Social Studies

Sheridan’s social studies program prepares students to become competent and actively-involved citizens with the ability to make informed, reasoned, and thoughtful decisions in a diverse and globally interdependent world. Through active inquiry, collaboration, and problem-solving, students build the necessary skills, knowledge, and conceptual understanding to explore political, social, and economic issues from multiple perspectives. Students apply their knowledge to confront multiple dilemmas, speculate, think critically, and make responsible personal and civic decisions as productive participants in a democratic society.

The social studies curriculum reflects the ten strands of the National Council for the Social Studies, and skills assessment is based on Common Core State Standards for Literacy in Social Studies. Classes come to life through in-depth research projects and hands-on, engaging learning experiences. Students act out time periods, create museums, engage in authentic research, and take part in simulations including the Silk Road in Ancient China, an Underground Railroad exercise, and a model United Nations.

In kindergarten through third grade, students study geography and its influence on the formation of culture. In fourth through sixth grade, students explore what happens when cultures meet and look critically at the concepts of trade, power, and expansion. With this background, the stage is set for deeper understanding of the political, economic, and social landscape of the modern world in the upper grades. In seventh grade, students apply many of the concepts and skills from their prior studies to an in-depth exploration of American history, and, in eighth grade, students look critically at contemporary issues and conflicts.

Students study social studies three to five days a week from kindergarten through eighth grade.