Grade 6 Social Studies Oklahoma standards Standards

Content Standards

Practice Standards

The student will analyze data from a geographic perspective using the skills and tools of geography.

Explain geography as a field of inquiry which answers “the why of where” by examining both physical and human geography using spatial thinking skills.

Integrate visual information to organize understandings about the people and environments of the Western Hemisphere.

Apply the concepts of scale, distance, and direction to explain the relative location of physical and human places.

Use the system of latitude and longitude to identify the absolute location of a place on maps and globes, explaining how various map projections distort the surface of the Earth.

Use different types of maps, graphs, charts, and geographic tools, such as satellite imagery and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, in order to draw conclusions and make predictions from geographic data.

Compare characteristics of major regions of the Western Hemisphere through the regular use of strategies, such as the Five Themes of Geography (location, place, human-environment- interaction, movement, regions) which utilize critical thinking about geographic concepts.

Describe and analyze the role of geographic factors on events which impact the people and places of the Western Hemisphere, using both primary and secondary sources.

The student will analyze the physical systems of the major regions of the Western Hemisphere.

Identify and describe on a physical map the major landforms and bodies of water important to each region of the Western Hemisphere.

Use visual information to describe on a physical map the major climate and vegetation zones, drawing conclusions about their impact on human development.

Explain how the factors of latitude, elevation, and proximity to bodies of water influence climate and human activities.

Describe the distribution of natural resources found in each region, delineating between renewable and nonrenewable resources, and explaining how the relative location to such resources can influence the economic development of a region.

The student will identify the characteristics, distribution, and demographic patterns of human populations and systems of the Western Hemisphere.

Identify on a political map the major countries and population centers of each region, describing urban, rural, suburban, and metropolitan settlement patterns.

Analyze how the characteristics of culture impact people and places.

Identify and describe cultural traits (e.g., language, ethnic heritage, religion, traditions, the arts) which are unique to a people and region.

Explain how culture provides individuals with a sense of identity and how it is transferred from one generation to the next.

Compare major cultural groups of the Western Hemisphere (e.g., American Indian, Indigenous peoples of Canada and Amazonia, French-speaking Canadians, Hispanic Latin America, Caribbean citizens of African descent).

Define cultural diffusion and describe how cultural characteristics spread and impact contemporary regions (e.g., entertainment, fast foods, social media’s rapid spread of ideas, wide use of the smartphone).

Examine the impact of geography on migration and population distribution.

Define push factors of migration (e.g., instability, conflict, natural disasters) using historic or contemporary examples (e.g., European colonization, asylum seekers from political unrest or religious persecution, and examples from different waves of migration in American history).

Identify and provide examples of pull factors of migration (e.g., economic opportunity, religious freedom, family ties, education).

Describe the ethnic heritage of Indigenous cultures of the Western Hemisphere.

Explain that various complex societies, economic, and political systems developed on the North and South American continents, each known for unique achievements and contributions prior to the arrival of Europeans.

Compare the cultures of Native peoples of the United States and Canada (e.g., Ancestral Puebloan, Mississippian, First Nations, Inuit, Metis.)

Explain how the Olmec and Maya adapted to and modified their environment to develop advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica, featuring advancements in science, architecture, the development of a writing system, and regional trade.

Describe how the Aztec conquest of other Indigenous peoples created extensive trade networks and wealth.

Explain how the Inca were able to control an expansive empire in the Andes, developing a strong central government and innovations in agriculture.

Describe the cultural interactions between Indigenous cultures and European settlers which impacted the heritage and history of major regions of the Western Hemisphere.

Identify examples of cultural diffusion (e.g., Columbian Exchange: availability of new commodities and technology; assimilation of Indigenous peoples into colonial societies).

Describe the impact of English and French settlement of North America on cultural characteristics such as language, customs, and principles of self-government.

Examine Spanish colonialism of Latin America and its influence on language, religion, and customs, including the practices of privateering and mercantilism.

