This IDM inquiry leads students through an investigation of the decision by the United States to use atomic weapons on Japan at the end of World War II.

The compelling question “Was the Dropping of Atomic Weapons on Japan an Appropriate Use of Force?” asks students to identify and weigh evidence from multiple primary and secondary sources supplied as well as others found by the student.

Educational videos, documentaries, book club sessions, conversations, and a podcast produced by the Minidoka Pilgrimage that cover a variety of topics on the Japanese American WWII incarceration. Image of Minidoka Internment Camp by Dave Horalek, courtesy of Pixabay

A crosswalk that aligns the 2024 American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success, Washington State Financial Education Learning Standards, Washington State Health & Physical Education Learning Standards to the WA Social Emotional Learning Standards and Benchmarks. The downloadable document includes both more detailed references to standards and an "at-a-glance" version of the crosswalk. Purpose: This resource is intended to be used as a reference tool to show connections and/or alignment between the Washington State Social Emotional Learning Standards and Benchmarks and a selection of other related state standards. For example, this tool can support content integration, identification of gaps in curriculum, program alignment, cross-department collaboration, appraisal of student growth & development, reflection of local priorities, etc. When choosing the appropriate learning standard for students, it is important to ensure that the standards are directly aligned with the learning objective(s) for the lesson or intervention and the developmental level of the student(s). Refer to Washington Social Emotional Learning Indicators for more information.

The Front Matter for this curriculum provides teachers with a thorough overview of the unit including its history, content, process, themes, standards alignment, assessments and rationale. For a quick overview of the unit and to find information useful in determining whether this unit is a good fit for your classes, skip to Sections III and IV.

There are over 260 countries and territories across the world, each with its own type of government.  A government is a group of people who officially and legally control a country or territory and make all the decisions about its taxes, laws, public services, and more.  The word ‘govern’ comes from the Greek word kybernan which means “to control the direction of something.”  From communist China with the largest population in the world to Vatican City with the smallest,  each nation is uniquely directed or ruled by one person, a few people, or many.

"Future Ready: Civics - The Good Citizen" provides an overview of civic responsibilities and the roles of a good American citizen. It emphasizes the importance of civic participation, media literacy, and logical inference. The material highlights citizen participation in maintaining order, providing services, and protecting freedoms at all levels of government. It encourages various methods of community involvement and showcases successful projects. The material addresses barriers to participation and introduces vocabulary related to civic engagement, bias, propaganda, political parties, and elections. It explains the concept of logical inferences, detecting bias, and evaluating propaganda. It also covers elections, the Electoral College, and the right to vote, promoting civic engagement and informed decision-making.

The "Future Ready" content focuses on civics and the United States Constitution. It explains the Constitution's purpose and how it was ratified. The objectives are to teach about power distribution between national and state governments, principles of the American constitutional federal republic, the role of law in the political system, government institutions created during the Revolution, and different levels of government in the US.Key terms related to the Constitution are highlighted, such as amendments, bicameral legislature, Bill of Rights, checks and balances, Declaration of Independence, federalism, Preamble, separation of powers, and unalienable rights.The content emphasizes the Constitution as the highest law and the relationship between the federal government and states. The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments, is explained along with specific rights and protections. Important amendments like the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth are described.The passage also covers the separation of powers and checks and balances in the American government to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. It concludes with questions to test understanding, including the purpose of the Preamble, the meaning of domestic tranquility, the provision for common defense, and the importance of the separation of powers.

This handbook is for Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction grantees, contractors, and collaborators who will be contributing instructional materials to the Washington OER Hub.

The Washington OER Hub is an online library of free, high-quality K–12 learning and teaching materials created by and curated for Washington educators.Watch introductory videos and download this informational handout to share with your district and colleagues.

Rubic used to determine if learning resources attend to the Washington Social Emotional Learning Standards.

