SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
The Madison School District will inspire and challenge all students to be life-long learners, empowered with the knowledge, skills, and character to shape their futures, realize their dreams, and contribute positively to the world.
Our goal is to prepare students for success in their future academic endeavors and to develop thoughtful and active participants in civic life. In addition to developing important skills and accumulating basic knowledge in the area of social studies, our students will learn to cooperate with others, problem-solve creatively and critically assess the world in which they live. We feel it is important that students be able to demonstrate in meaningful ways the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind necessary for a productive life in our democratic, multi-ethnic and multi-racial society. We aim to graduate global citizens who are prepared to deal effectively with the challenges of the 21st century.
To achieve this goal, the social studies department employs a variety of teaching techniques and technological assets. Our instructional program is strong and uses a variety of traditional and innovative approaches. Recently, the department has been experimenting with an increasing array of "hands-on" activities to stimulate student interest and authenticate the assessment process. We continue to seek ways to:
Expose our students to more community partnerships that provide connections between the curriculum and meaningful, interesting and authentic study. Click here for some recent examples.
Use assignments and tests as coaching and learning opportunities.
Expand the number of students enrolled in college-level AP classes while preserving the academic integrity of these course offerings.
Share faculty ideas across our department (Language Arts and History), finding more ways to learn from each other's classroom experiences and innovative teaching methods.
Offer a broad array of interesting and relevant elective classes.