Social Studies Four-Year Sequence at AAHS:

Students at Academic Arts High School learn the social studies skills and knowledge required to succeed in postsecondary education, the skilled workplace, and civic life. Three and a half years, or 14 quarters, or 14 credits of social studies coursework are required to earn a diploma from Academic Arts.

 

These 14 credits must be earned in the core subjects of Human Geography (2 credits), U.S. History (4 credits), Civics and Economics (4 credits), and World History (4 credits). Two additional quarters of social studies are offered as electives, and for making up missing credits. Class content follows a four-year cycle timed to the U.S. presidential elections, with Civics and Economics falling on the 2012-2013 school year:

 

Year A:          Human Geography                                     (2 quarters, required)

                    Social Studies Electives                               (2 quarters, elective)

Year B:          U.S. History                                               (4 quarters, required)

Year C:          Civics and Economics                                  (4 quarters, required)

Year D:          World History                                             (4 quarters, required)

 

Social Studies Electives may include Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Archeology, Anthropology, or Current Events. AP (Advanced Placement) independent study options may be made available for other classes beginning in 2013-14.

 

Social Studies Learning Goals at AAHS

 

These learning goals were taken from the final draft of Minnesota's state academic standards in social studies, published February, 2012, also available here: http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/EdExc/StanCurri/K-12AcademicStandards/index.htm. They are a list of things Minnesota high-school graduates should know or be able to do. The same goals are spread out over individual course syllabi and unit pages at http://petehumanities.pbworks.com.

 

As they appear below, the state social studies standards are divided into "strands," which are in bold and given roman numerals. Each strand is divided into "sub-strands," also in bold, and "standards," which are written as broad statements and numbered. Below each standard are "benchmarks." Benchmarks are the true learning goals. They have an underscore ("__") next to them.

 

For example, the first learning goal, or benchmark, listed below is:

 

__Demonstrate skills that enable people to monitor and influence state, local and national affairs.

 

 

Note: History standards are mis-numbered because that's how they appear on the official draft (standards 1, 3, 4, and 5 appear to have been deleted).

 

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I. Citizenship and Government

 

Civic Skills

1. Democratic government depends on informed and engaged citizens who exhibit civic skills and values, practice civic discourse, vote and participate in elections, apply inquiry and analysis skills and take action to solve problems and shape public policy.

__Demonstrate skills that enable people to monitor and influence state, local and national affairs. For example: Working with others; conducting civil conversations; articulating ideas and interests; negotiating differences and managing conflict with people or groups who have different perspectives; using parliamentary procedures; building consensus.

__Demonstrate the skills necessary to participate in the election process, including registering to vote, identifying and evaluating candidates and issues, and casting a ballot.

__Evaluate sources of information and various forms of political persuasion for validity, accuracy, ideology, emotional appeals, bias and prejudice.

__Examine a public policy issue by defining the problem, developing alternative courses of action, evaluating the consequences of each alternative, selecting a course of action, and designing a plan to implement the action and resolve the problem.

 

Civic Values and Principles of Democracy

2. The United States is based on democratic values and principles that include liberty, individual rights, justice, equality, the rule of law, limited government, common good, popular sovereignty, majority rule and minority rights.

__Analyze how constitutionalism preserves fundamental societal values, protects individual freedoms and rights, promotes the general welfare, and responds to changing circumstances and beliefs by defining and limiting the powers of government.

__Identify the sources of governmental authority; explain popular sovereignty (consent of the governed) as the source of legitimate governmental authority in a representative democracy or republic.

 

3. The United States is based on democratic values and principles that include liberty, individual rights, justice, equality, the rule of law, limited government, common good, popular sovereignty, majority rule and minority rights.

__Define and provide examples of foundational ideas of American government which are embedded in founding era documents: natural rights philosophy, social contract, civic virtue, popular sovereignty, constitutionalism, representative democracy, political factions, federalism and individual rights. For example: Documents-Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, the Constitution, selected Federalist Papers (such as 10, 39, 51, 78), the Bill of Rights.

__Analyze how the following tools of civic engagement are used to influence the American political system: civil disobedience, initiative, referendum and recall.

__Analyze the tensions between the government's dual role of protecting individual rights and promoting the general welfare, the struggle between majority rule and minority rights, and the conflict between diversity and unity.

 

Rights and Responsibilities

4. Individuals in a republic have rights, duties and responsibilities.

__Analyze the meaning and importance of rights in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments; compare and contrast these with rights in the Minnesota Constitution.

__Explain the scope and limits of rights protected by the First and Second Amendments and changes created by legislative action and court interpretation.

__Explain the scope and limits of rights of the accused under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments and changes created by legislative action and court interpretation.

__Explain the current and historical interpretations of the principles of due process and equal protection of the law; analyze the protections provided by the Fourteenth Amendment.

__Explain the responsibilities and duties for all individuals (citizens and non-citizens) in a republic. For example: Paying taxes, obeying the law, responding to government requests such as subpoenas, informed participation in voting and public decision-making, developing and defending positions on public policy issues, monitoring, influencing decision making.

 

5. Citizenship and its rights and duties are established by law.

__Define the legal meaning of citizenship in the United States, describe the process and requirements for citizenship, and explain the duties of citizenship including service in court proceedings (jury duty) and selective service registration (males).

__Describe the process of naturalization; explain the role of the federal government in establishing immigration policies.

 

Governmental Institutions & Political Processes

6. The United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way that

power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state, local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of government.

__Explain federalism and the provisions of the United States Constitution which delegate to the federal government the powers necessary to fulfill the purposes

for which it was established; distinguish between those powers and the powers retained by the

people and the states. For example: Necessary and Proper Clause ("elastic clause"), Commerce Clause, Ninth and Tenth Amendments.

__Explain the purposes, organization, functions and processes of the legislative branch as enumerated in Article I of the United States Constitution.

