The Alaska Standards for Social Studies

Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

The Alaska Standards for Social Studies

The first step in designing a social studies curriculum at the district level is understanding the standards that drive it. Each of the Alaska Standards for Social Studies is described and illustrated on the following pages, beginning with the seven Government/Citizenship standards, followed by the six Geography standards, and concluding with the four History standards.

In each case the standards are divided into several key elements that clarify and specify the types of behavior a student should be able to perform in relation to the standard. Alaska teachers have further elaborated on the key elements by suggesting classroom activities or units that deal with them at four different levels, from preschool to high school. The Standards and Key Elements are state regulations (4 AAC 04.070 - 4 AAC 04.090), but the activity ideas are merely suggestions. Each district may determine its own benchmarks and devise its own set of activities based on the standards. Please note that activities at the primary level are selectively presented. The absence of an activity does not necessarily indicate that the key element shouldn't be taught to young children; rather, the reader is challenged to develop suitable activities at this level.
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