Social Studies

The study of history and social science is vital in a democratic society. All students need to know and understand our national heritage in order to become informed participants in shaping our nation’s future. The History and Social Studies Standards of Learning were developed with the assistance of educators, parents, business leaders, and others with an interest in public education.

The History and Social Studies Standards of Learning are designed to:
 • develop the knowledge and skills of history, geography, civics, and economics that enable students to place the people, ideas, and events that have shaped our state and our nation in perspective;
• instill in students a thoughtful pride in the history of America through an understanding that what “We the People of the United States” launched more than two centuries ago was not a perfect union, but a continual effort to build a “more perfect” union, one which has become the world’s most successful experiment in constitutional self-government;
• enable students to understand the basic values, principles, and operation of American constitutional democracy;
• prepare students for informed and responsible citizenship;
• develop students’ skills in debate, discussion, and writing; and
• provide students with a framework for continuing education in history and the social sciences.


History
History should be the integrative core of the curriculum, in which both the humanities (such as art and literature) and the social sciences (political science, economics, and geography) come to life. Through the study of history, students can better understand their own society as well as others. By understanding the relationship between past and present, students will be equipped to deal with problems that might arise in the future. Students will understand chronological thinking and the connections between causes and effects and between continuity and change. History enables students to see how people in other times and places have grappled with the fundamental questions of truth, justice, and personal responsibility, to understand that ideas have real consequences, and to realize that events are shaped both by ideas and the actions of individuals.

Geography
The goal of geography instruction is to provide an understanding of the human and physical characteristics of the earth’s places and regions, how people of different cultural backgrounds interact with their environment, and how the United States and the student’s home community are affected by conditions and events in distant places. Geographic themes include location, place, human environment, movement, and region. Geographic skills include the ability to use maps, globes, and aerial imagery; to interpret graphs, tables, diagrams, and pictures; to observe and record information; and to assess information from various sources.

Civics
The goal of civics instruction is to develop in all students the requisite knowledge and skills for informed, responsible participation in public life. Civics instruction should provide regular opportunities at each grade level for students to develop a basic understanding of politics and government and to practice the skills of good citizenship. Students should develop an understanding of the values and principles of American constitutional democracy. They should be aware of their rights; be willing to fulfill their responsibilities; be able to obtain, understand, and evaluate information relating to the performance of public officials; and be willing to hold those officials accountable.

Economics
The United States is recognized as a leader among the nations of the world in large part because of its economic strength. To maintain that strength, American citizens must understand the basic economic principles that underlie the market economy. They must understand how our own economic system works, as well as how other systems work. They must learn to make wise economic decisions about their own lives and become intelligent consumers, employers, and workers. A solid grounding in economics will help students prepare for the global marketplace and the complex world of tomorrow.

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Kindergarten: Introduction to History and Social Science

The standards for kindergarten students include an introduction to interesting Americans in history whose lives demonstrated the virtues of patriotism, courage, and kindness. During the course of their first year in school, students should learn basic concepts related to history, patriotism, national symbols, good citizenship, geographic location, economics, and the importance of following rules and respecting the rights and property of other people.

Grade One: Introduction to History and Social Science

The standards for first grade students include an introduction to the lives of American leaders and their contributions to the United States. Students should recognize basic map symbols and construct a simple map of a familiar area. The students should study the economic concepts of goods and services, buyers and sellers, and making economic choices. Students should learn to apply the traits of a good citizen and recognize that communities in Colorado include people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

Grade Two: Introduction to History and Social Science

The standards for second grade students include an introduction to the heritage and contributions of the people of ancient China and Egypt and of the American Indians. Students should continue developing map skills and demonstrate an understanding of basic economic concepts. The students will identify selected American individuals who have worked to improve the lives of American citizens. The students will recognize that the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

Grade Three: Introduction to History and Social Science

The standards for third grade students include an introduction to the heritage and contributions of the people of ancient Greece and Rome and the West African empire of Mali. Students should continue developing map skills and demonstrate an understanding of basic economic concepts. Students will explain the importance of the basic principles of democracy and identify the contributions of selected individuals. Students will recognize that Americans are a people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who all contribute to American life, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

