Asking questions and weighing sources
Students start the year learning how to ask real questions about the past and the world today. They practice telling a trustworthy source from a shaky one and back up what they say with evidence.
What does a student learn in
This is the year social studies shifts from learning facts to building arguments with evidence. Students ask their own research questions, weigh whether a source is trustworthy, and use what they find to back up a claim. They study how governments work in Maine and in the Wabanaki Nations, how maps and trade shape where people live, and how to read history from more than one point of view. By spring, they can write a short paper that takes a position on a historical or current issue and supports it with specific sources.
- Research questions
- Evaluating sources
- Maine and Wabanaki government
- Maps and regions
- Multiple perspectives in 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 in Maine and beyond
Students look at how towns, the state, the country, and the Wabanaki Nations are governed and how those governments connect. They learn what rights citizens have and what taking part in a democracy actually looks like.
- 3
Money, choices, and trade-offs
Students study why people and countries cannot have everything they want and how prices and competition decide who gets what. They also practice everyday money skills like saving, spending, and using credit.
- 4
Maps, places, and movement
Students use maps and photos to study landscapes, including Maine's coast, forests, and rivers. They look at how the land shapes daily life and why people move from one place to another over time.
- 5
History from many sides
Students close the year tracing how Maine, the United States, and the wider world have changed over time. They weigh Wabanaki and other perspectives on the same events and build arguments backed by evidence.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.
Application of Social Studies Processes
Application of Social Studies Processes
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Ask Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students write big-picture questions worth investigating and smaller follow-up questions that keep the research going. The goal is questions that don't have a simple yes-or-no answer.
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Use Sources and Evidence
Students decide whether a source is trustworthy, then use what they find to back up a claim with real evidence.
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Communicate and Take Action
Students share what they learned from an inquiry by writing, presenting, or creating something, then decide on a real step they can take based on their findings.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Ask Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students write big-picture questions worth investigating and smaller follow-up questions that keep the research going. The goal is questions that don't have a simple yes-or-no answer. | ME-SS.INQ.6.1 |
| Use Sources and Evidence | Students decide whether a source is trustworthy, then use what they find to back up a claim with real evidence. | ME-SS.INQ.6.2 |
| Communicate and Take Action | Students share what they learned from an inquiry by writing, presenting, or creating something, then decide on a real step they can take based on their findings. | ME-SS.INQ.6.3 |
Civics and Government
Civics and Government
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Civic and Political Institutions
Students learn what governments actually do at different levels, from town hall to the state capitol to Washington, D.C., including tribal governments. They study why these institutions exist and how each one handles different responsibilities.
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Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation
Students learn what rights citizens hold and what responsibilities come with them. They also practice the real skills of civic life, like voting, debating policy, and staying informed on issues that affect their community.
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Maine and Wabanaki Governance
Students learn how Maine's state government is set up and how the Wabanaki Nations govern themselves, then look at where those two systems connect and overlap.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions | Students learn what governments actually do at different levels, from town hall to the state capitol to Washington, D.C., including tribal governments. They study why these institutions exist and how each one handles different responsibilities. | ME-SS.CIV.6.1 |
| Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation | Students learn what rights citizens hold and what responsibilities come with them. They also practice the real skills of civic life, like voting, debating policy, and staying informed on issues that affect their community. | ME-SS.CIV.6.2 |
| Maine and Wabanaki Governance | Students learn how Maine's state government is set up and how the Wabanaki Nations govern themselves, then look at where those two systems connect and overlap. | ME-SS.CIV.6.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Students weigh the costs and benefits of a choice when there isn't enough of something to go around. They practice the kind of thinking economists use to decide whether a tradeoff is worth it.
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Economic Systems and Markets
Markets set prices based on what people want to buy and what sellers have to offer. Students examine how that push and pull guides where goods, jobs, and money flow, from a local store to trade between countries.
