Social Studies

In the Lower Division, social studies is taught through Inquiry Journeys, an inquiry-based curriculum that empowers students to investigate authentic questions about their lives, communities, and world. Students don’t just learn facts, they ask questions, seek evidence, collaborate, and take action. Each unit culminates in an action project such as a 2D display, 3D model, visual presentation, or written project that allows students to apply their learning in meaningful ways.

Students explore concepts of time and memory by sharing stories and reflecting on experiences that shape who they are.

  • Navigating School – How can we make school a great place for everyone?
    Students explore their roles at school and how their choices can create a positive learning environment for themselves and others.
  • My Team and Self – How can we unite to build a powerful class community?
    Students investigate personal identity and how each individual can contribute to a strong, caring class culture.
  • Past, Present, and Future – How can we use wisdom from the past to build a better future?

  • Families Near and Far – How can we bring families together to form stronger communities?
    Students learn about roles and responsibilities within families, celebrate diversity, and explore traditions.
  • Our Special Location – How can we help others appreciate our special location?
    Students investigate geography, climate, and how communities use resources to meet their needs.
  • Civic Engagement – How can we work together for the good of the community?

  • Meeting Needs and Wants – How can we work together to meet community needs and wants?
    Students are introduced to economics by examining scarcity, abundance, producers, consumers, and choices.
  • Our Changing Landscape – How can we respond to our changing landscape?
    Students explore natural resources, human modifications to the environment, and their impacts.
  • Innovation – How can we innovate to improve the world around us?
    Students study how innovation shapes society and design blueprints for inventions to solve real-world problems.

  • Global Connections – How can we act as global citizens?
    Students explore how people, goods, and ideas move across the globe, creating interdependence.
  • Migration and Movement – How can we honor and respect our many cultures?
    Students investigate immigration, cultural identity, and the ways people bring traditions with them.
  • The Civil Rights Movement – How can we take steps towards equality and justice?
    Students examine democracy, citizenship, and social justice through the history of the 20th-century Civil Rights Movement.

  • Core Values and Community Norms – Students begin by setting agreements for how they will work together as learners and citizens.
  • U.S. and California Geography / Indigenous Nations – Students learn about the land, its people, and early histories.
  • California Missions and Early Explorers – Students investigate exploration, colonization, and the mission system.
  • Mexican-American War and the Gold Rush – Students study how conflict and migration shaped California. The Gold Rush unit culminates in an immersive classroom experience where students role-play as 49ers, living the hardscrabble life of miners.