| Content |
human responses to particular geographic challenges and opportunities, including climates, landforms, and natural resources |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: human responses to particular geographic challenges and opportunities, including climates, landforms, and natural resources |
Elaboration: Sample activities:Identify the key characteristics of physical environments that affected the following for selected ancient cultures:development and settlement (e.g., proximity to water, fertile land, natural resources, defensibility)the fall of the culture (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, unsustainable human practices)interactions among cultures (e.g., mountain ranges, oceans, rivers)Describe how humans adapted to their physical environment in ancient civilizations (e.g., architecture, transportation methods, clothing)Create maps to show the key physical environmental characteristics of a selected ancient cultureKey question:What types of strategies have different civilizations used to respond to similar challenges imposed by the physical environment? |
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| Content |
anthropological origins of humans |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: anthropological origins of humans |
Elaboration: Sample topics:early origins of humans in Africa and the migration of early humans out of Africa to the rest of the worldinteractions between early humans and Neanderthalstechnological developments of early humans and the increasingly sophisticated use of stone tools and early metalworkingthe shift of early humans from a nomadic hunter-gatherer way of life to more settled agricultural communitiesKey question:What advantages did agriculture have over the hunter-gather way of life? |
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| Curricular Competency |
Make ethical judgments about past events, decisions, or actions, and assess the limitations of drawing direct lessons from the past (ethical judgment) |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: Make ethical judgments about past events, decisions, or actions, and assess the limitations of drawing direct lessons from the past |
Elaboration: Key questions:How should we resolve competing claims of ownership over religious holy sites?Was (Emperor Chin, Julius Caesar, or other person of significance) a tyrant or a great leader? Explain why or why not. |
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| Curricular Competency |
Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare the values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in different times and places (perspective) |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare the values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in different times and places |
Elaboration: Key questions:What are the different attitudes toward death and the afterlife in religions and cultures?How do historians’ views on the decline of the Roman Empire differ? |
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| Curricular Competency |
Determine which causes most influenced particular decisions, actions, or events, and assess their short- and long-term consequences (cause and consequence) |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: Determine which causes most influenced particular decisions, actions, or events, and assess their short- and long-term consequences |
Elaboration: Sample activity:Explain key factors in the spread of Christianity.Key question:What role does geography play in the location of civilizations? |
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| Curricular Competency |
Characterize different time periods in history, including periods of progress and decline, and identify key turning points that marked periods of change (continuity and change) |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: Characterize different time periods in history, including periods of progress and decline, and identify key turning points that marked periods of change |
Elaboration: Key question:What are different ways that you can categorize different periods in history? |
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| Curricular Competency |
Assess the credibility of multiple sources and the adequacy of evidence used to justify conclusions (evidence) |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: Assess the credibility of multiple sources and the adequacy of evidence used to justify conclusions |
Elaboration: Sample activities:Compare the advantages and disadvantages of specific types of sources for specific purposes (e.g., primary and secondary sources; print, video, electronic, graphic sources; artifacts).Compare information-gathering methodologies (e.g., primary research using surveys, archeological excavation, interviews; research using secondary sources; testing of hypotheses).Apply criteria to evaluate information and information sources (e.g., assess bias, reliability, authorship, currency, audience; confirm value using multiple sources).Key questions:What can we learn from ancient civilizations based on the artifacts we have found?How do artifacts and monuments reflect the surrounding geography? |
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| Curricular Competency |
Identify what the creators of accounts, narratives, maps, or texts have determined is significant (significance) |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
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| Curricular Competency |
Assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments at particular times and places (significance) |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: Assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments at particular times and places |
Elaboration: Sample activity:Identify specific examples of influences and contributions from ancient cultures (e.g., writing system, number system, philosophy, education, religionand spirituality, visual arts, drama, architecture, timekeeping) and assess their significance.Key questions:What is the most significant archeological finding that helps us understand the development of humans?What are the most significant factors that contribute to the decline of an empire?Why are philosophers from this era still significant today? |
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| Curricular Competency |
Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to — ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions |
Social Studies 7 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to — ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions |
Elaboration: Key skills:Select a relevant problem or issue for inquiry.Use comparison, classification, inference, imagination, verification, and analogy to clarify and define a problem or issue.Compare the advantages and disadvantages of various graphic forms of communication (e.g., graphs, tables, charts, maps, photographs, sketches).Demonstrate an ability to interpret scales and legends in graphs, tables, and maps (e.g., climograph, topographical map, pie chart).Compare maps of early civilizations with modern maps of the same area.Select an appropriate graphic form of communication for a specific purpose (e.g., a timeline to show a sequence of events, a map to show location).Represent information fairly and cite sources consistently.Select appropriate forms of presentation suitable for the purpose and audience (e.g., multimedia, oral presentation, song, dramatic performance, written presentation).Demonstrate debating skills, including identifying, discussing, defining, and clarifying a problem, issue, or inquiry. |
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| Big Ideas |
Media sources can both positively and negatively affect our understanding of important events and issues. |
Social Studies 6 |
No CCG |
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| Big Ideas |
Systems of government vary in their respect for human rights and freedoms. |
Social Studies 6 |
No CCG |
|
| Big Ideas |
Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future. |
Social Studies 6 |
No CCG |
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| Big Ideas |
Economic self-interest can be a significant cause of conflict among peoples and governments. |
Social Studies 6 |
No CCG |
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| Content |
media technologies and coverage of current events |
Social Studies 6 |
No CCG |
| Keyword: media technologies and coverage of current events |
Elaboration: Sample topics:ownership of mediapropagandaeditorial biassensationalismfreedom of the presssocial media uses and abusesKey questions:How does the media influence public perception of major events?Are some media sources more trustworthy than others? Explain your answer. |
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