Identify the distribution of enslaved persons between different areas of the Western Hemisphere and explain how overseas expansion and commerce led to the development of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Explain the effects of plantation agriculture and the importation of enslaved labor on the economic development and cultural heritage of regions (e.g., Brazil and the Caribbean).

The student will analyze the interactions of humans and their environment in the Western Hemisphere.

Explain how humans adapt to the environment (e.g., types and location of housing, clothing and food choices, methods of transportation, and options for economic activities) using historic or contemporary examples.

Analyze the impact of natural disasters on human populations, including displacement, scarcity of consumer goods, economic activities, and loss of life.

Describe how humans modify the natural environment to support human development, such as subsistence and commercial agriculture, extraction of fossil fuels and minerals, development of industry, and urbanization.

Identify environmental challenges (e.g., air pollution, acid rain, deforestation) and explain how they can impact a region (e.g., oil spills in the Gulf of America, ranching and logging operations in Amazonia, urban sprawl of Mexico City).

Evaluate the need to preserve resources, climate, and wildlife by creating public awareness, including the efforts of eco-tourism.

Describe the role of citizens as responsible stewards of natural resources and the environment (e.g., recycling campaigns, water conservation, national parks, protection of wildlife preserves).

Analyze why and how humans develop rules, laws, and governments, including the role of citizens in government.

Compare systems of governments.

Define and describe the characteristics of limited governments (democracy, republic, constitutional monarchy) and authoritarian systems (dictatorship, oligarchy, absolute monarchy).

Differentiate between a representative democracy and a constitutional monarchy/parliamentary democracy by comparing the governments of the United States and Canada.

Explain the concept of sovereignty with regards to American Indian Tribal governments, as well as other Indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere, and examine issues related to rights of self- determination over lands and resources.

Describe how historic struggles for independence in Latin America and the Caribbean were influenced by the American revolution and Constitution, leading to the creation of modern republics.

Describe challenges for several Latin American governments and economies, due to a history of political and economic instability.

Compare common features of the Constitution of the United States to other representative governments of the Western Hemisphere, focusing on the principles of limited government, individual rights and liberties, and the role of the citizen in the selection of government officials.

Analyze economic systems of the world and how they impact the development of a nation and region.

Explain how people organize economic systems to address basic economic questions regarding which goods and services will be produced, how they will be distributed, and who will consume them.

Analyze the benefits and limitations of various economic systems.

Define the characteristics of traditional, market, and command economic systems.

Describe how government policies affect economic activities within a nation, as well as determine trade relationships.

Compare the outcomes of different economic systems for human prosperity, equality, and freedom.

Explain how different sectors of a nation’s economy contribute to the development of a nation.

Primary Sector: Extraction and harvesting of natural products (e.g., Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt, Chile’s artisanal fishing, logging of Canada’s boreal forests)

Secondary Sector: Production of goods through manufacturing and construction (e.g., United States steel industry, Argentina’s meat-processing, Mexico’s automotive exports)

Tertiary Sector: Businesses that provide services to consumers (e.g., ecotourism of Costa Rica, New York Stock Exchange, Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Quaternary Sector: Research and intellectual services such as technological advancement and innovation (e.g., Silicon Valley and Sao Paulo’s technology centers, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Identify and compare the characteristics of developed and developing countries by analyzing data (e.g., literacy rate, life expectancy, per capita income, and infant mortality) used by geographers to measure development.

The student will analyze the common characteristics of regions which create a sense of identity and unity, influencing the interactions among people and nations of the Western Hemisphere.

Define the concept of region as an area sharing common characteristics and explain how regions can be categorized in many ways, such as political, physical, cultural, and economic.

Identify examples of physical (natural) regions sharing common features of landforms, climate, vegetation, and natural resources (e.g., Great Plains, New England, Amazonia, Canadian Shield, Altiplano, sun belt, tornado alley).

