Alberta's government and its education partners are continuing to modernize the education system and improve student success by developing and piloting a curriculum that will drive a passion for learning. The new draft K-6 social studies curriculum, which was developed after nine months of consultation with education partners, teachers, parents and Albertans, focuses on building students' critical thinking skills and empowers them to be engaged citizens.
Since the new draft K-6 social studies curriculum was released in April 2024, 62 school authorities and more than 1,700 teachers across 429 schools have signed up to pilot the curriculum during the 2024-25 school year.
"I am incredibly pleased with the number of school authorities and teachers piloting the draft social studies curriculum this school year. I look forward to continued collaboration with school leaders and teachers as we continue our work to build a comprehensive curriculum that builds students' critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills and inspires a passion for learning."
Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education
Content changes
Following extensive engagement with Albertans and education partners since August 2023, as well as research and best practices from other jurisdictions, Alberta Education released an updated draft K-6 social studies curriculum in April 2024 to help school authorities and teachers prepare for optional classroom piloting, beginning in September. Draft curriculum content was adjusted to:
- strengthen opportunities that encourage the development of critical thinking skills, including research and analytical skills, throughout the curriculum;
- enhance the development of skills related to the concept of active citizenship;
- address feedback on developmental appropriateness and load;
- engage students in learning that promotes understanding of diversity across Canada and throughout the world, including First Nations, Métis, Inuit and francophone histories, contributions and perspectives; and
- reflect the growth of learners through learning progressions that expand from individual experiences to communities and beyond.
"CASS values the ministry's strong commitment to piloting the new K-6 social studies curriculum. This collaborative process will play a crucial role in refining the curriculum to ensure it meets the diverse needs of Alberta's students, enhancing their learning experiences and fostering critical thinking and active citizenship skills."
Dr. Clint Moroziuk, president, College of Alberta School Superintendents
"We look forward to piloting the new social studies curriculum that stays away from ideology and strengthens the opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills, including research and analytical skills, throughout the curriculum."
Mike McMann, superintendent, Fort Vermillion School Division
Supports and resources for school authorities
Alberta's government is providing flexibility in how school authorities participate in optional classroom piloting, including which grades are a part of the pilot and how many learning outcomes will receive feedback. Throughout the piloting process, teachers will be provided with the information and tools they need to work with the draft curriculum in their classrooms, including:
- teacher release days to support planning and instruction preparation;
- learning and teaching resources;
- professional learning opportunities; and
- opportunities to provide feedback to Alberta Education on the draft curriculum, including how it is experienced in classrooms.
Teachers can access comprehensive learning and teaching resources and professional learning supports aligned with draft curriculum, including subject-specific overviews, quick reference videos, illustrative examples and fact sheets online. Piloting teachers can also collaborate with colleagues across Alberta through an online teacher planning tool called Boards.
"Teachers in the Black Gold School Division are excited to pilot the new social studies curriculum. They are excited about the piloting supports and welcome the opportunity to provide feedback to Alberta Education to benefit student learning."
Esther Eckert, board chair, Black Gold School Division
"Alberta School Boards Association appreciates that government is providing a flexible approach for school boards with optional classroom piloting, and looks forward to ongoing consultation on additional resources and implementation."
Marilyn Dennis, president, Alberta School Board Association
Alberta Education will consider all feedback from classroom piloting to finalize the new K-6 social studies curriculum and identify additional learning and teaching resources prior to provincial implementation. The final K-6 social studies curriculum is expected to be implemented in classrooms starting in September 2025.
Quick facts
- Budget 2024 provides $34 million to support curriculum piloting and implementation in the 2024-25 school year.
- As part of the curriculum engagement process, Alberta Education also gathered feedback to update the ministerial order on Student Learning and the Guiding Framework for the Design and Development of Kindergarten to Grade 12 Curriculum.
- The new ministerial order focuses on career education, knowledge and skills development, educational programming and preparing students to be active and engaged citizens.
- The new Guiding Framework focuses on inclusive language and representation of diverse voices, includes content to align with new curriculum and removes references to pedagogy.
- Currently, there are more than 450 learning and teaching resources aligned to draft K-6 social studies curriculum available online.
- The 62 school authorities piloting draft social studies curriculum can be broken down by school authority type as follows:
- 31 public
- 9 separate
- 3 public charter
- 16 independent
- 2 francophone
- 1 First Nations
Related information
