CSDE Model Curricula Quick Start GuideThe Organization and Alignment of Grade-specific CT Core Standards Equitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Standards-based Social Studies Instruction Standards-based social studies instruction at the kindergarten (K) through Grade12 levels can provide students with the critical content and skills they need to comprehend and impact the challenging and complex world they live in. High quality social studies instruction also allows students to appreciate and understand the cultures of all individuals and groups that reside in our state. Course Description:  In Kindergarten, students learn about roles and responsibilities in a community.  Students explore communities in the past and present, familiar places, and the roles of individuals and groups using disciplinary tools and resources that support planning and developing inquiries, gathering relevant information, and communication of knowledge and ideas about a community.Questions that should be answered in the course include:What makes a community?How do we learn about community?Aligned Core Resources:The selection of core resources is a local decision. It is imperative that curriculum be implemented using high quality instructional materials to ensure all students meet Connecticut’s standards. Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for holistic success. However, there are compilations of completed reviews from a variety of resources. Some of these include but are not limited to EdReports, Louisiana Believes, CURATE, and Oregon Adopted Instructional Materials. Connecticut is currently working on providing additional alignment guidance for the most frequently used resources across the state.   Additional Course Information:  Big ideas addressed in the course:Roles and Responsibilities Familiar Places and CommunitiesCommunities Past and presentHabits of Mind/SEIH/Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: The skills you want students to master in their journey to success in college, career, and civic life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration, empathy, respect).The Standards for Social Studies practice are aligned with the C3 Framework and follow the four dimensions of inquiry. The inquiry process is critical for framing the way students learn about history, geography, civics, and economics. The Inquiry Standards of practice describe the thinking processes, habits of mind, and dispositions that students need to develop a strong, critical, and courageous enduring understanding of Social Studies. Central to the C3 Framework is the Inquiry Arc, which frames the ways students learn social studies content. The Inquiry Arc established four dimensions of inquiry: (1) developing questions and planning inquiry, (2) applying disciplinary concepts and tools, (3) evaluating sources and using evidence, and (4) communicating conclusions and taking informed action. The C3 Framework also established four major disciplines in social studies—civics, economics, geography, and history—that form the basis of the second dimension of the Inquiry Arc and that all four major disciplines should be represented within social studies courses. Therefore, the following students should:Develop questions relevant to self, family, and school community. Apply disciplinary knowledge and practices to demonstrate an understanding of social studies content. Gather information to answer a question relevant to self, family, and school community. Use listening and consensus-building and voting procedures to take action in the classroom. It is important to note that the Social Studies curriculum units integrate social, emotional, and intellectual habits. This course will support the following Areas of Development and aim to incorporate learning experiences that will enhance the opportunity for students to: Develop a positive self-concept.  Self-Awareness  Sense of Self as Competent and capable Develop a positive attitude towards learning Sense of self as a learner  Curiosity and initiative  Cooperation during learning experiences  Identify and understand emotions of self and others  Identifying and understanding emotions  Empathy  Develop positive interpersonal relationships Social awareness and interpersonal skills Responsible decision making and problem solving Conflict resolution   Develop executive functioning skills Working memory and metacognition Cognitive flexibility  Manage attention and behavior  Develop logic and reasoning Please review the Components of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade 12 for more details. 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: Every community has a past, present, and a future. In this unit, Kindergarten students will explore the similarities and differences between their community’s past and the present. Students will utilize primary source documents such as newspapers, photographs, and artifacts, to generate questions about historical sources and explain how people lived in the past.  Unit Duration:20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks-20 Days 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: Every community has a past, present, and a future. In this unit, Kindergarten students will explore the similarities and differences between their community’s past and the present. Students will utilize primary source documents such as newspapers, photographs, and artifacts, to generate questions about historical sources and explain how people lived in the past.  Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks-20 Days 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  Many communities have common places that are important to the people who live and work there. The people, places, features, and elements of each community are what make it unique. In this unit, kindergarteners will explore geography and economics in the context of their local community. Students will distinguish between land and water features on maps, create simple maps of familiar places, learn where goods and services that exist in their community come from, and describe the places connected to their lives using various representations.   Unit Duration:20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  Many communities have common places that are important to the people who live and work there. The people, places, features, and elements of each community are what make it unique. In this unit, kindergarteners will explore geography and economics in the context of their local community. Students will distinguish between land and water features on maps, create simple maps of familiar places, learn where goods and services that exist in their community come from, and describe the places connected to their lives using various representations.   Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  Every family, classroom, school, and town in Connecticut has diverse members. Each member plays an important role in making their community a better place. In this unit, Kindergarteners will learn how families, leaders, schoolmates, and everyday citizens aim to act responsibly and respectfully to uphold rules and laws. Kindergarten students will learn about collaborative efforts that create a harmonious and thriving community.  Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  Every family, classroom, school, and town in Connecticut has diverse members. Each member plays an important role in making their community a better place. In this unit, Kindergarteners will learn how families, leaders, schoolmates, and everyday citizens aim to act responsibly and respectfully to uphold rules and laws. Kindergarten students will learn about collaborative efforts that create a harmonious and thriving community.  Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

CSDE Model Curricula Quick Start GuideThe Organization and Alignment of Grade-specific CT Core StandardsEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Standards-based Social Studies Instruction Standards-based social studies instruction at the kindergarten (K) through Grade12 levels can provide students with the critical content and skills they need to comprehend and impact the challenging and complex world they live in. High quality social studies instruction also allows students to appreciate and understand the cultures of all individuals and groups that reside in our state.Course Description:  In Grade 1, students explore democratic principles and values to understand their role in local, national, and global communities while recognizing the contributions of individuals and groups over time. Students use disciplinary tools and resources that support planning and  developing inquiries, gathering relevant information, and communication of knowledge and ideas about the roles and responsibilities of people in communities. Questions that should be answered in a course description include: How do individuals and groups contribute to their communities? How have people shaped their societies over time? Aligned Core Resources:   Core resources are a local control decision. It is imperative that curriculum be implemented using high quality instructional materials to ensure all students meet Connecticut’s standards. Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for holistic success. There are tools that are available to districts to assist in evaluating alignment of resources, such as CCSSO’s Mathematics Curriculum Analysis Project and Student Achievement Partner’s Instructional Materials Evaluation Tool.   In addition, there exist compilations of completed reviews from a variety of resources. Some of these include but are not limited to EdReports, Louisiana Believes, CURATE, and Oregon Adopted Instructional Materials. Connecticut is currently working on providing additional alignment guidance for the most frequently used resources across the state.  Additional Course Information:  Big ideas addressed in the course: Contributing in a Democratic Society Honoring Past and Present Global Communities Habits of Mind/SEIH/Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: The skills you want students to master in their journey to success in college, career, and civic life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration, empathy, respect). The Standards for Social Studies practice are aligned with the C3 Framework and follow the four dimensions of inquiry. The inquiry process is critical for framing the way students learn about history, geography, civics, and economics. The Inquiry Standards of practice describe the thinking processes, habits of mind, and dispositions that students need to develop a strong, critical, and courageous enduring understanding of Social Studies. Central to the C3 Framework is the Inquiry Arc, which frames the ways students learn social studies content. The Inquiry Arc established four dimensions of inquiry: (1) developing questions and planning inquiry, (2) applying disciplinary concepts and tools, (3) evaluating sources and using evidence, and (4) communicating conclusions and taking informed action. The C3 Framework also established four major disciplines in social studies—civics, economics, geography, and history—that form the basis of the second dimension of the Inquiry Arc and that all four major disciplines should be represented within social studies courses. Therefore, students should: Explain why a compelling question about community members is important to the student. Identify facts and concepts related to compelling and supporting questions. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions. Apply disciplinary knowledge and practices to demonstrate an understanding of social studies content. Gather information from one or two sources to answer a question about the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groups within and among communities. Evaluate a source by distinguishing between fact and opinion. Construct arguments with reasons. Construct explanations using correct sequence and relevant information. Ask and answer questions about arguments and explanations. Present a summary of an argument using print, oral, or digital technologies. Identify and explain a range of local, regional, and global problems, and some ways in which people can and are trying to address these problems. Use listening, consensus-building, and voting procedures to take action in the classroom. It is important to note that the Social Studies curriculum units integrate social, emotional, and intellectual habits. Please review the Components of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade 12 for more details. 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:   Communities in Connecticut aim to engage in and advance democratic principles. In this unit, first graders will seek to understand the role of democratic principles in local, national, and many global communities. Students will explore their role in classroom procedures as well as examine the rules and roles of the communities that they are engaged in.  Students will also create and analyze compelling questions about communities, identify facts to answer compelling questions, and determine the sources needed to answer the questions. Unit Duration:20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:   Communities in Connecticut aim to engage in and advance democratic principles. In this unit, first graders will seek to understand the role of democratic principles in local, national, and many global communities. Students will explore their role in classroom procedures as well as examine the rules and roles of the communities that they are engaged in.  Students will also create and analyze compelling questions about communities, identify facts to answer compelling questions, and determine the sources needed to answer the questions. Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: Various communities exist throughout the world.  