Social Studies

Wyoming Department of Education > For District Leadership > Content & Performance Standards > Social Studies

Contact Information

Social Studies Consultant
Rob Black
(307) 777-3747
rob.black1@wyo.gov

Social Studies Content & Performance Standards Downloads

2018 Additions to Social Studies Standards

Additions to the state Social Studies Content and Performance Standards were approved by Gov. Matt Mead on Aug. 15, 2018. The changes were made to  meet the intent of Original House Bill 76/House Enrolled Act 119 of the 2017 Wyoming legislative session, which required a review of the standards to address traditional culture, history and contemporary contributions of American Indian tribes of the region.

School districts have three full school years to implement the changes. All changes must be implemented in the 2021-22 school year. For more on the process, click here.

State Statute Requiring Instruction on Wyoming and U.S. Constitutions

Wyoming state law requires instruction on the state and federal constitution, and carries a penalty for failure to carry out those requirements.


Native American Education Resources

Per W.S. 21-4-602(b), the following resources are to assist school districts with meeting the Social Studies Standards relating to the study of American Indian tribes.

  • Open Range Wyoming is a statewide repository of openly-licensed educational resources to support Wyoming school districts and educators as they make the transition to the use of high-quality, openly-licensed educational resources in their schools.
  • Wind River Education Project is a series of videos, associated lesson plans and links to educational resources developed with funding from the Wyoming Legislature. The project aims to help teachers deliver lessons on the history, culture and people of Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation.
  • Wyohistory.org, a project of the Wyoming State Historical Society, offers a number of articles about Wyoming’s indigenous peoples, plus “digital toolkits” that serve as lesson plans on a number of American Indian topics.
  • “Two Nations – One Reservation” is a pop-up exhibit and related materials on the history of the Wind River Reservation from Wyoming Humanities.
  • The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody offers many K-12 programs and resources to help teachers and students meet Montana and Wyoming’s Indian Education for All component in these state’s Social Studies Standards.
  • Everyday Native, a resource for teachers of grades 4-12, was created to help bridge the gap of understanding that is held about Native Americans by non-Indians. The site emphasizes the everyday life of Native Americans as opposed to popular stereotypes created by movies, TV, books, and news media.
  • The Power of the Powwow Narrative:  A Resource for Teaching Literacy and Cultural Resilience,” developed by Dr. Stephany Anderson from Buffalo Bill Center of the West resources, offers powwow materials to teach historical literacy.
  • The Brinton Museum in Big Horn offers educational resources exploring Plains Indian life and culture through original art and artifacts on display in “To Honor The Plains Nations” exhibition in the American Indian Gallery.
  • Financial Resources for Native American Students from CreditMonkey contains over 100 scholarships, grants, and internships specifically for Native American students.
  • WoLakota Project is a collaboration between the South Dakota Department of Education and Technology and Innovation in Education (TIE) to preserve the voices and experiences of the Oceti Sakowin: The People of the Seven Council Fires – the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota peoples.
  • Native Knowledge 360° is a project of the National Museum of the American Indian. NK360° provides educational materials and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America.
  • The Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI) offers a free online professional learning series on culturally responsive instruction for Native American students.
  • War Paths to Peace Pipes offers a history of Native Americans in Wyoming. This illustrated article provides interesting facts, information, and a history timeline of the Native American Indians of Wyoming.
  • For Field trips: The St. Stephens Mission’s Heritage Center across from the St. Stephen’s School offers historical displays, traditional crafts and bead work, historical photographs, and a replica of dormitory life for Arapaho students during the early days of the mission. You can also make arrangements to see the historic St. Stephen’s Mission Church. Contact the St. Stephen’s Indian Mission & Heritage Center at (307) 856-7806. The Mission’s hours are 9am-12pm, 1-4pm Monday-Wednesday & Friday.
  • Local Learning – The National Network for Folk Arts in Education offers resources for inclusion of folk and traditional arts and culture into education, including teacher training and institutes.