Asian American Studies Curriculum Lab
The Asian American Studies Curriculum Lab supports Connecticut K-12 educators integrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) studies into their classrooms. We engage a range of stakeholders — including students, teachers, administrators, and community members — to develop curriculum frameworks and resources that deepen understanding of AAAS history and culture.
Contact Us
For more information, contact Jason Chang, lab director and head of the Department of Social and Critical Inquiry.
Sample Curriculum
The Curriculum Lab is a collective hosted by the Asian and Asian American Studies area to enable collaboration across stakeholders in primary and secondary education. The coalition includes high school students, pre-teaching college students, public school teachers, administrators, scholars, community leaders, government officials, and state department of education staff.
In this space, we have collaborated on the new social studies standards, K-8 social studies curriculum design, professional development events, long-term community of practice, and the Early College Experience teacher certification. The Curriculum Lab Advisory Board provides transparency and feedback for implementing K-12 education change.
Kindergarten to Grade 5
Students are introduced to key social studies concepts. Early grades focus on roles, responsibilities, and the evolution of communities, while later grades explore democratic participation, leadership, state and local history, geography, and U.S. history from colonization through the American Revolution.
Course Topics
Kindergarten | Understanding my Communities
- Roles and Responsibilities in a Community
- Families, Places, and Communities
- Communities Past and Present
Grade 1 | Society and Ourselves
- Contributing in a Democratic Society
- Honoring the Past and Present
- Global Communities
Grade 2 | Contributing to Society
- Working Together as a Community
- Leadership Past and Present
- Decision-Making in our World
Grade 3 | Connecticut and Local History
- State Constitution and Government
- Cultural Communities in Connecticut Past and Present
- Innovation, Industry, and Economic Growth
Grade 4 | United States Geography
- Understanding Regions
- Location, Places, and Movement
- Regional Interdependence
Grade 5 | United States History I: Colonization to American Revolution
- Migration and Settlement
- The Colonial Era
- The American Revolution
- The United States Constitution and Civic Participation
Grade 6 to 8
Students develop an understanding of geography, governance, economics, and history through both global and U.S. perspectives. In grades 6 and 7, they explore world regions, government systems, and cultural diffusion. By grade 8, the focus shifts to U.S. history, from Colonial America to Reconstruction.
Course Topics
Grade 6 | World Regional Studies I
- World Geographic Regions
- Systems of Governance
- Economic Decision-Making and Exchanges
Grade 7 | World Regional Studies II
- Movement and Cultural Diffusion
- Government and Human Rights
- Regional and Global Economics
Grade 8 | United States History II: Colonial America to Reconstruction
- Origins of United States Democracy and National Identity
- Expansion, Influence, and Economic Growth
High School I to III
Students explore global interconnections, revolutions, industrialization, and globalization. They then examine U.S. history from Reconstruction to the digital age, covering social, political, and economic shifts. The final course focuses on American democracy, government structures, and civic engagement.
Course Topics
High School I | Understanding my Communities
- Exchange and Interconnections
- Enlightenment and Revolutions
- Industry and Progress
- Global Imperialism
- Global Conflicts and Decolonization
- Economic Globalization and Global Governance
High School II | United States History III: Reconstruction to the Digital Age
- Reconstruction
- Immigration, Industrialization, and Progressivism
- Imperialism and WWI
- The 1920s, Great Depression, and New Deal
- World War II
- Cold War and Civil Rights
- Foreign Policy, Global Conflicts, and Cultural Shifts
- National Identity in a Digital Age
High School III | Civics and Government
- Foundations of American Democracy
- Structure and Function of Government
- Political Participation and Engagement
Our Projects
Connecticut AAPI Curriculum
This framework introduces an Asian American Studies framework to K-12 educators. The framework avoids common multicultural approaches that only include communities of color and marginalized groups through disjointed, superficial lessons focused on food, fun, and festivals. It also recognizes that Asian American studies is interdisciplinary and offers a thematic approach to teach Asian American studies across curriculum and throughout the year. The framework has four components:
- Definition of the term “Asian American” and Asian American studies.
- Essential concepts and major themes within each concept.
- Teaching considerations.
- A glossary of terms mentioned in the essential concepts and themes.
Check out this article from Education Week detailing how Connecticut is creating an Asian American Curriculum to be taught in public schools.
Professional Development Workshop: Asian American Studies 101 for Curriculum Writers
In 2023, the Curriculum Lab presented a workshop for the CT State Department of Education K-8 Social Studies Curriculum Writing Team. The presentation covered the four essential concepts of Asian and Asian American studies inspired from the San Francisco State University AAS K-12 Framework:
- Identity: exploration of self and community; stereotypes and discrimination.
- Power and oppression: imperialism, war, and migration; citizenship and radicalization.
- Community and Solidarity: resistance and solidarity; contention and complexity.
- Reclamation and joy: reclaiming histories; creative expression.
View a recording of the the professional development workshop.