Asking good questions
Students start the year learning how to ask questions that lead somewhere. They pick a topic, figure out what they actually want to know, and plan how to find answers using maps, articles, and other sources.
What does a student learn in
This is the year social studies turns into real investigation. Students start with a question they actually want to answer, then dig through maps, old documents, and news stories to figure out what holds up and what doesn't. They look at how governments work, how money moves, and why people settled where they did. By spring, students can take a position on a real issue and back it up with evidence they found themselves.
- Research questions
- Primary sources
- Government
- Maps and regions
- World history
- Money basics
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
Places, maps, and people
Students read maps and photos to understand how land shapes the way people live, including here in Vermont. They look at why people move, where they settle, and how cultures spread from one region to another.
- 3
How money and choices work
Students learn why people and governments can't have everything they want and how that shapes decisions. They look at prices, competition, and the basics of saving, spending, and using credit wisely.
- 4
Government and citizens
Students learn how local, state, and national governments are set up and what each one does. They practice the habits of good citizens by debating real issues at school or in town and weighing in on decisions that affect them.
- 5
Learning from the past
Students look at events from different times and places and ask what changed, what stayed the same, and why. They weigh sources for trustworthiness and notice how the same event can look different depending on who tells the story.
- 6
Making a case
Students pull together what they've learned and build an argument backed by evidence. They share their thinking through writing, talking, or a project, and may take real action on an issue in their school or community.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.
Inquiry
Inquiry
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Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students write a big guiding question about a social studies topic, then plan smaller research questions to help them dig into it. The goal is to keep the investigation going, not wrap it up with one quick answer.
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Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools
Students use maps, timelines, economic data, and civics ideas to dig into real questions about how the world works. Each tool comes from a different social studies subject, and students choose the right one for the question they're investigating.
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Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence
Students decide whether a source is trustworthy, then use it to back up a claim. This covers both firsthand sources (like a diary or speech) and secondhand sources (like a textbook or article).
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Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action
Students share what they found out about a real issue, in writing or out loud, then decide on a concrete next step they can actually take at school or in their community.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students write a big guiding question about a social studies topic, then plan smaller research questions to help them dig into it. The goal is to keep the investigation going, not wrap it up with one quick answer. | VT-SS.INQ.6.1 |
| Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools | Students use maps, timelines, economic data, and civics ideas to dig into real questions about how the world works. Each tool comes from a different social studies subject, and students choose the right one for the question they're investigating. | VT-SS.INQ.6.2 |
| Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence | Students decide whether a source is trustworthy, then use it to back up a claim. This covers both firsthand sources (like a diary or speech) and secondhand sources (like a textbook or article). | VT-SS.INQ.6.3 |
| Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action | Students share what they found out about a real issue, in writing or out loud, then decide on a concrete next step they can actually take at school or in their community. | VT-SS.INQ.6.4 |
Civics
Civics
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Civic and Political Institutions
Students learn how governments are set up and what they actually do, from the local town office to Congress to international bodies like the United Nations. The focus is on how each level of government works and why it exists.
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Participation and Deliberation
Students practice the habits that make democracy work: listening to different views, making fair arguments, and taking part in decisions that affect their school or community.
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Processes, Rules, and Laws
Students look at a real issue in the news and work through how laws, rules, or civic processes shape what can be done about it. The focus is on connecting how government actually works to problems people face today.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic and Political Institutions | Students learn how governments are set up and what they actually do, from the local town office to Congress to international bodies like the United Nations. The focus is on how each level of government works and why it exists. | VT-SS.CIV.6.1 |
| Participation and Deliberation | Students practice the habits that make democracy work: listening to different views, making fair arguments, and taking part in decisions that affect their school or community. | VT-SS.CIV.6.2 |
| Processes, Rules, and Laws | Students look at a real issue in the news and work through how laws, rules, or civic processes shape what can be done about it. The focus is on connecting how government actually works to problems people face today. | VT-SS.CIV.6.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Scarcity means there is never enough of everything, so choices have to be made. Students study why people and governments pick one option over another, and what they give up when they do.
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Exchange and Markets
Markets are where buyers and sellers meet to set prices. Students learn how competition between sellers shapes what gets made, what things cost, and who ends up with them.
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National and Global Economy
Governments and central banks make decisions, like setting interest rates or spending tax money, that shape prices, jobs, and trade across countries. Students examine how those choices ripple through national and global economies.
