Social Studies

Rhode Island Social Studies Standards

Revised Rhode Island Rhode Island Social Studies Standards were endorsed by the Council for Elementary and Secondary Education in February 2023. LEAs are working toward making their shifts to align with the new Standards. Shifts should be completed for full implementation of the new Standards by the 2026-2027 school year.

The full Standards document is available for download in PDF format:

• Rhode Island Social Studies Standards (Full PDF Document, February 2023)

The Standards document is also broken into segments for easier access below:

• Introduction
• Anchor Standards 
• Content Standards Overview and Grade Progressions
• How to Read Content Standards 

Kindergarten – Grade 8

• Kindergarten – Living and Working Together in Schools, Families, and Neighborhoods
• Grade 1 - Living and Working Together in Local Communities 
• Grade 2 - Living and Working Together in Global Communities 
• Grade 3 - Living and Working Together in the Regions of the United States 
• Grade 4 - Living and Working Together in Rhode Island 
• Grade 5 - United States History: Pre-European Contact to Reconstruction 
• Grade 6 - Ancient to Medieval World History and Geography 
• Grade 7 - Early Modern to Modern World History and Geography 
• Grade 8 - Government and Civic Life in the United States and Rhode Island 

High School

• Civics 
• United States History I: Pre-European Contact to Reconstruction 
• United States History II: Late 19th Century to the Present 
• World History I: Ancient to Medieval 

• World History II: Early Modern to Modern 

   

Informational Slides and FAQs

Social Studies Standards Informational Session Recording (May 2023)

Social Studies Standards Slide Deck This slide deck can serve as a turnkey, ready-to-use presentation and includes a facilitator script.

Social Studies Standards FAQs (Last updated in January 2025)

 

The Social Studies Curriculum Framework provides guidance around the implementation of the Rhode Island Social Studies Standards, particularly as it relates to the design and use of curriculum materials, instruction, and assessment. 

Social Studies Curriculum Framework

 

Informational Slides and Recordings

The Curriculum Framework informational session recording is broken into sections below. (posted May 2024)

• Section 1: Introduction (Length – 9:40)
• Section 2: Implementing High-Quality Curriculum (Length – 19:51)
• Section 2a: Implementing the Standards in the Elementary Grades (Length – 8:16)
• Section 2b: Implementing the Standards in the Middle Grades (Length – 5:47)
• Section 2c: Implementing the Standards in High School (Length – 10:23)
• Section 3: Implementing High-Quality Instruction (Length – 13:51) 
• Section 4: High-Quality Learning Through Assessment (Length – 15:42)

This slide deck can serve as a turnkey, ready-to-use presentation and includes a facilitator script.

Social Studies Curriculum Framework Slide Deck 

The Civic Learning Guidebook provides a comprehensive approach to integrating Civic Learning Practices into instruction from kindergarten through high school, offering practical strategies to make civics a relevant, authentic, and cohesive part of the social studies curriculum. It also outlines clear expectations and guidance for implementing civic action projects, including the Civics Capstone required for graduation.

Civic Learning Guidebook: Instructional Guidance for All Teachers (Fall 2024)

 

Civic Learning Guidebook Information and FAQs

Civic Learning Guidebook Informational Session Recording (Fall 2024) 

Civic Learning Guidebook Slide Deck This slide deck can serve as a turnkey, ready-to-use presentation and includes a facilitator script.

Civic Learning in Rhode Island FAQs

Civic Learning Guidebook Professional Learning Series (Join the Canvas course) - The course is tailored for educators teaching kindergarten through high school in Rhode Island and complements the Civic Learning Guidebook. The course is structured for individual or team participation and provides comprehensive resources, including learning materials for all Civic Learning Practices, self-assessment tools, discussion protocols, and planning guides. These resources support participants in reflecting on their current knowledge and experiences to identify actionable next steps for implementation.

To support Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in selecting standards-aligned, high-quality core curricular materials in social studies, RIDE conducted state-supported reviews to help LEAs make their adoption decisions. LEAs are not required to select materials that have been reviewed through RIDE’s review process.

Materials reviewed by RIDE were submitted by vendors through a Request for Curriculum and reviewed by teams of Rhode Island educators. The reviews linked below are those that were found by review teams to have met the minimum requirements for consideration by districts. While RIDE staff may have edited reviews for clarity, the findings reflect the views of the review team members and are intended as guidance only.

LEAs are encouraged to conduct their own reviews of the materials prior to final adoption using the following RIDE-developed tools: 

• Social Studies Review Tool for Selecting High Quality Curriculum Materials 
• Guide for Assessing Curriculum Materials in Social Studies for High Quality 

Educators should be able to receive preview access to materials by contacting the vendor directly.

