I can differentiate between absolute and relative location and accurately determine absolute location using latitude, longitude, major parallels, and meridians. They will also be able to measure distances on a map using scale.

I can design a functional map that includes all basic components: title, legend, compass rose, grid system, and scale. They will also be able to identify continents and oceans and understand the relative merits of different map projections (e.g., Mercator, Robinson).

I can explain how Earth-sun relations cause the seasons.

I can determine the specific terminology and analyze six common types of thematic maps (physical features, climate, vegetation, population density, economic activity, and regions) to gather and interpret information about the world.

How do geographers show information on maps?

Why do geographers use a variety of maps to represent the world?

How did the early ancestors of humans live? 

How did distinct characteristics develop based on environment and climate?

I can explain and apply the methodology of social scientists (archaeologists, historians, and geographers) to investigate the past, and identify and analyze key themes that connect different time periods and events throughout world history.

I can identify and describe the physical and cultural adaptations of various hominin groups (including the development of tools, use of fire, and group living) and analyze how these capabilities aided their survival.

I can compare the lives of people during the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages and explain how the domestication of plants and animals led to a stable food supply and fundamental changes in shelter, communities, jobs, and trade.

I can explain how the shift to farming (the Neolithic Revolution) created a stable food supply and led directly to the development of permanent settlements and more complex human societies.

How do social scientists interpret the past?

What are the themes of world history?

What capabilities helped hominins survive?

How did the development of agriculture change daily life in the Neolithic Age?

What is the difference and similarities between archaeologists, historians, and geographers? 

How do different lenses impact the way we see and interpret information?

Why was farming seen as a turning point for human civilizations?

I can describe the physical setting of Mesopotamia (including the Tigris and Euphrates rivers) and analyze how the development of agricultural techniques (e.g., irrigation) and environmental modification allowed ancient Mesopotamians to solve geographic challenges and create a stable food supply.

I can explain the relationship between key inventions, societal structures, and religious beliefs in the emergence of Sumerian city-states, and analyze artifacts to identify how they exemplify the characteristics of a complex civilization.

I can identify the location and describe the major military, economic, and cultural achievements of the successive Mesopotamian empires (Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian), and evaluate the importance of key contributions, such as Hammurabi's Code and the evolution of cuneiform writing.

I can apply the established characteristics of civilization to analyze aspects of both ancient Sumerian society and the modern world.

How did geographic challenges lead to the rise of city-states in Mesopotamia?

Why do historians classify ancient Sumer as a civilization?

What were the most important achievements of the Mesopotamian empires?

What is the difference and similarities between archaeologists, historians, and geographers? 

How do different lenses impact the way we see and interpret information?

Why was farming seen as a turning point for human civilizations?

I can analyze and interpret diverse geographic data using maps, charts, and layering techniques (similar to GIS) to identify, describe, and compare physical and human characteristics of a region, including the use of latitude and longitude for precise location.

I can explain and compare the rise, structure, culture, and achievements of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations, including their respective social classes, warfare, religion, and agricultural methods.

I can evaluate the causes and effects of the development and sudden decline of the Maya civilization and analyze the strategies the Aztecs and Incas used to build and maintain their vast empires.

I can analyze the successes and challenges of Indigenous peoples in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world, as demonstrated by examples like the Maya in Guatemala and Chiapas.

I can describe the formation and impact of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and the effects of El Niño, and analyze how people adapt to these phenomena.

I can analyze the complex relationship between humans and the environment, including adapting to elevation zones (tierra caliente through tierra helada), the impact of retreating glaciers, and evaluating competing viewpoints regarding land use and resource preservation in regions like the Amazon rainforest.

How can we describe the physical and human geography of Latin America?

What led to the rise, flourishing, and fall of the Maya civilization?

How did the Aztecs rise to power?

How did the Incas manage their large and remote empire?

How do Indigenous peoples preserve their traditional culture while adapting to modern life?

What causes extreme weather, and how do people deal with it?

How should the resources of rainforests be used and preserved?

How do people adapt to living in a mountainous region?

How does an environment and climate impact the development of different cultures and societies? 

How do societies value individuals?

Why do we have a responsibility to understand and preserve the history and culture of different civilizations?

I can model and describe the physical geography (including major river systems) of ancient Egypt, Kush, and Canaan, and analyze how environmental factors supported permanent human settlement and the development of these early civilizations.

