6th Grade Social Studies

Geography

Geography enables the student to see, understand, and appreciate the web of relationships between people, places, and environments.  The student will use the knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts within the six essential elements of geography: world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and society, and the use of geography.

Understand the characteristics and uses of maps.

Use the basic elements of maps and mapping. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Identify the locations of certain physical and human features and events on maps and globes (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

identify the basic components of a world map (i.e., compass rose, map key, scale, latitude and longitude lines, continents, and oceans) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT)

identify basic geographic forms (i.e., rivers, lakes, bays, oceans, mountains, plateaus, deserts, plains, and coastal plains) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT))

use a variety of maps to understand geographic and historical information (i.e., political maps, resource maps, product maps, physical maps, climate maps, and vegetation maps) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT)

recognize reasons that cultural groups develop or settle in specific physical environments (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT)

identify the location of early civilizations on a map (i.e., Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Ancient Chinese, and Indian) (6-SS[HB/1-4]A/B)

recognize the basic components of culture (i.e., language, common values, traditions, government, art, literature, and lifestyles) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT)

identify geographic reasons for the location of population centers prior to 1500 (i.e., coastal plains, deserts, mountains, and river valleys) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/IT)

interpret a graph that illustrates a major trend in world history (i.e., population growth, economic development, governance land areas, and growth of religions) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT)

recognize how migration and cultural diffusion influenced the character of world societies (i.e., spread of religions, empire building, exploration, and languages) (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Know the location of places and geographic features, both physical and human.

Identify the location of earth's major landforms such as continents, islands, and mountain ranges, and major bodies of water such as the oceans, seas, rivers, and gulfs. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Describe the location of major physical characteristics such as landforms, climate, soils, water, features, vegetation, resources, and animal life, and human characteristics such as language groups, religions, political systems, economic systems, and population centers in the world. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Explain how and why the location of geographic features both physical and human in the world change over time and space. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Understand the characteristics and uses of spatial organization of Earth's surface.

Identify concepts that define and describe spatial organization such as location, distance, direction, scale, movement and region. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Explain how changing technology such as transportation and communication technology affect spatial relationships. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Understand the physical and human characteristics of place.

Describe how physical and human processes shape the characteristics of a place. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Explain how technology shapes the physical and human characteristics of places. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Explain why places have specific physical and human characteristics in different parts of the world (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Culture

Culture encompasses similarities and differences among people, including their beliefs, knowledge, changes, values, and tradition.  The students will explore these elements of society to develop an appreciation of and respect for the variety of human cultures.

Understand the nature and complexity of culture.

Define the basic components of culture. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Identify how communities reflect the cultural background of their inhabitants. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Compare how cultures differ in their use of similar environments and resources. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Analyze how human migration and cultural activities influence the character of a place. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Recognize the role of major religions.

Define religion. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Describe the beliefs of the world major religions. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Identify the founders of the world's major religions. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Appreciate the relationship between physical environments and culture.

Identify characteristics of a physical environment that contribute to the growth and development of a culture. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Evaluate the effect of technology on a culture. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Explain why individuals and groups respond differently to their physical and social environments (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Recognize how cultural and individual's perceptions affect places and regions.

Explain how information and experiences may be interpreted differently from people of diverse cultural perspectives and frames of reference  (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Describe instances in which language, art, music, belief systems, and other cultural elements can facilitate understanding or cause misunderstanding  (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Understand the role that diverse cultures and historical experiences had on the development of the world.

Explain and give examples of how language, literature, the arts, architecture, other artifacts, traditions, beliefs, values, and behaviors contribute to the development and transmission of culture (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Define cultural diffusion (6-SS[HB/1]D/IT)

Compare different ways in which cultural diffusion takes place. (6-SS[HB/1]D/IT)

Understand the influence of science and technology on the development of culture through time.