For additional details about the review process and phases of the work, please refer to:

• Core Curriculum Reviews Informational Session Recording 

• Core Curriculum Reviews Slide Deck

   

Review Reports of Recommended Curricula by Grade and Course

Kindergarten IMPACT Social Studies – Kindergarten: Learning and Working Together, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill myWorld Interactive Social Studies Kindergarten Savvas	Grade 1 IMPACT Social Studies – Grade 1: Our Place in this World, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill myWorld Interactive Social Studies Grade 1 Savvas	Grade 2 IMPACT Social Studies – Grade 2: Exploring Who We Are, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill
Grade 3 IMPACT Social Studies – Grade 3: Regions of the United States, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill	Grade 4 IMPACT Social Studies – Grade 4: Our Communities, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill	Grade 5 U.S. History American Stories - Beginnings to 1877 Cengage / National Geographic U.S. History Making a New Nation, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill
Grade 6 World History – Great Civilizations Cengage / National Geographic World History, Voices and Perspectives, Early Ages, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill myWorld Interactive World History Early Ages Savvas	Grade 7 World Civilizations HMH Exploring World History and Geography for Rhode Island McGraw Hill myWorld Interactive World History Survey Savvas	Grade 8 Civics and Citizenship Cengage / National Geographic Exploring Government and Civic Life in the United States and Rhode Island McGraw Hill
HS Civics American Government Cengage / National Geographic United States Government and Civics, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill Magruder’s American Government Interactive Savvas We the People W.W. Norton	HS United States History I U.S. History: America Through the Lens Cengage / National Geographic Social Studies American History HMH	HS United States History II U.S. History: America Through the Lens Cengage / National Geographic Social Studies American History HMH
HS World History I World History, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill	HS World History II World History Modern Times, Rhode Island Edition McGraw Hill

To support Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in implementing high-quality curriculum materials (HQCM) in social studies, RIDE has established a list of approved core and supplemental curriculum providers as well as professional learning providers. These vendors hold statewide contracts through the Department of Administration’s Master Price Agreement (MPA) process and are available under MPA 636.

In addition, RIDE has identified approved providers of curriculum-based professional learning across content areas, including vendors approved to support social studies curriculum implementation. These providers are available under MPA 581. 

Please note that MPA 636 and MPA 581 used different selection criteria during the review process, with MPA 636 focused specifically on social studies.

LEAs may opt in to agreements with vendors listed under either MPA and initiate purchase orders through the Rhode Island Division of Purchases Contract Board. LEAs are encouraged to review the respective User Guides to determine how these partners can support their social studies curriculum and professional learning priorities.

MPA 636 - High Quality Curricula and Professional Learning in Social Studies

Contract # MPA 636 

MPA 636 USER GUIDE

 

MPA 581 - High Quality Curriculum-Based Professional Learning

Contract # MPA 581 

MPA 581 USER GUIDE

               

               Summary of Approved Vendors

 

Unpacking the Social Studies Standards 

Unpacking a Compelling Question from the Standards (Fillable Document) – This tool supports unpacking an Inquiry Topic’s Compelling Question from the Rhode Island Social Studies Standards to inform unit planning and the unpacking of individual standards.

Standards Unpacking Template (Fillable Document) – This fillable template guides educators through unpacking a standard to inform lesson planning.

Standards Unpacking Example - Elementary Grades – This document provides an example of unpacking a grade 4 standard.

Standards Unpacking Example - Middle Grades - This document provides an example of unpacking a grade 7 standard.

Standards Unpacking Example - High School - This document provides an example of unpacking a standard from the high school World History II course.              

 

Connecting Social Studies to Other Core Content Areas  

Social Studies Standards and English Language Arts HQCM - This document serves as a crosswalk between some commonly used ELA HQCM (CKLA, EL, and Wit and Wisdom) and the Rhode Island Social Studies Standards for grades Kindergarten to eight, where connections are applicable, to help teachers make connections during instruction.

Social Studies Standards and Core Standards for Mathematics – This document outlines correlations and connections between Rhode Island’s social studies standards and the Rhode Island Core Standards for Mathematics.

Social Studies Standards and Next Generation Science Standards - This document outlines correlations and connections between Rhode Island’s social studies standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.

 

Assessing Curricular Materials

Guide for Assessing Curriculum Materials in Social Studies for High Quality – This protocol guides review teams in evaluating core social studies curriculum materials under consideration for adoption. To be used with the review tool posted below.

