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Summary of Social Studies Instruction for DCSD Schools
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
*Resources: Grades K-3 use their Literacy Curriculum to integrate the social studies standards into the students' learning. (Examples: CKLA or Into Reading). Grade 4 is Colorado History, and the text used as a resource is The Colorado Story.
The social studies standards in the elementary years begin with individuals and families and move from there to explorations of neighborhoods, communities, the state of Colorado, and the United States. In each grade, students investigate historical events, examine geographic features and resources, consider economic decision-making processes, and define civic roles and responsibilities.
Kindergarten
Ask questions, share information, and discuss ideas about the past, put events in chronological (time) order, and sequence information using words such as, present and future. (History)
Identify the basic characteristics of maps and globes and point out their similarities/differences and discuss how people live in different settings based on location. (Geography)
Describe choices individuals make based on wants. (Economics)
Interact positively with others. (Civics)
Discuss the characteristics of an active and helpful member of the classroom and school and follow class rules. (Civics)
Describe choices people make about how to use the money they earn. (Personal Financial Literacy)
First Grade
Use words related to time, sequence, and change. (History)
Identify diverse perspectives and traditions of families, including their own, from the many cultures that have shaped the United States. (History)
Use maps and globes to represent the earth. (Geography)
Understand the nature of a community and its relationship to the environment. (Geography)
Discuss financial (money) responsibility and provide examples of the types of job choices available to people in their family and community. (Economics)
Identify and explain the meaning of holidays, symbols, and notable people and places representative of our diverse society. (Civics)
Plan how to spend, share, and save money. (Personal Financial Literacy)
Second Grade
Use different kinds of maps to describe a community or neighborhood. (Geography)
Explain the relationship between communities and their environment, and how community members have adapted to the physical environment. (Geography)
Use timelines, artifacts, and documents to consider the different people, perspectives, and events that make up the history of their community and/or neighborhood. (History)
Explain that resources are scarce. (Economics)
Investigate cost and benefits to make informed personal financial decisions. (Personal Finance)
Consider options for how people participate in decision making in the community and ways community members can resolve conflicts. (Civics)
Third Grade
Create a chronological sequence of events for the community or region. (History)
Discuss important events and the diverse cultures and people that have shaped the history of their region and community. (History)
Describe the history, interaction, and contribution of various peoples and cultures that have lived in a community. (History)
Read and interpret maps to locate geographic features in our community and state. (Geography)
Identify the factors that make a region unique, such as cultural diversity, industry, agriculture, and landforms. (Geography)
Define producer, consumer, goods, and services, and describe how goods are exchanged. (Economics)
Discuss local forms of government such as city councils and explain what local governments do, who participates, and how they work. (Civics)
Develop short-term money goals (saving and spending) and write steps necessary to reach that goal. (Personal Financial Literacy)
Fourth Grade
Explain the role of individuals, different groups of people, and ideas in the history of Colorado. (History)
Recognize the connections between important Colorado events and events in the history of the United States. (History)
Study the different times in history including Prehistoric People, Native Americans, Explorers and Fur Traders, Moving West, The Silver and Gold Rush, Ranching, and the Great Depression.
Use maps to ask and answer questions about the geography of Colorado and to understand the interactions between humans and their environment. (Geography)
Explain the relationship between choice and “opportunity cost” (the value of something that you give up when choosing something else). Learn about the goods and services produced in CO. (Economics)
Discuss multiple perspectives on an issue. (Civics)
Explain the formation and structure of Colorado state government (General Assembly, Judicial, and Executive branches). (Civics)
Define positive and negative incentives. (Personal Financial Literacy)
*** The Colorado Story written by Thomas J. Noel and Debra B. Faulkner is the primary text being used in 4th grade classrooms to teach these standards.
Fifth Grade
Explore the history and cultures of the Americas beginning before the time of Columbus continuing through the Revolutionary period. (History)
Learn to utilize both traditional and modern tools to help students navigate their world. Understanding the study of geography through study of the five themes of geography. (Geography)
Learn how geographic tools can help us understand how people throughout history moved and lived. (Geography/history)
Analyze the relationships between supply and demand, individual choice and public policy. Examine how patterns of trade shaped the development of the US. (Economics)
Build an understanding of the foundations, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States. Learning how to be a good citizen of the US by analyzing the origins, structures, and functions of government. (Civics/history)
Learning how the economy on national and local scales can affect our daily life. Create a basic working knowledge of personal finance, and economics. (Personal economics)
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
*Curricular Resources used for grades 6-8 are McGraw Hill Colorado Social Studies, United States Social Studies and World History.
Building on the social studies skills developed in the elementary grades, students in the middle school years begin with a study of people, cultures, and ideas in the Western Hemisphere and move from there to explorations of the Eastern Hemisphere, ending with the early history of the United States. In each grade, students investigate historical events, examine geographic features and resources, consider economic decision-making processes, and understand types of governments and civic responsibility.
Sixth Grade
Analyze primary sources (documents, photographs, and artifacts) to research and answer questions about the Western Hemisphere (North America, South America, Central America.) (History)
Use geographic tools and resources to examine places and regions in the Western Hemisphere through maps, charts, and computer-based geographic information systems such as Google Earth. (Geography)
Identify and explain the different types of economic systems including market, command, and mixed economies. (Economics)
Examine civic participation within different governmental systems of the Western Hemisphere. (Civics)
Explore key people, ideas, and events from different perspectives and points of view to tell the stories of history. (History)
Investigate problems and potential solutions regarding human interactions with the physical world (landforms, resources, climate), including issues such as resource distribution and human migration patterns. (Geography)
Investigate the role of consumers within the Western Hemisphere. (Personal Financial Literacy)
Analyze the relationships of different nations in the Western Hemisphere and their systems of government. (Civics)
Seventh Grade
Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources from multiple perspectives to understand current events, individuals, groups, ideas, and themes within regions of the Eastern Hemisphere. (History)
Use geographic tools such as maps, globes, diagrams, charts, and geographic data and technologies to learn about regions in the Eastern Hemisphere. (Geography)
Use maps and other geographic tools such as globes, charts, etc. to explain how the physical environment of a place influences a society’s culture, economy, and trade patterns in the Eastern Hemisphere. (Geography)
Explain how economic systems in the Eastern Hemisphere address problems of scarcity. (Economics)
Analyze the relationships of different nations in the Eastern Hemisphere and their systems of government. (Civics)
Investigate the role of consumers within countries in the Eastern Hemisphere. (Personal Financial Literacy)
Unit Overview:
World Geography: Demonstrate an understanding of world geography and be able to use map tools for long term purposes.
Ancient Civilizations: Explore the characteristics of a civilization including government, social structure, inventions, art, economy, food supply, culture and religion. Examine various regions such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus River Valley.
Economics: Examine how countries use resources for their benefit. Compare and contrast different forms of economies in the world and over time. Explore the origins of trade and currency.
European Empires: Explore how governments form. Compare different types of governments. Students will discover how European empires influenced future civilizations through political, military and economic systems.
China: Explore the characteristics of this country by looking at its form of government, belief system, and culture. Explain how these changed based on the spreading of ideas and cultures along the Silk Road. Recognize the first form of worldwide trade and its impact on the economy of various countries within the Eastern Hemisphere.
Middle Ages: Explore how the Middle Ages affected the formation of modern countries and ideas, such as land ownership, government types, and cultural rights.
WWI: Examine the alliance systems and cultural conflicts developed before World War I and how those ties led to a world war. Explain how new technology changed warfare and how this development changed warfare in the long term.
Contributions to WWII: Explore how WWI led to WWII and the rise of new governments. Discuss the Holocaust and its effects on the culture, economics, and borders of not only the Jewish people but all people of Europe and beyond.
WWII: Discuss major alliances among countries that lead to war worldwide. Be able to identify major battles of the war and their consequences.
