At its April meeting, the State Board of Education considered changes to the social studies TEKS framework that would significantly impact elementary and middle school social studies instruction. Following the recommendation of the Texas Education Agency leadership and the content advisors, the SBOE is considering a thematic approach to social studies in grades K-3, with concepts “taught through the lenses of local, state, national, and world experiences.” Grades K-2 would provide foundational knowledge of Texas, US, and world history through stories of people and key events. A chronological approach to history in grades 3-8 would integrate world, US, and Texas history, replacing the current Texas history courses in grades 4 and 7, and US history courses in grades 5 and 8. Instead, world history would be the focus for grades 3—5, with grade 3 and 4 students learning about ancient and classical civilizations and Medieval times.  Grade 5 TEKS would cover the Renaissance, Reformation, and British History through the 1500’s.  Texas and US History from the 1400’s through today would be the focus for grades 6—8. More information about the specific focus for each grade level in the proposed framework may be found on the TEA website at this link. Additional information about the review process, including the content advisors and applications to serve on the work groups, are available on the TEA 2021-22 Social Studies TEKS Review webpage.