Curriculum

The Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts are designed based on foundational principles that shape the standards and materials utilized in Mount Greylock Regional School Dsitrcit’s K-6 classrooms. In Mount Greylock’s elementary schools, each grade level’s units of study are developed around these eleven core principles.

1. Students should receive explicit instruction in skills, including phonics and decoding. Explicit skill instruction is especially important in narrowing opportunity gaps. 

2. To become successful readers, students need to develop a rich academic vocabulary and broad background knowledge.

3. Educators should help students develop a love of reading by: • Selecting high-quality works of literature and nonfiction. • Reading aloud in class.Providing students with ample opportunity and encouragement for sustained independent reading, both for school and on their own. 

4. Students should be exposed to complex and challenging texts at their grade level and above, with extra support and scaffolding as needed, reflecting high expectations for all students. 

5. Students should read a diverse set of authentic texts balanced across genres, cultures, and time periods. Authentic texts are intact and unadapted texts in their original complexity; they are texts composed for purposes other than being studied in school. 

6. Students should have frequent opportunities for discussing and writing about their readings in order to develop critical thinking skills and to demonstrate understanding.

7. Reading well-crafted texts is an essential foundation for developing effective writing skills.

8. Developing the ability to write well demands regular practice across multiple forms and genres of writing and opportunities to write for a variety of audiences, including expository, analytical, persuasive, narrative, and creative writing, as well as explicit instruction in vocabulary and standard English conventions. 

9. Educators and families should view each other as resources who are both invested in supporting students’ skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

10. Social and emotional learning can increase academic achievement, improve attitudes and behaviors, and reduce emotional distress. Students should practice recognizing aspects of themselves in texts (self-awareness), struggling productively with challenging texts (self-management), tailoring language to audience and purpose (social awareness), grappling vicariously with choices faced by others (responsible decision making), and collaborating respectfully with diverse peers (relationship skills). 

11. Educators should select works of fiction and nonfiction that instill in students a deep appreciation for art, beauty, and truth, while broadening their understanding of the human condition from differing points of view. Reading, discussing, and writing about high-quality prose and poetry should also help students develop empathy for one another and a sense of their shared values and literary heritage, while learning about who they are as individuals and developing the capacity for independent, rigorous thinking.

NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR KINDERGARTEN: 

• Understand how stories and poems are the same and different. For example, read a story and a poem with the teacher, then explain how to tell that only the second one was a poem.

• Separate the first, middle, and last sounds of simple words: for example, cat (c-a-t), map (m-a-p), hit (h-i-t).

• Continue a conversation by listening to other people’s ideas and asking questions to learn more about what they think.

• With help from an adult, use written words and drawings to express an opinion or give information about something.

BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS CAN:

• Listen to a story read aloud. Understand where and when the story takes place.

• Compare what the same characters (like Henry and Mudge) do in different stories.

• Explain how to find out who wrote a book (the author) or drew its pictures (the illustrator).

• Talk about the main idea of a text. Tell facts they learned from a text.

• Recognize all uppercase (capital) and lowercase letters in the alphabet.

• Recognize and understand some very common words: for example, the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, and does.

• Write uppercase (capital) and lowercase letters. Capitalize the first word in a sentence.

• Recognize punctuation marks used at the end of sentences: for example, period (.), question mark (?).

 

Wit & Wisdom Module Themes & Core Texts - Kindergarten

 

NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR FIRST GRADE: 

• Notice when a story has a message or lesson for its readers. For example, understand when an author uses a character’s actions to show why being kind is important. 

• Respond directly to what other people say in a conversation. For example, when a classmate says “I like this book,” ask “Why do you like it?” 

• Choose and use words in speech and writing to show whether something happened in the past (like I ate), is happening now (like I am eating), or will happen in the future (like I will eat). 

• Have a clear ending when writing about something. For example, end a story with “It was a fun day” or end an explanation with “That is how to brush your teeth.” 

BY THE END OF FIRST GRADE, STUDENTS CAN: 

• Explain the differences between common types of stories (like folk tales and fairy tales). 

• Understand who is telling a story: for example, an author or a character in the story. 

• Stop and read a sentence again if it does not make sense the first time. 

• Use clues like headings and a table of contents to find information in a text. 

• Break words into syllables. For example, helping has two syllables: help and ing. 

• Understand that the same word can take different forms: for example, look, looks, looking. 

• Understand that numbers (like 2) can also be written with words (like two). 

• End written sentences with a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation point (!). 

• Capitalize the names of months (like January) and people (like Martin Luther King, Jr.). 

• Describe people, places, things, and events clearly in both speech and writing.

 

Wit & Wisdom Module Themes and Core Texts

 

NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR SECOND GRADE: 

• Notice and talk about the structure of a text. For example, describe how the beginning of a story introduces the characters, or explain what the last paragraph of an article says. 

• Explain the overall purpose of a text: for example, the idea the author is trying to explain or the lesson the author is trying to teach. 

• Use knowledge of word parts to figure out meanings. For example, if you know that un means not, then you can figure out that unhappy means not happy. 

• Compare formal and informal English. For example, notice how classmates speak differently when playing with friends and when giving a class presentation. 

