Early Grades

People, Places & Environment 

Culture

Time, Continuity & Change 

Individual Development & Identity 

Individuals, Groups & Institutions 

Power, Authority & Governance 

Production, Distribution & Consumption 

Science, Technology & Society 

Global Connections

Civic Ideals & Practices

Gather and interpret information from various representations of Earth, such as maps, globes, geospatial technologies and other geographic tools to inform the study of people, places, and environments, both past and present. 

Investigate relationships among people, places, and environments in the school, community, state, region, and world through the use of atlases, data bases, charts, graphs, maps, and geospatial technologies; 

Gather and interpret information from various representations of Earth, such as maps, globes, geospatial technologies and other geographic tools to inform the study of people, places, and environments, both past and present. 

Ask and find answers to questions related to culture in the contexts of school, community, state, and region;

Explore and describe similarities and differences in the ways various cultural groups meet similar needs and concerns; 

Give examples of how information and experiences may be interpreted differently by people from different cultural groups; 

Describe the value of both cultural unity and diversity within and across groups; 

Demonstrate how holding different values and beliefs can contribute or pose obstacles to understanding between people and groups. 

Ask and find answers to questions related to the past in school, community, state, and regional contexts; 

Use a variety of sources to learn about the past; 

Identify examples of both continuity and change, as depicted in stories, photographs, and documents; 

Describe examples of cause-effect relationships; 

Compare and contrast differing stories or accounts about past events, people, places, or situations, and offer possible reasons for the differences; 

Describe how people in the past lived, and research their values and beliefs; 

Use sources to learn about the past in order to inform decisions about actions on issues of importance today; 

Use historical methods of inquiry and literacy skills to research and present findings. 

Ask and find answers to questions about how individual identity forms and changes; 

Describe their personal characteristics, including their interests, capabilities, and perceptions; 

Explore factors that contribute to personal identity, such as physical attributes, gender, race, and culture; 

Evaluate how they can express their own identity and work productively with others; 

Identify people, groups, and institutions that contribute to development. 

Ask and find answers to questions about individual, group, and institutional influences; 

Describe interactions between and among individuals, groups, and institutions; 

Identify and describe examples of tensions between and among individuals, groups, and institutions; 

Explore how membership in more than one group is natural, but may cause internal conflicts or cooperation; 

Provide examples of the role of institutions in furthering both continuity and change; 

Show how groups and institutions work to meet individual needs, and promote or fail to promote the common good; 

Gather information about groups in their school through such tools as surveys and interviews. 

Ask and find answers to questions about power, authority, and governance in the school, community, and state; 

Examine issues involving the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups in relation to the broader society; 

Examine issues involving the richness of unity and diversity, as well as conflicts related to unity and diversity; 

Analyze conditions and actions related to power, authority, and governance that contribute to conflict and cooperation among groups and nations, or detract from cooperation. 

Ask and find answers to questions about the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in the school and community; 

Analyze the differences between wants and needs; 

Evaluate how the decisions that people make are influenced by the trade offs of different options; 

Examine and evaluate different methods for allocating scarce goods and services in the school and community; 

Assess how consumers will react to rising and falling prices for goods and services. 

Ask and find answers to questions about the ways in which science and technology affect our lives; 

Use diverse types of media technology to research and share information; 

Identify examples of science and technology in daily life; 

Identify examples of the use of science and technology in society as well as consequences of their use; 

Research a scientific topic or type of technology developed in a particular time or place, and determine its impact on people's lives; 

Identify the points of view expressed in information sources regarding science and technology; 

Research and evaluate various scientific and technological proposals for addressing real-life issues and problems. 

Ask and find answers to questions about the connections we have to other people and places around the globe; 

Identify examples of global connections in their community, state, or region; 

Use maps and databases to look for global patterns, trends, and connections; 

Describe examples in which language, art, music, belief systems, and other cultural elements can facilitate global understanding or cause misunderstanding; 

Give examples of conflict and cooperation among individuals, groups, and nations in different parts of the world; 

Examine the ways in which technology affects global connections; 

Identify and examine issues and problems that impact people in different parts of the world and move beyond local borders to affect other parts of the world; 

Identify and examine how wants and needs in one part of the world may conflict with the wants and needs of people in other parts of the world. 

Ask and find answers to questions about how to plan for action with others to improve life in the school, community, and beyond; 

Identify and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizens; 

Locate, access, organize, and apply information from multiple sources reflecting multiple points of view; 

Analyze how specific policies or citizen behaviors reflect ideals and practices consistent or inconsistent with democratic ideals; 

Evaluate positions about an issue based on the evidence and arguments provided, and describe the pros, cons, and consequences of holding a specific position; 

Develop a position on a school or local issue, and defend it with evidence; 

Examine the influence of citizens and officials on policy decisions.