Oklahoma History and Government

Practice Standards

Content Standards

The student will apply critical thinking skills to address authentic civic issues.

The student will use interdisciplinary tools to acquire, apply, and evaluate content understanding of the four strands of social studies.

The student will engage in critical, active reading of primary and secondary sources related to social studies concepts.

The student will develop a variety of evidence- based written products designed for multiple purposes.

The student will describe the state’s geography and the historic foundations laid by American Indian, European, and American cultures.

The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people from early contact through Indian Removal and its aftermath.

The student will evaluate the major political and economic events that transformed the land and its people in the post-Civil War era to statehood.

The student will analyze significant issues encountered on the path to statehood.

The student will evaluate the constitutional powers exercised by the state government and the role of the Oklahoma citizen.

The student will examine Oklahoma’s political, economic, and social history regarding race during the early decades following statehood.

The student will examine the challenges and accomplishments of Oklahomans as they encountered periods of economic depression and engagement in world conflict.

The student will investigate how post-war social, political, and economic events continued to transform the state of Oklahoma from the 1950s through the present.

Demonstrate an understanding of the virtue of civil discourse to analyze and address real- world problems.

Develop practices which demonstrate an understanding that social studies involves the evaluation of evidence.

Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of government, the benefits of democratic systems, and their responsibilities as citizens.

Develop skills which demonstrate an understanding of historical events and the people who shaped our history.

Demonstrate a mastery of geographic concepts and the use of geographic tools to understand the impact of geography on the past and present.

Identify the principles of economic systems and develop an understanding of the benefits of a market system in local, national, and global settings.

Comprehend, evaluate, and synthesize textual sources to acquire and refine knowledge in the social studies.

Apply critical reading and thinking skills to interpret, evaluate, and respond to a variety of complex texts and perspectives.

Summarize and paraphrase, integrate evidence, and cite sources to create written products, research projects, and presentations for multiple purposes related to social studies content.

Engage in authentic research to acquire, refine, and share knowledge through written presentations and products.

Describe the various physical features of Oklahoma and how the environment, ecological regions, and natural resources can affect human activity, comparing information on historical and contemporary thematic maps.

Explain the significance of the Cooper Bison Kill Site as credible evidence of the early presence of prehistoric Native cultures.

Describe the region as home to well-developed and complex pre-contact societies, such as the Spiro Mound Builders.

Examine the Caddo and Wichita cultures, active in the production and trading of goods using extensive transcontinental, intertribal trade routes prior to European contact.

Compare the goals and significance of early European interactions with Native cultures, such as the benefits of trade, the impact of disease, the transformation of Native life brought about by the arrival of the horse, and new technologies.

Compare cultural perspectives of American Indians and settlers regarding land ownership, social structures (e.g., matrilineal vs. patrilineal), religion, spirituality, and concepts of government.

Analyze the role of early trade centers and transportation to the development and growth of the region, by describing the

Analyze the consequences of removal of American Indians to present-day Oklahoma.

Examine the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction Treaties on American Indian peoples, territories, and Tribal sovereignty.

Evaluate the lasting effect of early industries on economic growth.

Analyze the influence of the idea of Manifest Destiny on migrations into present-day Oklahoma.

Explain how American Indians experienced decreasing control over Tribal lands through congressional action.

Describe the effects of the Curtis Act of 1898 and evaluate the outcome of the Indian-led movement to secure a separate statehood for Indian Territory, summarizing major features of the proposed state of Sequoyah’s constitution.

Examine the continued migration of African Americans to the region and describe the outcome of a proposed all-Black state, as advocated by Edward McCabe.

Explain how the Organic Act of 1890 and Enabling Act paved the way for the admission of Oklahoma and Indian territories into the Union as a single state.

Examine the influence of the national Progressive Movement and local social reformers, such as Kate Barnard, on the state constitutional convention regarding accountable government, child labor, public education, and prohibition.

Trace the final steps toward statehood from the adoption of the Oklahoma constitution by a vote of the people to presidential proclamation on November 16, 1907.

Describe the purpose of the Oklahoma Constitution, its key principles, and its relationship to the Constitution of the United States.

Explain how the state Constitution protects the rights of citizens by comparing the Oklahoma Constitution’s Article II (Bill of Rights) to key features of the United States Bill of Rights.

Trace the steps necessary for a bill to become a law in Oklahoma, including multiple opportunities for citizens to be involved in the process.

Describe the American system of federalism as it relates to the division, function, and sharing of powers among levels of government, using historical examples and including Tribal relationships to the state government.

