The Social Studies program offers a well-articulated K-12 curriculum in which students make seamless transitions between elementary, middle, and secondary education. Concepts are introduced at the elementary level and serve as the foundation for the development of higher level concepts as students continue their education in the Irvington Public School System.
It is our desire that our programs develop in students the ability and inclination to employ critical thinking and decision-making strategies and an understanding of the uniqueness and interdependence of regions and nations in a global age.
My role as Supervisor is to provide a well-articulated K-12 curriculum in which students make seamless transitions between elementary, middle, and secondary education. Concepts are introduced at the elementary level and serve as the foundation for the development of higher level concepts as students continue their education in the Irvington Public School System.
It is my hope that our Social Studies programs develop in students the ability and inclination to employ critical thinking and decision-making strategies and an understanding of the uniqueness and interdependence of regions and nations in a global age.
The Social Studies Standards, created by the New Jersey State Department of Education, offer a sound, thoughtful, and defensible curricular framework that is designed to ensure that all students at every grade level acquire the essential knowledge, understanding, and skills needed to be informed, active citizens in the 21st century.
The five organizational strands of the Social Studies Program: History, Geography, Civics and Government, Economics and Financial Literacy, and Culture are addressed with increasing rigor and relevance at each grade level. Underlying these strands is the belief that all students should understand social studies and develop civic efficacy.
Resting on the pillars of equity and excellence for all children, the Irvington Board of Education’s Social Studies Department is committed to providing curricular and instructional guidance and assistance to all students, all teachers, and the community as a whole.
In essence, the social studies curriculum is an invitation to the teachers of Irvington to use various standards and approaches in Social Studies for planning significant, challenging, and an effective Social Studies program. With this in mind, our students will be met with exciting challenges and will persevere in the content area of Social Studies by becoming life-long learners and active participants in society.
Teresa Steele-Hunter,
Supervisor of Social Studies