__Explain the purposes, organization, functions and processes of the executive branch as enumerated in Article II of the United States Constitution.

__Explain the purposes, organization, functions and processes of the judicial branch as enumerated in Article III of the United States Constitution.

__Describe the systems of enumerated and implied powers, separation of powers and checks and balances.

__Evaluate the importance of an independent judiciary, judicial review and the rule of law.

__Explain the powers and operations of the State of Minnesota government as defined in its Constitution and its relationship with the federal government.

__Explain the powers and operations of local (county, city, school board, township) government in Minnesota.

__Compare and contrast the budgets of the United States and Minnesota governments describing the major sources of revenue and categories of spending for each. For example: Sources of revenue- sales, income and property taxes, fees. Categories of spending-leases (mineral, water, oil, lumber), defense, public safety, education, entitlements, transportation, welfare.

 

7. The primary purposes of rules and laws within the United States constitutional government are to protect individual rights, promote the general welfare and provide order.

__Describe the purposes, types, and sources of laws and rules. For example: Types of laws-civil, criminal and juvenile. Sources of laws and rules-case, statutory, administrative, executive.

 

8. Public policy is shaped by governmental and non-governmental institutions and political processes.

__Evaluate the impact of political parties on elections and public policy formation.

__Evaluate the role of interest groups, corporations, think tanks, the media and public opinion on the political process and public policy formation.

 

9. Free and fair elections are key elements of the United States political system.

__Analyze how the United States political system is shaped by elections and the election process, including the caucus system and procedures involved in voting.

 

Relationships of the United States to Other Nations and Organizations

10. The United States establishes and maintains relationships and interacts with indigenous nations and other sovereign nations, and plays a key role in world affairs.

__Explain how tribal sovereignty establishes a unique relationship between American Indian Nations and the United States government.

__Evaluate the effectiveness of diplomacy and other foreign policy tools used by the United States government and other nations in historical or contemporary times.

__Explain why governments interact in world affairs; describe how the United States government develops and carries out United States foreign policy, including treaty-making.

 

11. International political and economic institutions influence world affairs and United States

foreign policy.

__Describe how individuals, businesses, labor and other groups influence United States foreign policy.

__Explain the role of international law in world affairs; evaluate the impact of the participation of nation states in international organizations. For example: International organizations- United Nations, Arab League, World Trade Organization, African Union, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organization of American States.

 

12. Governments are based on different political philosophies and purposes; governments establish and maintain relationships with varied types of other governments.

__Compare the philosophies, structures and operations of different types of governments in other countries with those in the United States. For example: Different types of governments-monarchies, theocracies, dictatorships, representative governments.

 

II. Economics

 

Economic Reasoning Skills:

1. People make informed economic choices by identifying their goals, interpreting and applying data, considering the short-and long-run costs and benefits of choices and revising their goals based on their analysis.

__Apply reasoned decision-making techniques in making choices;

explain why different individuals, households, organizations and/or governments faced with the same alternatives might make different choices. For example: Decision-making techniques-PACED decision-making process (Problem, Alternative, Criteria, Evaluation, Decision) , benefit-cost analysis, marginal analysis, consideration of sunk costs, results of behavioral economics.

 

Personal Finance

2. Personal and financial goals can be achieved by applying economic concepts and principles to personal financial planning, budgeting, spending, saving, investing, borrowing and insuring decisions.

__Establish financial goals; make a financial plan considering budgeting and asset building to meet those goals; and determine ways to track the success of the plan. For example: Goals-college education, start a business, buy a house, retire comfortably; calculate net (or disposable) income. Plan- calculate necessary saving to meet a financial goal; create a cash-flow or income-expense statement; create a balance sheet showing assets and liabilities.

__Evaluate investment options using criteria such as risk, return, liquidity and time horizon; evaluate and apply risk management strategies

in investing and insuring decisions. For example: Apply PACED decision- making process (Problem, Alternative, Criteria, Evaluation, Decision). Investment options-stocks, bonds, savings account, CDs, real estate.

Risk management strategies- diversification, dollar-averaging, safe driving, buying homeowners insurance.

__Evaluate the benefits and costs of credit; describe the "three C's" of credit (character, capacity and collateral) and explain how these attributes can affect one's ability to borrow, rent, get a job and achieve other financial goals. For example: Two typical costs of credit are the finance charges and a lower degree of financial security. A person's FICO score is a measure of their character and the lower it is, the higher the interest rates they usually must pay to borrow.

__Explain the pricing, sales, advertising and other marketing strategies used to sell products from a consumer perspective. For example: Unit pricing, sales tactics which can help or hinder choices, advertising which can provide useful information or misleading claims, scams, fraudulent offers.

 

Fundamental Concepts

3. Because of scarcity, individuals, organizations and governments must evaluate trade-offs, make choices and incur costs.

__Identify the incentives and trade- offs related to a choice made by an individual, household, organization or government; describe the opportunity cost of a choice; and analyze the consequences of a choice (both intended and unintended). For example: An opportunity cost of choosing to spend more than your income, be it an individual or government, is less financial security and ability to spend later.

 

4. Economic systems differ in the ways that they address the three basic economic issues of allocation, production and distribution to meet society's broad economic goals.

__Explain how the availability of productive resources and technology limits the production of goods and services. For example: Productive resources- human, capital, natural, and entrepreneurial; production possibilities curve and shifts of this curve; effects of technological change.

__Compare and contrast the characteristics of traditional, command (planned), market-based (capitalistic) and mixed economic systems. For example: Characteristics- ownership of resources, consumer sovereignty, amount of government involvement, underlying incentives, compatibility with democratic principles. How does each system answer these questions: What to produce? How to produce? For whom to produce?