Examine how the Oklahoma State Constitution includes several provisions to promote democratic participation by citizens, such as

Identify major sources of local, state, and Tribal revenues (e.g., sales tax, income tax, gaming) and services provided including education, health and human services, transportation, courts, corrections, and public safety.

Examine how the oil industry affected major sectors of employment and the development of communities, including the role of entrepreneurs (e.g., Frank Phillips, E.W. Marland, Thomas Gilcrease) and the designation of Tulsa as the “Oil Capital of the World.”

Examine government policies impacting American Indian identity, culture, economy, Tribal government, and sovereignty.

Examine the evolution of race relations in Oklahoma.

Summarize Oklahoma’s role in World War I, including agricultural exports and the contributions of Oklahoma armed forces and military units, such as the Choctaw code talkers.

Examine how agricultural conditions were a precursor to the Great Depression by describing the boom-and-bust cycle of Oklahoma’s agricultural output to meet the needs of World War I followed by post-war overproduction.

Identify economic conditions occurring nationally and within the state which contributed to the Great Depression and were characterized by mass unemployment and human suffering.

Describe the environmental devastation known as the Dust Bowl by analyzing the impact of environmental conditions and human mismanagement of natural resources which resulted in the migration of the “Okies.”

Examine the effects of the Great Depression on Oklahomans and evaluate the effectiveness of governmental response.

Describe the changing relations between the federal government and American Indian Nations as influenced by the Meriam Report and reflected in the Indian Reorganization Act (“Indian New Deal”) and the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act, including consequences on Tribal government and sovereignty.

Describe the contributions of Oklahomans, including the political and social commentaries of Will Rogers and Woody Guthrie, Wiley Post’s aviation milestones, the artwork of the Kiowa Six, and African American jazz musicians.

Summarize and analyze the impact of Oklahoma’s mobilization and engagement in World War II including

Evaluate the progress of the Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma by describing the goals, strategies, and accomplishments toward equality.

Analyze the impact of growth in various sectors of the state economy.

Analyze the evolving relationship between the state and Oklahoma’s thirty-nine Tribal government

Summarize the contributions of Oklahoma leadership in a changing political environment.

Analyze Oklahoma’s response to acts of domestic terrorism.

Examine recent contributions by Oklahomans to the public’s quality of life.

Evaluate the impact of perspectives, civil discourse, and democratic principles on addressing civic issues.

Engage in a range of deliberative and democratic processes to develop strategies to address authentic, real-world problems in community and out-of-school contexts.

Gather and evaluate information regarding complex problems, assessing individual and collective actions taken to address them.

Develop, investigate, and evaluate plausible answers to essential questions that reflect enduring understandings across time, real world circumstances, and social studies disciplines.

Evaluate points of agreement and disagreement from reliable information and expert interpretations used to answer supporting questions related to content knowledge.

Reinforce critical thinking by evaluating and challenging ideas and assumptions, analyzing and explaining inconsistencies in reasoning.

Demonstrate understanding of content through the development of self-driven inquiries and the completion of multi-staged, authentic tasks and assessments.

Evaluate various significant documents from the United States and other nations to compare civic virtues and principles of political systems.

Evaluate the impact of the structure and powers exercised by governmental systems on public policy, using historical and contemporary examples.

Analyze the impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements, by comparing how various governmental powers and responsibilities have changed over time.

Gather and evaluate the usefulness of various formats of evidence for specific inquiry, analyzing the broader historical context, and assessing potential bias and credibility of sources.

Analyze complex and interacting factors that influence multiple perspectives during different historical eras and contemporary events.

Evaluate how multiple, complex events are shaped by unique circumstances of time and place; construct and interpret parallel timelines.

Actively engage in asking and answering geographic questions by acquiring, organizing, and analyzing multiple sources of data and information about the world’s past and present.

Compare and analyze complex maps and mapping technologies to analyze spatial patterns of human and physical environments, explaining relationships between the environment and events, past and present.

Evaluate the extent to which political and economic decisions have had significant impact on human and physical environments of various places and regions.

Evaluate economic data from charts and graphs, noting trends and making predictions.

Construct arguments using a combination of evidence regarding solutions used by nations to address historical or contemporary economic issues.

Evaluate the impact, both intended and unintended, of government policies on market outcomes at national and global levels, past and present.

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, evaluating features such as author, date, and origin of information.

Analyze information from visual, oral, digital, and interactive texts (e.g., maps, charts, images, political cartoons, videos, artwork) in order to draw conclusions and defend arguments.

Evaluate the extent to which historical or cultural perspectives affect an author’s stated or implied purpose.

Evaluate the author’s point of view, potential bias, and how authors can reach different conclusions regarding the same issue.

