Social Studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. At Pittsburgh Public Schools, Social Studies education is a vital component of a well-rounded educational experience. It prepares students to function successfully in an increasingly expanded global community. It is also the primary medium through which students are prepared to become capable, responsible citizens who are willing to meaningfully participate in the nation's democracy, and to contribute to its multicultural society.

To assist students in becoming the best and most informed citizens that they can be, Pittsburgh Public Schools provides a comprehensive Social Studies curriculum for all students, kindergarten through twelfth grade.

• Civics and Government
• Economics
• History
• Geography

A quality education in Social Studies is essential to all students. This education helps to develop in students an understanding and appreciation of the experiences of the past, the realities of the present, and the possibilities for the future. Through inquiry-based learning, problem solving, analytical thinking, reasoned decision-making, and utilization of technology, students are provided with the skills necessary to live and compete effectively in a global community.

Key Features

• Students are taught how to learn, think and reason within the disciplines of Social Studies (history , geography, archeology, economics)
• Students are enabled and empowered to act as historians, geographers, and archeologists
• Students are exposed to an inquiry-based-curriculum, meaning all study is framed by overarching questions that embody content and a way of studying that content
• Students are provided with a range of sources and interpretations and are taught how to create their own arguments (both in writing and in talk) from careful analysis of these sources.