This document, part of a series of papers which describe the assessment of student learning in various aspects of the South Carolina curriculum from prekindergarten through grade 12, focuses on the assessment of student learning in the social studies classroom. It begins with an overview of current curriculum goals in social studies education and offers a description of various instructional practices used in typical school classrooms. Subsequent sections describe alternative methods of assessing social studies learning that are consistent with modern curriculum and instructional goals. These methods include performance-based assessments, observation records, checklists, anecdotal records, portfolios, work samples, and exhibits. Criteria for evaluation are also provided. Few models of performance tasks exist, and many have yet to pass measures of validity and reliability. However, reception of the assessment strategies described in this report is generally positive, as teachers recognize the effectiveness of this type of assessment. Appendix A lists performance tasks in the social studies classroom, and Appendix B presents the Discussion Scoresheet. (SLD)