Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Social Studies Standards (webpage) – This webpage outlines the state’s Social Studies Standards for K-12 education.

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) – Early Childhood in the Social Studies Context (webpage) – This position statement from the National Council for the Social Studies emphasizes the importance of Social Studies in early childhood education. It highlights the benefits of Social Studies for young learners and offers guidance for effective implementation.

Knowledgeable and Engaged Young Citizens: Social Studies in Early Childhood (webpage) – This article from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) explores the role of Social Studies in nurturing young children’s development as knowledgeable and engaged citizens. It provides practical strategies for educators to integrate Social Studies concepts into their daily routines.

Social Studies in Today’s Early Childhood Curricula NAEYC Young Children Article (pdf) – from 2005 article from the NAEYC’s Young Children journal offers practical suggestions for incorporating Social Studies into early childhood curricula, including sample activities and learning goals.

PBS Learning Media (webpage) – PBS Wisconsin and PBS have curated FREE, curriculum-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more. Search by grade level and subject offering learning materials on history, government, economics, and more, categorized by grade level.

Going From Me to We: Social Studies in Preschool – from HighScope (pdf) – This resource from HighScope provides a framework for fostering social studies learning in preschool classrooms. It emphasizes the development of social understanding and participation in a community.

Children Are Citizens a project from Project Zero (webpage) – This project from Harvard University’s Project Zero focuses on fostering young children’s understanding of citizenship. It provides project-based learning ideas that encourage children to explore their rights and responsibilities within their families and communities.

Resources from Other States 

(This list is not exhaustive, it is provided to share a few examples of information that may be part of other states’ Early Learning Development Guidelines and/or Early Learning Standards)

Colorado Early Learning Development Guidelines (ELDG) (website) – This webpage from the Colorado Department of Education outlines the state’s ELDG for Social Studies in children aged 3-5. It provides specific learning goals and skills related to exploring communities, citizenship, and cultural diversity.

Illinois Early Learning Project (website) – This webpage details Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for Social Studies. It outlines learning expectations for children across various age groups, focusing on skills like identifying community helpers and understanding basic geography concepts.

Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards (website) – This webpage provides information about Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Standards for Infant/Toddlers; Pre-Kindergarten; Kindergarten; Grade 1 and Grade 2. The page does not provide a direct link to the Social Studies Standards, but rather global information about all of the Standards. For quick reference, see the Early Learning Standards – Continuum (p.30) for Social Studies specific information.

Early Childhood Indicators of Progress-Minnesota Early Learning Standards (pdf) – This document provides information about all of the Minnesota Early Learning Standards (birth to kindergarten). It addresses Social Studies as within the Introduction to Social Systems-Cognitive Domain (p.64) and includes the following elements: Community, People and Relationships, Change over Time, Environment, Economics, and Technology.

Updated 12/05/2024