INFORMATIONAL

At the direction of the Board of Education, the Virginia 
Department of Education worked with the Virginia Consortium 
of Social Studies Supervisors and College Educators (VCSSSCE) 
to produce a History and Social Science Teacher Resource 
Guide for the History and Social Science Standards of 
Learning (SOL). The Resource Guide provides amplifications of 
the knowledge and skills presented in each standard. The 
Guide does not constitute a revision of the History and 
Social Science Standards of Learning, but will serve as a 
tool to enable classroom teachers to teach more effectively 
the history and social science standards.  

Enclosed is a copy of the July 1, 1999, statement to the 
press announcing completion of the Resource Guide, a letter 
from Dr. Rebecca S. Hayes, President of VCSSSCE acknowledging 
the work of that organization, and a preliminary draft of the 
Teacher Resource Guide for your staff to use in professional 
development and curriculum writing workshops. Please route 
this document to the person in your division responsible for 
those activities. Our staff will continue to proofread the 
document and will arrange for the final version to be printed 
later this month. Please contact Harvey R. Carmichael, 
History and Social Science Specialist at (804) 225-2891 by 
July 16, 1999, if you find mistakes to be corrected, or you 
can fax corrections to the Department at (804) 786-5466. A 
copy of the final Teacher Resource Guide will be forwarded to 
you in early August.

Questions about uses of the Teacher Resource Guide can be 
directed to Harvey R. Carmichael (804-225-2891) and Joan L. 
Spence (804-786-7076), History and Social Science 
Specialists, Virginia Department of Education.

PDS/HRC/hc

Enclosures:     A hard copy of this memo and its enclosures 
                will be sent to the superintendent's office