Construct a time line of technological innovations and rate the importance of technological advancements. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Show through specific examples how science and technology have changed people's perceptions of the social and natural world. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Describe examples in which values, beliefs, and attitudes have been influenced by technological knowledge. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/IT)

Economics

Globalization of the economy, the explosion of population growth, technological changes and international competition compels the student to understand both personally and globally, production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.  The student will examine and analyze economic concepts such as basic needs versus wants, using versus saving money, and policy-making versus decision-making.

Understand fundamental economic concepts and their application to a variety of economic systems.

Explain the relationship of supply and demand in early World History. (6-SS[HB/1-5]D/B)

Describe the change from hunter/gatherer economies to economies based on animal and plant domestication. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Investigate the impact of trade on the economies of early civilizations. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

recognize an example of a barter economy (6-SS[HB/1]A/B)

identify disadvantages and advantages of nomadic and early farming lifestyles (i.e., shelter, food supply, and, domestication of plants and animals) (6-SS[HB/1]A/B)

recognize the importance of economic systems in the development of early civilizations around rivers (i.e., Tigris and Euphrates, Huang He, Nile, and Indus) (6-SS[HB/2]A/B)

identify major trade routes (i.e., silk roads, Persian trade routes, African trade routes, Mediterranean trade routes, and ocean routes) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/IT)

recognize the importance of trade in later civilizations (i.e., Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, India, and European) (6-SS[HB/4-7]A/M)

analyze how basic economic ideas influenced world events (i.e., supply and demand lead to exploration and colonization) (6-SS[HB/]A/M NEEDS SUPPLEMENTAL)



Discuss economic connections, conflicts, and interdependence.

Define various types of economies and their methods of production and consumption. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/B)SUPPLEMENTAL

Apply economic concepts to evaluate historic developments.(6-SS[HB/ALL]D/B) SUPPLEMENTAL

Explain the economic impact of improved communication and transportation. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/B) SUPPLEMENTAL

Appraise the relationship among scarcity of resources, economic development, and international conflict. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/B) SUPPLEMENTAL

Understand the potential costs and benefits of individual economic choices.

Differentiate between needs and wants. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/M) SUPPLEMENTAL

Analyze how supply and demand, and change in technologies impact the cost for goods and services. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/B)

Evaluate the relationship between creditors and debtors. (6-SS[HB/8-10]D/B)

Governance and Civics

Governance establishes structures of power and authority in order to provide order and stability.  Civic efficacy requires understanding rights and responsibilities, ethical behavior, and the role of citizens within their community, nation, and world.

Explain the development of a people's need to belong and organize into a system of governance.

recognize types of government (i.e., formal/informal, monarchy, direct/indirect democracy, republics, and theocracy) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT)

recognize the steps that give rise to complex governmental organizations (i.e., nomadic, farming, village, city, city- states, and states) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/IT)

identify the development of written laws (i.e., Hammurabi’s Code, Justinian Code, and Magna Carta) (6-SS[HB/ALL/]A/M)

recognize the roles assigned to individuals in various societies (i.e., caste systems, feudal systems, city-state systems, and class systems) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/M)

compare and contrast the lives of individual citizens in various governmental organizations (i.e., monarchial systems, feudal systems, caste systems, and democratic systems-Greek) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/M)

identify informal and formal forms of governance. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

describe the purpose of governance and how its powers are acquired, used and justified. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

analyze the necessity of establishing and enforcing the rule of law. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/M)

originate models of lower to higher forms of social and political orders. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/M)

Describe the purposes and structure of governments.

identify written laws handed down from ancient civilizations. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/M)

explore the development of citizenship and government in ancient civilizations. (6-SS[HB/1]D/IT)

explain and apply concepts such as power, role, status, justice and influence to the examination of persistent issues and social problems. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

recognize the relationship between a place's physical, political, and cultural characteristics and the type of government that emerges in that place. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Identify how cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control resources, rights, and privileges.

identify natural resources that are necessary to the survival of a civilization. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

differentiate between rights and privileges of the individual. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

consider how cooperation and conflict affects the dissemination of resources, rights and privileges. (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

Individuals, Groups, and Interactions

Personal development and identity are shaped by factors including culture, groups, and institutions.  Central to this development are exploration, identification, and analysis of how individuals and groups work independently and cooperatively.