__Define broad economic goals and describe the trade-offs that exist between them; evaluate how different economic systems achieve these goals in theory and in practice. For example: Economic goals- efficiency, equity, security, stability, freedom, growth. Trade-offs-a market-based economy may achieve the goals of efficiency and freedom, but sometimes at the expense of security and equity; a command economy is more equitable in theory than in practice.

 

Microeconomic Concepts

5. Individuals, businesses and governments interact and exchange goods, services and resources in different ways and for different reasons; interactions between buyers and sellers in a market determines the price and quantity exchanged of a good, service or resource.

__Describe the role of households, businesses and governments in the movement of resources, goods and services, and money in an economy. For example: Circular flow model- households sell resources to earn income to buy goods and services; businesses buy resources to produce goods and services they sell for revenue; governments impose taxes and buy goods and services.

__Describe the role of markets in the movement of resources, goods and services, and money in an economy. For example: Product markets (exchange of goods and services), resource markets (households are sellers and businesses are buyers).

__Explain that market demand is based on each buyer's willingness and ability to pay and the number of buyers in the market; analyze the effect of factors that can change demand. For example: Factors-income/wealth, prices of other goods, consumer tastes and preferences, expectations. An increase in the price of sugar leads to an increase in the demand for corn syrup, a substitute.

__Explain that market supply is based on each seller's cost and the number of sellers in the market; analyze the effect of factors that

can change supply. For example: Factors-productivity of resources, price of resources, government taxes and subsidies, profit expectations; a fall in the price of leather leads to an increase in the supply of baseball gloves due to the lower cost of production.

__Use demand and supply curves to explain how the equilibrium price and quantity in a market is determined as buyers and sellers adjust their offers in response to shortages or surpluses. For example: If the price of houses is such that the quantity offered by

sellers exceeds the quantity demanded by buyers, a housing surplus would exist which would lead sellers to offer

lower prices.

__Explain how changes (shifts) in the demand and supply of an item

result in changes in its market price and quantity; explain how these

shifts can lead to changes in prices and quantities in other markets. For example: An increase in the price of oil increases the cost of producing gasoline. This reduces ("leftward shifts") the supply of gasoline, leading to an increase in the price of gasoline and a reduction in the quantity of gasoline sold.

 

6. Profit provides an incentive for individuals and businesses; different business organizations and market structures have an effect on the profit, price and production of goods and services.

__Compare and contrast characteristics of various market structures. For example: Characteristics-number of firms, amount of product differentiation, amount of market integration, barriers to entry, type of business organization. Market structures-perfect competition, polyopoly (or monopolistic

competition), oligopoly, monopoly.

__Explain the impact of various market structures on long-run profit, price, production, and efficiency in the market. For example: Impact-In perfectly- competitive markets, profits direct resources to their most-valued use (the "invisible hand of the market"); a monopoly will restrict output below the efficient (or competitive) amount in order to drive up price and earn economic profits.

 

7. Resource markets and financial markets determine wages, interest rates and commodity

prices.

__Explain the role of productivity, human capital, unions, demographics and government policies in determining wage rates and income in labor markets. For example: Retiring baby-boomers will likely lead to labor shortages; increases in worker productivity lead to increases in the demand for labor and higher wages; minimum wage laws

lead to higher wages but also cause labor surpluses.

__Explain the role of financial institutions and credit markets in the acquisition of capital. For example: Financial institutions (intermediaries between savers and investors)-commercial banks, investment banks, credit unions, stock exchanges. Credit markets (interaction between borrowers and lenders) determine interest rates which affect capital purchases (or investment spending).

__Describe commodities as natural resources necessary to produce goods and services; explain how world events and market speculation can affect commodity and other prices. For example: Commodities-grains, minerals, oil, fruits, natural gas, wood. Effects-unrest in oil-producing nations raises the price of oil which raises the cost of energy of producing many goods and services.

 

8. Market failures occur when markets fail to allocate resources efficiently or meet other goals, and this often leads to government attempts to correct the problem.

__Identify and analyze market failures caused by a lack of competition, lack of resource mobility (barriers), and lack of perfect information; evaluate the rationale and effectiveness of government attempts to remedy these problems. For example: Remedies-anti-trust laws, consumer protection laws, provision of consumer information, disclosure laws; Government agencies-Department of Justice, Securities Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission.

__Identify and analyze market failures caused by poorly-defined or poorly- enforced property rights, externalities, and public goods; evaluate the rationale and effectiveness of government attempts to remedy these problems. For example: Hunting licenses to control access to deer, fish and other wildlife populations; the creation of a tradable discharge permit market for sulfur to correct the negative externality of acid rains; provision of police and courts to enforce private property rights. Government attempts to remedy problems-legal system, agencies (Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources).

__Identify measures of income distribution, wealth distribution and poverty and explain how these affect, and are affected by, the economy; evaluate the effectiveness of, and incentives created by, government income redistribution programs. For example: Measures-Gini coefficient, poverty line, wealth of richest twenty percent divided by wealth of poorest twenty percent. Effects-a different income or wealth distribution would result in a different allocation of resources. Government programs-Social Security, basic welfare, unemployment compensation.

 

Macroeconomic Concepts

9. Economic performance (the performance of an economy toward meeting its goals) can be

measured, and is affected by, various long-term factors.

__Measure economic growth in terms of percentage changes in real Gross Domestic Product over time; analyze past and recent data to identify factors that promote or impair long-run economic growth and its sustainability. For example: Factors-productivity, amount of resources, level of saving, investments, technological advances, research and development, education and training, natural resource availability.

__Measure inflation in terms of a percentage change in a price

index; analyze past and recent data to explain how the money supply is

related to long-run inflation with the equation of exchange. For example: Price indexes- consumer price index, producer price index, gross domestic product deflator. Equation of exchange-MV=PQ, given V (the velocity of money) constant and Q (output) at full employment, a percentage change in M (the money supply) will result in the same percentage change in P (the price level).

