High School Social Studies Curriculum Update (Grades 9–12)
Sutherlin School District recently completed a review of high school social studies instructional materials to ensure our students are learning from relevant, engaging, and standards-aligned resources. This process included teacher input, review of Oregon-approved materials, and a focus on preparing students for college, careers, and civic life. Curriculum is on display at the district office for the month of May. You can also look online at: https://ngl.cengage.com/products/9781337786829
What’s New
Beginning with the upcoming school year, the district will implement new curriculum for:
World History
World Cultures and Geography
These courses will use updated materials from Cengage Learning that emphasize:
Understanding global perspectives
Analyzing historical events and their impact today
Building critical thinking and discussion skills
What’s Staying the Same (for Now)
U.S. History
We will continue using our current U.S. History materials. These resources:
Already meet Oregon standards
Are supplemented by high-quality, open educational resources
Allow teachers flexibility to adapt instruction to student needs
Civics / Government
We are taking an additional year to review options for Civics. This allows us to:
Ensure the best possible materials are selected
Align with our goals for preparing students to be informed and engaged citizens
Economics & Financial Literacy
We did not find a program that fully met our expectations during this review.
We will continue using current materials
A separate review process will take place to identify stronger options for the future
Why This Approach
Rather than adopting all materials at once, the district chose a thoughtful, phased approach. This ensures:
Each course uses materials that truly meet student needs
Teachers have time to fully implement new resources effectively
Students benefit from both consistency and continuous improvement
Alignment to Oregon Standards & Graduation Requirements
All instructional materials—both newly adopted and currently in use—are aligned to the Oregon Department of Education Social Sciences Standards. These standards focus on:
Critical thinking and inquiry
Understanding history, geography, economics, and civics
Analyzing multiple perspectives
Preparing students for active participation in a democratic society
Sutherlin students are required to earn at least 3 credits in social sciences to graduate, including coursework in:
U.S. History
Global studies (such as World History or Geography)
Civics/Government
Economics or financial literacy concepts
Our curriculum decisions ensure that students continue to meet—and are well prepared to exceed—these state requirements.