Content Standards and Model Curriculum Guide Documents

For questions about these standards and documents email opicsi@mt.gov
Return to the K-12 Content Standards home page.

Access the 2021 Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (Official PDF).

Access the 2021 Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (Excel).

Access the 2021 Montana Content Standards for Social Studies (PDF).

Webinar: New Standards for 2021: Overview and Planning for Implementation (February 8, 2021)

Model curriculum guides, professional development, and resources will be added throughout 2021.

Tech Directors: To access a machine readable version of the official Montana Content Standards for Social Studies, please visit the IMS Global CASE Network site.  Create a free login, select Montana Office of Public Instruction, and view or download the standards. The CASE version of the standards can be uploaded to student information systems, curriculum mapping programs, and a variety of other uses. Learn more about the CASE Network CASE Network FAQ

Upcoming Opportunities:

MT PBS: Streaming now for a limited time, "The U.S. and the Holocaust," A Film by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick & Sarah Botstein

Humanities Montana:

Winter in Montana is challenging for travel. During these months, Humanities Montana speakers can still visit your community — virtually — to present their humanities programs! Whether you are booking programs for the classroom, at a museum, or with a community center, speakers are available for virtual and in-person visits to provide free public humanities programming.

You can learn more about Montana Conversations or book Speakers in the Schools presenter on our website, you can learn about grant opportunities.

Subscribe to Humanities Montana.

 

 


 

2022 Online Professional Development for Educators from the Montana Historical Society.  

Join us the third Wednesdays of the month, from 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. for an hour of interactive professional development, and earn one OPI Renewal Credit


Check the OPI Professional Learning Opportunities Portal for courses and workshops.

Social Studies Resources

All K-12 Grade Levels:

3-12 Grade Levels:

  • National Archives Educator Resources Lower elementary through high school

  • History Labs  (“History Labs are research and investigative learning experiences that provide teachers with the necessary information, resources, and procedures to teach a full range of historical thinking skills by taking students through a process that is methodologically similar to that employed by historians.” The site includes a template for creating your own and History Labs made by other teachers--upper elementary through high school).

Elementary

Middle School

Jr. High - High School

  • For High School, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) offers free, innovative classroom products. These online learning resources form the foundation of a global civics curriculum, empowering young people with the essential knowledge, skills, and perspective to be responsible citizens, take on the challenges of global competition, and steer through partisan rhetoric and disinformation.  Review their resources that could be used in a science classroom.  For more information contact Lori Matza, lmatza@cfr.org.

    • World101An award-winning collection of multimedia explainers for students with little or no background knowledge of international relations and foreign policy. With accessible, jargon-free language and instructor-designed teaching resources, lessons on the World101 platform are non-partisan and developed in partnership with CFR experts.
      • *We are soliciting applications for our CFR Education Ambassador 2022-2023 program. A great opportunity for middle school and high school social studies teachers.  
    • Model Diplomacy: The Model Diplomacy simulation program invites high-school students to step into the shoes of decision-makers on the National Security Council or United Nations Security Council to debate the world’s most pressing issues with dozens of full-length case studies, an expanding library of short-form scenarios covering current and historical events, and exclusive video content featuring commentary from foreign policy experts.
    • Convene the CouncilDeveloped in partnership with iCivics, one of the nation’s leading providers of educational games, Convene the Council empowers students to understand the basics of how U.S. foreign policy gets made and the ways in which countries and international organizations can influence foreign policy priorities. Twenty gameplay scenarios reveal how foreign and domestic policy are intertwined, and how decisions made in one corner of the world can affect us all. Spanish version available. 

 

High School

Councils

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standards Revision Information

New standards were adopted on November 5, 2020.  Effective date is July 1, 2021.

 

Adoption Timeline and Meetings

The Board of Public Education (BPE) approved the Social Studies at their November 5, 2020 meeting. Please check the BPE website for further details.  The implementation date for the new standards is July 1, 2021.

 

10-55-138

(Board of Public Education) Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Adoption, Amendment, and Repeal - K-12 Social Studies Content Standards.

 

Standards Revision

Revision Information

2017 - 2027 COMPLETE REVISION SCHEDULE - This schedule may change based on resource availability or other factors.

  • To learn about the process and how to get involved, take the Montana Content Standards 101 course on the Teacher Learning Hub (1 renewal unit)

Standards Drafts

Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Meetings

Economic Impact Surveys