BY THE END OF SECOND GRADE, STUDENTS CAN: 

• Read aloud in a way that shows they understand what they are reading. 

• Stop and reread a sentence to figure out the meaning of an unknown word. 

• Describe what characters do in response to events or problems in a story. 

• Explain how a picture or diagram helps show what a text is saying. 

• Gather information from different texts to answer a question. 

• When presenting, speak loudly and clearly enough to be heard and understood. 

• Print all letters quickly enough to write sentences without losing track of ideas. 

• Use apostrophes (’) in words like can’t, don’t, cat’s, and dog’s. 

• Capitalize proper nouns like Thanksgiving, Boston, and Cape Cod. 

• Write poems with patterns of sounds (like rhythm and rhyme).

 

Wit & Wisdom Core Texts and Themes

NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR THIRD GRADE: 

• Refer to specific parts of a text when speaking or writing about what it means. For example, when reading a story, explain how a character’s words or actions show that she is brave. 

• Notice differences between literal and figurative language. For example, the “step” is literal with the next step he reached the finish line but figurative in the next step is finding a partner. 

• Organize writing in ways that help readers understand. For example, use linking words and phrases like “another reason” and “after that” to connect ideas and information. 

• Improve writing by making changes. Changes can be larger (like explaining ideas more fully) or smaller (like fixing spelling mistakes). 

BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE, STUDENTS CAN: 

• Stay on topic and ask and answer questions during class discussions. 

• Notice differences between written and spoken English. 

• Sound out words with two or more syllables. Use story clues to guess what words mean. 

• Use a simple dictionary to find out how a word is spelled or what it means. 

• Read aloud smoothly, not just one word at a time. Notice and try to fix mistakes while reading. 

• Use pictures, headings, and other visual clues to help understand a story or article. 

• Use books as well as other sources (like videos and websites) when doing research. 

• Read two or more books on the same topic. Notice what is the same and different. 

• Read traditional stories, like myths. Understand a story’s lesson or message for readers. 

• Describe characters in a story. Explain how their actions affect what happens.

 

Wit & Wisdom Core Texts & Module Themes

NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR FOURTH GRADE: 

• Compare and contrast stories from different cultures and stories told from different points of view: for example, first-person and third-person. 

• Explain the meaning of figurative language (like metaphors and similes speech and writing: for example, the homework was a breeze or the lake was as pretty as a picture. 

• Choose precise words when speaking, writing, or editing writing, including words related to academic subjects: for example, renewable energy from science. 

• Understand when it is important to speak more formal English (like when giving class presentations) and when more informal English is appropriate. 

 

BY THE END OF FOURTH GRADE, STUDENTS CAN: 

• Read aloud smoothly, paying attention to punctuation marks. For example, pause between sentences; and sound excited at an exclamation point (!). 

• Use words like chapter, stanza, and scene to explain how poems and plays are different from prose (like stories and articles). 

• Use graphs, charts, timelines, and other visual displays to help understand what they are reading. 

• At the end of a class discussion, review the ideas and information people shared. 

• Provide a list of sources they used when doing research. 

• Use technology to find information and work with other people. 

• Type at least one page at a time on a computer. 

• Use easily confused words (like there, their, and they’re) correctly. 

• Make visual patterns when writing poems: for example, group lines into verses. 

• Write their given names (first names) in cursive.

 

Wit & Wisdom Core Texts & Module Themes

NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR FIFTH GRADE: 

• Quote directly from a text when speaking or writing about it. For example, write: When the author says the land is “like a pancake,” she means that it is flat. 

• Understand the concept of genre (type of text). Recognize and write texts in different genres, such as myths, mysteries, and historical fiction. 

• Compare various types of English used in texts: for example, think about why two characters in the same story might speak very differently. 

• Choose verbs carefully when speaking or writing. For example, think about whether to say I ate it, I had eaten it, it was eaten, or it had been eaten. 

 

BY THE END OF FIFTH GRADE, STUDENTS CAN: 

• Summarize audio, visual, and multimedia texts such as speeches, Internet pages, and videos. 

• Explain how specific claims and pieces of evidence in a text are connected. 

• Explain how an author’s or narrator’s point of view affects how a story is told. 

• Compare and contrast different versions of the same story or information. 

• Describe different ways in which authors organize information. For example, books on the history of sports might be organized by time period or by sport. 

• Use paragraphs to organize writing clearly and logically. 

• Type at least two pages at a time on a computer. 

• Use commas in sentences like Yes, thank you and It’s Monday, isn’t it? 

• Combine and break up sentences to make writing clearer or more interesting. 

• Sign their full names in cursive.

 

Wit & Wisdom Core Texts and Module Themes

NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR SIXTH GRADE: 

• Move from writing opinions to writing arguments. Arguments are more formal and objective, and they rely on evidence (like quotations or statistics)

• When citing evidence from a text, decide whether to quote the text directly or to paraphrase it (put it in different words). 

• Work on longer research projects as well as shorter ones. Be flexible: adjust a project’s focus or research question as needed. 

• Decide on goals (what needs to be done) and roles (who will be responsible for what) when working in a group. 

 

BY THE END OF SIXTH GRADE, STUDENTS CAN: 

• Read a play or poem silently. Then listen to someone reading or performing it aloud. Compare the two experiences. 