In this unit, first graders will explore local, state, national, and global communities. Additionally, students will acknowledge the role that they play as individuals in the global community, examine how disasters (natural or human) can change the physical aspect of a place, inquire about how people within communities change their interaction with the community, and examine trading systems within and between communities. Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: Various communities exist throughout the world.  In this unit, first graders will explore local, state, national, and global communities. Additionally, students will acknowledge the role that they play as individuals in the global community, examine how disasters (natural or human) can change the physical aspect of a place, inquire about how people within communities change their interaction with the community, and examine trading systems within and between communities. Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: Learning about the history of influential individuals/ groups in local, state, national, and global communities provide a way for citizens to show respect and honor to significant events in the past and the present. In this unit, first graders will evaluate the contributions of diverse individuals/ groups over time and examine different types of sources that depict their community’s history such as artifacts, historical markers, monuments, and symbols.  Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/SummaryLearning about the history of influential individuals/ groups in local, state, national, and global communities provide a way for citizens to show respect and honor to significant events in the past and the present. In this unit, first graders will evaluate the contributions of diverse individuals/ groups over time and examine different types of sources that depict their community’s history such as artifacts, historical markers, monuments, and symbols.  Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

CSDE Model Curricula Quick Start GuideThe Organization and Alignment of Grade-specific CT Core StandardsEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Standards-based Social Studies Instruction Standards-based social studies instruction at the kindergarten (K) through Grade12 levels can provide students with the critical content and skills they need to comprehend and impact the challenging and complex world they live in. High quality social studies instruction also allows students to appreciate and understand the cultures of all individuals and groups that reside in our state.Course Description:  In Grade 2, students explore how people contribute to society. Students investigate democratic principles, leadership in the past and present, and how decisions are made within local, national, and global communities. Students investigate how people work together and make decisions using disciplinary tools and resources that support planning and developing inquiries, gathering relevant information, and communication of knowledge and ideas about people’s contributions to society. Questions that should be answered in a course description include: How do people in communities work together? How do leaders make decisions? Aligned Core Resources:   Core resources are a local control decision. It is imperative that curriculum be implemented using high quality instructional materials to ensure all students meet Connecticut’s standards. Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for holistic success. There are tools that are available to districts to assist in evaluating alignment of resources, such as CCSSO’s Mathematics Curriculum Analysis Project and Student Achievement Partner’s Instructional Materials Evaluation Tool.   In addition, there exist compilations of completed reviews from a variety of resources. Some of these include but are not limited to EdReports, Louisiana Believes, CURATE, and Oregon Adopted Instructional Materials. Connecticut is currently working on providing additional alignment guidance for the most frequently used resources across the state.  Additional Course Information:  Big ideas addressed in the course: Working Together as a Community Leadership Past and Present Decision-Making in our World Habits of Mind/SEIH/Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: The skills you want students to master in their journey to success in college, career, and civic life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration, empathy, respect). The Standards for Social Studies practice are aligned with the C3 Framework and follow the four dimensions of inquiry. The inquiry process is critical for framing the way students learn about history, geography, civics, and economics. The Inquiry Standards of practice describe the thinking processes, habits of mind, and dispositions that students need to develop a strong, critical, and courageous enduring understanding of Social Studies. Central to the C3 Framework is the Inquiry Arc, which frames the ways students learn social studies content. The Inquiry Arc established four dimensions of inquiry: (1) developing questions and planning inquiry, (2) applying disciplinary concepts and tools, (3) evaluating sources and using evidence, and (4) communicating conclusions and taking informed action. The C3 Framework also established four major disciplines in social studies—civics, economics, geography, and history—that form the basis of the second dimension of the Inquiry Arc and that all four major disciplines should be represented within social studies courses. Therefore, students should: Explain why a compelling question about a significant person, event, or issue in a community is important to the student. Identify facts and concepts related to compelling and supporting questions. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions. Apply disciplinary knowledge and practices to demonstrate an understanding of social studies content. Gather relevant information from one or two sources about a significant person, event, or issue in a community while using origin and structure to guide the selection. Evaluate a source by distinguishing between fact and opinion. Construct arguments with reasons. Construct explanations using correct sequence and relevant information.  Ask and answer questions about arguments and explanations. Present a summary of an argument using print, oral, or digital technologies. Identify and explain a range of local, regional, and global problems, and some ways in which people can and are trying to address these problems.   Use listening, consensus-building, and voting procedures to take action in the classroom. It is important to note that the Social Studies curriculum units integrate social, emotional, and intellectual habits. Please review the Components of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade 12 for more details.

