Maine Learning Results (Including Common Core State Standards)

The Maine Learning Results, which include the History/Social Studies component of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA) & Literacy, are the Maine social studies standards.

Local schools make decisions about the identification of resources that will support teachers and students in their learning and understanding in social studies. The Maine Department of Education offers materials on this page to assist schools in their local efforts.

Maine Learning Results - Social Studies

• Social Studies Standards: PDF (99KB) | RTF (434KB)
• Comprehensive: PDF (252KB)

Note: The Maine Learning Results for all subject areas, as well as the associated glossary, are available online.

Supporting Materials Specific to Social Studies

• Social Studies Major Enduring Themes (PDF, 136KB). Framework options for school systems.
• Introductory Presentation to Maine Learning Results - Social Studies (PDF, 4.1MB)
• Four-Part Informational Multimedia Presentation
  • Part 1: Legal and Philosophical Foundations
  • Part 2: Differences in Form and Content
  • Parts 3 & 4: Implementing the Standards, Cross-Content Connections
  • Narration Notes

History/Social Studies in CCSS for ELA & Literacy

The Maine Learning Results have been updated to include a History/Social Studies component in the CCSS for ELA & Literacy. The CCSS support a shared responsibility for students’ literacy development and emphasize that, while students learn to read and write in ELA, they apply and develop specific literacy skills through engagement in social studies content.

Social studies is incorporated in the K-5 ELA Standards with expectations for reading, writing, speaking, listening and language applicable to a range of subjects with an emphasis on informational texts.

CCSS for Literacy in History/Social Studies parallel the 6-12 ELA Standards. Both use the same College Career Ready Anchor Standards and include grade span standards particular to the discipline(s).

• Webinar - Common Core: Implications for 6-12 Social Studies. This presentation provides an introduction and overview of the structure of the CCSS with a focus on implications for grades 6-12 social studies instruction.
• CCSS Standards for ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects. First steps toward understanding and implementing the CCSS for ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies:
  1. Literacy in Other Disciplines. In this short video, provided by the Hunt Institute, David Coleman, CCSS ELA team coordinator, explains how the standards apply to all disciplines. 
  2. Read the CCSS introduction that provides:
     • An explanation of key design considerations and clarification of what is not covered by the standards
     • A portrait of students who meet the standards
     • An explanation of the overall organization of the document
  3. Check out this At-A-Glance graphic (PDF | JPEG), which shows where social studies falls under the larger CCSS umbrella.
  4. Review the complete CCSS for ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects.
• CCSS Broken Down by Strand. The standards document has been broken into its four content strands: reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language.
• Appendices
  • Appendix A (PDF). Includes clarifying information, a bibliography and a glossary.
    • Appendix A Supplemental Information: New Research on Text Complexity. Released in August 2012, this document provides further details about defining text complexity.
  • Appendix B (PDF). Lists text exemplars for reading and sample student performance tasks aligned to grade-level reading standards.
  • Appendix C (PDF). Provides examples of authentic student writing.

Additional CCSS Resources for Consideration

• Professional Development Modules. Learn more about the CCSS. To get started, check out Module 1: Getting Familiar, which is intended to help all teachers, not only ELA teachers, become familiar with CCSS.
• Maine DOE ELA Resources. The Department has compiled these CCSS ELA resources, which social studies educators may also find helpful, as part of our commitment to supporting Maine's learning community.
• National History Day. Promotes the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills; research and reading skills; oral and written communication skills; and presentation skills. Also see the Maine National History Day page.
• Civics and the CCSS: Proven Practices in Civic Learning. View materials from the Maine DOE social studies specialist's presentation (PDF, 268KB) at the 2012 Maine Council for the Social Studies Conference, and view a guide developed by the Los Angeles County Office of Education to align civic education and the CCSS.
• What do the CCSS Mean for History Teaching and Learning? The National History Education Clearinghouse shares thoughts and statements from classroom teachers and university professors.
• Disciplinary Literacy in Social Studies. Social studies resources provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Sample lessons that align to CCSS.
• Literacy Design Collaborative. View sample tasks and templates designed to assist teachers in meeting CCSS and content area standards.
• National History Education Clearinghouse. Enter “Common Core” into this site's search engine to yield an array of resources.
• Library of Congress. Provides strategies, resources and professional development modules for K-12 teachers. In addition, the fall 2012 issue of the Teaching with Primary Sources Journal illustrates how primary sources can support teaching to meet the CCSS.