2. Michael Williams. 2014.
Vision
District Vision: Pursuing innovation to make a difference for tomorrow.
Social Studies Vision: Students thinking deeply about the world, past and present, so
they may positively engage it in the future.
Mission
District Mission: The mission of Brazosport ISD is to develop and empower the whole
student with the capacity to excel in an ever-changing world.
Social Studies Mission: Through the systematic study of history, geography,
economics, government, citizenship, culture, science and technology in society, and
social studies skills, Brazosport ISD students are empowered as analytical thinkers,
effective communicators, and active participants in ever-changing local, state, national,
and global communities.
Social Studies Curriculum Goals
Goal 1: Increase teachers’ understanding and use of the TEKS in order to align
instruction with the state’s content and cognitive expectations.
Goal 2: Encourage the consistent use of rigorous, student-centered instructional
strategies.
Goal 3: Encourage collaboration among teachers to share best practices, align
instruction with the TEKS, and develop common assessments.
Goal 4: Provide texts, maps, digital resources, and curriculum supports to undergird
classroom content, district initiatives, effective instructional strategies, and technology
integration.
3. Michael Williams. 2014.
K-8 Curriculum Structure
The curriculum focus at each grade-level is guided by the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS). The key theme or topic at each grade level is as follows:
K-3: Community
4: Texas history
5: United States history
6: World cultures and societies
7: Texas history
8: United States history through Reconstruction
High School Curriculum Structure
With House Bill 5, the high school Social Studies graduation program will change
beginning in 2014-2015. Students who began high school in 2013-2014 or before are
required to complete 4 years of Social Studies: (1) world geography, (2) world history,
(3) United States history since 1877, and (4) United States government (one semester)
and economics with emphasis on the free enterprise system and its benefits (one
semester). These students can choose to opt into the new Foundation program created
by House Bill 5. Students who begin high school in 2014-2015 and after are required to
complete 3 years of Social Studies on the Foundation plan: (1) world geography or
world history or the new combination course, (2) United States history since 1877, and
(3) United States government (one semester) and economics with emphasis on the free
enterprise system and its benefits (one semester).
Social Studies Strands
There are 8 strands in the Social Studies TEKS: history, geography, culture,
government, economics, citizenship, science, technology, and society, and social
studies skills. These strands begin in Kindergarten and run through high school (with
the exception of Economics and electives).
State Assessment
The state has transitioned from the TAKS assessment to STAAR and End-of-Course
(EOC) assessments. The tested grades/subjects are:
● 8th grade STAAR
● U.S. History Since 1877 EOC
4. Michael Williams. 2014.
Social Studies and the BISD Strategic Plan
1.1 Design, align, and implement a comprehensive, rigorous, K-12 curriculum.
1.1.1 Maintain a written, aligned, comprehensive K-12 curriculum.
■ Beginning in 2014-2015, all 19 campuses will use TEKS Resource
System as the foundation and framework of our Social Studies
curriculum. TEKS Resource System provides comprehensive,
written K-12 curriculum aligned with the TEKS. Teachers,
instructional coaches, and the district Teaching and Learning
coordinator collaborate to align instruction with the TEKS, share
best practices and resources, embed effective instructional
strategies, and develop assessments.
1.1.2 Develop opportunities for understanding and implementing the framework
of the K-12 curriculum.
■ Teachers have numerous opportunities to understand and
implement the Social Studies curriculum, including campus-based
PLCs, district or campus release-day workgroups, and professional
development during the school year and summer.
1.2 Provide innovative educational opportunities to address individual students’
needs.
1.2.1 Create a curriculum/assessment system for all students that is
differentiated and sensitive to student need.
■ Teachers are encouraged to differentiate the ways in which they
present information, engage students, provide opportunities for
practice and skill development, and assess student learning. In
addition, teachers consider the broad spectrum of educational
needs as they create lessons, design assessments, and develop
opportunities for enrichment or remediation.
■ Assessments include, but are not limited to, unit tests, quizzes,
written assignments, group tasks, projects, and research. These
assessments can be differentiated based on student need.
5. Michael Williams. 2014.
1.2.2 Create a system to ensure instructional strategies are relevant, engaging,
and incorporate 21st century learning skills.
