School Administrative District #4

Unity of purpose

CORE CURRICULUM: SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

Department: Social Studies

CONTENT STANDARD: HISTORY

The study of history acquaints students with human experience through time and helps them to recognize relationships between and among events and people and to identify patterns, themes, and turning points of change, using the chronology of history and major eras. In interpreting current and historical events, students evaluate the credibility and perspectives of information gathered from multiple sources. All students are expected to (1) use the chronology of history and major eras to demonstrate the relationships between and among events and people; (2) develop historical knowledge of major events, people, and enduring themes in Maine, in the United States, and throughout the world; and (3) evaluate source material such as documents, artifacts, maps, artworks, and literature; and to make judgments about the perspectives of the authors and their credibility when interpreting current historical events.

 

Performance Indicators: The learner will·

Grade 2

1.        Review and extend prior learning

2.        Demonstrate an understanding of the term community

á         Identify and compare characteristics of rural, urban, and suburban communities and explain how transportation and communication link those communities

á         Describe the characteristics of his/her community

á         Identify the characteristics of the commercial, recreational, and residential sections of his/her community

á         Identify the workers of his/her community and the goods and services they produce

á         Identify employers and job opportunities in his/her community and surrounding communities

á         Identify the forms of transportation and communication available in his/her community

á         Describe how his/her community is changing

á         Indicate ways his/her community honors people and their skills through special events

3.        Distinguish similarities and differences among historical events

á         Identify the significance of nationally celebrated events (e.g., St. Patrick's Day, Black History Month, National Education Week, etc.)

4.        Use artifacts and documents to gather information about the past

á         Explain the significance of various school and community artifacts and documents

á         Using artifacts or documents from his/her family history, draw conclusions about the past

5.        Demonstrate an initial understanding of cause-and-effect relationships and the concept of chronology as they relate to history

á       Record a simple family chronology (e.g., timeline, family tree)

6.        Demonstrate an awareness of major events and people in history

á         Identify who lives in the United States and how they came to live there

á         Identify the different kinds of communities and world religions represented in the United States

CONTENT STANDARD: GEOGRAPHY

The study of geography involves understanding the relationships among people and environments. Students learn how to construct and interpret maps and how to use globes and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, regions, and environments. In an integrated way, students study people and the physical characteristics and processes of the earth's surface to understand causes and effects, ecosystems, human behavior, patterns of population, inter-dependence, resources, cooperation and conflict and the process by which these are shaped by economic, political, and cultural systems. All students are expected to (1) know how to construct and interpret maps and use globes and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, regions, and environments; (2) understand and analyze the relationships between people and their physical environments; (3) develop an under-standing of ethnic, gender, socio-economic, religious, and political differences among people; (4) understand that cultural diversity can be both a boon and a bane to society; and (5) understand that cultural change is evolutionary and somewhat predictable.

 

Performance Indicators: The learner will·

Grade 2

1.        Review and extend prior learning

2.        Identify symbols

á         Community symbols (e.g., street and highway markers)

á         Map symbols (e.g., roads and cities)

3.        Use simple maps and globes to locate

á         His/her town

á         Northern and Southern hemispheres

á         Equator

4.        Construct and use maps and other visuals to describe geographic location, direction, size, and shape

á         Label a map of his/her town with familiar locations

á         Construct a simple map of the North American continent, including essential map elements (e.g., title, key, directional indicator, date)

5.        Describe the United States as a nation composed of states and locate the following

á         Maine

á         The other New England states

á         Other regions within the United States (e.g., South, Midwest, West)

á         Major geographical features

á         Towns/cities

á         Rivers

á         Lakes

á         Mountains

á         Oceans

6.        Describe the human and physical characteristics of the immediate environment

á         Describe the human and physical characteristics of the community

7.        Explain ways in which communities reflect the backgrounds of their inhabitants

á         Describe the makeup of his/her community (e.g., nationalities, religious preferences, cultural aspects of ancestors)

