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Part of K to 6 curriculum renewal

Social studies

Highlights of the new elementary social studies curriculum (May 2025).

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K to 6 curriculum renewal

Overview

Social studies is the study of history, geography, economics, civics and citizenship, and government and politics. Students explore important questions and actively engage with issues to understand lessons from the past and to become active and well-informed citizens in their communities. Students use a knowledge-based curriculum and combine social science methods, including research, source evaluation and evidence interpretation, to enhance understanding, draw conclusions and build robust critical-thinking skills.

Learn More (updated May 2025)

  • What we heard about the draft kindergarten to Grade 6 (K to 6) curriculum

    We listened to all feedback from classroom piloting and engagement activities and heard these common concerns across all K to Grade 6 subjects:

    • Load
      • Some content is too heavy within a subject, grade or learning outcome.
    • Age appropriateness
      • Some knowledge, understandings, and skills/procedures need to be better aligned with students’ developmental level in a specific grade.
      • More pre-requisite learning is needed to support the knowledge, understandings and skills/procedures.
    • Wording clarity
      • Clearer expectations and verb choice are needed in some content for students to achieve learning outcomes.
      • Clearer descriptions are needed for some knowledge, understandings or skills/procedures.
    • First Nations, Métis and Inuit content
      • Additional content is needed to support First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives.
      • Some content needs to represent First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and contributions more authentically.

  • Feedback on Social Studies

    We considered feedback from multiple engagement activities and heard some common themes:

    • Clear and concise: Clear and precise language is needed to support students with critical engagement with content
    • Load: Reduce content within some grades or learning outcomes
    • Developmental appropriateness: Some knowledge, understandings, and skills and procedures need to be better aligned with students’ developmental level in a specific grade; more pre-requisite learning is needed in some grades to support the knowledge, understandings, and skills and procedures
    • First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives, contributions and histories: Additional content is needed to support First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives; content needs to authentically represent First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and contributions
    • Pluralism and francophone perspectives, contributions and histories: Additional content is needed to support understanding of Alberta’s diverse pluralistic society

  • What we updated

    We made the following content updates:

    • Clear and concise: Clarified language in learning outcomes and knowledge, understanding, and skills and procedures across K-6 to align with the Ministerial Order on Student Learning. These changes include limiting jargon and abstract language to ensure the focus of learning is clear to students, parents and teachers.
    • Load: Changes include adjustments to the volume of content, resulting in increased emphasis on essential content. These adjustments increase opportunities for critical thinking. Changes in this category include removing duplications, consolidating content, and adding clarifying information where needed.
    • Developmental appropriateness: Adjustments to content reflect stakeholder input on the extent to which students have the required background knowledge to meaningfully access essential learnings for each grade. Changes include adjusting sequencing/ordering of content and revising abstract concepts to be more tangible. In some cases, changes may include shifting verbs from passive to active voice. These changes ensure concepts align with age and developmental readiness for critical thinking.
    • First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives, contributions and histories: Changes reflect revisions to support respectful and authentic inclusion of First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, perspectives and contributions.
    • Pluralism and francophone perspectives, contributions and histories: Changes also reflect respectful and authentic inclusion of pluralism and Francophone histories, perspectives and contributions to support understanding of issues faced by society, such as discrimination and racism.

Previous and new curriculum comparison

The following table shows how elements in the previous K-6 social studies curriculum, published in 2005, compares to the new 2025 curriculum. The comparisons provide examples and do not represent all the changes that were made.

 Previous curriculum (2005) examples New curriculum (2025) examples
Disciplinary knowledge and skills  consistently developed throughout all gradesHistory, geography, civics, economics, and other social studies-related disciplines are not addressed in each grade.Content on history, geography, economics, politics and citizenship is present in every grade.
Content on citizenship in all grades to support civic engagementThe inclusion of civics varied by grade.Citizenship is an organizing idea across all grades.
Respectful and authentic inclusion of First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectivesLimited inclusion of authentic and respectful First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives in some grades.First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, contributions and perspectives are included authentically and respectfully.
Inclusion of pluralism and diverse perspectives    Opportunities to support pluralism and learn about diverse people and communities varied from grade to grade.Pluralism is included in all grades as students explore cultural diversity in the community, across Canada and throughout the world.

Snapshot by grade

In social studies, students learn about geography, history, economics, politics and citizenship. The snapshots provide an overview of some of the content students explore in each grade.

  • Kindergarten
    Kindergarten: Culture, tradition and community
    • places in communities
    • cultures, traditions and histories
    • needs and wants
    • leaders in communities 
    • cooperation and collaboration in groups
  • Grade 1
    Grade 1: Local communities and cultures
    • key physical features and landmarks of communities
    • cultures of diverse communities, including First Nations, Métis, Inuit and francophone communities
    • exchange of goods and services
    • roles and responsibilities in groups
    • supporting belonging
    • Canada’s official symbols
  • Grade 2
    Grade 2: Canada – Communities and heritage
    • Canada’s physical regions and natural resources
    • leaders in Canada, including the prime minister and the premiers
    • traditions and heritages across Canada, including those of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, francophones and diverse communities
    • ways trade and transportation support communities
    • competencies for democratic discussion and decision making
  • Grade 3
    Grade 3: Alberta and the prairies
    • physical regions and political boundaries of Alberta
    • First Nations and Métis contributions to Alberta
    • francophone settlement and contributions to Alberta
    • introduction to discrimination and racism in Alberta
    • provincial and municipal governments
    • Alberta’s official symbols
    • Alberta’s natural resources
    • charitable giving and volunteerism
  • Grade 4
    Grade 4: Colonial Canada and Confederation
    • changes in power and influence in pre-Confederation Canada
    • Jacques Cartier and early settlements
    • Samuel de Champlain and the establishment of Quebec City and New France
    • the Treaty of Paris and the transfer of Canada to the British
    • the United Empire Loyalists
    • the Rebellions of 1837, responsible government and Confederation
    • the fur trade and Canada’s natural resources
    • citizenship rights and responsibilities
  • Grade 5
    Grade 5: Ancient civilizations
    • the rise and fall of ancient civilizations
    • influence of the environment on ancient civilizations
    • development of economic practices, including trade networks and taxes
    • authoritarian governments and social systems
    • legacies of ancient civilizations and empires
    • informed citizenship
  • Grade 6
    Grade 6: Democracy – History, principles and operation
    • principles of democracy
    • ancient Athenian direct democracy
    • Roman Republic representative democracy
    • Haudenosaunee Confederacy decision making
    • provincial and federal government in Canada
    • the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
    • formal and informal civic participation
    • discrimination and racism
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