Abstract Content standards have a significant impact on the classroom as they provide a foundation on which teachers base their instruction and ensure a uniform experience in similar grade levels and settings (Ravitch, 1995; McMannon, 1997). In the field of social studies, standards not only identify the knowledge deemed worthy of consideration, they also suggest additonal desired student outcomes such as the development of agency and civic-mindedness (Ornstein, 1982). This subject area has...