The purpose of Kindergarten to Grade 12 Social Studies is to help students know and appreciate the past, understand the present, influence the future, and make connections between events and issues of the past, the present, and the future. Further, its purpose is to make students aware that, just as contemporary events have been shaped by actions taken by people in the past, they have the opportunity to shape the future. The ultimate aim is for students who have a sense of themselves as active participants and citizens in an inclusive, culturally diverse, interdependent world.
Goals are broad statements identifying what students are expected to know and be able to do upon completion of the learning in a particular area of study. The four goals of K-12 Social Studies and Social Sciences education are to:
- examine the local, indigenous, and global interactions and interdependence of individuals, societies, cultures, and nations (IN)
- analyze the dynamic relationships of people with land, environments, events, and ideas as they have affected the past, shape the present, and influence the future (DR)
- investigate the processes and structures of power and authority, and the implications for individuals, communities, and nations (PA)
- examine various worldviews about the use and distribution of resources and wealth in relation to the needs of individuals, communities, nations, and the natural environment, and contribute to sustainable development (RW).