I can analyze the accomplishments of key Egyptian pharaohs (Khufu, Senusret I, Hatshepsut, and Ramses the Great) using art and architecture, and explain the hierarchical structure of Egyptian society, including the role of religion and the function of various social classes and written language.

I can locate the civilization of Kush and analyze the commercial, cultural, and political relationship between Kush and Egypt, explaining how Kush developed an independent culture, government, and economy influenced by its location.

I can describe the origins of Judaism as the first monotheistic religion, identify the significance of the Torah, and explain the central roles of Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon in the history and development of the Israelites and their core laws and teachings.

I can document the locations and movements of the ancient Israelites (including the Exodus) and explain how and why Judaism survived and developed despite challenges like the Jewish Diaspora, summarizing the ways its laws and teachings remain influential today.

How did geography affect early settlement in Egypt, Kush, and Canaan?

What did the pharaohs of ancient Egypt accomplish, and how did they do it?

How did social class affect daily life in ancient Egypt?

How did location influence the history of Kush?

How did Judaism originate and develop?

What are the central teachings of Judaism, and why did they survive to modern day?

How did Christianity originate and spread?

How are Christians’ lives shaped by the beliefs and practices of Christianity?

How did Islam originate and spread?

How do the beliefs and practices of Islam shape Muslims’ lives?

How does an environment and climate impact the development of different cultures and societies? 

How do societies value individuals?

Why do we have a responsibility to understand and preserve the history and culture of different civilizations?

I can analyze, interpret, and compare diverse geographic data using various maps and charts (including physical, political, and thematic), and apply skills like layering information and using latitude and longitude to identify and describe a region's physical and human geography.

I can analyze the relationship between physical features and human activity that affect river systems, specifically by examining the changes in the Nile River from source to mouth and evaluating the impact of hydroelectric dams globally.

I can identify the key characteristics of the Saharan region's environments (desert, oases, and the Sahel) and describe ways people have adapted to life in these zones.

I can analyze the causes and global impact of environmental challenges such as desertification on people living in vulnerable regions.

How can we describe the physical and human geography of Africa?

How do rivers change as they flow across Earth’s surface?

How do people adapt to living in a desert region?

How does an environment and climate impact the development of different cultures and societies? 

How do societies value individuals?

Why do we have a responsibility to understand and preserve the history and culture of different civilizations?

I can analyze the relationship between the Niger River, diverse vegetation zones (forest, savanna, Sahel, desert), and trans-Saharan trade (especially gold and salt) in facilitating the growth of settlements and the evolution of West African societies into powerful kingdoms (e.g., Ghana and Mali).

I can explain the economic and social factors—including labor specialization, regional commerce, and the role of family—that contributed to the development and government of the Ghana and Mali empires, modeling key practices such as silent barter.

I can evaluate how trans-Saharan trade affected the West African region culturally and religiously, tracing the spread of Islam and the increasing influence of the Arabic language in scholarship, trade, and government.

I can discuss and analyze the significance of West African cultural achievements (including written and oral traditions) and explain how these cultural legacies continue to shape the world today.

What was the most significant factor in the development of early societies in West Africa?

To what extent did trans-Saharan trade lead to Ghana’s wealth and success?

In what ways did Islam influence West African society?

In what ways do the cultural achievements of West Africa influence our culture today?

How does an environment and climate impact the development of different cultures and societies? 

How do societies value individuals?

Why do we have a responsibility to understand and preserve the history and culture of different civilizations?

I can analyze, interpret, and compare diverse geographic data using various maps and charts (including physical, political, and thematic), and accurately apply advanced geographic skills like using latitude and longitude and layering geographic information (similar to GIS).

I can explain the formation and distribution of oil in Southwest Asia and analyze the economic and political effects of large oil reserves on the region, as well as investigate the importance of alternative energy resources.

I can evaluate the importance of site and situation in determining the location of human activities and settlements, especially in the context of trade and commerce.

I can examine the traits of primate cities and analyze the role of geography in their development, location, and global importance.

How can we describe the physical and human geography of Southwest and Central Asia?

How might having a valuable natural resource affect a region?

Where are primate cities located, and why are they important?

How does an environment and climate impact the development of different cultures and societies? 

How do societies value individuals?

Why do we have a responsibility to understand and preserve the history and culture of different civilizations?