Social Studies Crosswalk

SOCIAL STUDIES

Standard 1 – History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Key Idea 1 - The study of New York State and the United States history requires an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are unified by many values, practices, and traditions.

Elementary – Students understand the basic ideals of American democracy as explained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and other important documents
Elementary – Students explain those values, practices, and traditions that unite all Americans
Intermediate – Students interpret the ideas, values, and beliefs contained in the Declaration of Independence and the New York State Constitution and the United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other important historical documents
Commencement – Students analyze the development of American culture, explaining how ideas, values, beliefs, and traditions have changed over time and how they unite all Americans
Commencement – Students describe the evolution of American democratic values and beliefs as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the New York State Constitution, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other important historical documents

Key Idea 2 - Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.

Elementary – Students recognize how traditions and practices were passed from one generation to the next
Intermediate – Students understand the relationship between the relative importance of United States domestic and foreign policies over time
Intermediate – Students analyze the roles played by the United States in international politics past and present
Commencement – Students develop and test hypotheses about important events, eras, or issues in New York State and United States eras, or issues in New York State and United States history, setting clear and valid criteria for judging the importance and significance of these events, eras, or issues
Commencement - Students examine how the Constitution, United States law, and the rights of citizenship provide a major unifying factor in bringing together Americans from diverse roots and traditions
Commencement – Students analyze the United States involvement in foreign affairs and a willingness to engage in international politics, examining the ideas and traditions leading to theses foreign policies
Commencement – Students compare and contrast the values exhibited and foreign policies implemented by the United States and other nations over time with those expressed in the United Nations Charter and international law

Key Idea 3 - Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

Elementary – Students identify individuals who have helped to strengthen democracy in the United States and throughout the world
Intermediate – Students describe how ordinary people and famous historic figures in the local community, State, and United States have advanced the fundamental democratic values, beliefs, and traditions expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the New York State and United States Constitutions, the Bill of Rights, and other important historic documents
Commencement – Students understand the interrelationships between world events and developments in New York State and the United States (e.g. causes for immigration, economic opportunities, human rights abuses, and tyranny versus freedom)

Key Idea 4 - The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence; weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence; understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments.

Elementary – Students consider different interpretations of key events and/or issues in history and understand the differences in these accounts
Intermediate – Students compare and contrast different interpretations of key events and issues in New York State and United States history and explain reasons for these different accounts
Commencement – Students evaluate the validity and credibility of historical interpretations of important events or issues in New York State or United States history, revising these interpretations as new information is learned and other interpretations are developed

Standard 2 – World History
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to Demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

Key Idea 1 - The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. This study also examines the human condition and the connections and interactions of people across time and space and the way different people view the same event or issue from a variety of perspectives.

Intermediate – Students interpret and analyze documents and artifacts related to significant developments and events in world history
Commencement – Students analyze changing and competing interpretations of issues, events, and developments throughout world history

Key Idea 2 - Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations, examining themes across time and within cultures, and focusing on important turning points in world history help organize the study or world cultures and civilizations.

Elementary - Students compare important events and accomplishments from different time periods in world history
Intermediate - Students study about major turning points in world history by investigating the causes and other factors that brought about change and the results of these changes
Commencement – Students investigate key events and developments and major turning points in world history to identify the factors that brought about change and the long-term effects of these changes

Key Idea 3 - Study of the major social, political, cultural, and religious developments in world history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

Intermediate – Students interpret and analyze documents and artifacts related to significant developments and events in world history
Commencement – Students examine the social/cultural, political, economic, and religious norms and values of Western and other world cultures

Key Idea 4 - The skills of historical analysis include the ability to investigate differing and competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why interpretations change over time; explain the importance of historical evidence; and understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.

Elementary – Students consider different interpretations of key events and developments in world history and understand the differences in these accounts
Intermediate – Students explain the literal meaning of a historical passage or primary document, identify who was involved, what happened, where it happened, what events led up to these developments, and what consequences or outcomes followed

Standard 3 – Geography
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface.

Key Idea 1 - Geography can be divided into six essential elements which can be used to analyze important historic, geographic, economic, and environmental questions and issues. These six elements include: the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical settings (including natural resources), human systems, environment and society, and the use of geography.

Commencement – Students analyze how the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of the Earth’s surface.

Standard 4 – Economics
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to Demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision making units function in the United States and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.

Key Idea 2 - Economics requires the development and application of the skills needed to make informed and well-reasoned economic decisions in daily and national life.

Elementary – Students make hypotheses about economic issues and problems, testing, refining, and eliminating hypotheses and developing new ones when necessary
Intermediate – Students develop conclusions about economic issues and problems by creating broad statements which summarize findings and solutions
Commencement – Students apply a problem-solving model to identify economic problems or issues, generate hypotheses, investigate and analyze selected data, consider alternative solutions or positions, and make decisions about the best solution or positions

Standard 5 – Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Key Idea 1 - The study of civics, citizenship, and government involves learning about political systems; the purposes of government and civic life; and the differing assumptions held by people across time and place regarding power, authority, governance, and law.

Elementary – Students explain the probable consequences of the absence of government and rules
Intermediate – Students analyze the sources of a nation’s values as embodied in its constitution, statutes, and important court cases
Commencement – Students consider the nature and evolution of constitutional democracies throughout the world

Key Idea 2 - The state and federal governments established by the Constitutions of the United States and the State of New York embody basic civic values (such as justice, honesty, self-discipline, due process, equality, majority rule with respect for minority rights, and respect for self, others and property), principles and practices and establish a system of shared and limited government.

Elementary – Students know what the United States Constitution is and why it is important
Intermediate – Students understand how civic values reflected in the United States and New York State Constitutions have been implemented through laws and practices
Commencement – Students analyze the disparities between civic values expressed in the United States Constitution and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the realities as evidenced in the political, social, and economic life in the United States and throughout the world

Key Idea 3 - Central to civics and citizenship is an understanding of the roles of the citizen within American constitutional democracy and the scope of a citizen’s rights and responsibilities.

Elementary – Students identify and describe the rules and responsibilities students have at home, in the classroom, and at school
Intermediate – Students explain what citizenship means in a democratic society, how citizenship is defined in the Constitution and other laws of the land, and how the definition of citizenship has changed in the United States and New York State over time
Commencement – Students describe how citizenship is defined by the Constitution and important laws

Key Idea 4 - The study of civics and citizenship requires the ability to probe ideas and assumptions, ask and answer analytical questions, take a skeptical attitude toward questionable arguments, evaluate evidence, formulate rational conclusions, and develop and refine participatory skills.

Elementary – Students propose an action plan to address the issue of how to solve the problem
Intermediate – Students participate in negotiation about compromise to resolve classroom, school, and community disagreements and problems
Commencement – Students prepare a plan of action that defines an issue or problem, evaluates the consequences for each alternative solution or course of action, prioritizes the solutions based on established criteria, proposes an action plan to address the issue or to resolve an issue or problem