Grade Level Key Themes

Physical and Human Systems

Students in grade 7 interpret maps, charts, and graphs to explain how differences in land use following the American Revolution influenced the development of regional cultural characteristics (i.e., agrarian South and industrial North) and led to sectionalism in the United States. They describe how pioneers settling the West and immigrants coming to America in the 19th century adapted to their new surroundings to expand the growth and influence of the United States. Lastly, students explain how Southern agriculture was affected by Reconstruction.

Migration and Settlement

Students in grade 7 explain the influence of migration and immigration on the United States through 1877. They explain the reasons for westward expansion and its impact on Native Americans. They recognize how push factors, such as the potato famine and outbreak of war, and pull factors, such as job opportunities and the availability of farmland, impacted the movement and settlement of Irish and German immigrants. They also explain the reasons for and reactions to the expansion of slavery in the rural South and the impact of urban migration in the North

Economics and Trade

Students in grade 7 apply their understanding of economic relationships to describe the development of the United States economy from 1763 through 1877. They explain how land use and specialization in the South and the North led each region to develop different economies (i.e., agriculture and cash crops in the South and industrialization in the North) and how specialization led to economic interdependence between each region. They also explain the reasons for the expansion of slavery in the South and describe how technological innovations (i.e., the cotton gin, the factory system, the sewing machine, and the steamboat) contributed to the development of a national economy.

Politics and Governance

Students in grade 7 evaluate the ideas, principles, and purposes in documents upon which the U.S. government was founded and explain the structure and processes of the U.S. government. They also examine how key people and events (i.e., political parties, special interest groups, social reformers, alliances, and conflicts) influenced foreign and domestic policy during the presidencies of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Jackson, and Lincoln.

Society and Culture

Students in grade 7 explain why social reforms and special interest groups developed in the United States through 1877, and they describe the influence these reforms and groups had on government and the development and expansion of individual rights and freedoms. They explain and make connections among the motivations, goals, and influences of abolitionism, the Second Great Awakening, and the women’s rights, labor, and temperance movements. Students also explain the impact that various immigrant groups had on American society and how the regional economies of the United States contributed to differing social characteristics in Antebellum America. They also describe the goals of and reactions to Reconstruction and the resulting impacts on African Americans.

Conflict and Compromise

Students in grade 7 describe the causes, effects, key leaders, and major turning points of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Students also explain how conflict and compromise over key issues through 1877 (i.e., proportional representation in Congress, interactions with Native Americans, slavery, the role of the federal government, social reforms, and Reconstruction) led to policy or legislation and/or contributed to the evolution of the United States Constitution through various amendments.

Continuity and Change

Students in grade 7 use a broad variety of primary and secondary sources with varied points of view to examine how key events, people, and ideas developed and changed in U.S. history from 1763-1877. They examine key legislation and court decisions from 1763-1877 to describe how they influenced the course of U.S. history. They explain how technological innovations in agriculture, industry, communication, and transportation led to economic or social changes. Students also describe the long-term and short-term outcomes of Reconstruction, the related legislation and policy, and the impact of Reconstruction on African Americans and the Southern economy. Finally, students make connections between the effects of Reconstruction and later challenges African Americans faced as citizens of the United States.