• Describe how a story’s plot develops and how characters change during the story. 

• Summarize a text objectively, without personal opinions. 

• Understand how different words can have similar meanings (denotations) but very different feelings (connotations): for example, thrifty and stingy. 

• Understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. 

• Decide whether a speaker is citing enough evidence to support their claims. 

• Analyze the impact of a specific word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, or section in a text. 

• Use parentheses, commas, and dashes around words that add extra information to a sentence. For example, write The three boys—Joey, Amid, and Juan—went to look for the missing notebook.

 

Wit & Wisdom Core Texts & Themes

FOCUS AREAS FOR KINDERGARTEN:

• Use numbers to count and group objects, compare how many objects are in different groups, and add and subtract. For example, use subtraction to find out how many carrot sticks are left after some are eaten.
• Use language to describe, sort, name, and compare two-dimensional and three dimensional shapes. For example, sort cups or plates by shape, count how many are in each group, and explain which group has the most.

BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS CAN:

• Count to 100 by ones or tens, starting from any number.
• Recognize, name, and write numerals 0–20.
• Count up to 20 objects, saying a number aloud for each object.
• Compare up to 10 items in different groups using objects or written numerals. For example, tell whether a package of three pens or a package of five pens has more pens.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) add and subtract with numbers up to five.
• Use objects, drawings, or numerals to add and subtract with numbers up to 10.
• Break numbers into smaller numbers: for example, 5 is made of 2 and 3 or 4 and 1.
• Find the number that makes 10 for any number 1–9. For example, 6 needs 4 to make 10.
• Explain that numbers in the “teens” (11– 19) are made of a ten and some ones.
• Describe and compare objects by measuring their length, weight, or capacity (how much they can hold).
• Name, describe, analyze, and compare shapes like squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres.

 

FOCUS AREAS FOR FIRST GRADE:

• Understand how counting, adding, and subtracting are related. For example, solve 18-3 by counting back 3 numbers from 18: 17, 16, 15.
• Understand that two-digit numbers are made of tens and ones: for example, 27 is made of 2 tens and 7 ones. Use this knowledge to add and subtract.
• Understand how to measure the length of objects. For example, compare the lengths of two pencils by using paper clips to measure both.
• Put shapes together and break them apart to create new shapes. For example, use triangles to create a trapezoid.

BY THE END OF FIRST GRADE, STUDENTS CAN:

• Count to 120. Read and write numerals up to 120.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) add and subtract with numbers up to 10.
• Mentally (without writing or objects) add and subtract with numbers up to 20. Use various methods to solve problems like 23 + 9 and 23 + 20.
• Solve one-step word problems using addition and subtraction.
• Explain what an equal sign (=) means. For example, tell why writing 5 + 1 = 4 + 3 is wrong.
• Explain how addition and subtraction are related. Use analog and digital clocks to tell time to the nearest hour and halfhour.
• Write the times. Tell how much different United States coins (like nickels and dimes) are worth.
• Show how different coins can make the same amount (like 2 nickels and 1 dime).
• Draw and build two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes, like rectangles, squares, trapezoids, half-circles, quarter-circles, cubes, prisms, cones, and cylinders.
• Separate shapes into equal parts.
• Describe the parts using the words halves, fourths, and quarters.

FOCUS AREAS FOR SECOND GRADE:

• Understand place value in numbers up to 1,000. For example, know that the 6 in 564 represents 6 tens (60).
• Use various methods to add and subtract with numbers up to 1,000. For example, find the total cost of three items at a clothing store.
• Understand and use standard units and tools of measurement. For example, estimate the length (in feet or meters) of row of desks.
• Recognize and draw shapes with specific characteristics: for example, a shape with four sides and angles.

BY THE END OF SECOND GRADE, STUDENTS CAN:

• Count to 1,000 by ones, fives, tens, and hundreds.
• Notice patterns as they count. Mentally (without objects or writing) add and subtract with numbers up to 20.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) add and subtract with numbers up to 100.
• Know addition facts up to 9 + 9 = 18 and their related subtraction facts (like 18 - 9 = 9).
• Arrange pairs of objects to tell whether a number is odd or even. 
• Understand and create visual displays of information, like bar graphs.
• Solve one-step and two-step word problems, including problems involving length.
• Solve word problems involving dollars and coins with amounts up to $10.
• Use analog and digital clocks to tell time to the nearest five minutes. Write the times.
• Separate a rectangle into pieces of equal size. Count the pieces. Understand that the pieces can be the same size without being the same shape.

FOCUS AREAS FOR THIRD GRADE:

• Understand multiplication and division and how they are related. For example, use multiplication to find the cost of 10 apples and division to find the cost of 1 apple.
• Understand fractions and how they represent real-world situations. For example, use fractions to compare how much pizza two people eat.
• Understand connections between multiplication and the areas of shapes. For example, find the area of a room using floor tiles.
• Describe, analyze, and compare shapes like rectangles and squares. For example, explain that any shape with four sides can be called a quadrilateral.

BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE, STUDENTS CAN:

• Solve two-step word problems using multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.
• Explain what the answer to a division problem means in the problem’s context.
• Know multiplication and division facts up to 9 x 9 = 81 and 81 ÷ 9 = 9.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) multiply and divide numbers up to 100.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) add and subtract numbers under 1,000 using various methods.
• Understand that fractions are numbers that represent parts of a whole.
• Explain how to know whether two simple fractions (like ½ and 2/4) are equal.
• Use symbols to compare simple fractions: for example, ½ > 1/3 or 2/5 < 3/5.
• Place fractions on a number line along with whole numbers (like 2 and 5). 
• Solve problems using units of time (like minutes), mass (like grams), and volume (like liters).
• Understand and use area and perimeter. Find the area and perimeter of shapes like rectangles.
• Sort shapes into categories: for example, shapes with right (90°) angles.

FOCUS AREAS FOR FOURTH GRADE:

• Solve multi-step word problems using multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. For example, find the total area of two rooms.
• Understand that multiplication and division can be used to compare quantities. For example, explain that a rubber band can stretch to three times its usual length.
• Understand and use equivalent fractions (like 1/2 and 3/6, which are the same) and unit fractions (like 1/3 or 1/5, with a 1 on top).
• Describe, analyze, compare, and classify shapes using types of lines and angles. For example, compare the types of angles in two triangles.

BY THE END OF FOURTH GRADE, STUDENTS CAN:

• Know multiplication facts up to 12 x 12 = 144 and their related division facts (like 144 ÷ 12 = 12).
• Multiply and divide multi-digit whole numbers (like 536 and 23) using various strategies.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) add and subtract numbers up to 1,000,000 using the standard algorithm.
• Add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers (like 42/5) with the same denominator (number on the bottom).
• Multiply fractions by whole numbers for example, 1/4 x 5 .
• Understand how decimals and fractions are related: for example, 0.63 = 63/100.
• Convert larger measurement units (like miles, hours, or liters) to smaller units (like feet, minutes, or milliliters).
• Use formulas (like length x width) for the area and perimeter of rectangles. 
• Use a protractor to measure and draw angles.

FOCUS AREAS FOR FIFTH GRADE:

• Solve word problems using addition and subtraction of fractions. For example, find how many cups of sauce are needed to make three batches of pasta.
• Solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems with decimals. For example, divide the cost of a dinner among three people.
• Understand and solve problems involving volume. For example, find out which of two fish tanks would hold more water.
• Solve problems using the coordinate grid (graphs). For example, discuss a graph showing how temperature changes over the course of a year.

BY THE END OF FIFTH GRADE, STUDENTS CAN:

• Use rules (like add 3) to make patterns of numbers (like 2, 5, 8, 11…).
• Write, explain, and compute math expressions: for example, explain that 2 x (8 + 7) is 30.
• Round decimal numbers to the nearest thousandth: for example, round 5.7936 to 5.794.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) multiply multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm.
• Divide numbers using various strategies (like the partial quotients method).
• Multiply fractions by other fractions and by whole numbers: for example, 2/3 x 4/5 or 4/5 x 8
• Divide with whole numbers (like 7) and unit fractions (fractions with 1 on the top): for example, 4 ÷ 1/3 or 1/5 ÷ 4.
• Solve word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions and whole numbers.
• Solve multi-step word problems that include converting measurement units (like from grams to kilograms).
• Classify shapes in a hierarchy: for example, all rectangles are parallelograms, but not all parallelograms are rectangles. 

FOCUS AREAS FOR SIXTH GRADE:

• Solve word problems with ratios and rates. For example, use ratios to compare how many votes two candidates received in an election.
• Understand and use negative numbers. For example, explain which temperature is colder: -9 degrees or -20 degrees.
• Use variables (like x) and write expressions (like 8x + 7) and equations to solve problems. For example, use a formula to find the volume of a swimming pool.
• Understand and use language related to basic statistics. For example, ask questions like How much water do people use in my town?
• Solve real-world problems related to area, surface area, and volume. For example, find how much paint is needed to paint a room.

BY THE END OF SIXTH GRADE, STUDENTS CAN:

• Explain the concepts of ratio and unit rate.
• Solve problems by finding the percentage of a quantity (like 70% of 280).
• Divide fractions by other fractions: for example, 2/3 ÷ 3/4.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) divide multi-digit numbers (like 684) using the standard algorithm.
• Fluently (quickly and correctly) add, subtract, multiply, and divide multidigit decimal numbers (like 47.06) using the standard algorithms.
• Place negative fractions, positive fractions, and whole numbers on a number line.
• Compare and find the value of algebraic expressions (like y + y + y and 3y).
• Use a grid (graph) to show how two variables (like distance and time) are related.
• Find the median (middle number), mean (average), mode (most common number), and range (distance between the lowest and highest numbers) of a data set.
• Create visual displays of data: for example, dot plots, histograms, and box plots.

Guiding Principles for Effective History and Social Science Education 

Guiding Principle 1: An effective history and social science education teaches students about the legacy of democratic government. 