Understand the impact of individual and group decisions on citizens and communities.

Recognize that individuals can belong to groups but still have their own identity. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Relate personal changes to social, cultural, and historical contexts.(6-SS[HB/ALL]I/B)

Describe personal connections to place, as associated with community, nation and world. (6-SS[HB/ALL]I/B)

Describe ways regional, ethnic, and national cultures influence individuals' daily lives. (6-SS[HB/ALL]I/B)

Understand how groups can impact change at world levels.

Identify and describe ways family, groups, and community influence the individual's daily life and personal choices. (6-SS[HB/ALL]I/B)

Demonstrate an understanding of concepts such as role, status, and social class in describing the interactions of individuals and social groups. (6-SS[HB/ALL]I/B)

Analyze group and institutional influences on people, events, and elements of culture. (6-SS[HB/ALL]I/B)

History

History involves people, events, and issues.  The student will evaluate evidence to develop comparative and causal analyses, and to interpret primary sources.  He/she will construct sound historical arguments and perspectives on which informed decisions in contemporary life can be based.

World History Standards Era 1: The Beginnings of Human Society

Recognize the importance of fire, weapons, and tools to early cultures and agriculture.

List ancient weapons and tools. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Understand the role of the environment in terms of influencing the development of weapons, and tools. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Explain the role of agriculture in early settled communities. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Recognize the immediate and long term impacts and influences of early agricultural communities such as Southwest Asia and the African Nile Valley. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present and future.

Describe the biological processes that shaped the earliest human communities. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Identify the characteristics of hunter-gatherer communities in various continental regions in Africa versus the Americas. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Explain how different early human communities expressed their beliefs. (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

Identify how to use historical information acquired from a variety of sources.

Explain how geologists, archaeologists, and anthropologists study early human development. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

Identify scientific evidence regarding early human settlements in Africa. (6-SS[HB/1-5]M/B)

recognize the types of early communities (i.e., nomadic, fishing, and farming) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

identify major technological advances (i.e., tools, wheel, irrigation, river dikes, development of farming, advances in weaponry, written language, and printing press) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

recognize the world's major religions and their founders (i.e., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

identify how early writing forms in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley influenced life (i.e., legal, religious, and culture) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

recognize the significant mythologies of the Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans (6-SS[HB1-5/]A/B)

recognize the designations for time dating (i.e., BCE, AD, centuries, decades, prehistoric, and historic) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

recognize major historical time periods (i.e., Early Civilizations, Classical Period, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, and Renaissance) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

read a timeline and order events of the past between prehistory and the Renaissance (6-SS[HB1-5/]A/B)

identify examples of groups impacting world history (i.e., Muslims, Christians, Mongolians, Vikings, slave traders, explorers, merchants/traders, and inventors.) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

identify characteristics including economy, social relations, religion, and political authority of various societies (i.e., Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek City-States, Roman Empire, Indian, and Medieval) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

describe the ways in which individuals can change groups (i.e., Martin Luther – Christian church, William of Normandy – English Monarchy, Joan of Arc – Hundred Years War, and Buddha – Chinese Culture) (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

recognize the possible causes of change in civilizations (i.e., environmental change, political collapse, new ideas, warfare, overpopulation, unreliable food sources, and diseases) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/B)

recognize the impact of individuals on world history (i.e., Charlemagne, Joan of Arc, William the Conqueror, Ramses II, Julius Caesar, Socrates, Aristotle, Marco Polo, Alexander the Great, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Martin Luther, and Johannes Gutenberg) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/B)