__Measure full employment in terms of the unemployment rate and various types of unemployment; analyze past and recent data to describe factors that impact the long-run growth of jobs in an economy. For example: Types of unemployment-frictional, structural, cyclical, seasonal; Factors- demographics, immigration, growth of output.

 

10. The overall levels of output, employment and prices in an economy fluctuate in the short run as a result of the spending and production decisions of households, businesses, governments and others.

__Describe factors that can lead to changes in short-run total spending (by households, businesses, governments and foreigners) and changes in short-run output. For example: Total spending factors- household wealth, foreign incomes, interest rates, factory utilization rate, expectations. Output factors- resource prices, resource productivity, government regulations.

__Use a short-run aggregate demand and aggregate supply model to describe changes in output, employment and the price level. For example: A decrease in aggregate demand (due to a loss of household wealth) leads to a decrease in the price level, real gross domestic product (GDP), employment.

 

11. The overall performance of an economy can be influenced by the fiscal policies of governments and the monetary policies of central banks.

__Explain how various government fiscal policies are likely to impact overall output, employment and the price level. For example: Fiscal policies-changes in spending levels or composition, tax rates, tax base, tax structure, budget decisions, debt, regulations; increases in government spending tend to increase output, employment, and the price level; crowding-out effect.

__Describe how various monetary policies of the Federal Reserve are implemented; explain how they are likely to impact overall output, employment, and the price level. For example: Monetary policies- changes in the rate of growth of the money supply, interest rates, the availability of credit, financial regulations; decreases in interest rates tends to increase output, employment, and the price level.

__Explain fiscal and monetary policies from various perspectives; provide arguments from one's own perspective, supported by analysis, for a policy change that should be adopted. For example: Various perspectives- How do liberals and conservatives view the economic desirability of increasing tax rates on the wealthy?

__Evaluate the impact of at least two United States Supreme Court decisions on the United States economy. For example: Cases that define corporations as persons, child labor laws, commerce clause cases, anti- trust cases.

 

12. International trade, exchange rates and international institutions affect individuals, organizations and governments throughout the world.

__Apply the principles of absolute and comparative advantage to explain the increase in world production due to specialization and trade;

identify the groups that benefit and lose with free-trade treaties, trading blocs and trade barriers. For example: Dropping United States restrictions on the importation of sugar would benefit sugar consumers through lower prices, but hurt sugar beet farmers; however, the net economic benefit for the United States would be positive. Role of the World Trade Organization.

__Explain how the demand and supply of currencies determines exchange rates and, in turn, affects trade. For example: A rise in the demand for United States exports and assets leads to rise in the demand for United States dollars and an appreciation in the

value of the United States dollar relative to other currencies.

 

III. Geography

 

Geospatial Skills

1. People use geographic representations and geospatial technologies to acquire, process and report information within a spatial context.

__Create tables, graphs, charts, diagrams and various kinds of maps including symbol, dot and choropleth maps to depict the geographic implications of current world events or to solve geographic problems. For example: Maps showing changing political boundaries and tables showing the distribution of refugees from areas affected by natural disasters.

__Apply geographic information from a variety of print and electronic sources to interpret the past and present and plan for the future; provide rationale for using specific technologies for each application. For example: Technologies-aerial photographs, satellite-produced imagery, and geographic information systems (GIS). Applications-determine obstacles that needed to be overcome in building the Suez and Panama Canals; gauge the extent of water pollution in a harbor complex in South Africa.

 

2. Geographic Inquiry is a process in which people ask geographic questions and gather, organize and analyze information to solve problems and plan for the future.

__Use geospatial technologies to make and justify decisions about the best location for facilities. For example: Technologies- Geographic Information Systems (GIS), online atlases and databases, Google Earth or similar programs. Decision about location of facilities-determine the best location for an international airport in a given region.

__Use geospatial technologies to develop plans for analyzing and solving local and regional problems that have spatial dimensions. For example: Geospatial technology- Geographic Information Systems (GIS), online atlases and databases, Google Earth or similar programs. Regional problems that have spatial dimensions might relate to urban development, environmental concerns, transportation issues, flood control.

 

Places and Regions

3. Places have physical characteristics (such as climate, topography and vegetation) and human characteristics (such as culture, population, political and economic systems).

__Make inferences and draw conclusions about the physical and human characteristics of places based on a comparison of maps and other geographic representations

and geospatial technologies. For example: Physical characteristics- landforms (Rocky Mountains), ecosystems (forest), bodies of water (Mississippi River, Hudson Bay), vegetation, weather and climate. Human characteristics-bridges (Golden Gate Bridge), Erie Canal, cities, political boundaries, population distribution, settlement patterns,

language, ethnicity, nationality, religious beliefs.

 

4. People construct regions to identify, organize and interpret areas of the earth's surface,

which simplifies the earth's complexity.

__Apply geographic models to explain the location of economic activities and land use patterns in the United States and the world.

__Identify the primary factors influencing the regional pattern of economic activities in the United States and the world.

__Explain how technological and managerial changes associated with the third agricultural revolution, pioneered by Norman Bourlaug, have impacted regional patterns of crop and livestock production.

__Describe patterns of production and consumption of agricultural commodities that are traded among nations.

 

Human Systems

5. The characteristics, distribution and migration of human populations on the earth's surface influence human systems (cultural, economic and political

systems).

__Describe the patterns of human population distribution in the United States and major regions of the world.

__Use the demographic transition model to analyze and explain the impact of changing birth and death rates in major world regions.

__Compare the population characteristics of places at a range

of scales using population pyramids, birth and death rates, and other key

demographic variables.

__Explain migration patterns in the modern era at a range of scales, local to global.

__Describe the factors influencing the growth and spatial distribution of large cities in the contemporary world. For example: Economic development, migration, population growth.

