Goal 1. Geography - Students will use geographic concepts and processes to understand location and its relationship to human activities. Objectives – The student will be able to: Identify natural/physical features and human – made features using maps and photograph. Describe and classify regions using climate, vegetation, animal life, and natural/physical features.
Classify places as rural and urban, and suburban. Describe how geographic characteristics determine choices, such as climate guides decisions about food, clothing, and shelter. Identify the purpose and use of a globe and a variety of maps and atlases, such as school maps, neighborhood maps and simple atlases. Identify and use map elements, such as title, compass rose, simple grid system, legend/key, date, and author to interpret a map. Identify the equator, poles, seven continents, four oceans, and countries on a map and globe. Describe a place using bird’s eye view, and satellite images, photographs, and pictures.
Skills and Processes - Students shall use reading, writing, and thinking processes and skills to gain knowledge and understanding of political, historical, and current events using chronological and spatial thinking, economic reasoning, and historical interpretation, by framing and evaluating questions from primary and secondary sources.
Objectives – The student will be able to: a. Identify and demonstrate appropriate social skills necessary for working in a cooperative group, such as sharing concern, care, and respect among group members. b. Make connections to prior knowledge and new vocabulary by listening, reading, and responding to a variety of texts. c. Present social studies information in a variety ways, such as plays, skits, posters, songs, poems, murals, and oral presentations. UNIT 2: Let’s Go Shopping!
Goal 2. Geography - Students will use geographic concepts and processes to understand location and its relationship to human activities.
Objectives – The student will be able to: Describe ways, such as clearing trees and farming land, that people modify their environment and the impact of those modifications. Describe how and why people protect or fail to protect the environment. Identify concerns in the community, such as safety issues and pollution problems and ways to resolve these concerns.
Economics - Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
a. Identify and explain economic choices people make. b. Identify and give examples of the positive and negative aspects of each choice. c. Explain that choices have consequences, some of which are more important than others. d. Identify the natural, capital, and human resources used in the production of a good or service. e. Identify examples of specialized workers in the school and community, such as nurses, truck drivers, lawyers, and postal workers. f. Describe different market situations where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods and services. g. Describe how people meet in market communities around the world, such as farmers’ markets and door-to-door sales. h. Identify goods and services provided by businesses. i. Explain different ways to pay for goods and services, such as credit cards, checks, debit cards, and money orders.
UNIT 3: Communities Change
Goal 1. Political Science - Students will understand the historical development and current status of the democratic principles and the development of skills and attitudes necessary to become responsible citizens.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
Connect certain people, symbols, songs and poems to the ideals they represent, such as George Washington portrays leadership, the American flag represents loyalty and respect, and the Star Spangled Banner represents courage and freedom. Explain how contributions of people recognized in various holidays represent democratic beliefs and attitudes that include rights and responsibilities, loyalty, respect, and courage.
Geography - Students will use geographic concepts and processes to understand location and its relationship to human activities.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
Compare types of transportation used to move goods and people today and long ago. Compare ways people communicate ideas today and long ago. Explain how people adapt to changes in the environment.
Economics - Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
Identify examples of technology used by consumers, such as automobiles, cameras, telephones, microwaves, televisions, and computers. Analyze why consumers use technology in their daily lives.
History - Students will use historical thinking skills to understand how individuals and events have changed society over time.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
a. Develop a personal timeline in each students’ life. b. Describe the relationship among events in a variety of timelines. c. Describe people, places and artifacts of today and long ago. d. Gather and interpret information about the past from informational sources and biographies. e. Collect and examine photographs of the past and compare with similar, current images, such as, photographs of modes of transportation and communication. UNIT 4: People in the Community
Goal 1. Political Science - Students will understand the historical development and current status of the democratic principles and the development of skills and attitudes necessary to become responsible citizens. Objectives – The student will be able to:
Describe the contributions of local government leaders and current leaders of their school and community, such as county executives, county council or mayor, and city council. Analyze how different points of view in school situations may result in compromise or conflict.
Describe the rights and responsibilities of being a participating member of the school and the community. Recognize and describe how making choices affects self, family, school, and community.
Identify leadership positions and organizations in the community and explain how they can be helpful in maintaining safety and order. Explain how rules and laws are made and necessary to maintain order and protect citizens.
Explain how school and community rules promote orderliness, fairness, responsibility, privacy, and safety. Peoples of the Nations and World - Students will understand the diversity and commonality, human interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland, the United States, and the World through a multicultural and a historic perspective.
Objectives – The student will be able to:
Use fiction and non-fiction to compare the elements of two different cultures, and how they meet their human needs for food, shelter, and other commonalities such as recreation, music, and stories. Explain ways people of different ages and/or cultural backgrounds can respect and help to pass on traditions and customs.
Explain that individuals and groups share and borrow from other cultures to form a community. Give examples of how families in the community share and borrow customs and traditions from other cultures.
Economics - Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions.
Identify goods and services provided by government.