identify the job characteristics of archaeologists, anthropologists, geologists, and historians (6-SS[HB/1-5]A/B)

identify differences between various cultural groups (i.e., European, Eurasian, Indian, Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Native American) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/B)

identify types of artifacts by pictorial representation (i.e., Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Chinese, Native American, Medieval, and Renaissance) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/B)

identify conclusions about early world historical events using primary and secondary sources (6-SS[HB1-5/]A/B)

identify the development of written and spoken languages (i.e., Roman alphabet, Latin word origins, Romance Languages) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/B)

recognize significant epics as historical sources (i.e., Iliad, the Odyssey, Mahabharata, and Ramayana) (6-SS[HB/ALL]A/B)

World History Standards Era 2: Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples (4000-1000 BCE)

Recognize the importance of agriculture, evolution of writing, education, law, and trade in the development of early civilizations.

Describe the characteristics of writing in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley and how their written records shaped political, legal, religious, and cultural life. (6-SS[HB/2,6-8]M/B)

Compare and contrast the Mycenaean Greek development of agriculture, writing, education, law and trade with another society. (6-SS[HB/6-8]M/B)

Explain how the development of different types of tools, laws, and religion influenced early Chinese civilization. (6-SS[HB/6-8]M/B)

Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present and future.

Compare and contrast how the economic, political, cultural, and environmental factors among the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Indus River Valley, China, and Mesopotamia shaped their histories. (6-SS[HB/2,6-8]M/B)

Explain the decline of the Indus Valley civilization. (6-SS[HB/2]M/B)

Identify significant individuals and events in Egyptian civilization. (6-SS[HB/6-8]M/B)

Describe the characteristics of Aryan society. (6-SS[HB/6-8]M/B)

Identify how to use historical information acquired from a variety of sources.

Describe what archaeological evidence reveals about Chinese history during the Chang Dynasty. (6-SS[HB/6-8]M/B)

Identify early forms of writing, law, and trade i.e. cuneiform, hieroglyphics, barter, Code of Hammurabi, and the Ten Commandments. (6-SS[HB/6-8]M/B)

World History Standards Era 3: Classical Traditions, Major Religions, and Giant Empires (1000 BCE-300 AD)

Recognize the influence of major religions between both ancient eastern and western cultures.

Illustrate the placement of major religions on the earth's surface. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Compare and contrast elements of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Identify the causes and spread of Christianity. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Explain the origins of Buddhism and fundamental Buddhist beliefs. (6-SS[HB/3-4]M/B)

Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present, and future.

Explain the patterns of Phoenician political organization, culture, and trade in the Mediterranean basin. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Describe the development of Greek city-states and their political and social characteristics. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Identify the characteristics of the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Explain the impact and achievements of the Hellenistic period on art, mathematics, science, philosophy, and political thought. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Understand the origins and social framework of Roman society. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Identify fundamental social, political, and cultural characteristics of Chinese society under early imperial dynasties. (6-SS[HB/3]M/B)

Identify how to use historical information acquired from a variety of sources.

Compare geographical and architectural features of Egypt. (6-SS[HB/2]M/B)

Identify major cultural elements of Greek society such as sculpture, architecture, and pottery. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Explore the role of art, literature, and mythology in Greek society by analyzing primary sources. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Explain the political, commercial and cultural uses of Latin and Greek as universal languages of the Roman Empire. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Understand the rise and decline of ancient civilizations.

Construct time lines to show sequences of important dates and events. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Identify cause and effect of events leading to the rise and decline of civilizations. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Describe how the rise and decline of military power, state bureaucracy, legal codes, belief systems, written languages, and communications and trade networks affected societies. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

World History Standards Era 4: Expanding Zones of Exchange and Encounter (300AD-1000 AD)

Understand feudalism and the rise of the Christian church a dominant factor in Medieval Europe.

