Section 26.150  Curriculum:  Social Science

The competent early childhood teacher understands the interrelationships among the social sciences; uses historical, geographical, economic, and political concepts and modes of inquiry; and promotes the abilities of children from birth through grade three as they begin to experience, think about, and make informed decisions as members of a culturally diverse, democratic society and interdependent world.

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

1)         understands the basic concepts of and interrelationships among the social sciences and the ways in which geography, history, civics, and economics relate to everyday situations and experiences.

2)         understands geographic concepts and phenomena.

3)         understands the major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of Illinois, the United States, and the world.

4)         understands the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States.

5)         understands the basic concepts of economic systems, with emphasis on the United States.

6)         understands concepts related to the structure and organization of human societies and relationships among social, economic, cultural, and political activities and institutions.

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

1)         provides opportunities for children to develop beginning concepts, skills, and dispositions that focus on how geography, history, civics (participation and citizenship), and economics relate to everyday situations and experiences.

2)         provides opportunities for children to use maps and symbols, observe and describe physical characteristics of local communities, and explain the interdependence of people, places, and regions.

3)         creates opportunities for children to develop beginning historical concepts involving people, cultures, families, folklore, and related events.

4)         provides opportunities for children to explore the interrelationships among people and the roles of individuals and groups in the world in which we live.

5)         provides opportunities for children to gather, organize, map, and interpret data and to use technology to communicate concepts, information, and procedures.

6)         creates opportunities for children to understand the relationship of self to others and to social, economic, cultural, and political activities and institutions.