Social Studies

Continuity of Resources for Teaching Social Studies

In an effort to help schools plan for educational continuity in the event of significant staff absences and extended school closures several additional resources and webpages have been developed to support the teaching of social studies.

Check out the wide-variety of online resources (identified in the various links on this page) that support the teaching of social studies through the collecting and sharing of lesson plans and additional curricular resources. For a more tailored collection, check out this collection of searchable curricular resources sorted by grade band and content strand that can be used to support the creation of asynchronous learning experiences for your students. There is also a Continuity of Learning - Social Studies specific page that highlights ways to think about creating asynchronous learning experiences for your students.

In order to help educators support students with limited or no access to technology, I have compiled examples of age appropriate activities that support enrichment learning about social studies in each of the four content strands. The examples in the documents below are meant to be accessible for students regardless of access to technology and are not focused on worksheets.

To date more than one hundred virtual professional development sessions have been offered to support teachers with best practices and resources. More are added every monthy! Check out them out at:

Check out the new Maine Department of Education page of distance learning supports for parents and families.

The Maine Department of Education proud to be the first in the country to have developed a series of teacher created, project-based, asynchronous learning modules. The MOOSE modules are aligned to state standards at each grade level. MOOSE stands for Maine Online Opportunities for Sustained Education. Check out the Learn with MOOSE webpage.

The Maine Department of Education recognizes that social studies is an integral part of a comprehensive education preparing learners for college, careers and civic life. Through the study of each of the four social studies disciplines—civics and government, economics, geography, and history—students are provided with opportunities to acquire and apply knowledge and skills in a variety of authentic contexts. Social studies teaches students not what to think, but how to think. The knowledge, skills and dispositions gained through social studies allow students to make informed decisions and participate fully in civic life. Engagement in social studies provides students with the opportunity to learn about their world and become active and involved members of their local and global communities.

As part of the Maine DOE's commitment to supporting schools in the delivery of effective K-12 social studies instructional programs, this site offers teachers, administrators, nonprofits, higher education faculty, parents and community members with a broad range of resources reflective of Maine’s learning standards.

The State of Maine recently completed a mandatory Social Studies review process. Check out the new Standards and Instruction page to see the revised standards and supporting materials.

  • During the revision process, effort was given to strengthen the teaching of Maine Native Americans. There is a Maine Department of Education resource page related to teaching about Maine Native Americans.
  • During the revision process, effort was given to emphasize the role of teaching Personal Finance. In order to support teachers and districts in teaching about Personal Finance, the Maine Department of Education in partnership with the Maine Jump$tart Coalition, has created a financial education resource, titled the Maine Financial Literacy Framework & Resource Guide. The Maine Department of Education also maintains a web page devoted to resources and organizations that support the teaching of financial literacy.