__Analyze how transportation and communication systems have affected the development of systems of cities.

__Describe how changes in transportation and communication technologies affect the patterns and processes of urbanization of the United States.

__Describe the factors (transportation, government policies, economic development, and changing cultural values) that shape and change urban and suburban areas in the United States.

 

6. Geographic factors influence the distribution, functions, growth and patterns of cities and human settlements.

__Use generally accepted models to explain the internal spatial structure of cities in regions of the United States and other regions in the world. For example: Models-Concentric Zone, Sector, Multiple Nuclei, Western European city, Latin American city, Southeast Asian city, African city. Regions of the United States-eastern United States, western United States. Regions of the world- Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa South of the Sahara, Southwest Asia/ North Africa.

 

7. The characteristics, distribution and complexity of the earth's cultures influence human systems (social, economic and political

systems).

__Explain the spread of culture using the concept of diffusion and diffusion models.

__Describe the spatial distribution of significant cultural and/or ethnic groups in the United States and the world and how these patterns are changing.

__Explain how social, political and economic processes influence the characteristics of places and regions.

 

8. Processes of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of the earth's surface.

__Define the concepts of nationalism and sovereign political states and explain how sovereignty is impacted by international agreements.

__Describe the effects of nationalism and supranationalism on the establishment of political boundaries and economic activities.

__Analyze the impact of colonialism on the emergence of independent

states and the tensions that arise when the boundaries of political units do not correspond to the nationalities or ethnicities of the people living within them.

 

Human Environment Interaction

9. The environment influences human actions; and humans both adapt to and change, the environment.

__Analyze the interconnectedness of the environment and human activities (including the use of technology), and the impact of one upon the other.

 

10. The meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources changes over time.

__Describe patterns of production and consumption of fossil fuels that are traded among nations.

 

IV. History

 

Historical Thinking Skills

2. Historical inquiry is a process in which multiple sources and different kinds of historical evidence are analyzed to draw conclusions about how and why things happened in the past.

__Pose questions about topics in history; suggest possible answers and write a thesis; locate and organize primary and secondary sources; analyze them for credibility and bias; corroborate information across the sources; use sources to support or refute the thesis; and present supported findings.

__Evaluate alternative interpretations of historical events; use historical evidence to support or refute those interpretations.

 

World History

6. Environmental changes and human adaptation enabled human migration from Africa to other regions of the world. (The Beginnings of Human History: 200,000-8000 BCE)

__Develop a timeline that traces the migration of the earliest humans from Africa to other world regions, including the Americas; analyze the environmental factors that enabled their migration to other world regions and the ways in which they adapted to different environments. (The Beginnings of Human History: 200,000- 8000 BCE)

 

7. The emergence of domestication and agriculture facilitated the development of complex societies and caused far- reaching social and cultural effects. (Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples: 8000 BCE-2000 BCE)

__Locate on a map and describe when and how humans began to domesticate wild plants and animals and develop agricultural societies. (Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples: 8000 BCE-2000 BCE)

__Compare and contrast the cultural differences between the hunter gatherer and early agricultural societies. (Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples: 8000 BCE-2000 BCE)

 

8. The development of interregional systems of communication and trade facilitated new forms of social organization and new belief systems. (Classical Traditions, Belief Systems and Giant Empires: 2000 BCE - 600 CE)

__Describe the development, characteristics, and decline of civilizations in Africa, East Asia, and South Asia; describe their interactions. (Classical Traditions, Belief Systems, and Giant Empires: 2000 BCE - 600 CE) For example: African civilizations- Kush, Aksum. East Asian civilizations-Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han. South Asian civilizations-Indo- Aryan, Mauryan, Gupta.

__Describe the development, characteristics, and decline of civilizations in Southwest Asia and around the Mediterranean Sea (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome); describe their interactions. (Classical Traditions, Belief Systems, and Giant Empires: 2000 BCE - 600 CE)

__Analyze the emergence, development, and impact of religions and philosophies of this era, including Hinduism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity. (Classical Traditions, Belief Systems, and Giant Empires: 2000 BCE - 600

CE)

__ Hemispheric networks intensified as a result of innovations in agriculture, trade across longer distances, the consolidation of belief systems and the development of new multi-ethnic empires while diseases and climate change caused sharp, periodic fluctuations in global population. (Post-Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange:

600-1450)

__Describe the rise and significance of Islam in Southwest Asia and its expansion and institutionalization into other regions. (Post-Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange: 600-1450)

__Describe the characteristics of the Swahili, Ghana and Mali Songhai cultures in Africa, including trade across longer distances and the impact of Islam. (Post-Classical and Medieval

Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange: 600-1450)

__Compare and contrast the cultures of China (Yuan/ Mongol and Ming) and Japan (Heian and early Shogunates), including the consolidation of belief systems. (Post-Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange: 600-1450)

 

9. Hemispheric networks intensified as a result of innovations in agriculture, trade across longer distances, the consolidation of belief systems and the development of new multi-ethnic empires while diseases and climate change caused sharp, periodic

fluctuations in global population. (Post-Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding

Zones of Exchange: 600-1450)

__Analyze the impact of Indian Ocean trade on the cultures in South and Southeast Asia. (Post- Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange: 600-1450)

__Compare and contrast the cultures in eastern and western Europe, including the role of Christianity, feudalism and the impact of diseases and climate change. (Post-Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange: 600-1450) For example: The Black Death, Byzantine Empire, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism.

__Analyze the factors that led to the emergence and expansion of the multi-ethnic Aztec and Inca empires in the Americas. (Post- Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange: 600-1450)

__Describe the intensified exchanges of scientific, artistic and historical knowledge among Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia; evaluate the impact on Christian and Islamic societies. (Post-Classical and Medieval Civilizations and Expanding Zones of Exchange: 600-1450) For example: Dar al Islam, Crusades, Renaissance.