Eighth Grade
Investigate primary and secondary sources from different perspectives that tell the story of the United States history from the American Revolution through Reconstruction. (History)
Formulate a hypothesis and construct a written historical argument supported with evidence. (History)
Use different geographic tools and data such as maps, globes, diagrams, and charts to analyze human and physical systems. (Geography)
Explain both conflict and cooperation over land resources in the United States from the origins of the American Revolution through Reconstruction. (Geography)
Provide examples of how economic freedom and free trade are important for economic growth. (Economics)
Examine the role of consumer decisions and taxes within early American history. (Economics)
Analyze the United States’ constitutional system. (Civics)
Summarize the role of law and the rights, roles, and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy. (Civics)
Explain why it is important to manage personal credit and debt. (Personal Financial Literacy)
Units
American Geography: Demonstrate an understanding of geography within North America, specific to the growth of the United States of America.
Creation of Colonies: Discuss the establishment of new colonies within the New World and determine what motivated various groups to settle in the various regions.
Colonial Life: Compare and contrast regional differences between the colonies and determine how they grew into a lasting state by establishing an economy and structure of government.
Road to Revolution: Discuss major factors that led to the Revolutionary War.
Revolutionary War: Explain the major battles of the Revolutionary War and how they led to American independence from Great Britain.
Road to Constitution: Discuss the years between the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the Constitution. Details the main events and people that contribute to framing our government system.
Constitution: Explore the process involved in creating the Constitution, which in turn creates the government of the newly formed United States.
Westward Expansion: Explore the challenges and extraordinary events that led to the expansion of the United States from coast to coast.
Native American History: Discuss the lives, cultures, and mistreatments of Native American people.
Road to Civil War: Students will explore the events leading up to the American Civil War, including slavery, abolition, state's rights, westward expansion, key political issues, and major elections.
Civil War: Compare major battles, military leaders, and the political issues of the time period. Emancipation and the origins of the Underground Railroad, as well as the events leading up to the south surrendering, will be explored.
HIGH SCHOOL
*Resources: High school resources depend on the specific class—for example, AP or PreAP, concurrent resources, etc.
Building on the social studies skills developed throughout the elementary and middle school grades, students in high school study World History (Renaissance to the present), World Geography, United States History (Reconstruction to the present), Economics (including personal financial literacy), and the United States Government. Throughout high school, students investigate historical events, examine geographic features and resources, consider economic decision-making processes, and analyze citizens' rights, roles, and responsibilities.
US History
US History II is a survey course of American History. We will start with a quick review of exploration and colonization through the Civil War. The bulk of the course will start with Reconstruction/Industrialization and work all the way to the present day. Together, utilizing multiple viewpoints, we will explore the important events, people and actions that have shaped America. We will discuss themes such as war, politics, expansion, social movements, race, gender and class and explore how those themes have affected the development of America.
Units
Review (Pre-Columbus through the Civil War)
1 - Reconstruction/Industrialization
2 - Progressive Era
3 - Imperialism and WWI
4 - 1920s
5 - 1930s/Great Depression
6 - WWII/Holocaust
7 - Cold War
8 - Civil Rights
9 - 1960s/1970s
10 - Modern Times (1980s - Now)
World History
Understand that history is a narrative, or a combination of narratives, shaped by the sources and perspectives you use to tell that story.
Apply the evidence from sources using multiple perspectives and scales to evaluate (support, extend, or challenge) different narratives.
Engage in meaningful historical inquiry by analyzing primary and secondary sources from multiple perspectives of gender, race, and socioeconomic status, or other hierarchies to gain a deeper understanding of human history.
Analyze the narrative of history using the course’s three frames: communities, networks, and production and distribution.
Use historical thinking skills and reasoning practices such as scale, comparison, causation, continuity and change over time, sourcing, claim testing, and contextualization, to understand and evaluate the historical narrative.
Create and support arguments using historical evidence to communicate conclusions through individual or shared writing.
Units:
Unit 1
NARRATIVES AND FRAMES
History is a collection of narratives, or stories, that can be told in different ways depending on a person’s perspective. In this unit we’ll use the frames of communities, networks, and production and distribution to understand and organize these histories.
Unit 2
THE GLOBAL TAPESTRY
The societies that dotted the world in the period from 1200 to 1450 CE shared many similarities, but they were also very different in important ways. How were these societies structured and how did they interact with one another? That’s what we’ll uncover in this unit.
Unit 3
TRANSOCEANIC CONNECTIONS 1450 TO 1750 CE
We’ve arrived at what many consider one of the most important turning points in history, when the world became globally interconnected for the first time. What changed and what continued in this newly networked world?
Unit 4
REVOLUTIONS 1750 TO 1914 CE
Historians call the period from 1750 to 1914 the "long nineteenth century." The world we live in now has been shaped by the dramatic revolutions that took place in this unique time in our history. What caused these revolutions and how did the outcomes change our world?
Unit 5
INDUSTRIALIZATION 1750 TO 1914 CE
Industrialism makes us think of steam engines, factories, and smokestacks. But the worldwide changes during this time—good for some, horrible for others—mattered in nearly every aspect of human life, and still do.
Unit 6
EMPIRE & OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF INDUSTRIALIZATION 1850 TO 1950 CE
Armed with industrial technologies and ideas like nationalism, modern nation-states colonized peoples and built vast empires. How did colonial subjects respond and resist the expansion of imperial states?
Unit 7
GLOBAL CONFLICT 1914 TO 1945 CE
The First and Second World Wars were separated by a period of uneasy peace. But the two wars and the intervening peace were entangled together. Should we study these three periods as a single connected conflict?
Unit 8
COLD WAR AND DECOLONIZATION 1945 TO 1990 CE
As colonized peoples rose up and cast off the chains of empire, two new superpowers rose from the ashes of the Second World War. The Cold War and decolonization collided to reshape global power, but old inequalities remained.
Unit 9
GLOBALIZATION 1900 TO PRESENT
These last 220 years or so showed us the excitement and chaos of rapid globalization, and it’s not over. As humans grapple with our connections, diversity, and inequalities, how will the stories of our past shape our future?
Government
US Government is designed to explain the origins, development and implementation of the government of the United States from the revolution to the present.
Units
Unit 1—Roots of Power
Discuss the function of governments for societies, different types of governments, and philosophies that contribute to American government.
Unit 2—Founding Documents
Study the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, primarily focusing on the U.S. Constitution, including all amendments.
Unit 3—Federalism and Separation of Powers
Compare each branch of government, how the branches work together, how the branches check the power of the other branches, and how the national, state, and local levels of government interact.
Unit 4—Civic Engagement
Discuss political views and parties, election processes, and how to engage in government processes as an official or private citizen.
Economics
Course Objectives
(1) Understand the allocation of scarce resources in societies through analysis of individual choice, market interaction, and public policy
(2) Acquire the knowledge and economic reasoning skills to make sound financial decisions (Personal Finance Literacy)
Units
Unit 1— Economic Fundamentals
Explore economic principles, reasoning skills, and the fundamental tools of Production Possibilities Curves and Supply and Demand Graphs.
Unit 2—Impact of Government and Policies on Markets
Compare the differences in market structures, how the American government interacts with various markets, and fiscal and monetary policies.
Unit 3—Personal Finance
Explore how to make personal economic choices. The focus will be on the specifics of earning, spending, and saving money.
Geography
Use geographic tools and resources to analyze Earth’s human systems and physical features.
Evaluate relationships between locations and their political, cultural, and economic relationships. using maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations.
Assess and evaluate the interconnected nature of the world, its people, and places.
Analyze human/environmental interactions and explain the impact on global interdependence.
Research multiple viewpoints on problems and policies regarding the use of Earth’s resources (sustainability, natural hazards and disasters, prosperity and poverty, and resource use).
Predict how human activities will shape Earth’s surface.
Examine ways that people cooperate and compete for use of Earth’s resources and how control of resources can lead to conflict, competition, and cooperation.
Research cultural diffusion, population issues, and environmental issues.
Analyze patterns of movement, population distribution, and the causes and effects of migration.
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