How to learn Grade 6: Social studies

Wisconsin academic standards: Social studies, Grade 6

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1. Political Science · Fundamentals of Citizenship

Global Citizenship: Understand what it means to be a citizen in an interconnected world where decisions in one place affect people elsewhere; explore global issues (climate justice, forced migration, global health, poverty) through an empathy lens, distinguishing facts from value judgements; engage with the ethical tension between obligations to those close to us and obligations to distant strangers; introduce evidence-based giving and effective altruism as one framework for thinking about global responsibility; develop a personal, reasoned stance on global citizenship that acknowledges complexity
Vocabulary: ethics and citizenship: Know and use the vocabulary of ethics and citizenship — bullying, cyberbullying, bystander, upstander, peer pressure, digital citizenship, rights, responsibility, and ethical — and understand the distinctions between these closely related terms

Emotional Patterns Over Time: Reflect on their own emotional patterns over time — noticing recurring triggers, understanding their typical responses, and recognising how their emotional awareness has grown

Culture and Experience Shape Emotions: Understand that emotional responses are shaped by personal experiences, culture, and context — the same situation triggers different emotions in different people because of their backgrounds and past experiences

Vocabulary: historical thinking: Know and use the vocabulary of historical thinking — source, evidence, primary source, secondary source, artefact, chronology, chronological order, BC/BCE, AD/CE, century, decade, era, period, timeline, excavation, archaeologist, interpretation, corroborate, bias, perspective — and apply these terms when discussing how we know about the past and how reliable our knowledge is

Taxes & Public Services: What taxes are and why people pay them; how taxes fund schools, hospitals, roads, and emergency services; that governments decide how to spend tax money

How the Economy Works: What an economy is; producers and consumers; supply and demand; why prices change; the basics of how markets work

Risk, Uncertainty, and Cognitive Bias: Distinguish between risk (decisions with known probabilities) and uncertainty (decisions with unknown outcomes); identify cognitive biases that distort risk assessment: availability heuristic (judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind), present bias (overvaluing the immediate over the future), optimism bias (underestimating personal risk), and groupthink; understand why adolescent brains are biologically calibrated toward higher risk tolerance; apply a structured decision-making framework to real choices; understand the role of personal values in decisions where facts alone cannot determine the answer

The world contains many cultures, traditions: Understand that the world contains many cultures, traditions, and belief systems, and that learning about others' perspectives enriches our own understanding — developing genuine curiosity about and respect for cultural diversity

Prejudice and Discrimination: Understand the impact of prejudice and discrimination on individuals and communities — that treating people unfairly because of their identity causes real harm — and recognise their own responsibility to stand against it