History & Social Science
New Report on 2021 Virginia Civics Education Survey for High School Students
VDOE collaborated with Virginia Commonwealth University to administer a Civics Education Survey to a sample of Virginia public high school seniors. The purpose of the survey was to understand how a representative statewide sample of seniors in public high schools felt about their civics and government education as well as their community engagement. The final report-This is a Word document. is now available.
Using State-Developed Performance Assessments to Verify Credits in History and Social Science
On September 23, 2021, the Virginia Board of Education approved revisions to the Guidelines for Locally Awarded Verified Credits that are contained in the Guidance Document Governing Certain Provisions of the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia to allow school divisions to use state-developed performance tasks, scored locally using the state-developed common rubric, to confer locally awarded verified credits in history and social science. School divisions continue to have the option to administer Standards of Learning tests to verify credits in history and social science. Superintendent’s Memo #276-21-This is a Word document. provides additional details and links to associated documents. Documents to support school divisions that choose to exercise this new option for verifying credits are located in the Locally Awarded Verified Credits in History and Social Science section of the History and Social Science Instruction webpage.
African American State-Developed Elective Course
Includes:
- Curriculum Frameworks
- Test Blueprints
- Released Tests & Sample Items
The History & Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL) are designed to develop knowledge and skills in history, geography, civics and economics to prepare students for informed participation in shaping the nation’s future.
2022 Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework Revision
At the January 28, 2021 Virginia Board of Education meeting, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) was authorized to proceed with the History and Social Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework review process. For more information, refer to History and Social Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework Revision and Superintendent's Memo #025-21-This is a Word document.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative
Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative was formed as a joint venture between the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium (VSSLC), the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM), the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), and #GoOpenVA. Support Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s vision for African American history by curating existing resources and creating original learning experiences that address the technical edits to the Virginia Standards of Learning developed by the Commission on African American History Education.
- Collection of Learning Experiences
- Resources created through the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative project for K-2, Virginia Studies, US History to 1865, US History 1865 to Present, and Virginia and US History.
- Woodson Collaborative Curated Links
- These links were curated by the members of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative, in order to support the approved edits to the SOL curriculum framework made by the Governor’s Commission on African American History Education.
- Kindergarten
- First Grade
- Second Grade
- Virginia Studies
- US History to 1865
- US History 1865 to Present
- Virginia and US History
- Support and Guidance for Selecting and Enacting Resources - As there are few resources that are entirely free of cultural bias, the Collaborative suggests using the Support and Guidance in Selecting and Enacting Resources document in order to consider how these materials can best be utilized.
- Kindergarten
Locally Awarded Verified Credits in History and Social Science
- Guidelines for Locally Awarded Verified Credits-This is a Word document. - These guidelines describe the criteria and requirements for using state-developed performance tasks scored locally using state-developed rubrics, in conjunction with other local assessments, for awarding locally awarded verified credits in history and social science.
- Implementation Support for School Divisions Using State-Developed Performance Tasks to Verify Credits in History and Social Science-This is a Word document. - This document, used in conjunction with the Guidelines for Locally Awarded Verified Credits, further clarifies details regarding the requirements and considerations for school divisions using state-developed performance tasks to verify credits in history and social science.
- Locally Awarded Verified Credit Plan for History and Social Science-This is a Word document. - Use this fillable form to plan for local implementation and to document how requirements in the Guidelines for Locally Awarded Verified Credit will be met by the school division.
- HSS State Developed Common Rubric-Upper Secondary (2020)-This is a Word document. - This rubric is to be used as written when scoring responses to state-developed performance tasks in Virginia and U.S. History.
- Unpacking the Guidelines for Locally Awarded Verified Credits-This is a PPT presentation. - These slides were presented during the webinar held on October 28, 2021 and provide detailed information on the Guidelines for Locally Awarded Verified Credits.
