The mission of the prekindergarten through high school social studies program is to help young people understand, through the study of the past and present, what it means to be a human being in society and develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world of finite resources. The identification of goals is meant to facilitate the mission of the social studies by providing points of focus.

The following goals represent the culmination of social studies instruction and should be used as beacons to guide the development of a consistent and articulated program. The goals are supported by grade-level instructional objectives organized in six strands. A social studies program should allow for integrative approaches in using the disciplines to address the objectives and further the attainment of the goals.

GOAL 1: To enable learners to gather and interpret information using perspectives from appropriate fields of social studies, to use methods and skills drawn from the social studies, and to actively engage in learning.

The learner will:

1. use current resources and technology to gather information

2. read and make inferences based upon information drawn from a variety of sources (e.g. primary documents, maps, charts, data bases, interviews, art, literature)

3. analyze and evaluate resources for relevance, authenticity, and credibility

4. identify, develop, and examine issues by applying ideas and methods of the social studies

5. examine a topic and create an original presentation about the topic

6. demonstrate curiosity, open-mindedness, skepticism, and ethical behavior in inquiry based upon the social studies

7. effectively communicate using appropriate facts, generalizations, concepts, and terminology from social studies fields

GOAL 2: To enable learners to explain how the world's people cope with the challenges of existence, examine issues from multiple perspectives, and respond to individual and cultural diversity.

The learner will:

1. use economic, geographic, historical, and political, understandings to examine how peopie address questions of existence

2. explore a topic by using the social studies and other disciplines

3. examine issues by using diverse perspectives (e.g. ideology, culture, ethnicity, individuals in history) to interpret information

4. recognize the global and interdependent nature of many issues

5. appreciate the historical and contemporary influences on the individual and on groups

6. identify aspects of diversity, as well as cohesion, among individuals and groups

GOAL 3: To enable learners to work with others, make informed judgments and decisions, and act in accordance with democratic processes and principles.

The learner will:

1. work independently to accomplish goals

2. work cooperatively (both as a participant and as a leader) to accomplish common goals

3. construct reasoned judgments to support, reject, or generate alternative issue positions

4. advocate a choice (using evidence-based decision making) and act accordingly

5. use democratic principles to guide the exercise of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship

6. apply knowledge of how groups and institutions work to meet individual needs and promote the common good