Dear Colleagues:
I am pleased to present to you the 2018 Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum
Framework, which was adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on June 26, 2018.
This Framework is built upon the foundation of the 2003 and 1997 Massachusetts History and Social
Science Curriculum Frameworks. Based in research on effective practice, it represents the contributions
of members of the History and Social Science Curriculum Framework Review Panel, scholars who served
as Content Advisors, and the more than 700 individuals and organizations who provided comments
during the public comment period in early 2018. This revision of the Framework retains the strengths of
the previous frameworks and includes these improved features:
• increased emphasis on civics at all grade levels, including a new grade 8 course on civics;
• inclusion of standards that reflect the diversity of the United States and world cultures, with
particular attention to the contributions of women and men of all ethnicities and
backgrounds in the United States and the connections among world cultures;
• new Standards for History and Social Science Practice and questions to guide inquiry;
• stronger attention to the intersection of history, social science, and literacy instruction,
through the inclusion of literacy standards for history and social science;
• expanded examples of primary sources representing significant texts, maps, photographs,
and works of art and architecture in United States and world history;
• new standards for financial literacy and news/media literacy.
A companion document, Resources for History and Social Science, contains annotated lists of
recommended websites, Massachusetts and New England museums, archives, and historic sites, and
important civic holidays and commemorations. A section of the Resource Guide also documents actions
taken to promote civic education by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education,
the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, and the Legislature, 2011–2018.
We hope that the Framework will be a resource of lasting value for schools and districts. Thank you
again for your ongoing support and for your commitment to a rich and broad curriculum for all students.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey C. Riley
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
Explanation: