Asking questions and weighing sources
Students start the year learning how to ask big questions and dig for answers. They compare sources, check who wrote them, and decide which ones to trust before making a claim.
What does a student learn in
This is the year social studies turns into real research and argument. Students pick a question that matters, weigh sources for bias and credibility, and back up what they say with evidence. They look closely at how Maine government works alongside the Wabanaki Nations, how markets and personal money choices shape daily life, and how history looks different depending on whose story is being told. By spring, students can write a clear, sourced argument about a current issue and defend it out loud.
- Research and sources
- Government and citizenship
- Wabanaki Nations
- Personal finance
- Maine history
- Evidence-based arguments
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Government and citizenship
Students study how local, state, federal, and tribal governments work, including Maine and the Wabanaki Nations. They look at the rights and duties of citizens and practice the skills people use to take part in a democracy.
- 3
Money, markets, and personal finance
Students learn how prices, jobs, and competition shape the economy at home and around the world. They also work through real choices about saving, spending, credit, and investing.
- 4
Geography and human movement
Students use maps and other tools to study how land and climate shape where people live and how communities change. They trace how people, goods, and ideas move between regions, including in Maine.
- 5
History and multiple perspectives
Students examine major events in Maine, the United States, and the world, and what changed because of them. They study Wabanaki and other Indigenous perspectives alongside more familiar accounts.
- 6
Building an argument that matters
Students pull the year together by building evidence-based arguments and sharing them through writing, speaking, or media. Many also plan an informed action on an issue they care about.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 11.
Application of Social Studies Processes
Application of Social Studies Processes
- Grades 11-12
Ask Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students write a central question worth investigating and follow-up questions that keep the research going. The questions connect history, geography, economics, or civics rather than stopping at a single subject.
- Grades 11-12
Use Sources and Evidence
Students judge whether a source can be trusted, then use what they find to build and back up an argument. That means checking who wrote something, why, and whether other sources agree.
- Grades 11-12
Communicate and Take Action
Students gather evidence, form a conclusion, and then share it through writing, a speech, or another format. Taking informed action means doing something real with what they learned.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Ask Questions and Plan Inquiries Grades 11-12 | Students write a central question worth investigating and follow-up questions that keep the research going. The questions connect history, geography, economics, or civics rather than stopping at a single subject. | ME-SS.INQ.11-12.1 |
| Use Sources and Evidence Grades 11-12 | Students judge whether a source can be trusted, then use what they find to build and back up an argument. That means checking who wrote something, why, and whether other sources agree. | ME-SS.INQ.11-12.2 |
| Communicate and Take Action Grades 11-12 | Students gather evidence, form a conclusion, and then share it through writing, a speech, or another format. Taking informed action means doing something real with what they learned. | ME-SS.INQ.11-12.3 |
Civics and Government
Civics and Government
- Grades 11-12
Civic and Political Institutions
Students learn how governments at every level, from town halls to Congress to tribal nations, are set up and what each one is actually supposed to do. This includes knowing why these institutions exist and how they make decisions that affect people's lives.
- Grades 11-12
Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation
Citizens have both rights (what they're protected from) and responsibilities (what they owe back). Students study what those are and practice the skills to actually take part in government, like voting, contacting elected officials, or making a public argument.
- Grades 11-12
Maine and Wabanaki Governance
Students compare how Maine's state government is organized with how the Wabanaki Nations govern themselves, and examine where those two systems overlap or interact.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions Grades 11-12 | Students learn how governments at every level, from town halls to Congress to tribal nations, are set up and what each one is actually supposed to do. This includes knowing why these institutions exist and how they make decisions that affect people's lives. | ME-SS.CIV.11-12.1 |
| Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation Grades 11-12 | Citizens have both rights (what they're protected from) and responsibilities (what they owe back). Students study what those are and practice the skills to actually take part in government, like voting, contacting elected officials, or making a public argument. | ME-SS.CIV.11-12.2 |
| Maine and Wabanaki Governance Grades 11-12 | Students compare how Maine's state government is organized with how the Wabanaki Nations govern themselves, and examine where those two systems overlap or interact. | ME-SS.CIV.11-12.3 |
Economics
Economics
- Grades 11-12
Economic Decision Making
Students weigh costs and benefits to decide how to use limited money, time, or resources. They practice the same kind of trade-off thinking adults use when choosing between jobs, spending, or saving.
- Grades 11-12
Economic Systems and Markets
Markets set prices based on what buyers want and what sellers supply. Students study how that process decides which goods get made, who gets them, and how competition across local and global markets shapes those outcomes.
- Grades 11-12
Personal Finance
Students learn how to manage real money decisions: how much to save, how to use credit without getting buried in debt, and how to put money to work through basic investing.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making Grades 11-12 | Students weigh costs and benefits to decide how to use limited money, time, or resources. They practice the same kind of trade-off thinking adults use when choosing between jobs, spending, or saving. | ME-SS.ECON.11-12.1 |
| Economic Systems and Markets Grades 11-12 | Markets set prices based on what buyers want and what sellers supply. Students study how that process decides which goods get made, who gets them, and how competition across local and global markets shapes those outcomes. | ME-SS.ECON.11-12.2 |
| Personal Finance Grades 11-12 | Students learn how to manage real money decisions: how much to save, how to use credit without getting buried in debt, and how to put money to work through basic investing. | ME-SS.ECON.11-12.3 |
Geography
Geography
- Grades 11-12
Geographic Reasoning
Students read maps, photos, and other geographic tools to study how places are connected, why patterns form across regions, and what those patterns reveal about the world.
- Grades 11-12
Human-Environment Interaction
Students examine how geography shapes daily life, and how human decisions reshape the land in return. They look at real cases, including places in Maine, where geography and human activity have changed each other over time.
- Grades 11-12
Movement and Migration
Students examine why people move, where they settle, and how ideas, languages, and customs spread from one region to another. They look for patterns across history and geography to explain how human movement shapes cultures over time.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Reasoning Grades 11-12 | Students read maps, photos, and other geographic tools to study how places are connected, why patterns form across regions, and what those patterns reveal about the world. | ME-SS.GEO.11-12.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction Grades 11-12 | Students examine how geography shapes daily life, and how human decisions reshape the land in return. They look at real cases, including places in Maine, where geography and human activity have changed each other over time. | ME-SS.GEO.11-12.2 |
| Movement and Migration Grades 11-12 | Students examine why people move, where they settle, and how ideas, languages, and customs spread from one region to another. They look for patterns across history and geography to explain how human movement shapes cultures over time. | ME-SS.GEO.11-12.3 |
History
History
- Grades 11-12
Change, Continuity, and Context
History doesn't just happen and stop. Students examine how societies, policies, and events shift over time while recognizing what stays the same, drawing connections across local, national, and global history.
- Grades 11-12
Perspectives
Students read accounts of the same historical event from different groups, including Wabanaki and other Indigenous peoples, and explain how each group's experience shaped what they recorded and believed.
- Grades 11-12
Causation and Argumentation
Students trace why a major historical event happened and what changed because of it, then build a written argument backed by sources. The focus is on explaining connections, not just reciting facts.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context Grades 11-12 | History doesn't just happen and stop. Students examine how societies, policies, and events shift over time while recognizing what stays the same, drawing connections across local, national, and global history. | ME-SS.HIST.11-12.1 |
| Perspectives Grades 11-12 | Students read accounts of the same historical event from different groups, including Wabanaki and other Indigenous peoples, and explain how each group's experience shaped what they recorded and believed. | ME-SS.HIST.11-12.2 |
| Causation and Argumentation Grades 11-12 | Students trace why a major historical event happened and what changed because of it, then build a written argument backed by sources. The focus is on explaining connections, not just reciting facts. | ME-SS.HIST.11-12.3 |
No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 12.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
- When given:
- biennial in winter
- Frequency:
- every two years
Common Questions
What does social studies look like in the last two years of high school?
Students dig into civics, economics, geography, and history at a more adult level. They build arguments from real sources, weigh different perspectives on the same event, and connect what they learn to current issues in Maine and beyond.
How can I help at home if my teen has to write a research paper or argument?
Ask them to explain their main claim in one sentence, then ask what evidence backs it up and where that evidence came from. Pushing back gently on weak sources or vague reasoning helps more than editing the writing itself.
Why is so much time spent on sources and evidence?
Older students are expected to judge whether a source is credible, not just summarize it. That skill carries into college work, voting, news habits, and almost any job, so it gets a lot of attention these last two years.
How should the year be sequenced across civics, economics, geography, and history?
Many teachers anchor the year in one discipline and weave the others through it, such as a U.S. history spine with economics and geography units inside it. Inquiry skills should be taught from week one, not saved for a final project.
What is expected around Wabanaki history and government?
Students should understand Wabanaki governance as its own system, not a footnote to state government, and they should read Wabanaki and other Indigenous voices on historical events. Plan for sustained units, not a single lesson.
What personal finance topics should come up this year?
Students work with saving, spending, credit, and investing in ways tied to real decisions, like comparing loan offers or thinking through a first paycheck. At home, walking through a bill, a pay stub, or a credit card statement makes the ideas stick.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Source evaluation and building a claim with evidence tend to need repeated practice, even with strong students. Economic reasoning about trade-offs is another common sticking point, since students often default to opinion rather than cost and benefit.
How do I know if a student is ready for college or work after this year?
A ready student can pose a real question, find and judge sources, and defend a position in writing or discussion without melting down when challenged. They can also explain how government, markets, and geography shape a current issue they care about.
How can I help my teen care about history and civics?
Connect it to something they already follow, like a news story, a local election, a court case, or a community issue. Asking what they think and why, then listening, does more than quizzing them on dates or definitions.