Social Studies instruction in FISD begins with a focus on our state standards called TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and incorporates literacy skills. These skills provide students an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills as they deepen their understanding around concepts in Social Studies related to history, government, economics, and the world.
Our district’s vision for elementary Social Studies is to create an engaging learning environment that supports high levels of learning through a balance of explicit instruction and student exploration and discovery. With the ultimate goal centered around student learning, students are provided explicit instruction through minilessons and small group instruction, which includes conferences and strategy groups. Along with explicit instruction, students are also provided the opportunity to deepen their understanding around concepts in Social Studies through exploring a variety of sources while discovering new ideas. In order to help students build independence as researchers, we value scaffolding student learning through a gradual release of responsibility.