College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards

The C3 Framework emphasizes the acquisition and application of knowledge to prepare students for college, career, and civic life.

It intentionally envisions social studies instruction as an inquiry arc of interlocking and mutually reinforcing elements that speak to the intersection of ideas and learners, including critical thinking and collaborative effort.

The Four Dimensions (Civics, Economics, Geography, and History) center on the use of questions to spark curiosity, guide instruction, deepen investigations and participatory skills, acquire rigorous content knowledge, and apply knowledge and ideas in real-world settings to become active and engaged citizens in the 21st century.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, students need the intellectual power to recognize societal problems; ask good questions and develop robust investigations into them with critical thinking; consider possible solutions and consequences; separate evidence-based claims from parochial opinions; and communicate and act upon what they learn. And most importantly, they must possess the capability and commitment to repeat that process as long as is necessary. Young people need strong tools for, and methods of, clear and disciplined thinking, problem solving, and planning inquiries in order to traverse successfully the worlds of college, career, and civic life.

The C3 Framework is centered on an inquiry arc, a set of interlocking and mutually supportive ideas that frame the ways students learn social studies content. By focusing on the inquiry design model, the framework emphasizes the disciplinary concepts and practices that support students as they develop the capacity to know, analyze, explain, and argue about interdisciplinary challenges in our social world.