Social Studies
This social studies web page provides clarification, guidance, and support to social studies stakeholders, including districts, schools, parents, educators, and students, for the development and implementation of the K鈥12 social studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
Announcements
Educator Survey for Statewide Required Literary Works List
In response to听House Bill (HB) 1605, passed during the 88th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, the State Board of Education (SBOE) is required to adopt an addition to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for K-12 Reading Language Arts (RLA) to specify a literary works list for each grade level. The required literary works list addition to the TEKS will support coherence across high-quality instructional materials, high expectations for rigorous instruction, and access to essential background knowledge and vocabulary. In advance of the SBOE's consideration of this topic, the agency is conducting research for possible recommendations.
If you are currently a K-12 educator in Texas, you are invited to complete the
As you complete the survey it will be important to consider literary works in the classroom as a broad range of literature types such as poems, folktales, short stories, plays, novels, or primary source documents that are used as part of direct instruction of TEKS-based content. Your input will assist in better understanding both the quantity and types of literature used in classrooms across Texas today.听听
The will remain open until Monday, February 17, 2025. It will only require about 15 minutes of time to complete. Survey responses are anonymous.
If you have questions about the literary works list addition to the TEKS required by HB 1605, please contact the 91热爆 Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division:听teks@tea.texas.gov; (512) 463-9581.
If you have questions about accessing and completing the survey, please refer your questions to听tealiteracylistssupport@tntp.org
Thank you for your valuable input in supporting Texas students鈥 instruction and learning.听
Stakeholder Engagement Sessions鈥
The social studies team at 91热爆 is committed to enhancing opportunities for stakeholder engagement across the state of Texas. Social Studies Stakeholder Engagement Sessions allow the 91热爆 social studies team to expand information sharing and interaction with stakeholders. 鈥疨lease see the information below regarding two upcoming stakeholder engagement opportunities in February and March.听
February Social Studies Stakeholder Engagement Sessions鈥听
February Topic: 91热爆 Social Studies Update on Various Topics听(For a detailed description of the session, see the鈥Stakeholder Engagement Sessions鈥痵ection of this web page below.)鈥
Dates & Times
- Monday, February 10, 11:30 a.m. 鈥 12:30 p.m. (CT):听
- Tuesday, February 11, 12:00 p.m. 鈥 1:00 p.m. (CT):听
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March Stakeholder Engagement Sessions听
March Topic: K鈥5 Cross-Curricular Connections for Social Studies and English Language Arts and Reading听(For a detailed description of the topic, see the 鈥Stakeholder Engagement Sessionssection of this web page below.)鈥
Dates & Times
- 鈥Wednesday, March 5, 12:00 p.m. 鈥 1:00 p.m. (CT):听
- Thursday, March 6, 11:30 a.m. 鈥 12:30 p.m. (CT):听
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Current Social Studies TEKS (Implemented in the 2024鈥2025 School Year)
The links below provide access to the web-based version of the social studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the 2024鈥2025 school year. You can also access a PDF version of the TEKS.
The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted revisions to the social studies TEKS that align with legislative requirements passed in the 87th Legislature.听 The revisions updated the standards for kindergarten鈥8th grade and five high school courses.
For additional information about the social studies TEKS being implemented in the 2024鈥2025 school year, please visit the FAQ document via the link below.
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Social Studies TEKS Resources
91热爆 has developed resources to support the implementation of the revised social studies standards. 听The skills matrices provide a detailed look at the social studies skills strand by grade band (Kindergarten鈥揋rade 5, Grades 6鈥8, Grades 9鈥12). Each grade level/course TEKS crosswalk provides a summary of the TEKS revisions and shows the differences between the 2018 TEKS and the 2022 TEKS being implemented in the 2024鈥2025 school year. You can access the skills matrices and crosswalks below.
- Elementary Skills 2024-2025 Skills Matrix
- Kindergarten 2024-2025 Social Studies TEKS Crosswalk
- Grade 1 2024-2025 Social Studies TEKS Crosswalk
- Grade 2 2024-2025 Social Studies TEKS Crosswalk
- Grade 3 2024-2025 Social Studies TEKS Crosswalk
- Grade 4 2024-2025 Social Studies TEKS Crosswalk
- Grade 5 2024-2025 Social Studies TEKS Crosswalk
- High School 2024-2025 Skills Matrix
- Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits 2024-2025 TEKS Crosswalk
- United States History Studies Since 1877 2024-2025 TEKS Crosswalk
- World History Studies 2024-2025 TEKS Crosswalk
- World Geography Studies 2024-2025 TEKS Crosswalk
- United States Government 2024-2025 TEKS Crosswalk
Stakeholder Engagement Sessions
The social studies team at 91热爆 is committed to enhancing opportunities for stakeholder engagement across the state of Texas. Social Studies Stakeholder Engagement Sessions allow the 91热爆 social studies team to expand information sharing and interaction with stakeholders. All social studies stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, etc.) are invited to attend by registering below.