Actively listen, evaluate, and analyze a speaker’s message, asking questions while engaged in collaborative discussions about social studies topics and texts.

Compose informative essays and written products, developing a thesis, citing and incorporating evidence from multiple sources and maintaining an organized, formal structure.

Compose argumentative written products, including a precise claim as distinguished from opposing claims, organizing logical reasoning, and providing credible evidence to develop an argument.

Develop self-generated theses or claims related to independent research and investigations using credible and relevant sources.

Integrate quotes and summaries of research findings into written products while avoiding plagiarism.

Construct presentations or products for a designated audience, using research and reasoning to enhance understanding of a topic or issue.

impact of mercantile settlements, such as Chouteau’s Trading Post at Three Forks

major trading and peacekeeping goals of military posts (e.g., Fort Gibson, Fort Towson, Fort Washita).

Explain the motivations which prompted the passage and terms of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and describe efforts of Tribal resistance, including appeals to the Supreme Court (e.g., Marshall Trilogy), the support of missionaries, such as Samuel Worcester, and the positions of Cherokee leadership (e.g., Elias Boudinot, John Ross).

Summarize and describe the process of the establishment of Indian Territory and the experiences of forced removal of southeastern Tribes from their homelands.

Examine the consequences of Indian Removal on intertribal relationships among Tribal groups historically residing in Indian Territory and those relocated there.

Describe the effect of intertribal division based on Tribal support of the Union or Confederacy, as exemplified by Opothleyahola and the Trail of Blood on Ice.

Explain conditions of the Reconstruction Treaties of 1866 (e.g., land cessions, the abolition of slavery, required Tribal enrollment of the Freedman, and the grant of right of way to Congressionally authorized railroad companies).

Summarize the intent of President Grant’s Peace Policy on the displacement of American Indians from their homelands.

Describe the period known as the Second Indian Removal and justifications made for establishing the reservation system, comparing experiences of Tribal Nations.

Examine the purpose for western military posts, such as Fort Sill, and the role of military regiments, such as the Buffalo Soldiers, in implementing Indian policy during the Plains Wars.

Describe the confinement of American Indians to reservations, including the significance of the Massacre at the Washita and explain the impact of the reservation policy.

Explain the significance of the Standing Bear v. Crook decision as it relates to the personhood of American Indians and their rights under federal law.

Describe the economic and environmental effects of commercial extraction of Indian Territory's coal deposits on the development of regional communities, including the role of entrepreneur James J. McAlester.

Explain the necessity of cattle trails and factors contributing to the cattle industry becoming vital to the economy of the state, including the associated development of railroad lines and major transportation routes.

Examine the origins and changing perceptions of the American cowboy culture (e.g., dime novels, artwork, motion pictures) versus the reality of the profession and today's image of the West.

Explain opportunities provided by the Homestead Act of 1862 and its impact on mass migration to the region.

Analyze the goals, strategies, and escalated tension created by the Boomer Movement under the leadership of David Payne.

Examine Tribal responses to increased emigration, featured by calls for unified action through intertribal councils, lobbying efforts, and court challenges.

Describe the establishment of all-Black towns and the extent to which they provided economic opportunities, political independence, and escape from discrimination.

Compare multiple points of view to evaluate the impact of the Dawes Act of 1877 (General Allotment Act) which resulted in the loss of Tribal communal lands through a transfer to individual property.

Describe the intent and effects of the Indian Appropriations Act and methods (e.g., land runs, lotteries) used for the redistribution of lands, such as the Unassigned Lands and the Cherokee Outlet.

Identify the responsibilities of state government by analyzing the Preamble to the Oklahoma State Constitution.

Compare the structure of state government to the national system of three branches with similar functions and powers.

Identify the requirements, terms of office, and duties for major elected and appointed state officials in each branch of state government, including county officials, school board members, and city officials.

Examine powers exercised by the state government to meet the needs of its citizens, using examples from history and the modern era.

the direct primary, initiative petition, and referendum (including the power to recall government officials in some local jurisdictions)

the regulations and processes for registering to vote and participating in state elections.

Analyze the effects of federal policy to assimilate Native children through the establishment of Indian boarding schools (e.g., Riverside Indian School, Chilocco Indian Agricultural School).

Examine the judicial decision of Dorothy Sunrise v. Cache Consolidated School District regarding integrated access to public education by American Indians.

Explain the justification for passage of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and the concept of dual citizenship.

Examine the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ guardianship of American Indian resources, lands, trust accounts and head rights, exemplified by the Osage Allotment Act and exploitation of Osage mineral wealth.