Grade Three: Colorado Studies

The standards for Colorado Studies allow students to develop a greater understanding of Colorado’s rich history, from the early settlements of American Indian language groups and the founding of Colorado to the present. Geographic, economic, and civic concepts are presented within this historic context. Students will develop the skills needed to analyze, interpret, and demonstrate knowledge of important events and ideas in our history, and understand the contributions made by people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Students will use geographic tools to examine the influence of physical and cultural geography on Colorado history. Ideas that form the foundation for political institutions in Colorado and the United States also are included as part of the story of Colorado.

The study of history must emphasize the intellectual skills required for responsible citizenship. Students practice these skills as they extend their understanding of the essential knowledge defined by all of the standards for history and social science.

Grade Four: United States History to 1877

Students will use skills of historical and geographical analysis to explore the early history of the United States and understand ideas and events that strengthened the union. The standards for this course relate to the history of the United States from pre-Columbian times until 1877. Students will continue to learn fundamental concepts in civics, economics, and geography as they study United States history in chronological sequence and learn about change and continuity in our history. They also will study documents and speeches that laid the foundation of American ideals and institutions and will examine the everyday life of people at different times in the country’s history through the use of primary and secondary sources.

The study of history must emphasize the intellectual skills required for responsible citizenship. Students practice these skills as they extend their understanding of the essential knowledge defined by all of the standards for history and social science.

Grade Five: United States History: 1877 to the Present

Students will continue to use skills of historical and geographical analysis as they examine American history since 1877. The standards for this course relate to the history of the United States from the end of the Reconstruction era to the present. Students should continue to learn fundamental concepts in civics, economics, and geography within the context of United States history. Political, economic, and social challenges facing the nation reunited after civil war will be examined chronologically as students develop an understanding of how the American experience shaped the world political and economic landscape.

The study of history must emphasize the intellectual skills required for responsible citizenship. Students practice these skills as they extend their understanding of the essential knowledge defined by all of the standards for history and social science.

Grade Six: Civics and Economics

Standards for Civics and Economics examine the roles citizens play in the political, governmental, and economic systems in the United States. Students examine the constitutions of Colorado and the United States; identify the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens; and describe the structure and operation of government at the local, state, and national levels. Students investigate the process by which decisions are made in the American market economy and explain the government’s role in it. The standards identify personal character traits, such as patriotism, respect for the law, and a sense of civic duty, that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in the civic life of an increasingly diverse democratic society.

Civic education also must emphasize the intellectual skills required for responsible citizenship. Students practice these skills as they extend their understanding of the essential knowledge defined by the standards for Civics and Economics.

Grade Seven: World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.

These standards enable students to explore the historical development of people, places, and patterns of life from ancient times until 1500 A.D. in terms of the impact on Western civilization.

The study of history rests on knowledge of dates, names, places, events, and ideas. Historical understanding, however, requires students to engage in historical thinking: to raise questions and marshal evidence in support of their answers. Students engaged in historical thinking draw upon chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research, and decision making. These skills are developed through the study of significant historical substance from the era or society being studied.

Grade Eight: World History and Geography: 1500 A.D. to the Present

These standards enable students to cover history and geography from 1500 A.D. to the present, with emphasis on Western Europe. Geographic influences on history continue to be explored, but increasing attention is given to political boundaries that developed with the evolution of nations. Significant attention will be given to the ways in which scientific and technological revolutions created new economic conditions that in turn produced social and political changes. Noteworthy people and events of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries will be emphasized for their strong connections to contemporary issues.

The study of history rests on knowledge of dates, names, places, events and ideas. Historical understanding, however, requires students to engage in historical thinking, to raise questions and to marshal evidence in support of their answers. Students engaged in historical thinking draw upon chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research, and decision-making. These skills are developed through the study of significant historical substance from the era or society that is being studied.