Study of history and social science prepares students to understand their rights and responsibilities as informed residents and citizens of a democratic society and to appreciate the shared values of this country. To become informed citizens, students need to acquire knowledge and experience of

• the principles and philosophy of government in the founding documents of the United States;

• the structure and purposes of democratic government in the United States at the national, state, and local level;

• the structure and purposes of types of government other than democracy;

• how the concepts of liberty, equality, justice, and human and civil rights shape the United States;

• the achievements of democratic government and the challenges to maintaining it;

• ways to act as a citizen to influence government within the democratic system; and

• the importance of respectful public discourse and dissent in a democracy.

Guiding Principle 2: An effective history and social science education incorporates diverse perspectives and acknowledges that perceptions of events are affected by race, ethnicity, culture, religion, education, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and personal experience. 

The traditional motto of the United States is “E pluribus unum” – out of many, one. A history and social science education that does justice to the remarkable diversity of our country must tell the histories of individuals and groups, and honor a plurality of life stories while acknowledging our ongoing struggle to achieve a more perfect union. Teaching how the concepts of freedom, equality, the rule of law, and human rights have influenced United States and world history necessarily involves discussions of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other characteristics. Effective instruction challenges students to value their own heritage while embracing our common ideals and shared experiences as they develop their own rigorous thinking about accounts of events. Effective instruction celebrates the progress the United States has made in embracing diversity, while at the same time encouraging honest and informed academic discussions about prejudice, racism, and bigotry in the past and present.

Guiding Principle 3: Every student deserves to study history and social science every year, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. 

Like learning to read, write, or perform well in any other subject, learning history and social science takes time. An effective history and social science education is given adequate time in the school day to build knowledge and skills of increasing complexity. In pre-kindergarten students learn about how cooperation builds community in the classroom, and how all kinds of families and individuals contribute to society. The elementary grade Content Standards are designed to introduce students to the drama of the past, its geographical settings, the habits of good citizenship, and everyday economics, a great deal of which can be integrated with English language arts and literacy, the arts, mathematics, and science. Middle school standards deepen students’ capacity to think logically and conduct research. At the high school level, where students should have the opportunity to take at least four courses in United States history, world history, and the social sciences, the standards require interpretation and synthesis of complex ideas about individuals, groups, events, and institutions.

Guiding Principle 4: An effective history and social science education teaches students to think historically. 

Taken together, the standards in this Framework present a broad scope of time and place, from human beginnings to the present, with the intent of helping students understand that their lives are connected to the long sweep of history. Beginning with the third-grade study of Massachusetts history, students become acquainted with the concepts of chronology, cause-and-effect relationships, and the role chance plays in historical events. In middle and high school, students learn that complex events have both intended and unintended consequences. By examining primary and secondary sources, students develop an appreciation for the importance of historical context and point of view. They learn that participants in historical events can often hold vastly different ideas about how those events unfolded. For example, what the Spanish considered a “conquest” of a new world in the Americas was seen rather differently by those whose lands were being invaded by foreigners. Students also learn that the work of historical investigation is never static because new evidence – a fresh archaeological find, a lost manuscript or photograph found in an archive – can inspire new connections and interpretations. Because historians of different generations can have different perceptions, it is important that readings include a variety of opinions and historical interpretations.

Guiding Principle 5: An effective history and social science education integrates knowledge from many fields of study. 

The fields of history, geography, civics, and economics form the core of a history and social science education. Under this broad umbrella are the history of the arts, philosophy and ethics, and religions, and developments in science, technology, and mathematics. Electives at the high school level might include study of regions of the world, anthropology, Constitutional law, criminology, sociology, state or local history and politics, world religions, human rights, or other topics and might include capstone research projects. The Content Standards of this framework are designed to include this breadth of knowledge, not as isolated facts to be simply memorized, but as useable knowledge to be integrated into an understanding of the world.

Guiding Principle 6: An effective history and social science education builds students’ capacities for research, reasoning, making logical arguments, and thinking for themselves. 

In an effective history and social science education, students engage in inquiry, reading, research, discussion, writing, and making presentations – these activities are the heart of this Framework’s Standards for History and Social Science Practice and link the history and social science disciplines to English language arts and literacy. In the course of applying these practices, students learn how to evaluate texts for bias intended to influence their opinions, and about the patterns of thought and reasoning of historians, geographers, political scientists, and economists. They learn to raise and refine questions and organize arguments and explanations by using structures such as comparison and contrast, cause and effect, or problem and solution. They learn to apply different forms of analysis, including contextually rich reading, visual analysis, spatial/geographical analysis, or quantitative reasoning. 

Guiding Principle 7: An effective history and social science education improves reading comprehension by increasing students’ content knowledge. 

A rich education in history and social science involves extensive reading of challenging grade-level texts, which not only contributes to the development of basic reading skills but also introduces students to concepts and academic language that ultimately improve reading comprehension. Researcher Daniel Willingham contends, “Teaching content is teaching reading.” 11 Content knowledge improves reading comprehension because it enables a student to make connections about events and ideas across texts. The Content Standards in this framework are organized to provide a coherent progression of knowledge about history, geography, civics, and economics to support students’ capacity to read with understanding in the elementary and middle grades. This foundational knowledge, in turn, prepares students to read texts that address topics of increasing complexity at the high school and college level. 

Guiding Principle 8: An effective history and social science education incorporates the study of current events and news/media literacy. 