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Personal Finance
Students learn how money decisions work in real life: why saving matters, how credit works, what investing means, and how to weigh spending choices. The focus is on building habits that hold up over time.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Students weigh the costs and benefits of a choice when there isn't enough of something to go around. They practice the kind of thinking economists use to decide whether a tradeoff is worth it. | ME-SS.ECON.6.1 |
| Economic Systems and Markets | Markets set prices based on what people want to buy and what sellers have to offer. Students examine how that push and pull guides where goods, jobs, and money flow, from a local store to trade between countries. | ME-SS.ECON.6.2 |
| Personal Finance | Students learn how money decisions work in real life: why saving matters, how credit works, what investing means, and how to weigh spending choices. The focus is on building habits that hold up over time. | ME-SS.ECON.6.3 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Reasoning
Students use maps, photos, and tools like charts or graphs to study how places look, where they are, and what patterns show up across regions.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students examine how landscapes like forests, coastlines, and rivers influence where people live and how they work, and how farming, building, and industry change those same landscapes over time.
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Movement and Migration
Students look at why people move to new places, where they settle, and how their languages, foods, and customs spread to neighboring regions.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Reasoning | Students use maps, photos, and tools like charts or graphs to study how places look, where they are, and what patterns show up across regions. | ME-SS.GEO.6.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students examine how landscapes like forests, coastlines, and rivers influence where people live and how they work, and how farming, building, and industry change those same landscapes over time. | ME-SS.GEO.6.2 |
| Movement and Migration | Students look at why people move to new places, where they settle, and how their languages, foods, and customs spread to neighboring regions. | ME-SS.GEO.6.3 |
History
History
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Change, Continuity, and Context
Students look at how life, places, or events changed over time and what stayed the same, from their own state to other parts of the world.
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Perspectives
Students read about the same historical event from more than one point of view, including the perspectives of Wabanaki and other Indigenous peoples. The goal is to understand why different groups experienced and remembered events differently.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students look at why a historical event happened and what changed because of it, then write an argument backed by sources. The focus is on connecting causes to outcomes, not just listing facts.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context | Students look at how life, places, or events changed over time and what stayed the same, from their own state to other parts of the world. | ME-SS.HIST.6.1 |
| Perspectives | Students read about the same historical event from more than one point of view, including the perspectives of Wabanaki and other Indigenous peoples. The goal is to understand why different groups experienced and remembered events differently. | ME-SS.HIST.6.2 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students look at why a historical event happened and what changed because of it, then write an argument backed by sources. The focus is on connecting causes to outcomes, not just listing facts. | ME-SS.HIST.6.3 |
No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 8.
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 this year?
Students study four big areas: how governments work, how money and trade work, how geography shapes where people live, and how history changes over time. They also learn about Maine and the Wabanaki Nations. A lot of the work is reading, asking questions, and backing up answers with evidence.
How can I help with social studies at home?
Talk about the news at dinner and ask students what they think and why. Pull up a map when a place comes up in conversation. Visit a town meeting, a historic site, or a museum when there is one nearby. Five to ten minutes of real conversation goes a long way.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to ask a real question about a topic, find sources, decide which ones to trust, and write or speak a clear answer backed by evidence. They should also be able to read a map and explain how a local, state, or tribal government makes decisions.
How do I help when students get stuck on a reading?
Ask them to tell the story back in their own words. If they cannot, read a paragraph together and stop after each one to talk about it. Looking up one or two unfamiliar words usually unsticks the rest.
How should I sequence the year?
Many teachers start with inquiry skills and source work in the fall, then move into geography and history units, and use civics and economics later in the year once students can build evidence-based arguments. Threading Wabanaki history and Maine examples through each unit works better than saving them for one week.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Judging whether a source is trustworthy and using specific evidence to support a claim are the two big ones. Students often give an opinion and stop there. Short, repeated practice with one source at a time, plus a sentence frame for citing it, tends to move them faster than long research projects.
Does my child need to memorize a lot of dates and facts?
Some key dates and names matter, but the bigger goal is understanding why events happened and what changed because of them. If students can explain the cause and the result in their own words, the dates tend to stick.
How do I teach Wabanaki history and government well?
Use materials made by Wabanaki educators and tribal sources rather than summaries about them. Treat the Wabanaki Nations as present-day governments with their own structures, not only as a history topic. Connecting tribal government to state government during the civics unit helps students see both as living systems.
How will I know my child is ready for next year?
A ready student can read a short article, point to the parts that support an idea, and explain a different point of view than their own. They can also find a place on a map and connect it to what they are studying. If those feel solid, they are in good shape.