Social Studies


"Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation."

John F. Kennedy

The Philosophy of a Social Studies Education:

The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.*

A well developed social studies education is essential for students to be committed to the ideas and values of democracy. Civic competence rests on this commitment to democratic values, and requires that citizens have the ability to use their knowledge about their community, nation, and world; to apply inquiry processes; and to employ skills of data collection and analysis, collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving. Young people who are knowledgeable, skillful, and committed to democracy are necessary to sustaining and improving our democratic way of life, and participating as members of a global community.

*The definition was officially adopted by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) in 1992.
See National Council for the Social Studies,Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
(Washington, D.C.: NCSS, 1994)

WEST ESSEX LIBRARY DATABASE for SOCIAL STUDIES RESEARCH RESOURCES

National Core Standards in Literacy

Click to Open Social Studies Course Sequence Chart

MLA format document

Contact Information:

Laura Drago, Instructional Supervisor of Social Studies & World Languages

65 West Greenbrook Road
North Caldwell, New Jersey 07006
Phone: (973) 228-1200, ext. 1365

Email: [email protected]