When teaching history and social science, teachers have a unique responsibility to help students consider events – including current events – in a broad historical, geographical, social, or economic context. The Framework’s News/Media Literacy standards for grade 8 and high school are designed to help students take a critical stance toward what they read, hear, and view in newspapers and on websites, television, and social media. Applying these standards, students learn to evaluate information, question and verify its source, distinguish fact from inference, and reasoned judgment supported by evidence from varying degrees of bias.

Guiding Principle 9: An effective history and social science education teaches students about using data analysis and digital tools as research and presentation techniques in the social sciences. 

History and social science teachers have a long history of teaching students to read, interpret, and create graphs, charts, maps, timelines, and illustrations. New opportunities for answering questions with data are available in the ever-expanding supply of online databases. Particularly at the high school level, teachers can provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge of quantitative reasoning and statistics, using “big data” to answer historical questions and solve problems. They can also provide opportunities for students to create digital exhibits that combine visual primary sources, video, and computer graphics to convey complex stories and interpretations of the past.

Guiding Principle 10: An effective history and social science education develops social and emotional skills. 

Social and emotional learning has demonstrated an increase in academic achievement and communication skills, improve attitudes and behaviors, and develop empathy. These skills are also practical civic skills that students need to engage effectively with others in the public problem solving of civic and democratic life. Teachers support the development of these skills by:

• helping students understand how their own unique experiences and ideas influence their perceptions of and feelings about history and current situations (self-awareness);

• encouraging students’ own power to take thoughtful action (self-management); 

• increasing students’ understanding of others’ fundamental needs and human and civil rights (social awareness); 

•  increasing students’ capacity to participate in dialogue across differences and to take on the perspectives of others whose experience and position in the world differs from their own (dialogue and perspective-taking);

• encouraging students to collaborate respectfully with diverse peers (relationship skills); providing opportunities for students to define and make informed choices when participating in democratic practices (responsible decision making); and

• creating opportunities for students to work together on projects that aim to promote a public good beyond the classroom, in the school, or in the larger community (civic action)

Many Roles in Living Learning and Working Together

Students explore concepts of classroom democracy, local geography, U.S. traditions, and economics related to work and money. They engage with guiding questions like, “Why is fairness important?” Each topic includes additional supporting questions that encourage discussion and exploration. These questions are designed to be flexible, allowing for creative learning through dialogue and play.

Kindergarten History and Social Science Topics

Topic 1. Civics: classroom citizenship

Topic 2. Geography: connections among places

Topic 3. History: shared traditions

Topic 4. Economics: work and commerce

Leadership, Cooperation, Unity and Diversity

Students explore various aspects of leadership, the concept of citizenship, and the interpretation and creation of different types of maps. They examine how unity and diversity influence life in the United States and how individuals make choices about purchasing goods and services. Guiding questions such as “What makes a good community member?” and “How do we contribute to our community?” drive their inquiry. Each topic includes additional supporting questions that are designed to foster discussion and research, allowing for open exploration rather than restricting learning.

Grade 1 History and Social Science Topics

Topic 1. Civics: communities, elections, and leadership

Topic 2. Geography: places to explore

Topic 3. History: unity and diversity in the United States

Topic 4. Economics: resources and choices

Global Geography: Places and Peoples, Cultures and Resources

Building on their learning from Pre-K to grade 1, students focus on global geography, examining why people move or settle in certain areas, how they preserve cultural traditions, and how they utilize resources. They engage with questions like “What can people and cultures from other parts of the world teach us?” and “How do people use the money they earn?” Each topic includes additional supporting questions intended to inspire discussion and exploration, rather than restrict it.

Grade 2 History and Social Science Topics

Topic 1. Reading and making maps

Topic 2. Geography and its effects on people

Topic 3. History: migrations and cultures

Topic 4. Civics: countries and governments

Topic 5. Economics: resources and choices

 

Massachusetts, Home to Many Different People

Students explore Massachusetts and New England, focusing on the culture of Native Peoples and their interactions with European explorers and settlers. They examine the concepts of self-government in colonial Massachusetts that sparked rebellion against Great Britain, the causes and consequences of the American Revolution for the state, and the development of their own cities and towns. Guiding questions like “What is the purpose of government?” and “What is a revolution?” drive their inquiries. Each topic also includes additional supporting questions that encourage discussion and research, designed to promote exploration rather than limit it.

Grade 3 History and Social Science Topics

Topic 1. Massachusetts cities and towns today and in history

Topic 2. The geography and Native Peoples of Massachusetts

Topic 3. Native Peoples’ contacts with European explorers

Topic 4. The Pilgrims, the Plymouth Colony, and Native Peoples

Topic 5. The Puritans, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Native Peoples, and Africans

Topic 6. Massachusetts in the 18th Century through the American Revolution

This year in our fourth grade classrooms, we will be piloting Investigating History, an innovative new history curriculum being developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in collaboration with Educurious, an educational nonprofit based in Seattle, Washington. 

This fourth grade pilot builds on Investigating History units that have already been developed, field tested, and published for grades 5-7, which are used in our fifth and sixth grade classrooms in both Lanesborough and Williamstown. The curriculum is designed to be fully aligned to the Massachusetts state history standards and to develop students’ knowledge of history while engaging them in the work that real historians do. Through Investigating History, our students will learn to ask their own questions about historical events; make sense of images, texts, and artifacts from the past; and connect their learning to real-life issues and current events. 