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: Communities within the United States have diverse wants and needs. Determining these wants and needs differ from town to town, city to city, and state to state. Throughout history, individuals living in communities have advocated to create more opportunities for economic improvement. In this unit, second graders will learn how the decisions are made in their community that relates to its wants and needs. Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  Communities within the United States are made up of diverse individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth of their city, town, or state. Sources can be used to learn about past or present national, state, and local leaders. In this unit, second graders will learn how to develop questions about these diverse individuals. Students will also investigate why national and state observances are important. Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  Every town and city in Connecticut has its own story. The characters in each story are the people, past and present, who have contributed to the town’s/city’s history. Families, organizations, and political groups all contribute to how each Connecticut town has evolved. In this unit, second graders will learn and share about their experiences in the town/ city they reside in by looking at their family, and then at all the people and groups in their town/city and how they work together. Unit Duration: 20 days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks 

CSDE Model Curricula Quick Start GuideThe Organization and Alignment of Grade-specific CT Core StandardsEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.Standards-based Social Studies Instruction Standards-based social studies instruction at the kindergarten (K) through Grade12 levels can provide students with the critical content and skills they need to comprehend and impact the challenging and complex world they live in. High quality social studies instruction also allows students to appreciate and understand the cultures of all individuals and groups that reside in our state.Course Description:  In Grade 3, students examine how Connecticut’s history has shaped its identity. Students will investigate Connecticut’s cultural diversity, state constitution and government, and economic growth over time using disciplinary tools and resources that support planning and developing inquiries, gathering relevant information, and communicating knowledge and ideas about Connecticut history. Questions that should be answered in a course description include: How has Connecticut’s history shaped the state’s identity? What was the significance of Connecticut’s contribution to United States history? Aligned Core Resources:   Core resources are a local control decision. It is imperative that curriculum be implemented using high quality instructional materials to ensure all students meet Connecticut’s standards. Ensuring alignment of resources to the standards is critical for holistic success. There are tools that are available to districts to assist in evaluating alignment of resources, such as CCSSO’s Mathematics Curriculum Analysis Project and Student Achievement Partner’s Instructional Materials Evaluation Tool.   In addition, there exist compilations of completed reviews from a variety of resources. Some of these include but are not limited to EdReports, Louisiana Believes, CURATE, and Oregon Adopted Instructional Materials. Connecticut is currently working on providing additional alignment guidance for the most frequently used resources across the state.  Additional Course Information:  Big ideas addressed in the course: State Constitution and Government Cultural Communities in Connecticut Past and Present Innovation, Industry, and Economic Growth Habits of Mind/SEIH/Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: The skills you want students to master in their journey to success in college, career, and civic life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration, empathy, respect). The Standards for Social Studies practice are aligned with the C3 Framework and follow the four dimensions of inquiry. The inquiry process is critical for framing how students learn about history, geography, civics, and economics. The Inquiry Standards of Practice describes the thinking processes, habits of mind, and dispositions students need to develop a vital, critical, and courageous enduring understanding of Social Studies. Central to the C3 Framework is the Inquiry Arc, which frames how students learn social studies content. The Inquiry Arc established four dimensions of inquiry: (1) developing questions and planning inquiry, (2) applying disciplinary concepts and tools, (3) evaluating sources and using evidence, and (4) communicating conclusions and taking informed action. The C3 Framework also established four major disciplines in social studies—civics, economics, geography, and history—that form the basis of the second dimension of the Inquiry Arc, and all four major disciplines should be represented within social studies courses. Therefore, students should: Explain why compelling questions about Connecticut and local History are important to others (e.g., peers, adults). Explain how supporting questions help answer compelling questions in an inquiry about Connecticut history.  Determine the kinds of sources that will help answer compelling and supporting questions, considering the different opinions people have about how to answer the question.  Apply disciplinary knowledge and practices to demonstrate an understanding of social studies content. Gather relevant information about Connecticut history.  Identify evidence from multiple sources in response to a compelling question about Connecticut history. Use evidence to develop claims in response to a compelling question about a significant person or event in Connecticut history. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources about Connecticut history.  Construct explanations using reasoning, correct sequence, examples, and details with relevant information and data.  Critique arguments and explanations.  Present a summary of arguments and explanations to others using print, oral, and digital technologies.  Explain the challenges and opportunities, both present and past, in addressing local, regional, and global problems in Connecticut history. Use a range of deliberative and democratic procedures to evaluate and implement strategies to address problems in classrooms and schools.  It is important to note that the Social Studies curriculum units integrate social, emotional, and intellectual habits. For more details, please review the Components of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade 12. 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  The state of Connecticut has a rich tapestry of cultures that have shaped its history.  In this unit, third grade students will investigate and explore the cultural and environmental characteristics of the state of Connecticut. This unit aims to help students understand the diverse cultural groups that have made Connecticut their home, why various groups have chosen to settle here over time, and how these communities have influenced the state's development. Unit Duration: 20 Days Two 30-minute sessions per week x 10 weeks