Identify the spread of Christian belief in Europe. (6-SS[HB/7]M/E)

Diagram the social structure of medieval society. (6-SS[HB/7]M/E)

Explain the significance of Norse migrations and invasions. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Describe social class and gender roles in Medieval Europe. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present and future.

Understand the significant features of Mayan and Andean civilization as in their location of cities, road systems, sea routes, status of elite women and men, art, and architecture. (6-SS[HB/2]M/B)

Recognize the importance of maritime and overland trade routes linking regions of Afro-Eurasian societies. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Identify how to use historical information acquired from a variety of sources.

List the major achievements in technology, astronomy, and medicine in the Gupta societies. (6-SS[HB/3]M/B)

Identify monastic examples of preserving Greco-Roman and early Christian learning. (6-SS[HB/4]M/B)

Read an example of African oral history for its historical importance. (6-SS[HB/6-7]M/B)

Understand the achievements of great African and Asian empires.

Identify the spread of Islamic belief in Asia and Africa. (6-SS[HB/5-7]M/B)

Explain how the influence of Islamic ideas and practices influenced culture and social behavior. (6-SS[HB/5-10]M/E)

Describe the characteristics of and development of great African and Asian civilizations. (6-SS[HB/2,5, 6,7]M/E)

Identify the impact of Chinese society on surrounding cultures in terms of assimilation of ideas and political autonomy. (6-SS[HB/2-5]M/E)

World History Standards Era 5: The Emergence of Europe (1200-1500AD)

Appreciate the shift in institutions from a church dominated society to the rise of science, philosophy, and art.

Recognize the developments of science, philosophy, and art in the 14th and 15th centuries. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Understand the significant developments of medieval English in legal and constitutional practices and how this shaped the development of European governments. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Recognize the origins and the economic, social, and political impact of the plague upon Eurasian societies. (6-SS[HB/5,7]M/B)

Judge the significance of the Reformation on the development of Europe. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present and future.

Compare and contrast feudalism and manoralism. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Explain the cultural characteristics of Islamic society such as a common language, religious text, and society and how this led to cohesiveness across regions. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Identify features of trade routes in Asia, Europe, and Africa. (6-SS[HB/ALL]M/B)

Describe the roles and motivations of squires, saints, and soldiers in Christian Europe. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Describe the economic, social, and religious features of West Africa. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Identify how to use historical information acquired from a variety of sources.

Identify aspects of the architecture of Medieval Europe and how some elements may still be seen in local and modern architecture. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Compare and contrast art, architecture, and education in medieval Christian and Spanish Muslim society. (6-SS[HB/7]M/B)

Rate the importance of foreign sources in recording the history in areas of Mongol domination as in the travels of Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta. (6-SS[HB/5-6]M/B)

Social Studies Process Standards

detect cause and effect relationships to acquire information (6-SS[HB/ALL]D/IT)

distinguish between fact and opinion to recognize propaganda to acquire information (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

use maps, graphs, globes, media, and technology sources to acquire information (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

discover resources available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies to acquire information (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

identify relevant factual material to problem solve and analyze data (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

classify information by source, chronology, and importance to problem solve and analyze data (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

critically examine data from a variety of sources to problem solve and analyze data (6-SS[HB/]D/IT)

detect bias in data presented in a variety of forms to problem solve and analyze data (6-SS[HB/]D/IT)

note cause/effect relationship and draw inferences from a variety of data to problem solve and analyze data (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

read critically a variety of materials including textbooks, historical documents, newspapers, magazines, and other reference sources for historical awareness (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

construct and analyze timelines for historical awareness (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

utilize community resources such as field trips, guest speakers, and museums for historical awareness (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

incorporate the use of technological resources for historical awareness (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)

utilize primary and secondary source material such as biographies and autobiographies; novels; speeches and letters; and poetry, songs, and artwork for historical awareness (6-SS[HB/ ALL]D/IT)





State Assessed items are printed in GREEN.