State Standards for Teaching Social Studies

It is important to remember that most states rigorously monitor school curriculum through written mandates and yearly testing. In fact most state boards of education have adopted specific learning standards to which teachers must adhere. These standards are aligned with goals the states want students to reach by the end of their schooling.

Learning Standards are set for all subjects including, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, Foreign Languages, and the Fine Arts. If you want teachers to include historic preservation in their curriculum, you need to know where such a study fits within these standards. You will probably find the best fit for the study of architecture within the Social Studies and Fine Arts Learning Standards.

Learning standards for most states are located on web sites for their individual state boards of education. Since Architeacher is located in Illinois, we are most familiar with the Learning Standards adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education. When we work with teachers in the area of historic preservation education, we refer them to standards in Social Science and Fine Arts.

Social Science Standards - Illinois State Goal 16
Illinois State Goal 16 states that students will understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations. As a result of their schooling students will be able to:

- Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.
- Understand the development of significant political events.
- Understand the development of economic systems.
- Understand Illinois, United States and world social history.
- Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with an emphasis on the United States.
- Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
Fine Arts Standards - Illinois State Goal 27
Illinois State Goal 27 states that students will understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past, and present. As a result of their schooling students will be able to:
- Analyze how the arts function in history, society and everyday life.
- Understand how the arts shape and reflect history, society and everyday life.
We are pleased that the Illinois State Board of Education recognizes the importance of the arts and of their reflection of history, society and everyday life. We know that architecture is a tangible marker of the dreams, aspirations and values of culture at a particular place and time.