Social Science Department: Curriculum Modification Proposal

Objective: To create a more coherent curriculum with vertical alignment between the Grade 10
and Grade 11 core classes in the social science department.

Team: Dan Simonds (Head of Department), Philip Henderson (World History Teacher), Stanly John (World
Religions Teacher), Natawut Kalayanamit (Asia Studies Teacher), Carleton Cole (Asia Studies Teacher)

Problem: The current Grade 10 and Grade 11 courses in the social science department do not meet the
learning needs of the majority of our students.

The current curriculum structure gives students only one school year to learn about all of human
history, from early hominids to 2015. It is not possible to teach this much content, along with the
necessary skills for studying social sciences, in a single course.

According to the 2014-15 Student

Demographic profile, only 18% of our students
come from an international school. The other
82% come from programs where the World
History curriculum is often not sufficient to
prepare students for international standards.

On the Diagnostic Examination at the beginning

of the 2015-2016 school year, students were
asked five simple questions to test their
preparation for the course. The average score
was 3.37, 67% correct. Of the 186 students to
take the exam, 92 students (49%) scored 60%
or lower in terms of basic knowledge about
World History. 41 students (22%) scored 40%
or less on this portion of the exam.

MUIDS Student's Previous School

18%
42%

International
Program
Thai Program

40%

English Program

Prior Knowledge in World History

Satisfactory
22%
27%

51%

Below
Expectations
Far Below
Expectations

In the first year the World History course was taught, it only included the years 1750 1919. In the
second year, it only included the years 1500 1947. In the third year, the teachers attempted to
teach all of history in a single year, but were unsuccessful and had to leave out significant content
and many important skills.

The current Asia Studies curriculum lacks focus and repeats much of what is already learned in
Grade 10. It could be successfully integrated into a broader world history course.

World Religions has been removed from the curriculum, giving student no opportunity to learn
about the role of religion in the world today.

Proposed Solution: Replace the current sequence of Grade 10 World History, Grade 11 Asia Studies,
with a new sequence of Grade 10 World History Part 1, Grade 11 World History Part 2.

Asia Studies can be incorporated into both the Grade 10 course, and the Grade 11 course. All of the
standards will stay the same.

World Religions can be incorporated into the Grade 10 course.

All teachers in the Social Science Department have agreed that this is a problem, and all teachers
have also agreed on implementing this solution.

Students will have more time to develop the skills they need to study in the social science
department, since there will be less content in Grade 10 and more skill development.

The overlapping parts of the curriculum will be eliminated.

Students will be able to develop a more international outlook as they spend more time studying the
world.

New skills standards will be added to the Grade 10 curriculum. No skills standards will be removed.

Dan and Phil already have more than enough materials for a two-year course.

The course names are flexible, for example we can title the 10th grade course World History Part 1,
Asia in the Global Context Part 1, or any other name that works best for meeting school
requirements.

Implementation: The proposed changes would be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 would begin in
the 2016 2017 school year, when 10th grade Global History and Geography would become Global
History and Geography Part 1. Phase 2 would begin in the 2017 2018 school year, when 11th grade Asia
Studies would become World History and Geography Part II.

April 2016 Course description for World History Part 1 is submitted to Student Services (Phil,
Stanly, Dan)

May June 2016 New curriculum map and unit plans for World History Part 1 is created (Phil,
Stanly)

August 2016 10th Grade students (Class of 2019) begin course World History Part 1. 11th Grade
students (Class of 2018) continue with Asia Studies.

April 2016 Asia studies teachers work together with World History teachers to create curriculum
map and unit plans for World History Part 2 (Dan, Phil, Stanly, Woody, Carleton)

August 2017 10th grade students (Class of 2020) begin course World History Part 1, and 11th grade
students (Class of 2019) begin course World History Part 2. From this point the curriculum is set
and no further changes will need to be made.

Implementation of Core Courses by Academic Year

10th Grade

11th Grade

2015 - 2016

2016 - 2017

2017 - 2018

Class of 2018

Class of 2019

Class of 2020

Course: World History

and Geography

Course: World History

and Geography Part 1

Course: World History and

Geography Part 1

Class of 2017

Class of 2018

Class of 2019

Course: Asia Studies

Course: Asia Studies

Course: World History and

Geography Part 2

As the table above shows, the transition will not affect any of the schools classes. The changes will be
implemented gradually over a two-year period, and all changes will be complete by the 2017-2018 school
year. The Class of 2019 will be the first to complete the new program. The Class of 2018 will continue with
the current program.

Conclusion: The Department of Social Sciences has been working for three years to create a Global History
and Geography program that meets the needs and standards of our Thai and International requirements.
We have concluded that it is not possible with only one year of World History. These changes have been
agreed upon by consensus, are in the best needs of our students, and will be easy and cost free to
implement.

Approved: Yes

_________________________
School Director

No

__________________________
Deputy Director of Academic Services