This document provides background on how resources are submitted to Groups, reviewed, and filtered into Learning Collections on the Washington OER Hub. The criteria are designed to be adapted for any content area to evaluate lessons that may extend over a few periods or days or units that include integrated and focused lessons. The criteria are NOT designed to evaluate a single task or stand-alone activity.

This rubric is designed to evaluate lessons that may extend over a few periods or days, or units that include integrated and focused lessons that extend over a longer period of time. The criteria and measures are designed to assist educators in determining the strengths of materials and instructional activities and their ability to be utilized in culturally and linguistically sustaining dual language classrooms.

This rubric can be used to:
• Review existing lessons and units on the Washington OER Hub and/or in the classroom for quality, alignment to Washington State Learning Standards, and readiness for Dual Language settings.
• Inform the development of new lessons and units in either language of instruction across content areas.
• Build the capacity of educators to evaluate and improve the quality of instructional materials for use in their classrooms and programs.

This rubric is designed to evaluate heritage language lessons that may extend over a few periods or days, or units that include integrated and focused lessons that extend over a longer period of time. The criteria and measures are designed to assist educators in determining the strengths of materials and instructional activities and their ability to be utilized in culturally and linguistically sustaining classrooms.

This rubric can be used to:
• Review existing lessons and units on the Washington OER Hub and/or in the classroom for quality, alignment to Washington State Learning Standards, and appropriateness for use in Heritage Language Programs.
• Inform the development of new lessons and units in either language of instruction across content areas.
• Build the capacity of educators to evaluate and improve the quality of instructional materials for use in their classrooms and programs.

Use this rubric to review lessons and units with respect to the Washington State Social Studies Learning Standards and the Washington ELA and Literacy in History/Social Studies Standards. 

The appendix includes several sections designed to deepen understanding and engagement with climate-related topics. Appendix A: Climate Assemblies provides guidance and resources for organizing and facilitating community discussions around climate solutions. Appendix B: Climate Change - Digging Deeper offers a comprehensive exploration of the science behind climate change, its causes, and impacts. Appendix C: Climate Justice examines the intersection of climate change and social equity, highlighting its disproportionate effects on marginalized communities. Appendix D: Tribes, Sovereignty, and Climate Change focuses on the role of Indigenous communities in climate resilience, emphasizing sovereignty and stewardship. Appendix E: Climate Emotions addresses the emotional impact of climate change, offering strategies to navigate feelings like eco-anxiety and grief. Appendix F: Extension and Enrichment Learning Opportunities presents additional activities and projects to expand learning beyond core lessons. Finally, Appendix G: Glossary defines key terms to support clear communication and comprehension of climate concepts.

This document is intended to be a template to assist districts in developing their own Dual Language Program Framework (DL Program Framework). It is not a completed document that is ready to be adopted by districts. This document provides an outline that includes the key components for developing a comprehensive DL Program Framework. Additional information may be added but the framework should, at a minimum, include all sections in this framework template (see Table of Contents).

Black Washington is the Washington State Historical Society’s ongoing initiative to commemorate the presence, contributions, and evolving impact of local Black communities..Read, watch, and listen to stories about community organizing, engaging in labor and operating business, striving for civil rights, achieving education, pursuing the arts, and overcoming adversity and racism.

These resources from Mount Vernon School District educators provide lessons that integrate Washington's Social Emotional Learning and Physical Education learning standards along with educator guidance and teaching strategies.

The Student Climate Assembly (SCA) curriculum equips students with the knowledge and skills to engage meaningfully with climate change by integrating social studies and science for a holistic understanding of its social, economic, political, and environmental impacts. It aligns with Washington state civics standards, teaching students about government structures and local climate action plans. Through critical analysis, recommendation writing, and advocacy, students learn to influence climate solutions.Key themes include civic engagement, climate justice, governmental responsibility, scientific understanding, and tribal perspectives. These elements empower students to participate in democratic processes and advocate for inclusive, effective climate policies.