The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) states that social studies "is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence." For students to become fully empowered participants in democracy, students must draw upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, sociology as well as content from the humanities to develop broad conceptual understandings in social studies. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions as citizens of a diverse democratic society in an interdependent world.
Civics Education Introduction: A Presentation from Dr. Larry Paska
Sunday, September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day! This day commemorates the September 17, 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution. Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year is required to hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution for its students. Since this day falls on a Sunday, institutions may observe the day the week before or the week after September 17th.
The Kentucky Department of Education does not mandate or prescribe particular curricula or lesson plans. The information below contains links to learning resources created and maintained by other public and private organizations. This information is provided for your convenience and as examples of resources on Constitution Day that you might find helpful.
To assist students and educators in their studies, the National Archives and Records Administration offers a variety of resources on
Constitution Day such as