Social Studies Review Tool for Selecting High Quality Curriculum Materials (PDF) – This tool can be used to assess both core and supplemental social studies curricular materials.

Social Studies Review Tool for Selecting High Quality Curriculum Materials (Fillable Document)

 

Assessing Student Performance on the Standards

Rubric Template and Examples for Assessing Student Performance on the Rhode Island Social Studies Standards (PDF) – This document provides strategies for using the Rhode Island Social Studies Standards to create assessment rubrics that track student progress on one or more standards within an inquiry topic.

Rubric Template and Examples for Assessing Student Performance on the Rhode Island Social Studies Standards (Fillable Document)

 

Walkthrough Guidance and Tool 

(The documents listed below are forthcoming)

RIDE Guide to HQCM Walkthroughs - Instructional walkthroughs are non-evaluative, structured classroom visits designed to understand how High-Quality Curriculum Materials (HQCM) are enacted implemented skillfully in real classrooms.

Social Studies Walkthrough Tool - The Social Studies Walkthrough Tool articulates the vision for skillful social studies teaching and learning. Purposes for use include: 1) preparing lessons; 2) reflecting on instructional practices; 3) developing professional learning on standards-aligned practice; and 4) providing feedback on classroom practice.

Social Studies Walkthrough Tool Companion Guide - This document provides observational questions—or "look-fors"—designed to support the identification and recognition of high-quality social studies instruction. These look-fors are intended to make abstract teaching indicators more concrete by offering examples of what effective practices might look like in action within a classroom setting.

 

Guiding and Assessing Civics Action Projects 

Below are resources developed by RIDE to support educators in implementing civics action projects. Please also refer to the Civic Learning Guidebook for additional instructional tools and resources for facilitating and assessing civic action projects as well as for each of the Civic Learning Practices. 

Civics Project Planning Template (Fillable Document) - Use this document to align student-led civics projects with the expectations in RIDE’s Civic Learning Guidebook. The template will help you map student tasks, teacher support, and classroom activities, including assessments, to each project phase. Refer to the Civics Project Planning Examples document as you complete the template.

Civics Project Planning Template (PDF – for Printing) 

Civics Project Planning Examples – This document includes two sample project outlines. Each maps student tasks, teacher supports (including assessment suggestions), and helpful tools to RIDE’s six student-led civics project phases. Use the examples to plan how you will guide your students through each phase based on your own timeline using the Civics Project Planning Template document.

Civic Action Project Rubrics – This document includes a Taking Informed Action Project and a Civics Capstone Project Rubric. These rubrics follow a single-point format, which means they focus on key expectations for each project phase.

Civic Learning Guidebook Professional Learning Series (Join the Canvas course) – This asynchronous course is tailored for educators teaching kindergarten through high school in Rhode Island and complements the Civic Learning Guidebook. The course is structured for individual or team participation and provides comprehensive resources, including learning materials for all Civic Learning Practices, self-assessment tools, discussion protocols, and planning guides. These resources support participants in reflecting on their current knowledge and experiences to identify actionable next steps for implementation.

Reflection to ACTION Toolkit – This toolkit is designed to accompany the modules in the above-listed Canvas course with the intention that course modules and toolkit tools be used in a school’s continuous improvement process, ultimately supporting teachers’ continuous learning and implementation of the Civic Learning Practices over time. The tools can be used by individuals or teams of teachers to reflect on their current knowledge of and experience with each practice and identify next steps for their implementation.

African American History Resources 

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Study Resources

Holocaust and Genocide Education Resources

Rhode Island Studies Resources

Stay informed about social studies – related information through the Rhode Island Social Studies Newsletter. Issues are regularly published on the first Thursday of the month with some exceptions. Newsletter entries include professional learning opportunities, conference announcements, open-source teaching resources, information to join academic competitions, enrichment ideas, opportunities to share with students, and other items that are specific to Social Studies or related disciplines.

• Sign up to receive the RIDE Social Studies Newsletter
• Newsletter submissions should be emailed to socialstudies@ride.ri.gov. Please review the submission guidelines in this document. Submissions that do not meet the guidelines will not be published.
• View the RIDE Social Studies Newsletter Archive to review previous newsletters

Questions can be directed to: Social Studies

Members of the Rhode Island History & Social Studies Advisory Committee (RIHSSAC) advise RIDE on civics and social studies education and serve as a liaisons to the broader education community. The committee also functions as a working group for key initiatives, such as the development of the revised Social Studies Standards, Curriculum Framework, and Civic Learning Guidebook.

For more information on the RIHSSAC, please email: socialstudies@ride.ri.gov