Transcript (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards

Social studies curricula
and the National Climate
Assessment
Lori Kumler, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science & International Studies, University of Mount Union
Bethany Vosburg-Bluem
Assistant Professor of Education, Otterbein University
CLEAN conference call, 6/17/14
What is considered “social studies”?

History

Government

Geography

Civics

Economics

Psychology

Others: sociology, global issues, and the like

Social studies as field has had issues related to identity and purpose since
early 1900s
Framework for social studies standards

50 separate versions--no commonly adopted standards by states

BUT, many states’ standards are informed in part by standards created by
professional disciplinary associations

NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies)

NCGE (National Council for Geographic Education

National Standards for Civics and Government (Center for Civic Education)

Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics (Council for Economic
Education)

National Standards for High School Psychology Curriculua (American Psychological
Association)
Attempted movement towards common
standards

C3 standards, fall 2013: College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for
Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12
Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (NCSS)
To what extent do any of these standards
actually include climate change concepts?

Briefly: very little

Civics standards contain zero references to climate change

NCSS social studies standards include mention of “climate” in one standard:
People, Places and Environments

NCGE standards contain the most

5 standards in Grade 8, but 3 are really natural science in content

5 social science oriented standards in Grade 12
In theory, in which types of courses/grades
might social studies cover climate change?

Relevant in all social studies subjects mentioned in first slide

More likely to be covered in grades 4 and higher
In practice, which types of social studies
courses/grades do cover climate change?

Briefly: probably very few

Difficult to know without comprehensive school/classroom level survey

Based on standards, most likely to be covered in courses such as geography,
current issues, world history

Among 38 states we examined, trend towards climate related standards being
included in K-5 or 6-8 more frequently than in 9-12 (p=0.025; p=0.033)
C3
standards
Source:
Downey, L., Gentile, S. J., Hollweg, K.S.,
Hubbard-Sánchez, J., Johnson, C., Kumler, L.,
LaRocque, L., Poppleton, K., Shiflett-Fitton,
D., Shuttleworth, J. (Eds.). (2013). Advancing
Climate Change Environmental Education:
Resources and Suggestions. Ithaca, NY:
EECapacity, Cornell University Civic Ecology
Lab, and North American Association
for Environmental Education. Retrieved
from: http://www.eecapacity.net/climatechange-ee-project-based-online-learningcommunity-alliance.html
How might the regional data from NCA be
useful for formal and non-formal social
studies educators?

The obvious: if they are to be of any use, connect them to social studies standards

This is also extremely difficult to do given diversity of standards and subjects

Perhaps connect to higher impact standards: NCGE (geography) and NCSS (social
studies) standards

Of the 37 state standards we examined, a mean of 80.8% of climate references
were found in geography related standards

Emphasize state and regional level data

Reach out to EE organizations that already have connections with teachers
Purple: possible actions for you to focus on
Some excerpts of NCA content that social
studies educators might find useful

Connect to government budgeting
exercise (state or local)

Red: sectors most likely to be touched on
in social studies

Orange: also likely, but less so than red

Controversial “current events”

Government decisions

Economics and livelihood

Emphasize government decisions

Emphasize costs (individual and
government)

Emphasize demographic shifts

Connect to historical human adaptation
Where do we see social studies going in the
future in terms of climate change?

Nowhere to go but up: we see increased emphasis due to media and political
attention

We also see increased contention (e.g. Wyoming, Michigan)

Concerns about publishing our work
Data specific to our study:
Politicization of climate change in education? An analysis of K-12
state social studies content standards in traditionally red and
blue states (do not quote or cite)

Content analysis of social studies standards in red (n=22) versus blue (n=18)
states
“Climate change” v. “Global warming”

moderate negative relationship between publication year and global warming
references

Pearson’s r -.380