 

10. New connections between the hemispheres resulted in the "Columbian Exchange," new sources and forms of knowledge, development of the first truly global economy, intensification of coerced labor, increasingly complex societies and shifts in the international balance of power. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

__Describe the Reformation and Counter-Reformation; analyze their impact throughout the Atlantic world. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

__Explain the social, political and economic changes in Europe that led to trans-oceanic exploration and colonization. (Emergence of

the First Global Age: 1450-1750) For example: Maritime technology, Reconquista.

__Describe the impact of interactions and negotiations between African leaders and European traders on long- distance trade networks. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

__Describe the interactions and negotiations between Americans (Mayans, Aztecs, Incas) and European explorers, as well as the consequences. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

__Assess the social and demographic impact of the Columbian Exchange on Europe, the Americas and Africa. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

__Compare and contrast the forms of slavery and other non-free labor systems among African, European and Arab societies; analyze the causes and consequences of chattel slavery in the Atlantic. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

__Describe the expansion of the Ottoman empire; define its relationships and exchanges with neighboring societies and religious and ethnic minorities. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

__Analyze the varied responses in China and Japan to increasingly worldwide economic and cultural exchanges. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750) For example: Seclusion of Tokugawa Shogunate, Ming trade, Jesuit Missionaries.

__Identify the major intellectual and scientific developments of seventeenth and eighteenth- century Europe; describe the regional and global influences on the European Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, and assess their impact on global society. (Emergence of the First Global Age: 1450-1750)

 

11. Industrialization ushered in wide- spread population growth and migration, new colonial empires and revolutionary ideas about government and political power. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922)

__Describe the causes and the regional and global impact of the Industrial Revolution. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922) For example: Causes-development of new sources of energy/ power, Enclosure Act, Agricultural Revolution. Impact-Emancipation of serfs in Russia, unionized labor, rise of banking, growth of middle class.

__Explain the causes and global consequences of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922)

__Describe the independence movements and rebellions in the Caribbean and Central and South America; analyze the social, political and economic causes and consequences of these events. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922) For example: Toussaint L' Ouverture in Haiti, Simon Bolivar in Venezuela.

__Compare and contrast the shift from chattel slavery to other forms of labor in different world regions, and its effects on world- wide migration patterns. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922) For example: Hindi plantation workers in Trinidad, Japanese cane workers in Hawaii, Aborigine domestic servants in Australia.

__Describe the origins and spread of the transatlantic abolition movement; evaluate its effects on the end of the African slave trade and chattel slavery in law and in practice. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922) For example: French Revolutionaries' abolition of slavery in 1794 and Napoleon's re- legalization of slavery in French colonies in 1802; Haitian independence and abolition in 1804; 1787 founding of the British colony of Sierra Leone; British Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade and Parliament's 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act; Mexican Revolutionaries' abolition in 1810.

__Compare and contrast the development and results of state building and nationalism in the nineteenth century. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922) For example: Mexico, Germany, Japan, Zionism.

__Describe European imperialism; explain its effects on interactions with colonized peoples in Africa and Asia. (The Age of Revolutions:

1750-1922) For example: Berlin Conference, Treaty of Nanking, Sepoy Rebellion (India's First War of Independence).

__Compare and contrast the approaches of China and Japan to Western influence. (The Age of Revolutions: 1750-1922) For example: Opium War, Boxer

Rebellion, Meiji Restoration.

 

12. A rapidly evolving world dominated by industrialized powers, scientific and technological progress, profound political, economic, and cultural change, world wars and widespread

violence and unrest produced a half century of crisis and achievement. (A Half Century of Crisis and Achievement: 1900-1950)

__Describe the social, political and economic causes and consequences of World War I. (A Half Century of Crisis and Achievement: 1900-1950) For example: Treaty of Versailles, Turkey, expanding opportunities for women, Age of Anxiety, economic insecurity.

__Describe the rise and effects of communism and socialism in Europe and Asia, including the Bolshevik Revolution (1917) in Russia and the Chinese Revolution (1949). (A Half Century of Crisis & Achievement: 1900-1950)

__Describe the social, political and economic causes and main turning points of World War II. (A Half Century of Crisis and Achievement: 1900-1950) For example: Causes-Rise of totalitarianism, invasion of Manchuria, appeasement, invasion of Poland. Turning points- Stalingrad, Battle of Midway.

__Describe the causes and consequences of the Nazi Holocaust, including the effects of the Nazi regime's "war against the Jews" and other groups, and its influence on the 1948 United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights movements of the post-WW II era. (A Half Century of Crisis and Achievement: 1900-1950)

__Identify major developments in science, medicine, and technology; analyze their benefits and dangers. (A Half Century of Crisis and Achievement: 1900-1950) For example: Developments- electricity, automobile, hydrogen bomb, vaccines.

 

13. Post- World War II geopolitical reorganization produced the Cold War balance of power and new alliances that were based on competing economic and political doctrines. (The World After World War II: 1950-1989)

__Trace the political and economic changes in China from the Communist Revolution until recent times. (The World After World War II: 1950-1989) For example: Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, Tiananmen Square.

__Evaluate the degree to which individuals and groups have shaped the development of various post-colonial governments. (The World After World War II: 1950-1989) For example: Individuals-Fidel Castro, Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, Indira Gandhi. Groups- Khmer Rouge, Sandinistas, Palestine Liberation Organization.

__Explain how the Cold War shaped the global geopolitical climate, including proxy wars and the Non-Aligned Movement. (The World After World War II: 1950-1989) For example: The Congo, Nicaragua, Afghanistan.

__Describe the response of the world community to human rights violations, including the response to apartheid in South Africa. (The World After World War II: 1950-1989) For example: Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur.

