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High school gives students the opportunity to begin utilizing their college-ready skills. The Social Studies curriculum is based on the Iowa Core standards and focuses on four major social concepts as outlined on the high school social studies learning objectives page.
As a parent, the best thing you can do for your child is to stay engaged in their learning. Each day, take time to ask your child about their school day. Ask open-ended questions to encourage interaction. Then, you can build on their daily learning with some of the activities suggested on this webpage. Here are specific areas to focus on when working with your child.
You can also view suggested learning resources for students. These learning resources offer both digital activities and printable practice materials.
How to Help Your Child at Home
Encourage your child to read every day and to especially seek out rich nonfiction materials related to social studies. Use the National Council for the Social Studies Notable Trade Book List at as a resource to help your child select reading materials.
Work with your child to do authentic research in the field of social studies. Work to ensure resources are credible and students are able to formulate an argument based on evidence from research.
Encourage your child to engage in a variety of current events resources in order to examine disciplinary ideas in social studies.
Encourage your child to participate in social studies programs such as National History Day, mock trial, We the People, etc.
Ask your child how what they are learning connects to “real life” and how it can help promote college, career, and civic life readiness.
Encourage students to examine various strategies to promote financial capability as they prepare to enter college and/or the workforce.
Source: Iowa Core Parent Guides from the Iowa Department of Education.
Read the Iowa Core Parent Guide (English) and Iowa Core Parent Guide (Spanish).
Read the complete standards on the Iowa Core website.