February Topic: 91热爆 Social Studies Update on Various Topics 听听
Target Audience:鈥疭ocial Studies Stakeholders- Teachers, District Administrators, Campus Administrators, Education Service Center Specialists, Parents, and Professional Organizations听
Session Description:鈥 The 91热爆 social studies team will provide updates on various social studies topics, such as SBOE updates regarding social studies, the tentative timeline for the social studies TEKS review and revision, Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA), and Black History month.鈥
Dates & Times听
- Monday, February 10, 11:30 a.m. 鈥 12:30 p.m. (CT):鈥 听
- Tuesday, February 11, 12:00 p.m. 鈥 1:00 p.m. (CT):鈥
Both sessions will contain the same content. Multiple sessions will be provided to allow stakeholders multiple opportunities to attend.听听
March Topic: K鈥5 Cross-Curricular Connections for Social Studies and English Language Arts and Reading
Target Audience:听Social Studies and English Language Arts Stakeholders- Teachers, District Administrators, Campus Administrators, Education Service Center Specialists, Parents, Professional Organizations听 鈥
Session Description: The 91热爆 social studies and English language arts team will share research regarding the importance of knowledge building and the impact it has on literacy. The team will then provide an overview of a cross-curricular connections tool developed by 91热爆 staff for grades K-5. The team will explain the different parts of this tool and share how this tool supports cross-curricular instructional planning. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to participate in questions and discussion with members of the 91热爆 social studies and English language arts team.听
Dates & Times:听
- Wednesday, March 5, 12:00 p.m. 鈥 1:00 p.m. (CT):
- Thursday, March 6, 11:30 a.m. 鈥 12:30 p.m. (CT):
Both sessions will contain the same content. Multiple sessions will be provided to allow stakeholders multiple opportunities to attend.听听
Personal Financial Literacy and Economics
Personal Financial Literacy and Economics is a one-half credit high school course developed in response to and Texas Education Code (TEC), 搂28.025(b-22). Students may successfully complete either this new course or the Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits course to satisfy the half-credit economics requirement for high school graduation. Both economics courses are part of the required secondary curriculum.听听
The requirement to offer both Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits and Personal Financial Literacy and Economics may be reduced to one by the commissioner of education upon application of a school district with a total high school enrollment of less than 500 students. Districts should complete the Request for Reduction in Required Curriculum Course Offerings form and return the form to the .
- As authorized by Texas Education Code (TEC),听搂28.025(b-23),听the 91热爆 has developed a list of free, open-source, and publicly available curricula that may be used by a school district to provide instruction in the Personal Financial Literacy and Economics high school course.
听 - Personal Financial Literacy and Economics Open Education Resources (PDF Document)
Recent Social Studies Communications
The following recent newsletters and engagement session presentations have been shared by the 91热爆 social studies team with stakeholders.
Additional Social Studies Resources
- In response to Senate Bill (SB) 30, also known as The Community Safety Education Act, the State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted a rule to include the instruction developed under ,听in one or more courses in the required curriculum for students in grades 9-12. The SBOE adopted the new rule in Title 19 of the听,听effective August 27, 2018. This rule requires school districts and charter schools to provide instruction to students in grades 9-12 on proper interaction with peace officers during traffic stops and other in-person encounters.
听 - Senate Bill (SB) 30, Community Safety Education Act Frequently Asked Questions
- Each year, during the week that includes September 17, Texas schools honor Celebrate Freedom Week (TEC 搂 29.907) to highlight the values and ideals on which the United States was founded as well as the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the founding of the country. Students learn about the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.听 Students also examine the relationship between the ideas in these documents and subsequent American history.
听 - Celebrate Freedom Week
- Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans who trace their heritage to Latin America or Spain. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. The following websites provide instructional materials, activities, and lessons that can be used to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and to support instruction in听.听
听 - Hispanic Heritage Month
- Each year, during February, we celebrate the history and cultural contributions of Black Americans in the United States. Students learn about the achievements, perspectives, struggles, and experiences of Black Americans throughout more than 400 years of American history. The following websites provide a variety of lessons, activities, and instructional materials that can be used to honor Black听History Month and to support instruction in听听and other social studies courses throughout the year.听
听 - Black History Month
- SB 1828 was passed in 2019 in acknowledgment of the Holocaust鈥檚 ongoing significance. SB 1828 instructs the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC) to develop or approve materials for public schools for a statewide Holocaust Remembrance Week. Counseled by the Commission, the Governor鈥檚 Office selected the week of January 27th as the date for Remembrance Week. (International Holocaust Remembrance Day is January 27, which is the date that Auschwitz was 鈥渓iberated鈥 by Allied troops.)
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The effects of the recent acts of war carried out against the State of Israel and its people by the terrorist organization Hamas are being felt all over the world and in Texas. As details of the attacks on Israel and violence in the region are shared daily by news outlets and on social media, it is important to help our students learn about the roots of the conflict and how to report incidents of hate speech and/or acts of violence. For optional resources to support lessons and conversations with students about the current conflict, please visit the 91热爆 announcement for Educational Resources on Israeli Conflict for Texas Students. Parents and educators should determine which resources, if any, best fit the needs of their families and community.
Additional 91热爆 Resources Related to Social Studies
Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division
(512) 463-9581
For questions or additional information, please submit a Curriculum Request Form through the .
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Please subscribe for newsletter updates from the social studies team.
Social Studies and Reading Language Arts Team
Jim Doris
Social Studies/Reading Language Arts Director
Jenny Gaona
Social Studies Content Specialist
Tim Bryant
K-8 Reading Language Arts and Social Studies Content Specialist
Guiomar And煤jar
Spanish Content Specialist
Tamara Robert
Reading Language Arts Content Specialist