History can be overwhelmingly filled with dates, names, and places.  The teachers at Cunningham Park understand this and strive to make history come alive, thereby, making it more meaningful to each student. Our program of social studies instruction incorporates the four strands: history, geography, civics, and economics as set forth in the Standards of Learning (SOL).

Kindergarten introduces communities, family traditions, national holidays and the people associated with those holidays.  First grade focuses on individuals who have made significant contributions to United States history.  Second grade presents the culture and societies of Native American Indian tribes from three regions of the United States. Mexican and Ghanaian contemporary cultures are also studied.  Third grade takes the students beyond the U.S. borders and across time and oceans to learn about the ancient civilizations of Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome.  Fourth grade brings the eager learners back to Virginia. Students learn about the state of Virginia from 1607 to the present.  They consider how different cultures, politics, geography, and economics influenced and advanced the development of their state.  Fifth grade transports the students to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, the classical civilization of Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and contemporary society. Sixth grade examines American history from exploration in the 17th century to 1865.  Students study the most important events that shaped the United States from the first European exploration, to striving for freedom and equality, to moving west, and to fighting to keep the nation a "Union". Students acquire the appreciation of the sacrifices early Americans made to make this country what it is today.

The Standards of Learning are applied at each grade level.  Concepts and facts previously learned are reviewed in order to support new instruction.   These studies prepare the students for the SOL tests.

Cunningham Park has the advantage of having a large multicultural community.  Students bring an awareness of the variety of cultures our planet holds.  Parents bring their heritage and customs to share and enrich what is learned in the classroom.  This diversification assists students in identifying major contributions of the people, places, and cultures under study.  Around 106 BC, Polybious, once said, "The knowledge gained from history is the truest education".  This thought recorded so long ago still rings true today at Cunningham Park.
 
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