Social Studies

News & Announcements

November is Native American Heritage Month! Here are just a few resources to support classroom instruction:

Native American Heritage Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
The “First Thanksgiving” How Can We Tell a Better Story? This inquiry resource provides evidence to help teachers and students dispel the myth of the “First Thanksgiving.” From the National Museum of the American Indian (for grades 3 - 5).
The Impact of the Gold Rush on Native Americans of California. This inquiry lesson provides primary sources, maps, images, and background history to offer teachers and students insight into a little-known but vitally important aspect of one of the most iconic events in American history—the California gold rush. Students will analyze sources to answer the question, Do American actions against California Native Americans during the gold rush meet the United Nations definition of genocide? From the National Museum of the American Indian (for grades 8 - 12).
Northern Plains Treaties: Is a Treaty Intended to Be Forever? This online lesson provides perspectives from Native American community members, images, documents, and other sources to help students and teachers understand the difficult choices and consequences Northern Plains Native Nations faced when entering into treaty negotiations with the United States. Explore the intentions, motivations, and outcomes of two treaties: the 1851 Horse Creek Treaty and 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. From the National Museum of the American Indian (for grades 9 - 12).
5 New YA Books on Native American Lives. These five new books published written by a group of Indigenous authors across North America for readers ages 12 and up and we invite you to explore them alongside us. These texts address themes including Indigenous youth navigating adolescent identity, community, and resistance. From Facing History and Ourselves.
American Indian History and Heritage Teacher's Guide. This Teacher's Guide will introduce you to the cultures and explore the histories of some groups within the over 5 million people who identify as American Indian in the United States, with resources designed for integration across humanities curricula and classrooms throughout the school year. From the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Nuu~ciu Strong: A Colorado Fourth Grade Resource Guide, Lessons About the Ute People of Colorado. - Updated July, 2023
Nuchiu Strong: A Kindergarten - First Grade Resource Guide.

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Academic Standards

Preparing students for the 21st century cannot be accomplished without a strong and sustaining emphasis on the social studies. The social studies provide cornerstone skills that are the key to opening doors for a more diverse, competitive workforce and responsible citizenry.

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Curriculum Support

Article IX, Section 16 of Colorado's constitution states, "Neither the general assembly nor the state board of education shall have power to prescribe textbooks to be used in the public schools." However, CDE can still serve as an advisor to help districts and schools adopt, adapt, develop, or use the materials of their choice.

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Instructional Support

Instructional support is grounded in CDE's shared approach to Best, First Instruction as well as practices and strategies supported by professional organizations and scholars at the leading edge of social studies education.

High Impact Instruction in Diverse Learning Settings This page provides a variety of resources and recommendations for providing instruction in diverse learning settings.
High Impact Instructional Strategies in the Social Studies This chart aligns high impact instructional strategies with desired student skills.
Research based instructional practices: This document outlines research based, high impact instructional strategies for the social studies.
Social Studies Lesson Planning for Learning and Reflection A sampling of lesson planning processes and ideas developed by teachers as part of the District Sample Curriculum Project.
High Impact Instructional Strategies for the Social Studies Classroom Modules: These modules represent a few high impact instructional strategies for the social studies classroom. While there are numerous teaching strategies for effective social studies instruction, the research on high-impact instruction in social studies (in terms of a positive impact on student learning) focuses primarily in two areas: historical thinking, and civic knowledge and skills for citizenship.

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Community

There are many opportunities to connect and grow as a professional educator with the larger Social Studies education community.

Social Studies Information

The Gilder Lehrman National History Teacher of the Year Award The National History Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding K–12 American history teachers across the country. The 2025 award & honors outstanding elementary or secondary school teachers. Nominate a teacher today!
Social Studies Instruction and Reading Comprehension: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study A new study finds that social studies instruction in elementary school improves student's reading scores! Here are the 2 key points from the study:
- Increased instructional time in social studies—but not in ELA—is associated with improved reading ability.
- The students who benefit the most from additional social studies time are girls and those from lower-income and/or non-English-speaking homes.
- To read the study, visit the Fordham Foundation website at https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/resources/social-studies-instruction-and-reading-comprehension
Civics as a Graduation Requirement In 2004, the Colorado State Legislature passed a bill requiring all high school students to pass a course in civics. This is the only state graduation requirement. Specifically, the law states, "Satisfactory completion of a course on the civil government of the United States and the state of Colorado ... shall be a condition of high school graduation in the public schools of this state. Here is the full text of the law: CRS. 22-1-104.

For further assistance, please contact:

Stephanie Hartman, Ph.D.
Social Studies Content Specialist
720.498.2084
[email protected]