Teaching State History and Core Knowledge
State studies should focus upon concepts, using the “Big Picture” ideas to guide instruction. Teaching in this way prevents students from getting overwhelmed with too many little details. The documents linked below are samples showing how state history can be integrated into the Core Knowledge curriculum and shared among all grade levels to provide a specific, sequential study that eliminates gaps and repetitions. The examples provided are from Texas. The overview provides a general picture of a Texas history sequence, and the detailed sequence provide more specific guidance to the content that could be taught at each grade level.
When is state history taught in your state? In Texas, state studies are usually taught in grades 4 and 7. However, the attached completed sequence is intended to be used as a school-wide document in grades K-8. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for grades 4 and 7 are aligned with its corresponding content, demonstrating how teachers can plan Core Knowledge lessons that incorporate Texas History into American and World History. As a result, students have many opportunities for meaningful connections in their learning.
We recommend that a school teaches state history all year long as a comparison to American and World history. The alternative is to have a school-wide state theme for a few weeks of school where each grade level focuses upon its designated content. Texas schools have the freedom to modify the attached document to suit their needs. The most important aspect is to have school-wide agreement on how state studies will be taught. This shifts the responsibility for state studies from one grade level to a school-wide effort.
Schools outside of Texas may choose to use this document as a model for creating their own state history sequence. If your school develops a sequence that you would be willing to share with others, please contact the Core Knowledge Foundation. Feel free to e-mail if you have any questions or suggestions about integrating state history into the Core Knowledge curriculum.
The examples provided below are from Texas. Schools from other states may choose to develop a similar model for their own state history.
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Last updated: Fri, May 23 2008