Identify examples of man-made regions sharing common characteristics related to culture, human settlement, history, economic activities, and governments (e.g., Latin America, corn belt, Northeast megalopolis, Silicon Valley, British Commonwealth, barrio, suburb).

Describe patterns of economic interdependence and trade linking regions of the Western Hemisphere.

Define basic concepts related to trade, including exports and imports, tariffs, free trade, and balance of trade.

Explain economic interdependence as it relates to the outsourcing of jobs to developing regions.

Explain reasons for cooperation among nations of the Western Hemisphere.

Describe how the people of different regions cooperate to address common concerns and how such cooperation impacts global interdependence (e.g., the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Mercosur).

Examine how supranational organizations (e.g., Organization of American States, Arctic Council) create cooperative political, economic, defense, and cultural regions.

Explain reasons for conflict between regions of the Western Hemisphere, such as territorial disputes, access to natural resources, and ethnic differences (e.g., boundary and mineral claims of the Arctic, Indigenous sovereignty over oil and gas reserves in Bolivia, immigration across the United States-Mexico border).

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

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

Analyze why the acknowledgement of different perspectives can contribute to civil discourse and solutions to civic issues.

Apply a range of deliberative and democratic procedures to discuss, make decisions, and propose action about real-world problems in and out of school.

Use information to analyze how a specific problem can manifest itself in regional and global issues, describing options for solutions.

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

Investigate and propose answers to essential questions representing complex enduring issues across the social studies disciplines.

Answer supporting questions related to social studies content knowledge and make connections to different interpretations.

Develop deeper critical thinking skills by questioning assumptions and identifying inconsistencies or errors in reasoning.

Demonstrate understanding of social studies content through the development of self-driven inquiries and the completion of authentic tasks and assessments.

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

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

Compare and analyze civic virtues and democratic principles in historic and global settings, explaining how they influence political institutions.

Compare the powers and responsibilities of the United States government to other forms of government, including the roles and rights of citizens.

Examine the impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements on the limits of government, including the concepts of sovereignty and the rule of law.

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

Gather and draw conclusions from sources of evidence, identifying plausible author, occasion, audience, purpose, and possible bias.

Describe multiple factors and explain how they can influence the perspectives of individuals and groups on events from history and the modern era.

Distinguish multiple causation, including immediate versus long-term cause-effect relationships; construct timelines of related events.

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

Answer geographic questions and conduct investigations by acquiring, organizing, and interpreting information about the modern world and historical events.

Use multiple mapping techniques, data visuals, satellite images, and geographic technology to analyze spatial patterns of physical and human characteristics, making connections between regions.

Explain how the environment affects cultural patterns and historical events, providing opportunities and challenges for human development.

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

Analyze, interpret, and compare economic data from multiple charts and graphs.

Identify different types of economic systems, comparing advantages and disadvantages for citizens and the growth of a nation’s economy.

Explain how technology and trade impact standard of living and economic interdependence, using historical or contemporary examples.

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

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

Paraphrase the main idea and cite evidence from primary and secondary sources; provide an accurate summary of a source distinct from prior knowledge or opinion.

Integrate the use of visual information (e.g., maps, charts, photographs, videos, political cartoons, artwork) with textual information from primary and secondary sources to draw conclusions.

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

Analyze works written on the same topic and compare methods the authors use to achieve similar or different purposes.

Evaluate textual evidence to determine whether a claim is substantiated.

Engage in collaborative discussions about information presented in social studies texts, expressing ideas clearly while building on the ideas of others.

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

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

Compose informative essays and other written products using and citing evidence (e.g. facts, examples, details) from multiple sources and maintaining an organized structure.

Compose argumentative written products by introducing a claim, recognizing an opposing viewpoint, and organizing evidence and reasoning from credible sources.

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

Refine and formulate viable research questions related to social studies investigations, using well- developed theses or claims.

Quote, paraphrase, and summarize findings, avoiding plagiarism.

Organize and create presentations or products using research from a variety of formats and encompassing different points of view.