Identify the intent of the Indian Relocation Act as it relates to vocational training and assimilation policies, as well as its effect on Tribal communities.

Explain the impact of the Code of Indian Offenses of 1883 on Tribal religious and cultural practices.

Analyze the intent and effect of Jim Crow laws initiated by the passage of Senate Bill 1.

Explain the outcome of Oklahoma’s attempt to restrict suffrage rights through the grandfather clause (Guinn v. United States).

Describe the continued growth of African American communities, including the emergence of “Black Wall Street” in Tulsa’s Greenwood District

Examine the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and its involvement in acts of intimidation and violence, including responses such as the Anti-Mask Law of 1923.

Analyze the causes of the Tulsa Race Massacre, including its continued social and economic impact.

Summarize policies of Governor William H. Murray which impacted the goals of the New Deal in Oklahoma.

Describe New Deal programs and projects (e.g., Agricultural Adjustment Act, Tennessee Valley Authority, Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps) which addressed specific needs of Oklahomans in both employment and the conservation of natural resources.

Analyze how various segments of Oklahoma’s economy and society, such as agriculture, mining, and state politics, were influenced by organized labor and socialist movements.

establishment of military bases and prisoner of war installations

contributions of military personnel and specifical units to the war effort, including the American Indian Code Talkers and the 45th Infantry Division.

Examine judicial interpretation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Describe issues and decisions of the landmark Supreme Court cases of Sipuel v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and McLaurin v. Oklahoma Board of Regents for Higher Education.

Assess the leadership of Governor Raymond Gary in the integration of the public common and higher education systems.

Explain the strategy and effectiveness of nonviolent lunch-counter sit-ins, such as those organized by Clara Luper, local churches, and the NAACP.

Examine the consequences of Tulsa Public School’s voluntary desegregation initiated at Booker T. Washington High School.

Describe the value of agribusiness to the state economy, producing commodities, such as wheat and livestock for the nation, and examine water use issues impacting agribusiness.

Examine the development of defense-related, aerospace, and aviation industries (e.g., Fort Sill, Tinker Air Force Base, FAA, weather research and national disaster preparedness).

Analyze recent oil and gas boom-and-bust cycles, such as new discoveries in the Anadarko Basin and the growth of alternative energy sources, such as wind power.

Describe the state’s connection to international trade through construction of transportation infrastructures (e.g., interstate highway system, McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System).

Evaluate the impact of tourism as an industry, boosted by the construction of Route 66, state parks, and museums.

Examine the growth of Tribal enterprises, their effects on the state’s economy and on the financial stability of American Indian Nations, including examples of state and Tribal cooperation (e.g., gaming compacts, cross-deputization agreements).

Identify the causes and consequences of rural to urban to suburban migration, as well as urban renewal efforts (e.g., Oklahoma City’s MAPS Project).

Identify the relative location of Oklahoma’s Tribal Nations and their jurisdiction.

Explain how Tribal governments are established under various constitution-based or traditional structures, operating as sovereign nations whose citizens select their own officials.

Describe Tribal authority to enact and enforce laws, manage judicial systems, lands and natural resources, education, and other programs for Tribal citizens.

Identify how legislative actions have impacted American Indian Nations (e.g., Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, American Indian Religious Freedom Act, Johnson-O'Malley Program).

Examine judicial decisions related to issues of sovereignty and jurisdiction (e.g., McGirt v. Oklahoma, Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta).

Explain the importance of Tribal efforts to preserve Native history, cultures and languages, including the intent and consequences of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Identify the contributions of contemporary politicians and public servants (e.g., Speaker Carl Albert, Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller, educators and historians Eddie Faye Gates, Angie Debo).

Describe trends in political realignment from preponderance of the Democratic Party following the Great Depression to the emergence of the Republican Party, exemplified by the election of Governor Henry Bellmon.

Identify the effects of the domestic terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

Describe the volunteerism and heroism of responding Oklahomans, exhibiting the “Oklahoma Standard.”

Examine the purpose of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and how it continues to fulfill its mission of remembrance and education.

Describe migrations of recent cultural and ethnic groups to Oklahoma and their impact on the social and economic transformation of the modern state.

Analyze the influence of Oklahomans in various fields, such as the arts, literature, and sports (e.g., Ralph Ellison, Jim Thorpe, Bill Mauldin, the Five Moons [Indian Ballerinas], Allan Houser, N. Scott Momaday, Reba McIntire, Joy Harjo, Te Ata).

Explain changing perceptions, both internal and external, of the state and its citizens, comparing the images from Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, to the musical Oklahoma!, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.