The California Department of Education (CDE) provides leadership, technical assistance, and support for state and local educational agencies (LEA), professional organizations, and collaborating partners to implement high-quality history and social science education programs, kindergarten through grade twelve.
Content Standards
The History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools (PDF; 846KB; 68pp.) describes what every kindergarten through grade twelve student should know and be able to do in history and social science.
Framework
The History-Social Science Framework (PDF; 2MB; 248pp.) is a guide to the development of curriculum and instruction for teachers to ensure that all students meet or exceed the content standards in history-social science. The frameworks provide guidance for a school or school district in developing history-social science courses. Additionally, the framework provides information on the processes and criteria for evaluating instructional materials for kindergarten through grade eight.
Instructional Materials
Information and resources for history-social science instructional materials can be found at CDE’s Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Materials Web site.
Legislation and Policies
There are a number of statutory provisions, policies, and guidelines regarding the teaching of history-social science. Districts need to be aware of these to continue and build strong history-social science education programs.
- California Education Code (EC) Section 51210 (Outside Source) (grades one through six)
- EC Section 51220 (Outside Source) (grades seven through twelve)
- ACR 30 (Outside Source) (Civic Mission of Schools)
- EC Section 51221 (Outside Source) (understanding the wise use of natural resources)
- EC Section 51221.3 (Outside Source) (oral and video history in the instruction of WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War)
- EC Section 51221.4 (Outside Source) (Instruction in the Vietnam War, including the "Secret War" in Laos and the role of Southeast Asians in that war)
