Mission
The History and Social Science Department promotes and supports a culturally sustaining, equitable, rigorous curriculum that deepens students’ analytical skills, cultivates historical curiosity, and promotes informed civic engagement. Throughout their K-12 education, CPS students explore a range of “windows and mirrors” and develop these skills.
- Read and analyze evidence and different perspectives to support arguments in writing, discussion, and decision-making.
- Critically consume and produce different sources of information.
- Demonstrate an understanding of human rights and our responsibilities as global citizens.
- Listen generously and develop empathy for people from various backgrounds and contexts.
- Apply knowledge of history and the social sciences to take informed, authentic action towards a more equitable world.
Partnerships
In 2018, MA passed legislation requiring a year-long civics course in every 8th grade classroom and the completion of student-led civics projects in 8th grade and high school. At that time, the department began a long term partnership with the Democratic Knowledge Project (DKP) at Harvard University’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics. The partnership resulted in the foundation of a new open-source 8th grade civics curriculum, as well as comparative societies and religions units for 6th and 7th grade social studies, materials on Native sovereignty for grades 3, 4, and 5, and a 5th grade unit that offers students opportunities to connect the principles of the Declaration of Independence with later struggles from freedom and justice, including abolition and women’s rights. DKP’s 8th and 5th grade curricula were cited as highlighted core materials by DESE in 2021.
The department continues to partner with the Democratic Knowledge Project to provide professional learning for 8th grade civics teachers. We also partner with Discovering Justice to support civic education in grades K-5 and with Facing History and Ourselves, Primary Source, and the Upstander Project to provide professional learning for teachers.
Civic Mindset Survey
According to the Democratic Knowledge Project, Only 32% of adults in the United States feel pride in the American political system. 25% of young people believe “choosing leaders through free elections” is unimportant. Fewer than 30% of people under the age of 40 consider it essential to live in a democracy, compared to 70% for generations born before World War II.
We support our students in developing the knowledge, capacities, and skills they need to participate in civic life in our democracy. To monitor our progress in accomplishing this goal, each year, we check in with young people in grades 3, 4, 5, and 8 to see how well we are doing in supporting the development of three key civic dispositions: civic self-confidence, civic reciprocity, and civic self-care.
The questions for grade 8 were created by the Democratic Knowledge Project, and the department created a modified, shorter version for grades 3-5. These surveys help us to understand how our students see themselves as members of our constitutional democracy.
Newsletters
June 2025 | June 2024 | June 2022 | June 2021 | June 2020 | June 2019 | June 2018 | June 2017 | June 2016 | Winter 2015 | Summer 2015
During the 2022-23 school year, we experimented with Twitter, @cpshistory, in lieu of a newsletter. Due to popular demand, the newsletter was re-established in 2023-24.