Realities and Possibilities: Critical Global Education in Wisconsin Elementary Social Studies Standards

Abstract

This study critically examines the Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies for elementary grades with the goal of understanding what global content is present and how teachers can engage these standards through a critical global perspective. We conducted a textual analysis of the standards using Subedi’s decolonizing frameworks and Andreotti’s critical global citizenship education. We found few explicit references to global topics in the early grades, and identified additional possibilities. We provide multiple examples to implement critical global perspectives in elementary social studies classrooms.