The North Carolina Social Studies Essential Standards are designed to ensure that our state prepares students to become informed, productive citizens. This requires an understanding of the content and skills of our discipline within the five lenses of Social Studies (including History, Geography, Culture, Civics and Government and Personal Financial Literacy). Learners in early grades gain experience with sequencing to establish a sense of order and time. They enjoy hearing stories of the recent past and those of long ago. They enjoy learning about history through the autobiographies and biographies of important people in history. In addition, they begin to recognize that individuals may hold different views about the past and understand the link between human decisions and consequences. This develops the foundation of historical knowledge, skills, and values within our local and global communities.