Mission Statement

To engage in activities supporting educational work, which shall also include the coordination, promotion, development and maintenance of quality social studies programs at all levels of educational instruction in the State of Colorado.

Welcome to Colorado Council for the Social Studies

Colorado’s District Sample Curriculum Project- Phase Three

We are trying to build teams with representation from general education teachers as well as educators in these specialty areas: ELL, Special Education, and Gifted and Talented.  Please encourage your colleagues to apply for these specialty areas so that we have a well rounded curriculum team!!

This summer, the final phase of Colorado’s District Sample Curriculum Project will bring together teachers and district leaders to create instructional units for all grades and content areas based on the curriculum samples (unit overviews). Participating educators will work in teams to develop one sample into a full instructional unit, using a process that reflects a model of educators working together to plan for the instruction of all students. These units will include learning strategies, resource suggestions, differentiation options, and assessment ideas linked to helping all students achieve the big understandings (generalizations) in the (unit overview) samples. To facilitate the creation of these materials, the content specialist team within the Office of Standards and Instructional Support will conduct three workshop sessions, each focusing on a particular grade-level band. Participants will attend one three-day workshop that will focus on the creation of grade and content specific materials. The link below provides more information on the workshop dates, participant-team specifics, reimbursement details, and the application procedure for participating in this phase/work

http://www.cde.state.co.us/StandardsAndInstruction/SampleCurriculum-summer2013participation.asp

Current Newsletter

Open and read the CCSS Spring Newsletter here.

Final Assessment Frameworks for the New Summative Science and Social Studies Assessments

The final assessment frameworks for the new Summative Science and Social Studies Assessments have been posted to the CDE website: http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/NewAssess-Sum.asp. The frameworks list the percent representation and number of score points for each of the reporting categories/standard areas that will appear on the summative assessments. They also specify the Evidence Outcomes that are eligible for inclusion on the state assessments. Topics explicitly identified in the Social Studies standards are legitimate content for the assessment in addition to the standards' concept and skills.

CDE has incorporated feedback on the draft versions of the frameworks from content experts and educators in the field to create the final versions. Small shifts in distribution of points were made across Social Studies standards in grade 4 and Science standards in grades 5 and 8. In addition to a shift in the distribution of points in high school Social Studies, changes were made to the assessable content in high school civics and economics.

Contact for more Information: Jason Clymer Clymer_j@cde.state.co.us

Stipend Available to attend NCGE

The Colorado Geographic Alliance is supporting several teachers from small districts and rural areas to participate in the National Council for Geographic Education conference. Teachers - elementary and secondary - from districts with under 5000 students who teach geography - either as part of social studies, science, or as a stand-alone course - are encouraged to apply. Each applicant selected will receive a stipend to cover three nights of hotel (double occupancy) in Denver as well as the cost of registration for the conference. Due to the early-bird registration deadline of May 31st, teachers should have their applications to coga@uccs.edu no later than Saturday, May 25th. Applicants will be notified May 30th. Open printable form.

http://www.uccs.edu/~coga/

Free course: Maps and the Geospatial Revolution

Beginning 17 July 2013, Dr. Anthony C. Robinson, Geography Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, will offer a 5 week MOOC (Massively Open Online Course) entitled “Maps and the Geospatial Revolution.”  You and others may sign up for free, right now!  It will include some core fundamentals in geographic principles, hands-on work with online mapping tools, and really pique interest in the rapidly changing field of geospatial technology.

Find out more information:
http://blogs.esri.com/esri/gisedcom/2013/04/25/mooc-maps-and-the-geospatial-revolution/

Field test practice tests for SS

link and instructions to see the released items and practice assessments for 4th and 7th grade (CDE has not yet released HS items.): http://www.pearsonaccess.com/cs/Satellite?pagename=Pearson/QuickLink/co