Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies

1. Alabama Course of Study:Social Studies

2. What is a Course of Study? A course of study is a curriculum document that specifies what students should know and be able to do in a particular subject area by the end of each grade level or course.

3. Characteristics of a Course of Study A Course of Study: • Is Foundational • Defines Content • Is Developmentally Appropriate • Is Reasonable • Is Clearly Written • Is Measurable

4. Course of Study Committee Composed of 28 Members Selected as Follows: • 1 Elementary Teacher (K-6) and 1 Secondary Teacher (7-12) from each of the Seven Congressional Districts • 4 Members from the State At Large in a Supervisory or Administrative Capacity • 3 Members who are Employees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and Specialists in the Course of Study Areas to be Revised • 7 Additional Members Appointed by the Governor (One from each of the Seven Congressional Districts; Not Employed in the Field of Education)

5. General Outline of a Course of Study Document • Preface • Acknowledgments • Introduction to the Document • Conceptual Framework • Position Statements • Directions for Interpreting the Minimum Required Content • Grade-Level Content Standards • Appendices and Bibliography

6. Key Components

7. General Introduction

8. National Standards Utilized in the 2004 Social Studies Course of Study • Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics • National Council on Economic Education • National Geography Standards • National Geographic Research and Exploration • Path Toward World Literacy • National Geographic Society • National Standards for History • National Center for History in the Schools • National Standards for Civics and Government • Center for Civic Education • Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies • National Council for the Social Studies

9. Conceptual Framework GOAL: Responsible Citizenship Geography Economics Political Science History

10. Position Statements • Instructional Strategies • Primary Sources • Literature/The Arts • Cultural Awareness • Global Awareness • Service Learning • Current Events • Technology

11. Content Standards Arranged in Grade Clusters • Grades K-2 • Grades 3-4 • Grades 5-6 • Grades 7-9 • Grades 10-12

12. Interpreting the Content Standards • Content Standardsdefine what students should knowandbe able to doat the conclusion of a course or grade. • Content Standardsidentifyminimum required content. • Bulletsdenote content related to the standards andrequired for instruction. • Examplesclarifycertain components of content standards. They provide essential content; however, additional details are often necessary to fully accomplish mastery of the standards/bullets.

13. Sample Content Standard Content Standard Identify the impact of trade routes on emerging colonies in the Americas. Examples: spread of Christianity, increase in trading of cotton and indigo • Tracing the result of slave trading in the Americas Example: establishment of the Triangular Trade Route • Locating centers of slave trade in the Western Hemisphere (Grade 5 – Content Standard 6) Example Bullet Example Bullet

14. Grids • Examples: entry of women into work force, increase in job • opportunities, rationing, utilization of Alabama’s military • installations • Recognizing Alabama participants in World War II • Examples: Tuskegee Airmen, women in the military • Locating military bases in Alabama (Grade 4-Content Standard 13) Grid GRIDSto the left of each content standard indicate the dominant strands that are addressed in the standard or related content found in the bullets—economics (E), geography (G), history (H), or political science (PS).

15. Influence of No Child Left Behind Actof 2001 • § 200.1 State responsibilities for developing challenging academic standards. • Academic standards in general. A State must develop challenging academic content and student academic achievement standards that will be used by the State, its local educational agencies (LEAs), and its schools… • § 200.2 State responsibilities for assessment. • Assessments must“... be aligned with the State’s challenging academic content and student academic achievement standards…” Federal Register/Volume 67, No. 129/Friday, July 5, 2002/Rules and Regulations

16. Alignment Tested Taught CURRICULUM Written

17. Influence of No Child Left Behind Actof 2001 As a result of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Alabama constructs its standards in the following manner: • Standards Apply to All Students • Standards Are Not Repeated • Standards Are Clear and Measurable at State Level • Mastery Is Expected at Each Grade Level • Content Standards Are Fewer in Number • Bullets Are Related Content

18. Appendices • Electives: • Contemporary Issues • Psychology • Sociology • World Geography • Alabama High School Graduation Requirements • Guidelines and Suggestionsfor Local Time Requirements and Homework • Bibliography

19. Progression of Content

20. Content Alignment Sample Kindergarten, Standard 2: Compare families of today with families of the past in relation to work, home, and school. Grade 1, Standard 1: Identify past and present modes of air, land, and water transportation. Grade 2, Standard 2: Compare features of modern-day living to those of the past.

21. Content Alignment Sample • Kindergarten, Standard 4: Identify personal use of goods and services. • Grade 1, Bullet 3 of Standard 4: Explaining differences between buyers and sellers • Grade 2, Standard 5: Explain the relationship between the production and distribution processes. • Grade 4, Bullet 1 of Standard 12: Describing the effects of supply and demand on the economy • Grade 5, Standard 6: Identify the impact of trade routes on emerging colonies in the Americas.

22. Content Alignment Sample • Grade 6, Bullet 3 of Standard 1: Identifying areas of conflict and trading practices among western settlers • Grade 7, Standard 7: Describe the relationship between the consumer and the marketplace in the economy of the United States regarding scarcity, opportunity cost, trade-off decision making, characteristics of a market economy, and supply and demand. • Grade 11, Bullet 3 of Standard 5: Describing the changing economic behavior of American consumers • Grade 12—Economics Course

23. Grades K-2 Standards Assist Students in: • Acquiring Personal Understanding of their World • Understanding Similarities and Differences Among Cultures and Countries • Developing Appreciation for their Emerging Roles in the United States and in Alabama

24. Standards in Grades 3-4 • Address Key Concepts of Geographic Comprehension and Chronological Understanding • Assist Students in Becoming Responsible Citizens of their Community, State, and Nation

25. Grades 5-6 • Chronological Development of United States Provided Through Two-Year Study • Transition Year of 1877 Allows More Time for Study of Indigenous People of United States • Key Concepts: • Chronology • Change • Conflict • Complexity

26. Grades 7-9 • Focus on Citizenship, Geography, and World History • Integrate Strands of Economics, Geography, History, and Political Science • Require Students to Identify, Describe, Explain, Analyze, Compare, and Trace

27. Grades 10-12 Emphases • Civic Competence • Participation • Economic, Geographic, and Historical Awareness

28. Content Standards Included for Four Social Science Electives (Grades 9-12) • Contemporary Issues • Psychology • Sociology • World Geography

29. Significant Changes From 1998 Document

38. Local Implementation • Content Standards and Related Content Included in Bullets in this Document are: - Minimum and Required - Fundamental and Specific (but not Exhaustive) • Local Curricula Developed by School Systems May Include: - Additional Content Standards, Bullets, and Examples to Reflect Local Philosophies - Implementation Guidelines - Resources - Activities