CONTENT STANDARD: CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT

The study of civics and government provides students the opportunity to learn about the constitutional principles and the democratic foundations of local, state, and national systems and institutions, as well as the opportunity to learn how to exercise the rights and responsibilities of participation in civic life and how to analyze and evaluate public policies. Political relationships among the United States and other nations are included in this content area. All students are expected to understand (1) the rights and responsibilities of civic life and employ the skills of effective civic participation; (2) the types and purposes of governments, their evolution, and their relationships with the governed; (3) the constitutional principles and the democratic foundations of the political institutions of the United States; and (4) the political relationships among the United States and other nations.

 

Performance Indicators: The learner will·

Grade 2

1.        Review and extend prior learning

2.        Describe the making of class rules by

á       Representative democracy (the class elects a smaller group to make the rules)

á       Compare and contrast direct democracy with representative democracy

3.        Demonstrate an initial understanding of different levels and functions of government

á       Local

á       State

á       National

4.        Identify characteristics which make the United States a democratic nation (e.g., right to vote, individual freedoms)

5.        Demonstrate an initial understanding of patriotism by

á       Identifying traditionally patriotic symbols associated with

á         Maine (e.g., the flag, the chickadee, the pine tree/cone)

6.        Demonstrate an initial understanding of elected government officials by

á       Identifying locally elected government officials

á       Naming the current governor of Maine

á       Naming the current President of the United States

á       Explaining, in a general sense, the purpose of the Presidency

á         Identifying the bodies of elected representatives, i.e., the Senate and the House of

Representatives

7.        Identify individuals in United States history who have been agents of governmental change (e.g., George Washington; Thomas Jefferson; Abraham Lincoln; Susan B. Anthony; Martin Luther King, Jr.)

8.        Identify differing traditions and practices among the States (e.g., Patriot's Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day)

CONTENT STANDARD: ECONOMICS

The study of economics includes understanding concepts of production, distribution, and consumption needed to make decisions as effective participants in an international economy. Students come to understand the development, principles, institutions, relationships to culture, and change over time of economic systems in the United States and elsewhere. Students also come to understand how these concepts apply to individuals, households, businesses, governments, and societies that make decisions based on the availability of resources, as well as on costs and benefits of choices. These concepts help to explain the patterns and results of trade, interdependence, and distribution of wealth in local, regional, national, and world economics. All students are expected to (1) understand that economic decisions are based on the availability of resources and the costs and benefits of choices; (2) understand the economic system of the United States, including principles, development, and institutions; (3) analyze how different economic systems function and change over time; and (4) understand the patterns and results of international trade.

 

Performance Indicators: The learner will·

Grade 2

1.        Review and extend prior learning

2.        Match descriptions of work that people do and the names of those jobs with examples from the local community

3.        Identify the three basic questions all economic systems must answer: what to produce? how? and for whom?

4.        Explain the difference between goods and services and describe how people are both consumers (buyers) and producers (sellers) of goods and services

5.        Identify goods and services, giving examples

á         Identify himself/herself and his/her family as consumers

á         Describe goods and services provided by individuals and businesses in his/her community

6.        Recognize how satisfaction can be derived from a product one makes or a service one provides by

á       Creating a product and/or service to be shared with people in the school and/or local community

7.        Describe the differences among human (people at work), natural (water, soil, wood, etc.), and capital (machines, tools, etc.) resources used to produce different goods and services

8.        Explain that limits on resources require people to make choices about producing and consuming goods and services

9.        Identify a situation in which a personal decision is made about the use of scarce resources (e.g., deciding to use his/her allowance to buy a gift for a family member instead of to purchase a toy)

10.    Explain the interdependence of producers and consumers in a market economy by

á         Describing factors that have influenced consumer demand

á         Describing how producers have used human, natural, and capital resources to produce goods and services

11.    Indicate ways people may change their natural environment as they produce goods and services

12.    Identify ways to earn and save money

07/30/98

curr-social studies-scope-2.doc