 

14. Globalization, the spread of capitalism and the end of the Cold War have shaped a contemporary world still characterized by rapid technological change, dramatic increases in global population and economic growth coupled with persistent economic and social disparities and cultural conflict. (The New Global Era: 1989- Present)

__Analyze the causes and consequences of the long-term unrest in the Middle East. (The New Global Era: 1989 to Present) For example: Israeli-Palestinian territorial dispute, Shia-Sunni tensions, competing power structures (secular versus religious, dictatorship versus democracy, Western versus traditional).

__Analyze the social, political and economic impact of globalization and technological advancement, including the effects on the economies of developing countries and the impact on political power and political boundaries. (The New Global Era:

1989 to Present)

 

U.S. History

15. North America was populated by indigenous nations that had developed a wide range of social structures, political systems and economic activities, and whose expansive trade networks extended across the continent. (Before European Contact)

__Compare and contrast selected examples of diverse societies that existed in North America prior to contact with Europeans; analyze their life ways, social organizations, political institutions, and the effect of their religious beliefs on environmental adaptations. (Before European Contact)

__Describe change over time in selected indigenous nations, including migration, trade and conflict. (Before European Contact)

 

16. Rivalries among European nations and their search for new opportunities fueled expanding global trade networks and, in North America, colonization and settlement and the exploitation of indigenous peoples and lands; colonial development evoked varied responses by indigenous nations, and produced regional societies and economies that included imported slave labor and distinct forms of local government. (Colonization and Settlement: 1585-1763)

__Analyze the consequences of the transatlantic Columbian Exchange of peoples, animals, plants and pathogens on North American societies and ecosystems. (Colonization and Settlement: 1585-1763)

__Compare and contrast the motivations for exploration, conquest and colonization in North America by different European nations. (Colonization and Settlement: 1585-1763)

__Identify the varied economic, political and religious motives of free and indentured European immigrants who settled in North America. (Colonization and Settlement:

1585-1763)

__Explain the origin and growth of the Atlantic slave trade; describe its demographic, economic, and political impact on West Africa, Europe, and the Americas (North America, Caribbean, Central and South America), including the impact on enslaved Africans. (Colonization and Settlement: 1585-1763)

__Analyze the impact of European colonization within North America on indigenous nations; analyze the impact of indigenous nations on colonization. (Colonization and Settlement: 1585-1763)

__Compare and contrast the development of regional economies and labor systems in the British North American colonies (New England, Mid- Atlantic, and Southern colonies), including regional differences in the experiences of indentured servants, enslaved Africans and indigenous people. (Colonization and Settlement: 1585-1763)

__Describe the growth of colonial societies in British North America, including the evolution of representative forms of government, increased ethnic and religious pluralism, and changing concepts of racial identity, gender roles and family organization. (Colonization and Settlement:

1585-1763) For example: The Great Awakening, 1720s to early 1760s; the difference in gender roles North and South; Pennsylvania as an example of both ethnic and religious diversity in the colonial period.

 

17. The divergence of colonial interests from those of England led to an independence movement that resulted in the American Revolution and the foundation of a new nation based on the ideals of self- government and liberty. (Revolution and a New Nation, 1754-1800)

__Describe the political and military events that caused some North American colonies to break with Great Britain, wage war and proclaim a new nation in

1776. (Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800) For example: Events-French and Indian War, Stamp Act.

__Analyze the American revolutionaries' justifications, principles and ideals as expressed in the Declaration of Independence; identify the sources of these principles and ideals and their impact on subsequent revolutions in Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. (Revolution

and a New Nation: 1754-1800)

__Develop a timeline of the major events and turning points of the American Revolution, including the involvement of other nations; analyze the reasons for American victory. (Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800)

__Analyze the arguments about the organization and powers of the federal government between 1783 and 1800, including the debates over the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; explain the origins of the two-party political system and the significance of the election of 1800. (Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800) For example: Ratification debates-Federalists/Anti- Federalists, full funding and assumption, Neutrality Proclamation and the Election of 1800).

 

18. Economic expansion and the conquest of indigenous and Mexican territory spurred the agricultural and industrial growth of the United States; led to increasing regional, economic and ethnic divisions; and inspired multiple reform movements. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861)

__Analyze the differential impact of technological change and innovation on regional economic development and labor systems. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861) For example: Technological changes-the cotton gin, the factory system, steam transportation, the Erie Canal, early railroads, the telegraph.

__Analyze how the expansion of United States territory and redefinition of borders affected the relationship of the United States with other nations, provided land for settlement, and resulted in political conflict. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861) For example: Louisiana Purchase; multiple treaty negotiations with and wars against indigenous nations and Native alliances; negotiated annexation of Texas; United States-Mexican War.

__Analyze changes in the United States political system including the simultaneous expansion and constriction of voting rights and the development of new political parties. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861) For example: The collapse of the first party system (Federalists and Democratic- Republicans), the emergence of the second party system (Democrats and Whigs), new third parties including Know- Nothing, Free Soil and Republican, extending right to vote to all white men while disenfranchising free Black

men.

__Describe the efforts of individuals, communities and institutions to promote cultural, religious and social reform movements. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861)

__Analyze the strategies, goals and impact of the key movements to promote political, cultural (including artistic and literary), religious and social reform. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861) For example: The "Woman" movement, abolition movement, the Second Great Awakening.

__Evaluate the responses of both enslaved and free African Americans to slavery in the Antebellum period. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861) For example: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, tool breaking, purchasing relatives.