The Investigating History units we are field testing this year will cover the following topics from the Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework:

• Grade 4: 

  • North America: Geography and Map Skills

  • Ancient Civilizations of North America

  • Early European Exploration and Conquest

  • United States Regions: Past and Present

  • The Expansion of the United States Over Time

Each Investigating History unit has already gone through a rigorous design and development process that includes subject-matter experts and current Massachusetts educators before being ready for use in our classroom. As pilot teachers, our MGRSD 4th grade team will also participate in ongoing professional development focused on the Investigating History materials throughout the year, and share information about our students’ experience with the curriculum in order to support ongoing revision and improvement. By 2025, DESE will make the Investigating History curriculum freely available to all Massachusetts schools. 

We are excited about this opportunity to provide your child with a comprehensive, culturally responsive, inquiry-based social studies curriculum and engage them in meaningful, rigorous learning about the past and present! 

More information about the Investigating History curriculum can also be found at http://www.mass.gov/investigatinghistory. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE 4th GRADE SCOPE & SEQUENCE.

Our district will be continuing to use Investigating History, a history curriculum developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in collaboration with Primary Source, a global education nonprofit based in Watertown. Having taken part in the curriculum since the early days of its design pilot 5 years ago, the curriculum is now published and available to all schools in the Commonwealth. 

Investigating History is designed to be fully aligned to the Massachusetts state history standards, developing students’ deep knowledge of United States and world history while engaging them in the work that real historians do. Through Investigating History, students will learn to ask their own questions about historical events; make sense of images, text, and artifacts from the past; and make arguments in which they connect their learning to real-life issues and current events. The handout linked below includes more information about the key features of the curriculum.

The Investigating History units we are using this year will cover the following topics from the Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework:

• Grade 5: Early Colonization and the Growth of Colonies; Revolution and the Foundations of US Government; The Growth of the Republic; Slavery, the Legacy of the Civil War, and the Struggle for Civil Rights for All

Investigating History is designed so that all students see themselves in the curriculum while also learning to appreciate the lives and stories of others from different backgrounds and cultures. Through engaging questions and meaningful, civically oriented tasks, the materials help students critically and thoughtfully understand the perspectives of those from different times and places. When challenging topics like racism, prejudice, and bigotry appear in the content standards and therefore in the Investigating History curriculum, the materials and professional development are thoughtfully designed to support teachers in engaging in honest, informed conversations surrounding these issues.

Each Investigating History unit has gone through a rigorous, three-year design and development process that included subject-matter experts, experts in social studies teaching, and practicing Massachusetts educators before being ready for use in your child’s classroom. We are proud that our Lanesborough Elementary and Williamstown Elementary teachers have been involved with Investigating History since its inception. Their feedback on lesson and assessment design and materials has been integral in the development and publication of the curriculum.

We are excited about this opportunity to provide your child with a cutting-edge history curriculum and engage them in meaningful, rigorous learning about the past and present! You can learn more about Investigating History at www.mass.gov/investigatinghistory. 

Click here for the 5th grade scope & sequence.

Our district will be continuing to use Investigating History, a history curriculum developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in collaboration with Primary Source, a global education nonprofit based in Watertown. Having taken part in the curriculum since the early days of its design pilot 5 years ago, the curriculum is now published and available to all schools in the Commonwealth. 

Investigating History is designed to be fully aligned to the Massachusetts state history standards, developing students’ deep knowledge of United States and world history while engaging them in the work that real historians do. Through Investigating History, students will learn to ask their own questions about historical events; make sense of images, text, and artifacts from the past; and make arguments in which they connect their learning to real-life issues and current events. The handout linked below includes more information about the key features of the curriculum.

The Investigating History units we are using this year will cover the following topics from the Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework:

• Grade 6: Human Origins; West Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Central America, the Caribbean, and South America

Investigating History is designed so that all students see themselves in the curriculum while also learning to appreciate the lives and stories of others from different backgrounds and cultures. Through engaging questions and meaningful, civically oriented tasks, the materials help students critically and thoughtfully understand the perspectives of those from different times and places. When challenging topics like racism, prejudice, and bigotry appear in the content standards and therefore in the Investigating History curriculum, the materials and professional development are thoughtfully designed to support teachers in engaging in honest, informed conversations surrounding these issues.

Each Investigating History unit has gone through a rigorous, three-year design and development process that included subject-matter experts, experts in social studies teaching, and practicing Massachusetts educators before being ready for use in your child’s classroom. We are proud that our Lanesborough Elementary and Williamstown Elementary teachers have been involved with Investigating History since its inception. Their feedback on lesson and assessment design and materials has been integral in the development and publication of the curriculum.

We are excited about this opportunity to provide your child with a cutting-edge history curriculum and engage them in meaningful, rigorous learning about the past and present! You can learn more about Investigating History at www.mass.gov/investigatinghistory. 

