Understanding how Social Studies Essentials (SSE) units are organized helps you plan ahead and know what resources are available at each stage. This article walks through SSE unit structure, support resources, and assessments, along with guidance for navigating a unit page.
SSE Unit Basics
How many units does each grade level curriculum include?
Each grade level includes five units.
How are SSE units structured?
Every unit contains six lessons and one culminating assessment.
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Click an article title below to learn more about unit lessons in each grade band: |
Do SSE units include support resources?
Yes. Each unit includes:
- Unit Outline: The unit outline includes the framework standards, overarching questions, and learning targets for all six lessons, along with the framework standards addressed in the unit assessment.
- Unit Assessment: The unit assessment focuses on the compelling question explored throughout the unit and can be assigned digitally or printed and distributed to students.
Each grade level includes a Scope and Sequence document, showing how every unit fits together and the framework standards for the unit assessment.
SSE Unit Assessments
Every unit wraps up with an assessment centered on that unit's compelling question, using a consistent Think, Show, Share structure:
- Think poses the compelling question to students.
- Show asks students capture their ideas visually.
- Share has students respond to the question aloud or in writing, depending on grade level.
To support their thinking during the assessment, students have access to key words, images, artifacts, and ideas from the unit as they work through the question. Assessments live on the unit landing page and only become available to students once a teacher assigns them.
Navigating SSE Unit Pages
After opening a unit page, teachers can:
- View the unit's Core Understanding and Literacy Skill Focus.
- Click Unit Outline to open the outline in a new tab.
- Click Curriculum Standards to see all framework standards addressed across the unit's lessons and assessment.
- Click any Lesson tile to open and review the lesson.
- Click the Assessment tile to open and preview the unit assessment.