Social Studies

CONCEPTS

Systems and Interdependence

Power Standards

• Explain the importance of social, political and economic systems in the development of a successful community.
• Describe how a person or group works to improve life in a community.
• Locate and compare the local community, state, and nation using maps and globes.
• Identify and compare physical characteristics of Earth using maps, globes, and pictures.

Essential Understandings & Guiding Questions

Essential Understanding: Governments are created to meet the needs of its citizens.

Guiding Questions

• What is a government?
• What is a citizen?
• What needs do citizens have?
• How do governments meet those needs?

Essential Understanding: People interact with each other and the environment.

Guiding Questions

• How do people depend on each other?
• What is a point a view?
• What is a conflict?
• What causes conflict?
• What are some ways to resolve conflict?
• What is an environment?
• How do people depend on the environment?
• How do people effect the environment?
• How do physical features impact how communities develop?

Essential Understanding: Communities change.

Guiding Questions

• How do communities change?
• Why do communities change?
• How do physical features impact how communities develop?

CRITICAL CONTENT

Characteristics of community

Reasons for coming to the new land

• Freedom
• Individual rights
• Beginnings of U.S. government and traditions
• Citizenship

Need for rules / government

• Idea behind and the need for Mayflower Compact
• Successful communities (home, school, neighborhood)

Geography

• Route of the pilgrims
• Map of the original 13 colonies
• Oceans and continents
• How people change the land
• How the land impacts people

CONCEPTS

Systems and Interdependence

POWER STANDARDS

• Explain the importance of social, political and economic systems in the development of a successful community.
• Explain how people make choices (social, political, and economic) to improve their lives.
• Describe how a person or group works to improve life in a community.
• Locate and compare the local community, state, and nation using maps and globes.
• Identify and compare physical characteristics of Earth using maps, globes, and pictures.

ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS & GUIDING QUESTIONS

Essential Understanding: People in communities exchange goods and ideas.

Guiding Questions

• How are goods and services exchanged?
• Besides goods and services what else do people in communities share with each other?
• What life skills do people need to exchange goods, services, and ideas?
• Why do people share their traditions?
• How does folklore represent the culture of the time?

Essential Understanding: People interact with each other and the environment.

Guiding Questions

• How do people depend on each other?
• How do people depend on the environment?
• How do people effect the environment?

Essential Understanding: Communities change.

Guiding Questions

• How does a community change to keep up with growth?
• Who makes up a community at different times in history?

CRITICAL CONTENT

Settling in new places

• Meeting basic needs
• Trade and cooperation
• Rights and freedoms of groups impacted by growth
• Natural resources found in the United States

Comparison of the past, present, and future of the United States

• Ways people depend on physical environment
• Transportation
• Technology
• Conservation
• Physical Features

Folklore of historical era

CONCEPTS

Systems and Interdependence

POWER STANDARDS

• Explain the importance of social, political and economic systems in the development of a successful community.
• Explain how people make choices (social, political and economic) to improve their lives.
• Describe how a person or group works to improve life in a community.
• Locate and compare the local community, state, and nation using maps and globes.
• Identify and compare physical characteristics of Earth using maps, globes, and pictures.

ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS & GUIDING QUESTIONS

Essential Understanding: Governments are created to meet the needs of its citizens.

Guiding Questions

• What needs do citizens have?
• How do governments meet needs?
• Where is our state government located?
• Where is our national government located?
• How do we celebrate the freedom we have in our nation?

Essential Understanding: People in communities exchange goods and ideas.

Guiding Questions

• How are goods and services exchanged?
• Besides goods and services what else do people in communities share with each other?
• What life skills do people need to exchange goods, services, and ideas?
• What jobs and careers are involved with exchanging goods and ideas in communities?

Essential Understanding: Communities change.

Guiding Questions

• How do communities change?
• Why do communities change?
• How was our community different in the past?
• How would you describe our community now?
• How has transportation/communication/shopping/etc. changed?

CRITICAL CONTENT

Changes over time – Our community then and now (Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Northbrook, Wheeling)

• Transportation
• Environment
• Geographical features
• Communication
• Governmental structures
• Responsibility
• Citizenship

Jobs and careers in the present day

• Money in exchange for goods and services
• Producers and consumers

Consequences of human/environmental interaction

Compare and Contrast and Connect to

• Changes in communities past, present, future
• Challenges of settling communities
• Growth of communities