 

19. Regional tensions around economic development, slavery, territorial expansion and governance resulted in a civil war and a period of Reconstruction that led to the abolition of

slavery, a more powerful federal government, a renewed push into indigenous nations' territory and continuing conflict over racial relations. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

__Compare and contrast the regional economies, societies, cultures and politics of the North, South and West leading up to the Civil War. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

__Describe the recurring antebellum debates over slavery and state's rights, popular sovereignty, and political compromise; analyze how the American political system broke down in the 1850s and culminated in southern Secession, the establishment of the Confederate States of America, and the Union response. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

__Describe the course of the Civil War, identifying key political and military leaders, issues, events and turning points on battlefields and home fronts, in South, North and West. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

__Describe significant individuals, groups and institutions involved in the struggle for rights for African Americans; analyze the stages and processes by which enslaved African Americans were freed and emancipation was achieved during the war. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

__Describe how the political policies, innovations and technology of the Civil War era had a lasting impact on United States society. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

__Outline the federal policies of war-time and post-war United States; explain the impact of these policies on Southern politics, society, the economy, race relations and gender roles. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

__Describe the content, context, and consequences of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments; evaluate the successes and failures of the Reconstruction, including the election of 1876, in relation to freedom and equality across the nation. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

 

20. As the United States shifted from its agrarian roots into an industrial and global power, the rise of big business, urbanization and immigration led to institutionalized racism, ethnic and class conflict and new efforts at reform. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Explain how technological innovation, heavy industrialization, and intensified boom-bust cycles of an unregulated capitalist economy led to changes in the nature of work, economic scale and productivity, the advent of the modern corporation, and the rise of national labor unions. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Analyze how immigration and internal migration changed the demographic and settlement patterns of the United States population. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Analyze how the shift to mechanized farming and industrial production changed patterns in social organization, consumption and popular culture, and domestic life, including the rapid growth of cities in diverse regions of the country. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Explain changes in federal Indian policy, especially in the areas of removal, sovereignty, land ownership, education and assimilation; describe the impact of the federal policies and responses by indigenous nations. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Describe "Jim Crow" racial segregation and disenfranchisement in the South, the rise of "scientific racism," the spread of racial violence across the nation, the anti-Chinese exclusion movement in the West, and the debates about how to preserve and expand freedom and equality. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Describe the major political and social reform movements of the Progressive Era; analyze their impact on individuals, communities and institutions. (Development of an Industrial

United States: 1870-1920)

__Evaluate the effectiveness of political responses to the problems of industrialism, monopoly capitalism, urbanization and political corruption. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Explain how the United States became a world power via trade and the imperialist acquisition of new territories. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

__Describe the implications of United States involvement in World War I on domestic and foreign policy. (Development of an Industrial United States: 1870-1920)

 

21. The economic growth, cultural innovation and political apathy of the 1920s ended in the Great Depression which spurred new forms of government intervention and renewed labor activism, followed by World War II and an economic resurgence. (Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945)

__Describe the contributions of individuals and communities in relation to the art, literature and music of the period. (Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945)

__Analyze the economic causes of the Great Depression and the impact on individuals, communities and institutions. (Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945)

__Analyze how the New Deal addressed the struggles of the Great Depression and transformed the role of government. (Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945)

__Describe the role of the United States as an emerging world leader and its attempts to secure peace and remain neutral; explain the factors that led the United States to choose a side for war. (Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945)

__Identify major conflicts of World War II; compare and contrast military campaigns in the European and Pacific theaters. (Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945)

__Evaluate the economic impact of the war, including its impact on the role of women and disenfranchised communities in the United States. (Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945) For example: Japanese internment camps, Rosie the Riveter, the Bracero Program.

 

22. Post-World War II United States was shaped by an economic boom, Cold War military engagements, politics and protests, and rights movements to improve the status of racial minorities, women and America's indigenous peoples. (Post-World War II United States: 1945-1989)

__Analyze the technological and societal changes that affected popular culture in the post WWII era. (Post- World War II United States: 1945-1989) For example: Art, literature, rock n' roll, the Beat poets.

__Compare and contrast market and command economic systems and their associated political ideologies; explain how these differences contributed to the development of the Cold War. (Post-World War II United States: 1945-1989) For example: Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis.

__Analyze the role of the United States in Southeast Asia including the Vietnam War; evaluate the impact of the domestic response to the war. (Post-World War II United States: 1945-1989)

__Analyze the causes and effects of the United States Secret War in Laos and how Hmong allies were impacted as a result of their involvement in this war. (Post-World War II United States: 1945-1989)

__Explain the roots of the various civil rights movements, including African American, Native American, women, Latino American and Asian American. (Post-World War II United States: 1945-1989)

__Identify obstacles to the success of the various civil rights movements; explain tactics used to overcome the obstacles and the role of key leaders and groups. (Post- World War II United States: 1945-1989)

__Evaluate the legacy and lasting effects of the various civil rights movements of the

1960s and 70s; explain their connections to current events and concerns. (Post- World War II United States: 1945-1989)

__Identify the changes over time in federal American Indian policy in terms of sovereignty, land ownership, citizenship, education and religious freedom; analyze the impact of these policies on indigenous nations. (Post- World War II United States: 1945-1989)

__Evaluate the effectiveness of United States policies in ending the Cold War. (Post- World War II United States: 1945-1989)

 

23. The end of the Cold War, shifting geopolitical dynamics, the intensification of the global economy and rapidly changing technologies have given renewed urgency to debates about the United States' identity, values and role in the world. (The United States in a New Global Age: 1980-present)

__Describe the competing views about the role of government in American life since 1980. (The United States in a New Global Age: 1980-present)

__Explain how United States involvement in world affairs after the Cold War continues to affect modern foreign policy. (The United States in a New Global Age: 1980-present)

__Explain the difference between an immigrant and a refugee; describe various immigrant, migrant and refugee groups including Hmong, Somali and Latinos who have come to the United States; analyze their contributions to United States society. (The United States in a New Global Age: 1980-present)

__Analyze the impact of twenty-first century technological innovations on society. (The United States in a New Global Age: 1980- present)

__Evaluate the United States' global economic connections and interdependence with other countries. (The United States in a New Global Age: 1980-present)