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Personal Finance
Students learn how money decisions work in real life: why saving matters, how credit means borrowing money you'll pay back later, and what it means to invest money so it can grow over time.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Scarcity means there is never enough of everything, so choices have to be made. Students study why people and governments pick one option over another, and what they give up when they do. | VT-SS.ECON.6.1 |
| Exchange and Markets | Markets are where buyers and sellers meet to set prices. Students learn how competition between sellers shapes what gets made, what things cost, and who ends up with them. | VT-SS.ECON.6.2 |
| National and Global Economy | Governments and central banks make decisions, like setting interest rates or spending tax money, that shape prices, jobs, and trade across countries. Students examine how those choices ripple through national and global economies. | VT-SS.ECON.6.3 |
| Personal Finance | Students learn how money decisions work in real life: why saving matters, how credit means borrowing money you'll pay back later, and what it means to invest money so it can grow over time. | VT-SS.ECON.6.4 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Representations
Students read maps, photos, and location data to figure out what a place is like and how people there shape, and are shaped by, their surroundings.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students study how people change the land around them and how the land shapes the way people live. They look at real examples like farms, forests, and towns to see that connection in both directions.
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Movement and Migration
Students examine why people move from place to place, where they settle, and how their languages, foods, and customs spread to new regions.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Representations | Students read maps, photos, and location data to figure out what a place is like and how people there shape, and are shaped by, their surroundings. | VT-SS.GEO.6.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students study how people change the land around them and how the land shapes the way people live. They look at real examples like farms, forests, and towns to see that connection in both directions. | VT-SS.GEO.6.2 |
| Movement and Migration | Students examine why people move from place to place, where they settle, and how their languages, foods, and customs spread to new regions. | VT-SS.GEO.6.3 |
History
History
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Change, Continuity, and Context
Students examine how different societies changed over time and what stayed the same, comparing events and patterns across world regions and historical periods.
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Perspectives
Students read about the same historical event from different points of view and explain how each perspective changes what people think happened and why it mattered.
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Historical Sources and Evidence
Students read primary and secondary sources, then use what they find to back up a claim about the past. The focus is on judging whether a source is reliable before using it as evidence.
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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 evidence from real sources.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Change, Continuity, and Context | Students examine how different societies changed over time and what stayed the same, comparing events and patterns across world regions and historical periods. | VT-SS.HIST.6.1 |
| Perspectives | Students read about the same historical event from different points of view and explain how each perspective changes what people think happened and why it mattered. | VT-SS.HIST.6.2 |
| Historical Sources and Evidence | Students read primary and secondary sources, then use what they find to back up a claim about the past. The focus is on judging whether a source is reliable before using it as evidence. | VT-SS.HIST.6.3 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students look at why a historical event happened and what changed because of it, then write an argument backed by evidence from real sources. | VT-SS.HIST.6.4 |
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 sixth grade social studies actually cover?
Students look at how communities and countries work, why people move and settle where they do, how money and trade shape choices, and how past events still matter today. They also learn to ask good research questions and back up answers with real evidence.
How can I help my child at home if they are not into history?
Talk about the news at dinner and ask what they think and why. Watch a documentary together, look at a map when a place comes up in a show, or visit a local historical site. Five minutes of real conversation does more than a worksheet.
What should I sequence first in the year?
Start with inquiry habits and source work, since students lean on those skills in every unit after. Build geography next so students have a mental map, then layer history, civics, and economics onto places students can picture.
How do I know my child is ready for seventh grade?
By spring, students should be able to read a short article or primary source, pull out the main idea, and explain it in their own words with a quote or fact to back it up. They should also be able to find a place on a map and describe why it matters.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Source evaluation and claim-evidence writing. Students can often summarize a source but struggle to judge whether it is trustworthy or to use it as proof for an argument. Plan to revisit both across multiple units, not just one.
What does the economics part look like at this age?
Students learn that every choice has a trade-off, that prices respond to supply and demand, and the basics of saving, spending, and credit. A good home conversation is walking through a real purchase and talking about what is being given up to buy it.
How much Vermont content should I include?
Use Vermont as the close-up lens for bigger ideas. Working landscapes, town meeting, and local industries give students something concrete to anchor abstract concepts like government, geography, and markets before zooming out to national and global examples.
How can my child practice research skills at home?
When a question comes up, slow down and look it up together. Ask where the information came from, who wrote it, and whether another source agrees. That habit is exactly what gets graded as source evaluation in class.
What does mastery of historical thinking look like by June?
Students can place an event in its time and place, explain causes and consequences, and compare how two groups saw the same event differently. They can also write a short argument using two or three pieces of evidence from sources studied in class.