Unpacking the Guidelines for Locally Awarded Verified Credits - This is the recorded webinar from October 28, 2021.- Developing Locally Awarded Verified Credit Plans for History and Social Science-This is a PPT presentation. – These slides from the November 9, 2021, webinar describe the process for developing the Locally Awarded Verified Credit (LAVC) Plan for History and Social Science. The LAVC Plan for History and Social Science is required for school divisions using state-developed performance tasks, in conjunction with local assessments, to confer LAVC. Note that this option is only available for Virginia and United States History during the 2021-2022 school year.
- Developing Locally Awarded Verified Credit Plans for History and Social Science – This is the recorded webinar from November 9, 2021.
- Leading Local Scoring for State-Developed Performance Tasks-This is a PPT presentation. – These slides from the November 18, 2021, webinar describe the process to be followed when planning and leading local scoring for students’ responses to state-developed performance tasks. Information includes Anchor Responses and Anchor Response Annotations to be used when training scorers to apply the HSS State Developed Common Rubric-Upper Secondary.
- Leading Local Scoring for State-Developed Performance Tasks- This is the recorded webinar from November 18, 2021.
- Unpacking the Inquiry Design Model-This is a PPT presentation. - This presentation from the webinar on October 4, 2021, provides detailed information about the Inquiry Design Model that will be used for state-developed performance tasks in history and social science.
- Unpacking the Inquiry Design Model- This is the recorded webinar from October 4, 2021.
History and Social Science State Developed Common Rubrics
- HSS State Developed Common Rubric-Early Elementary (2020)-This is a Word document.
- HSS State Developed Common Rubric-Upper Elementary (2020)-This is a Word document.
- HSS State Developed Common Rubric-Middle School (2020)-This is a Word document.
- HSS State Developed Common Rubric-Early Secondary (2020)-This is a Word document.
- HSS State Developed Common Rubric-Upper Secondary (2020)-This is a Word document.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Learning in Place History and Social Science Resources
Virginia Standards of Learning – History and Social Science Tracking Logs
Virginia Standards of Learning tracking logs for grades Kindergarten-Virginia & US Government have been developed to assist teachers with determining which standards students have had sufficient exposure and experience with prior to the COVID-19 school closure on March 13, 2020 and to make decisions regarding when and how experience with new standards might occur moving forward. Each log includes space for teachers to check off the standards that had been addressed before March 13 (the initial school closure date), those standards addressed during the closure, and those which have not yet been addressed (by the end of the ‘school year’).
- Kindergarten-This is a Word document.
- Grade 1-This is a Word document.
- Grade 2-This is a Word document.
- Grade 3-This is a Word document.
- Virginia Studies-This is a Word document.
- US History to 1865-This is a Word document.
- US History 1865 to Present-This is a Word document.
- Civics & Economics-This is a Word document.
- World Geography-This is a Word document.
- World History & Geography to 1500-This is a Word document.
- World History & Geography 1500 to Present-This is a Word document.
- Virginia & US History-This is a Word document.
- Virginia & US Government-This is a Word document.
Professional Development Resources – History & Social Science SOL Institutes
VDOE provided targeted professional development through History and Social Science Standards of Learning Institutes. Teachers and school divisions are encouraged to utilize the professional development resources to improve student achievement through quality instruction.
- 2017 History & Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL) Institutes – The K-12 History and Social Science SOL Institutes provided training that utilized a train-the-trainer model to provide professional development focused on the 2015 History and Social Science Standards of Learning, which will lead to the creation of performance assessments.
- 2016 History & Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL) Institutes – VDOE provided professional development for school divisions and their teachers to support the increased rigor and the history and social science skills emphasized in the 2015 History and Social Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework.
- 2012 History & Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL) Institutes – VDOE provided professional development for school divisions and their teachers to support the implementation of the 2008 History and Social Science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework.
