Creative ways districts are making time for K-5 social studies
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Creative ways districts are making time for K-5 social studies
inquirED
Elementary minutes are tight. ELA and math dominate most schedules, and many schools and districts have limited funding for high-quality social studies materials. But leaders are still finding practical ways to make it work. Below is a playbook with real examples of how districts are making time for elementary social studies.
Key Takeaways
Strategy 1: Use storytelling to bring people along
Tell a story that shows the need for social studies. Many states have guidelines that can serve as a mandate for internal stakeholders. By telling a clear and concise narrative that connects state guidance with well-resourced social studies, you can build buy-in with district and school leaders.
Tell the story of how social studies meets state mandates.
Sometimes how social studies connects to state mandates can be obvious, like social studies standards. And, sometimes you might need to look into other ways social studies connects, like inquiry skills. Inquiry-based learning often aligns closely with social emotional learning, portrait of a learner documents, or vision for learning statements.
- Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia maps out how social studies connects with their state standards of learning and their Portrait of a Graduate.
Identify your key stakeholders and how to reach them.
Teachers, families, and school leaders may need different messages and formats to understand the value of social studies. Consider going beyond a website update or email; use staff meetings, family newsletters, or board presentations to build broad support.
- New York City Department of Education has an annual “Civics Week” where elected officials visit schools around the city to highlight the importance of social studies for a democracy.
- Washington County Public Schools developed a unified vision for Pre-K through 12th-grade social studies instruction. One district leader explained that they created their vision collaboratively with teachers from all grade levels and community members.
Takeaways:
- Show how investing in a high-quality social studies curriculum supports your state mandates. When leaders narrate the why, schools are more likely to feel energized about making time for social studies.
- Get creative about getting the why out there – use your website, board updates, and short videos to show why elementary social studies matters.
Strategy 2: Build a roadmap for school leaders and teachers to show the way
District-level guidance is the strongest lever for creating buy-in. When leaders publish daily or weekly expectations for when social studies is taught, principals and teachers can point to a shared standard and keep social studies in the master schedule.
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Wake County Public School System specify a daily 30- to 45-minute block for science and social studies combined in elementary.
- Several large districts publish weekly targets as a floor for planning – Broward County Schools at 100 minutes per week, Miami-Dade County Public Schools at 60–120 minutes per week.
These written expectations keep content from getting squeezed out by intervention blocks or last-minute test prep.
If it’s too challenging to carve out minutes just for social studies, integrating with ELA can be an effective strategy. Integration is a smart way to build knowledge without asking for more minutes. It is not a substitute for everything social studies should do, but it is a good starting place.
- Los Angeles Unified’s elementary social studies team provides K–5 maps and lessons that teachers can use during literacy and in content time. That dual-use design means students read and write with historical content, then also practice social studies skills like map work, civic routines, and inquiry when the ELA content block arrives.
Takeaways:
- Publish a clear K–5 expectation for social studies time across your district for elementary schools. Make it easy for principals to schedule and protect those minutes. Create a pacing guide that maps out how social studies can fit in the school schedule.
- If it’s hard to find time for social studies, consider integrating some minutes with your ELA block to support knowledge building.
Strategy 3: Make every minute count and adopt a high-quality elementary social studies curriculum
When materials are coherent, teachers spend time teaching, assessing, and differentiating instead of hunting for resources. A high-quality, core elementary social studies curriculum can make the most of your social studies minutes.
- Lake Washington School District briefed the board on K–5 social studies materials aligned to the state standards. Central support plus a vetted program means schools can deliver complete coverage in the minutes they already protect.
Takeaway:
- Choose an elementary social studies curriculum that is standards-aligned, inclusive, and built for inquiry. Support teachers with pacing guides and planning tools that help them make the most of limited time and ensure meaningful instruction in every lesson.
Why a district strategy for social studies time matters
ELA and math scores don’t improve if students lack the background knowledge to make sense of what they read or the context to apply what they learn. Social studies builds the knowledge and vocabulary students need to comprehend complex texts and solve real-world problems. Cutting it to make room for more test prep undercuts the very skills ELA and math aim to build.
Building background knowledge in history, geography, civics, and community strengthens reading comprehension. Protecting social studies time is an investment in literacy as well as civic readiness.
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Inquiry Journeys, inquirED's K-5 social studies curriculum, engages students in inquiry-based learning, strengthens literacy skills, and supports teachers every step of the way.
inquirED was founded by teachers with the mission of bringing inquiry-based social studies to every classroom. Inquiry Journeys, inquirED’s elementary social studies curriculum, is used in schools and districts across the country to help students develop deep social studies content knowledge and build the inquiry skills that are essential for a thriving democracy.