Click here for the 6th grade scope & sequence

Reasons for Change

In kindergarten, students build on early experiences observing the world around them as they continue to make observations that are more quantitative in nature and help them identify why some changes occur. Students begin to learn to use these observations as evidence to support a claim through growing language skills. They learn that all animals and plants need food, water, and air to grow and thrive and that the fundamental difference between plants and animals is a plant’s ability to make its own food. Students build their quantitative knowledge of temperature in relation to the weather and its effect on different kinds of materials. They observe that the amount of sunlight shining on a surface causes a temperature change and they design a structure to reduce the warming effects of sunlight. They investigate motions of objects by changing the strength and direction of pushes and pulls. They provide examples of plants and animals that can change their environment through their interactions with it. In kindergarten science, students begin to identify reasons for changes in some common phenomena.

View the complete Science and Technology Engineering Framework here.

Describing Patterns

In grade 1, students have more fluency with language, number sense, and inquiry skills. This allows them to describe patterns of motion between the Sun, Moon, and stars in relation to the Earth. From this understanding they can identify seasonal patterns from sunrise and sunset data that will allow them to predict future patterns. Building from their experiences in pre-K and kindergarten observing and describing daily weather, they can now examine seasonal data on temperature and rainfall to describe patterns over time. Grade 1 students investigate sound and light through various materials. They describe patterns in how light passes through and sounds differ from different types of materials and use this to design and build a device to send a signal. Students compare the ways different animals and plants use their body parts and senses to do the things they need to do to grow and survive, including typical ways parents keep their young safe so they will survive to adulthood. They notice that though there are differences between plants or animals of the same type, the similarities of behavior and appearance are what allow us to identify them as belonging to a group. Grade 1 students begin to understand the power of patterns to predict future events in the natural and designed world.

View the complete Science and Technology Engineering Framework here.

Wholes and Parts

As students grow in their ability to speak, read, write, and reason mathematically, they also grow in their ability to grapple with larger systems and the parts that make them up. In grade 2, students start to look beyond the structures of individual plants and animals to looking at the environment in which the plants and animals live as a provider of the food, water, and shelter that the organisms need. They learn that water is found everywhere on Earth and takes different forms and shapes. They map landforms and bodies of water and observe that flowing water and wind shapes these landforms. Grade 2 students use their observation skills gained in earlier grades to classify materials based on similar properties and functions. They gain experience testing different materials to collect and then analyze data for the purpose of determining which materials are the best for a specific function. They construct large objects from smaller pieces and, conversely, learn that when materials are cut into the smallest possible pieces, they still exist as the same material that has weight. These investigations of how parts relate to the whole provide a key basis for understanding systems in later grades.

View the complete Science and Technology Engineering Framework here.

 

Human Interactions

In grade 3, students develop and sharpen their skills at obtaining, recording and charting, and analyzing data in order to study their environment. They use these practices to study the interactions between humans and earth systems, humans and the environment, and humans and the designed world. They learn that these entities not only interact but influence behaviors, reactions, and traits of organisms. Grade 3 students analyze weather patterns and consider humans’ influence and opportunity to impact weather-related events. In life science they study the interactions between and influence of the environment and human traits and characteristics. They use the engineering design process to identify a problem and design solutions that enhance humans’ interactions with their surroundings and to meet their needs. Students consider the interactions and consequent reactions between objects and forces, including forces that are balanced or not. Students reason and provide evidence to support arguments for the influence of humans on nature and nature on human experience.

View the complete Science and Technology Engineering Framework here.

Matter and Energy

In grade 4, students observe and interpret patterns related to the transfer of matter and energy on Earth, in physical interactions, and in organisms. Students learn about energy—its motion, transfer, and conversion—in different physical contexts. Grade 4 students interpret patterns of change over time as related to the deposition and erosion in landscape formation. They study today’s landscapes to provide evidence for past processes. Students learn that animals’ internal and external structures support life, growth, behavior, and reproduction. They work through the engineering design process, focusing on developing solutions by building, testing, and redesigning prototypes to fit a specific purpose. Each domain relates to the use of matter and energy over time and for specific purposes.

View the complete Science and Technology Engineering Framework here.

Connections and Relationships in Systems

In grade 5, students model, provide evidence to support arguments, and obtain and display data about relationships and interactions among observable components of different systems. By studying systems, grade 5 students learn that objects and organisms do not exist in isolation and that animals, plants and their environments are connected to, interact with, and are influenced by each other. They study the relationships between Earth and other nearby objects in the solar system and the impact of those relationships on patterns of events as seen from Earth. They learn about the relationship among elements of Earth’s systems through the cycling of water and human practices and processes with Earth’s resources. They also learn about the connections and relationships among plants and animals, and the ecosystems within which they live, to show how matter and energy are cycled through these (building on the theme of grade 4). An ability to describe, analyze, and model connections and relationships of observable components of different systems is key to understanding the natural and designed world.

View the complete Science and Technology Engineering Framework here.

Structure and Function

The integration of Earth and space, life, and physical sciences with technology/engineering gives grade 6 students relevant and engaging opportunities with natural phenomena and design problems that highlight the relationship of structure and function in the world around them. Students relate structure and function through analyzing the macro- and microscopic world, such as Earth features and processes, the role of cells and anatomy in supporting living organisms, and properties of materials and waves. Students use models and provide evidence to make claims and explanations about structure-function relationships in different STE domains.

View the complete Science and Technology Engineering Framework here.