■ Teachers are encouraged to implement research-based
instructional strategies through an emphasis on Classroom
Instruction that Works and the collaborative development of plans
and resources that incorporate best practices.
■ 21st Century learning skills have been described as critical thinking,
creativity, collaboration, and communication. As our lessons move
to a 5E model and teachers embed rigorous, student-centered
strategies in their instruction, students will have more opportunity to
work collaboratively, dialogue, and think critically and creatively.
1.2.3 Create opportunities for students to engage with technology to meet their
individual needs.
■ Students have opportunity to engage with technology through
research on the Internet and via databases, written assignments
and presentations, and the exploration of digital maps, timelines,
and other media.
■ With the implementation of the recent bond, classrooms are being
equipped with interactive whiteboards, document cameras, and
student devices, such as iPads and Chromebooks. Programs such
as ABC-CLIO databases and Google Earth allow students to
engage the content through multiple media.
1.3 Equip teachers with strategies necessary to support students’ learning.
1.3.1 Provide professional development opportunities that are relevant,
effective, and ongoing.
■ Various professional development opportunities are provided
throughout the year and in the summer. These opportunities
include district full-day professional development workshops,
district collaborative curriculum workgroups, campus-based PLCs,
coordinator meetings with campus departments, and possible out-
of-district support from Region IV, or other organizations. During
these trainings, teachers have opportunities to learn and apply new
instructional strategies, analyze their TEKS, and collaborate on
instruction and assessment specific to their content area. Social
Studies professional development is guided by 3 questions: (1)
How well do we know our TEKS? (2) How well do we know our
content? (3) How well are we implementing rigorous, student-
centered instructional strategies?
6. Michael Williams. 2014.
1.3.2 Provide relevant, effective, and ongoing opportunities for teachers to
collaborate regarding the teaching and learning process.
■ Teachers have opportunities to collaborate through release-day
curriculum workgroups, summer and in-year professional
development, and campus-based PLCs.
1.3.3 Provide opportunities for staff and current/prior students to give feedback
on teaching and learning indicators in order to better equip teachers with
appropriate strategies to support student learning.
■ Feedback from teachers is solicited in the form of surveys, focused
conversations during professional development workshops, and
discussions of needs during curriculum workgroups.
■ Data is also provided by various assessments: STAAR and EOC;
district benchmarks; common unit assessments that are aligned
with the TEKS and recorded in Eduphoria:Aware.
Social Studies and the Curriculum Audit
Criterion 1: Clarity and specificity of objectives
● Social Studies score: 1.95 out of 3.0
● Through its Instructional Focus Documents (IFD), Vertical Alignment Documents
(VAD), and TEKS Clarification Documents (TCD, TEKS Resource System
provides a strong foundation to address this criterion. All 3 documents provide
extensive detail (specificity) about each standard. In addition, the IFD groups
TEKS standards into coherent units and suggests key understandings, academic
vocabulary, and overarching concepts for units. Curriculum teams will
collaborate and build on these documents.
Criterion 2: Congruence of the curriculum to the assessment process
● Social Studies score: 0.62 out of 3.0
● Eduphoria:Aware contains editable unit assessments from TEKS Resource
System aligned to the TEKS RS units. These tests are reviewed and edited and
then shared with all teachers (grades 2-12) to provide required common district
unit assessments.
Criterion 3: Delineation of the prerequisite essential skills, knowledge, and attitudes
● Social Studies score: 0.00 out of 3.0
● TEKS Resource System Instructional Focus Documents and Vertical Alignment
Documents provide extensive description of prerequisite skills and knowledge.
7. Michael Williams. 2014.
Each IFD describes relevant learning prior to the unit. In Social Studies, there
are Vertical Alignment Documents for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, 4th and
7th grades (Texas history), and 5th, 8th, and high school U.S. history.
Criterion 4: Delineation of the major instructional resources and tools
● Social Studies score: 1.24 out of 3.0
● Instructional resources and tools include the adopted textbooks, 9 databases
(online textbooks) from ABC-CLIO, TCI History Alive, Leveled Texts for Social
Studies, Mastering the TEKS books, and Nystrom atlases. In 2014-2015, K-12
Social Studies will review and adopt new instructional materials that will be
available beginning in 2015-2016.
