Administrators

Each Investigating History unit went through a rigorous development process before it is released to the public. Curriculum writers initially consulted with subject-matter experts to ensure that the curriculum reflected the most accurate and up-to-date scholarship. Once drafted, materials were then vetted by numerous reviewers including historians, experts in social studies pedagogy, and Massachusetts teachers.

All Investigating History curricular units are piloted in classrooms across the state, reflecting a diversity of geography, student demographics, and teacher experience. Throughout our pilot cycles, an independent, third-party evaluation team draws on classroom observations and artifacts, as well as interviews with teachers and students, in order to provide recommendations for improvement. Ultimately, the published materials have gone through multiple rounds of piloting, feedback, and revision to ensure their quality and usability in classrooms.

The Investigating History curriculum for grades 5, 6, and 7 is now available; you can register here to learn more and gain access to the materials. The curriculum for grades 3 and 4 is currently being developed and field tested in a small number of classrooms, with a larger pilot opportunity anticipated for the 2024-25 school year.

At all grade levels, Investigating History is an open-source curriculum: free and available to anyone to use and modify.

DESE does not mandate that schools or districts use any specific curricular materials. Investigating History is intended to provide schools with a vetted, high-quality curriculum and professional development option that is directly aligned to the Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework. Whether to adopt these resources will be a decision made on a local level.

For teachers, schools, and districts who do choose to use the Investigating History materials, DESE is committed to helping them implement the curriculum thoughtfully within their given context, including identifying, training, and certifying professional development providers who are equipped to support districts and schools with the adoption and use of the materials. DESE has awarded over $1.5 million in grants to districts to support the costs of implementing Investigating History through the 2024-25 school year.

DESE's lead partners in developing the curricular materials and associated professional development are Primary Source, a nonprofit organization based in the Boston area that has worked to advance global education in schools for more than thirty years, and Educurious, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that specializes in project-based curriculum and professional learning. The pilot curriculum evaluation is being conducted by researchers at Tufts University's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

As part of this work, DESE has also worked with faculty from University of Massachusetts Boston's College of Education and Human Development, who led development of the design specifications for the materials, as well as researchers from Boston University's Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. Additional implementation supports have been developed in collaboration with Makematic and The Teacher Collaborative.