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Social Studies

As a result of using this site, students will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of the social sciences and how these help to interpret human behavior
- analyze how individuals' actions can influence a group
- appraise how a culture influences an individual
Apply the skills and knowledge gained through the social sciences to make decisions in life situations
- demonstrate the ability to:
  - use problem-solving strategies for decision making
  - consider all sides of an issue
  - justify a decision
Understand and analyze events, trends, personalities, and movements shaping the history of the U.S. and Illinois
- demonstrate how historical movements and trends have influenced contemporary Illinois
Understand effects of the interactions between people and geography
- analyze the changing rural and urban landscapes of Illinois
- demonstrate knowledge of changing trends in land use
Use the tools of historical research, including primary documents, written and oral records, and technology

Specific emphasies are assigned to each grouping of grade levels to promote systematic, cumulative learning for grades 3 to 12.

Level 1: grades 3 - 5
- recognizing diversity within the local community
- understanding different points of view
- roles and responsibilities within the family and community
- individual choice in response to personal circumstance
Level 2: grades 5 - 9
- networks of communities
- diversity of occupations
- the role of economics in daily life
- individual choice as limited by one's environment
  - the limits to choice imposed by economy, geography, and social conditions
Level 3: grades 9 -12
- familiarity and use of the tools of historical research
  - to understand communities of the past and present
- ability to identify patterns of land-use
- awareness of the evolution from local markets to international ones
  - ability to identify significant factors in this growth
- individual choice as recorded by material culture
  - understanding of how material culture reflects individual choice
  - understanding of how an individual's choice reflects the concerns and desires of the broader society