NCSS

Answer the following questions in one paragraph: What services does this organization provide? What types of professional development do they offer? What organizations might you join? Did you find anything that is useful for student teaching?

About National Council for the Social Studies

Social studies educators teach students the content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy. The mission of National Council for the Social Studies is to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators. Founded in 1921, National Council for the Social Studies has grown to be the largest association in the country devoted solely to social studies education. NCSS engages and supports educators in strengthening and advocating social studies. With members in all the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 69 foreign countries, NCSS serves as an umbrella organization for elementary, secondary, and college teachers of history, geography, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law-related education. Organized into a network of more than 110 affiliated state, local, and regional councils and associated groups, the NCSS membership represents K-12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty members, curriculum designers and specialists, social studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines that constitute the social studies.
NCSS defines social studies as "the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence." Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. In essence, social studies promotes knowledge of and involvement in civic affairs. And because civic issues--such as health care, crime, and foreign policy--are multidisciplinary in nature, understanding these issues and developing resolutions to them require multidisciplinary education. These characteristics are the key defining aspects of social studies. The Council published Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies which provides an articulated K-12 social studies program that serves as a framework for the integration of other national standards in social studies, including U.S. and world history, civics and government, geography, global education, and economics. NCSS standards ensure that an integrated social science, behavioral science, and humanities approach for achieving academic and civic competence is available to guide social studies decision makers in K-12 schools.The NCSS framework consists of ten themes incorporating fields of study that correspond with one or more relevant disciplines. The organization believes that effective social studies programs include experiences that provide for the study of:

* Culture
* Time, Continuity, and Change
* People, Places, and Environment
* Individual Development and Identity
* Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
* Power, Authority, and Governance
* Production, Distribution, and Consumption
* Science, Technology, and Society
* Global Connections
* Civic Ideals and Practices

Membership in National Council for the Social Studies is open to any person or institution interested in the social studies.

Professional Development

NCSS Communities
Network with other NCSS members to seek advice, share your knowledge, and connect with other members who share your concerns. Visit the NCSS Communities website to browse or join a community.

NCSS Annual Conference 2008
Join thousands of your social studies colleagues at the NCSS Annual Conference, this November 14 - 16, 2008, in Houston, TX.
Learn more about the conference

Celebrate Excellence! Awards & Grants
NCSS recognizes the best in social studies education with award and grant programs that highlight teachers, programs, research, service, and more.
Learn more about NCSS awards and grants

State and Regional Councils
NCSS supports and affiliates with orgainizations of social studies educators that thrive in most of the 50 United States.
Go to www.socialstudies.org/community to learn about regional, state, and local councils and their meetings.

Setting the Standards
Expect excellence from your students and yourself. The NCSS standards for curriculum--and teacher education--are the framework used nationwide for educational excellence.
NCSS Curriculum Standards
NCSS Teacher Standards

I found the resources on the website for the NCSS very promising for the development of my career goals and objectives. The site was very informative on how to do become involved in a high level organization which is nationally recognized for the social studies teacher I am becoming. I have already used some of its resources for my student teaching such as related links. The webquest we did last semester addressing this specific organization has been extremely helpful in helping me to find websites which are targeted for U.S. Government of which I am currently teaching.