Elementary School Instructional Resources
In addition to the standards, curriculum frameworks, enhanced scope and sequence guides, test blueprints and released tests, other elementary instructional resources include:
- An Economy at Work: The Production and Consumption of Goods and Services (PDF) – staff development and teaching module for elementary and middle school teachers on SOL-based economics concepts
- Virginia Maps of the Five Geographic Regions (2001)
- Outline Map (PDF)
- Map with Counties (PDF)
- Map without Counties (PDF)
- North American Map of Selected Geographic Regions (PDF) – correlates with Standard USI.2b
- Documents of American History (PDF) – text of the Constitution of Virginia, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States of America with Amendments and the Virginia Charters
- Virginia Animals and their Habitats – a model comprehensive, cross-curricular second-grade unit that addresses 40 grade-two Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) in science, mathematics, English, and history and social science.
- Civil Rights Education – resources and information from the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Committee, as well as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission
- Everyday Civics – classroom resources including lesson plans, discussion boards, primary documents, Internet links and media Partnership Resources
- Ice Age Discoveries – recent archaeological digs have provided compelling evidence that humans inhabited Virginia at least 18,000 years ago
- Mali: Ancient Crossroads of Africa – lesson plans, literature links and online resources on the West African empire of Mali
- Virginia's First People Past and Present – guide for teaching the history, geography and economic systems of Virginia Indians, both past and present, with links to Virginia's eleven state-recognized tribes
Middle School Instructional Resources
In addition to the standards, curriculum frameworks, enhanced scope and sequence guides, test blueprints and released tests, other middle school instructional resources include:
- Economics and Financial Literacy – instructional resources to assist in meeting the requirements economics education and financial literacy requirements for all middle and high school students
- North American Map of Selected Geographic Regions (2001) (PDF) – correlates to Standard USI.2b
- Documents of American History (PDF) – text of the Constitution of Virginia, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States of America with Amendments and the Virginia Charters
- Civil Rights Education – resources and information from the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Committee, as well as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission
- Everyday Civics – classroom resources including lesson plans, discussion boards, primary documents, Internet links and media Partnership Resources
- Ice Age Discoveries – recent archaeological digs have provided compelling evidence that humans inhabited Virginia at least 18,000 years ago
- Mali: Ancient Crossroads of Africa – lesson plans, literature links and online resources on the West African empire of Mali
- Virginia's First People Past and Present – guide for teaching the history, geography and economic systems of Virginia Indians, both past and present, with links to Virginia's eleven state-recognized tribes
High School Instructional Resources
In addition to the standards, curriculum frameworks, enhanced scope and sequence guides, test blueprints and released tests, other middle school instructional resources include:
- Postwar Germany and the Growth of Democracy – A Resource Guide (PDF) – lessons and resources to assist teachers and students to explore Germany's social, political and economic experiences since 1945
- Documents of American History (PDF) – text of the Constitution of Virginia, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States of America with Amendments and the Virginia Charters
- Civil Rights Education – resources and information from the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Committee, as well as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission
- Everyday Civics – classroom resources including lesson plans, discussion boards, primary documents, Internet links and media Partnership Resources
- Ice Age Discoveries – recent archaeological digs have provided compelling evidence that humans inhabited Virginia at least 18,000 years ago
- Mali: Ancient Crossroads of Africa – lesson plans, literature links and online resources on the West African empire of Mali
- Virginia's First People Past and Present – guide for teaching the history, geography and economic systems of Virginia Indians, both past and present, with links to Virginia's eleven state-recognized tribes
Miscellaneous
- Technology Sparks, Ideas for Teachers: Integrating Technology with the Virginia Standards of Learning (PDF) – resources and suggestions for incorporating technology into the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) middle school core curricular subjects
- Report on the Virginia Civics Education Survey for High School Students -This is a Word document. – report from Virginia Commonwealth University summarizes results and key findings from the 2021 administration of the Virginia Civics Education Survey for High School Students
Additional History & Social Science Resources