understand the history of the United States and our place in an ever increasing interconnected world. It is essential that students understand their past and how that past influences the present day and the future.
To accomplish our goal of informed citizens, it is essential that Social Studies teachers:
• Bridge essential understanding about the past to contemporary events.
• Assist students in understanding the nature of historical inquiry and the role of primary and secondary sources.
• Encourage the consideration of multiple perspectives on events.
• Engage students in speculation about the known and unknown motives and actions of historic figures.
• Integrate the strands of Social Studies.
The ever growing body of children’s literature that has relevant social studies themes should be incorporated into the Social Studies curriculum. Reading in Social Studies is part of the 25 book standard. In addition, the reading of social studies related books should be an integral part of the elementary reading program.
The Social Studies skills identified on the Skills Matrix are to be integrated into the content as appropriate, not taught separately from the content. Skills are introduced in a given year, then developed and mastered over time; and once mastered, they must continue to be refined throughout the student’s academic career.
Through the use of a varied assessment program, students should be provided with periodic opportunities to engage in inquiry-oriented projects related to social studies. A varied assessment program with multiple types of both formative and summative assessments provides the teacher, the student, and the parent with an understanding of the student’s progress and mastery of the Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies.