Social Studies Standards and Benchmarks

These standards and benchmarks apply to all areas of Social Studies, grades K- 12.

Standard 1: Choices have consequences

Benchmarks:

1.1  The student will recognize and evaluate significant choices made by individuals, communities, states, and nations that have impacted our lives and futures.

1.2  The student will analyze the context under which choices are made and draw conclusions about the motivations and goals of the decision-makers.

1.3  The student will investigate examples of causes and consequences of particular choices and connect those choices with contemporary issues.

1.4  The student will use his/her understanding of choices and consequences to construct a decision-making process and to justify a decision.

Standard 2: Individuals have rights and responsibilities

Benchmarks:

2.1  The student will recognize and evaluate the rights and responsibilities of people living in societies.

2.2  The student will analyze the context under which significant rights and responsibilities are defined and demonstrated, their various interpretations, and draw conclusions about those interpretations.

2.3  The student will investigate specific rights and responsibilities of individuals and connect those rights and responsibilities with contemporary issues.

2.4  The student will use his/her understanding of rights and responsibilities to address contemporary issues.

Standard 3: Societies are shaped by beliefs, ideas, and diversity

Benchmarks:

3.1  The student will recognize and evaluate significant beliefs, contributions, and ideas of the many diverse peoples and groups and their impact on individuals, communities, states, and nations.

3.2  The student will draw conclusions about significant beliefs, contributions, and ideas, analyzing the origins and context under which these competing ideals were reached and the multiple perspectives from which they come.

3.3  The student will investigate specific beliefs, contributions, ideas, and/or diverse populations and connect those beliefs, contributions, ideas and/or diversity to contemporary issues.

3.4  The student will use his/her understanding of those beliefs, contributions, ideas, and diversity to justify or define how community, state, national, and international ideals shape contemporary society.

Standard 4: Societies experience continuity and change over time

Benchmarks:

4.1  The student will recognize and evaluate continuity and change over time and its impact on individuals, institutions, communities, states, and nations.

4.2  The student will analyze the context of continuity and change and the vehicles of reform, drawing conclusions about past change and potential future change.

4.3  The student will investigate an example of continuity and/or change and connect that continuity and/or change to a contemporary issue.

4.4  The student will use his/her understanding of continuity and change to construct a model for contemporary reform.

Standard 5: Relationships among people, places, ideas, and environments are dynamic

Benchmarks:

5.1  The student will recognize and evaluate dynamic relationships that impact lives in communities, states, and nations.

5.2  The student will analyze the context of significant relationships and draw conclusions about a contemporary world.

5.3  The student will investigate the relationship among people, places, ideas, and/or the environment and connect those relationships to contemporary issues.

5.4  The student will use his/her understanding of these dynamic relationships to create a personal, community, state, and/or national narrative.