Criterion 5: Clear approaches for classroom use
● Social Studies score: 0.95 out of 3.0
● Instructional strategies in Social Studies will be guided by Classroom Instruction
that Works and the 5E lesson model. Through content-specific professional
development over Classroom Instruction that Works and locally developed
resources, such as Menu: Instructional Strategies for 5E in Social Studies and
Top 10 Instructional Strategies for Social Studies, teachers are provided
guidance for developing more differentiated and engaging lessons.
6 Projects for the Future
1. Adopt new instructional materials for K-12 Social Studies through Proclamation
2015.
2. Embed authentic writing in K-12 Social Studies instruction through targeted
professional development and resources.
3. Align K-6 Social Studies and English Language Arts instructional units in order to
promote integration of skills and content.
4. Develop grade-level documents that include, for each unit, the bundled TEKS,
specific pages/units in the district-adopted instructional materials, suggested
additional resources (vetted websites and supplemental materials), sample
assessment items, writing prompts, objectives and/or guiding questions, and
essential vocabulary.
5. Provide model lessons for K-12 Social Studies.
6. Embed document-based questions in K-12 Social Studies instruction through
professional development, provided resources, and alignment with units.
8. Michael Williams. 2014.
District Instructional Initiatives
These are district-wide instructional initiatives embedded in Social Studies:
● 5E lesson model
● Instructional strategies from Classroom Instruction that Works (CITW)
● Differentiated instruction
● Horizontal and vertical alignment
● Writing across the curriculum
● TEKS Resource System
● College Board Advanced Placement courses
● Curriculum workgroups
Social Studies Initiatives and Resources
● Grades 5-12: ABC-CLIO databases (primarily a secondary resource)
● Grades 5, 6 and 8: TCI History Alive! digital and print resources
● Grades 8-11: Mastering the TEKS resources (Jarrett Publishing)
● Grades 5-11: Leveled Texts for Social Studies (Shell Education)
● Grades 5-6 and 8-11: Nystrom atlases
● Grades K-12: Social Studies b*connect website
● Grades K-4: Emphasis on concepts, vocabulary, and skill development
● Grades K-12: Authentic writing in Social Studies (in the future)
● Grade K-12: Document-based questions (in the future)
● Menu: Instructional Strategies for 5E in Social Studies
● BISD Top 10 Instructional Strategies for Social Studies
Proclamation 2015
The State Board of Education (SBOE) issued Proclamation 2015 in April 2013. The
adoption of materials under Proclamation 2015 is scheduled to occur in November
2014. The adopted materials are scheduled to be available for use beginning in the
2015-2016 school year. Proclamation 2015 calls for instructional materials for the
following subject areas: Social Studies (K-8), Social Studies (Spanish K-5), United
States History Studies Since 1877, World History Studies, World Geography Studies,
United States Government, Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System
and Its Benefits, Psychology, and Sociology.
9. Michael Williams. 2014.
Technology
● ABC-CLIO databases. Students and teachers have access to these 9 in-depth
online “textbooks”. The 3-year subscription began in fall 2013.
○ American History
○ World Geography
○ World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras
○ World History: The Modern Era
○ American Government
○ United States Geography
○ World at War
○ World Religions
○ Modern Genocide
● Discovery Education digital videos and resources
● Google Earth
● Various digital resources organized on the BISD Social Studies b*connect
website
● Other district-wide databases [EBSCO, Facts on File, Encyclopedia Britannica]
● Online instructional materials adopted through Proclamation 2015 (beginning fall
2015).
Professional Development
Social Studies professional development will be guided by district initiatives and Social
Studies curriculum goals. Emphasis will be placed on:
● Increasing understanding and use of the TEKS
● Implementing effective instructional strategies
● Integrating technology and digital resources
● Building capacities for collaboration with other teachers and differentiation within
the classroom
● Embedding authentic writing, analysis of primary sources, and document-based
questions in instruction
10. Michael Williams. 2014.
Communication
Social Studies communication will be provided to stakeholders through a variety of
media, such as:
● Collaborative curriculum workgroups
● Curriculum Advisory Committee
● Campus-based PLCs and team/department meetings
● Professional development opportunities
● Brazosport ISD Internet site located under Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
● Brazosport ISD intranet site located within b*connect
● B*Together
● Email
