District #200 Curriculum: Social Studies
Subject Expectation 1
The student will understand, analyze, and compare the political systems
of the United States and other nations.
Essential Learning
1
Explore basic principles of United States government.
Critical Content
| a. define what laws and rules are, and distinguish between them | |
| b. define freedom and democracy | |
| c. recognize the importance of equal rights | |
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d. identify the rights and responsibilities of citizenship such as: - patriotism - respect for the law - working with others |
Essential Learning
2
Explore democratic processes and institutions.
Critical Content
|
a. identify and explain the roles of community/school/home leaders such as: - mayor - principal - teachers - parents |
Community Leaders |
| b.
apply the democratic process through voting such as:
- using a ballot - using hand votes |
|
| c. demonstrate good citizenship in the classroom |
Essential Learning
3
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant political topics.
Critical Content
| a. apply the principles of citizenship in classroom decision making and problem solving |
Essential Learning
4
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials.
Critical Content
| a.
apply pre-reading strategies such as:
- activating prior knowledge - brainstorming - previewing - predicting - surveying - setting a reading purpose - skimming/scanning |
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| b.
apply during reading strategies such as:
- predicting - questioning - rereading - self-monitoring - organization of text |
|
| c.
apply post-reading strategies such as:
- summarizing - paraphrasing - generalizing - skimming/scanning |
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| d.
apply vocabulary strategies such as:
- context - word recognition strategies |
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| e.
apply content information into various writing formats
such as: - note taking - outlining/webbing - summarizing - research reports - expository - persuasive - narrative - illustrating - journaling |
Essential Learning
5
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology,
library, etc.).
| a. differentiate between fiction and non-fiction books | |
| b. use keywords to search for information | |
| c.
locate and apply information from expository material such as:
- chapter/unit organization - headings - bold words - italicized words - table of contents - index - glossary - captions |
|
| d.
research information from a variety of sources:
- library - technology - people |
|
| e. interpret graphs, maps, and charts | National Geographic Map Machine |
Subject Expectation
2
The student will understand, analyze, and compare the economic structures
of the United States and other nations.
Essential Learning 1
Explore economic systems and how they function.
Critical Content
| a. identify the differences between goods and services | Goods and Services Farm |
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b. describe how wages/salaries can be earned in exchange for work |
|
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c. differentiate between a producer and consumer |
Producer vs. Consumer Factory |
Essential Learning 2
Explore the effects of the availability of resources.
Critical Content
| a. define needs and wants | |
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b. explain the necessity of work to earn money for needs and wants |
|
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c. recognize that scarcity necessitates choices by: - buyers - sellers |
Supply and Demand Land |
Essential Learning 3
Explore economic interdependence.
Critical Content
| a.
identify factors that affect economic interdependence:
- transportation - climate - weather |
weather.com |
| b.
identify ways to exchange goods and services:
- purchase with currency - trade - barter |
Essential Learning 4
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant economic topics.
Critical Content
| a. identify that there are pros and cons of any economic issues such as bartering versus trading |
Essential Learning 5
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials.
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4
Essential Learning 6
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology,
library, etc.).
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5
Subject Expectation 3
The student will recall, understand, and analyze significant events, trends,
personalities, and movements in history as these shape United States and world
cultures.
Essential Learning 1
Explore patterns and relationships of historical events.
Critical Content
| a.
interpret a timeline which includes:
- Pilgrims - George Washington - Abraham Lincoln - Martin Luther King, Jr. - Helen Keller |
|
| b. create a timeline of past, present and future events | |
| c. compare and contrast Early American communities to communities of today | Time Machine |
Essential Learning 2
Explore roles played by groups and individuals in developing a pluralistic
society.
Critical Content
| a.
discuss the history and traditions of holidays such as:
- Presidents’ Day - Martin Luther King, Jr. |
History of President's Day |
|
b. explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in grade level biographies, legends, and folklore such as: - Johnny Appleseed - George Washington - Abraham Lincoln - Martin Luther King - Helen Keller |
Johnny Appleseed |
Essential Learning 3
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant historical topics.
Critical Content
| a.
compare and contrast historical figures such as:
- George Washington / Abraham Lincoln - Abraham Lincoln / Martin Luther King |
Essential Learning 4
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository and narrative
materials.
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4
Essential Learning 5
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology,
library, etc.)
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5
Subject Expectation
4
The student will demonstrate a knowledge of world geography and an understanding
of its effects on the United States and the world community.
Essential Learning 1
Locate, describe, and explain places, regions, and features on the earth.
Critical Content
|
a. state and write personal address |
|
| b.
identify the following:
- city lived in - county lived in - state lived in - country lived in - continent in which your country is located |
|
| c. identify cities that border our community | |
| d. identify states that border Illinois | 50
States
Rand McNally for Kids (click on Homework Helper) |
| e. identify countries that border U.S. | Where in the World games |
| f. differentiate between a lake, river and ocean | |
| g. name and locate the 7 continents | |
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h. name and locate the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans |
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| i. locate the Great Lakes | |
| j. locate the Mississippi River | |
| k. recognize that maps can be used to represent and to gather information about people, places and environments | |
| l. use a map key and a compass rose | |
| m. use a grid map to locate places | |
| n.
use globes to learn about our world such as:
- to locate continents, oceans, Equator, North and South pole - to compare relative size of land masses and oceans |
Maps |
| o. use tables, charts and graphs to interpret information | |
|
p. use software to access geographical information |
Mapquest
Rand McNally for Kids (click on Recess) |
Essential Learning 2
Identify characteristics and interactions of the earth’s physical systems.
Critical Content
| a. distinguish characteristics of seasons as related to the earth’s rotation | |
| b. discuss and/or chart weather patterns | World
Weather Watch
Weather Channel (Fahrenheit/Celsius converter included) |
|
c. recognize that time varies around the world |
Essential Learning 3
Explore the patterns of interaction for human beings and their physical
environment.
| a.
identify ways people depend on and interact with the physical environment:
- use of natural resources - recognize positive and negative effects people have on their environment |
|
| b. identify characteristics of urban, suburban, and rural areas | |
| c.
implement strategies to demonstrate how we care for our natural resources
such as:
- reducing - reusing - recycling |
Essential Learning 4
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant geographical
topics
Critical Content
| a. offer reasons to support an opinion such as why we should conserve natural resources | |
|
b. demonstrate a respect for the opinion of others |
Essential Learning 5
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository text
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4
Essential Learning 6
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology,
library, etc.)
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5
Subject Expectation
5
The student will understand analyze, and compare social systems with an
application to the United States.
Essential Learning 1
Explore characteristics of culture as reflected in language, literature,
the arts, and traditions.
Critical Content
|
a. read and/or listen to literature from different cultures and compare their customs |
|
| b. compare customs of ethnic groups in our classroom community |
Essential Learning 2
Explore the interactions of individuals, groups, and institutions in society
Critical Content
| a.
describe how individuals interact within groups to make choices regarding:
- food - clothing - shelter |
|
| b.
recognize interdependence of individuals and groups:
- student - class - school - community |
Essential Learning 3
Formulate and defend reasoned judgments regarding relevant social topics
Critical Content
| a. discuss current events | CNN for Kids |
| b. state reasons that support an opinion | |
|
c. demonstrate a respect for the opinions of others |
Essential Learning 4
Use reading and writing strategies to comprehend expository materials
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 4
Essential Learning 5
Access, use, and evaluate information from a variety of sources (technology,
library, etc.)
Critical Content
Same as Subject Expectation 1, Essential Learning 5