6th Grade Social Studies Unit 1

Big Idea:

Five Themes of Geography - How does geography help us understand our world?

Student Expectations:

Priority TEKS

6.4(A) [Supporting] Locate various contemporary societies on maps and globes using latitude and longitude to determine absolute location

6.4(B) [Readiness] Identify and explain the geographic factors for patterns of population in places and regions

6.9(A) [Readiness] Compare ways in which various societies organize the production and distribution of goods and services

6.15A [Readiness] Define culture and the common traits that unify a culture region

6.15B [Supporting] Identify and describe common traits that define cultures

Focus TEKS

6.1(A) [Readiness] Trace characteristics of various contemporary societies in regions that resulted from historical events of factors such as invasion, conquests, colonization, immigration and trade

6.1(B) [Supporting] Analyze the historical background of various contemporary societies to evaluate relationships between past conflicts and current conditions

6.2(A) [Supporting] Identify and describe the influence of individual or group achievement on various historical and contemporary societies such as the classical Greeks on government and the American Revolution on the French Revolution

6.5(B) [Readiness] Identify geographic factors such as location, physical features, transportation corridors and barriers, and distribution of natural resources that influence a society’s ability to control territory

6.6(A) [Readiness] Describe and explain the effects of physical environmental processes such as erosion, ocean currents and earthquakes on Earth’s surface

6.6(B) [Readiness] Identify the location of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources such as fresh water, fossil fuels, fertile soils and timber

6.7(A) [Readiness] Identify and analyze ways people have adapted to the physical environment in various places and regions

6.8(A) [Supporting] Describe ways in which the factors of production (natural resources, labor, capital, and entrepreneurs) influence the economies of various contemporary societies

6.8(B) [Supporting] Identify problems and issues that might arise when one or more of the factors of production is in relatively short supply

6.8(C) [Readiness] Explain the impact of relative scarcity of resources on international trade and economic interdependence among and within societies

6.9(B) [Supporting] Compare and contrast free enterprise, socialist, and communist economies in various contemporary societies, including the benefits of the U.S. free enterprise system

6.9(C) [Supporting] Understand the importance of morality and ethics in maintaining a functional free enterprise system

6.10(B) [Readiness] Describe levels of economic development of various societies, using indicators such as life expectancy, gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, and literacy

6.11(A) [Readiness] Identify and describe examples of limited and unlimited governments such as constitutional (limited) and totalitarian (unlimited)

6.13(A) [Readiness] Describe roles and responsibilities of citizens in various contemporary societies, including the United States

6.13(B) [Supporting] Explain how opportunities for citizens to participate in and influence the political process vary among various contemporary societies

6.13(C) [Supporting] Compare the roles of citizens in the United States with the role of citizens from various contemporary societies with representative and non-representative governments

6.14(B) [Supporting] Explain relationships among rights, responsibilities and duties in societies with representative governments

6.15(C) [Supporting] Define a multicultural society and consider both the positive and negative qualities of multiculturalism

6.15(D) [Supporting] Analyze the experiences and evaluate the contributions of diverse groups to multicultural societies

6.16(A) [Readiness] Identify institutions basic to all societies, including government, economic, educational, and religious institutions

Ongoing TEKS

6.2(B) [Readiness] Evaluate the social, political, economic and cultural contributions of individuals and groups from various societies, past and present

6.3(A) [Readiness] The student will pose and answer geographic questions, including: Where is it located? Why is it there? What is significant about its location? How is its location related to the location of other people, places, and environments?

6.3(B) [Supporting] Pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns for various world regions and countries shown on maps, charts, models and databases

6.3(C) [Readiness] Compare various world regions and countries using data from geographic tools, including maps, graphs, charts, databases, and models

6.3(D) [Readiness] Create thematic maps, graphs, models and databases depicting aspects such as population, disease, and economic activities of various world regions and countries

6.4(F) [Readiness] Identify the location of major world such as Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Russia, South Africa, Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Iran, India, Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), North and South Korea, Indonesia, and Australia

6.11(B) [Supporting] Compare the characteristics of limited and unlimited governments

6.11(C) [Readiness] Identify reasons for limiting the power of government

6.12(A) [Readiness] Identify and give examples of governments with rule by one, few, or many

6.15(E) [Readiness] Analyze the similarities and differences among various world societies

6.15(F) [Supporting] Identify and explain examples of conflict and cooperation between and among cultures

6.21(A) [Tools to Know] Differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print and visual materials; and artifacts to acquire information about various world cultures

6.21(B) [Ways to Show] Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusion

6.21(C) [Ways to Show] Organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps

6.21(D) [Ways to Show] Identify different points of view about an issue or current topic

6.21(E) [Ways to Show] Identify the elements of frame of reference that influenced participants in an event

6.21(F) Use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs

6.22(A) Use social studies terminology correctly

6.22(B) [Ways to Show] Incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication based on research

6.22(C) [Ways to Show] Express ideas orally based on research and experiences

6.22(D) [Ways to Show] Create written and visual materials such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies based on research

6.22(E) [Ways to Show] Use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation

6.22(F) [Tools to Know] Use proper citations to avoid plagiarism

6.23(A) [Tools to Know] Use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement and solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

6.23(B) [Tools to Know] Use a decision making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision

Student Learning Targets:

• I will identify and describe major landforms (geoforms).
• I will list and explain the Five Themes of Geography.
• I will describe (write) the location of places using relative location and absolute location.
• I will use an atlas to locate places using latitude and longitude.
• I will determine in which hemisphere a location is by using latitude and longitude coordinates.
• I will explain the importance and show the location of major lines of latitude and longitude, such as the Equator, Prime Meridian, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and the North and South Poles.
• I will explain and correctly use the parts of a map.
• I will explain factors that influence climate.
• I will explain the following types of economies: free enterprise, socialist, communist, traditional.
• I will compare and contrast free enterprise and socialism.
• I will explain how economic opportunities improved with the development of civilization.
• I will define, compare and contrast limited and unlimited governments.
• I will compare and contrast direct democracy, representative democracy, monarchy, and autocracy.
• I will explain how opportunities for citizens to participate in and influence the political process varies according the type of government they have.
• I will compare and contrast characteristics of the three major monotheistic religions.
• I will explain cultural diffusion/borrowing.
• I will give examples of culture traits.
• I will use this unit's vocabulary words correctly.

Essential Questions:

• What tools do geographers use?
• How do geographers communicate information to others?
• How do the Five Themes of Geography help us organize information in our world?

Extra Information:

Adopted Textbook: Contemporary World Studies - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

District Grading Policy

Texas Gateway Online Resource Center