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Go to Social Studies Curriculum Outline
Copyright Information
Community Consolidated School District 146
6611 W. 171st Street
Tinley Park, IL 60477
708/614-4500
clane@ccsd146.k12.il.us
Introduction The
social studies curriculum was developed using a very different
process. This is a STANDARDS and BENCHMARKS driven
curriculum. It is determined by the Illinois Learning Standards
and Benchmarks. The State Board of Education developed the
Illinois Learning Standards and Benchmarks in 1997. Our state
tests, the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests (ISATs),
are based on these standards. As an Illinois public school
we are accountable to these standards and benchmarks and
assessed on our progress in achieving them.
The Illinois Learning
Standards for Social Science were developed using the 1985
Illinois State Goals for Social
Science, the
National Standards for World History, the National Standards
for United States History, the National Geography Standards,
the National Standards for Civics and Government, other
various state and national work, and local standards
contributed
by team members.
The integrated study of the social sciences and humanities
promotes civic competence. Within the school program social
science provides coordinated, systematic study of such disciplines
as anthropology, economics, geography, history, law, political
science, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from
the humanities, mathematics and natural sciences. The study
of social science helps people develop the ability to make
informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens
of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent
world.
The individual disciplines that comprise social science
are often taught independently, yet all of these disciplines
recognize that they owe much to the others. Students who
achieve the standards for social science will have a broad
understanding of political and economic systems. They will
better understand events, trends, personalities and movements
in local, state, national and world history. They will know
local, state, national and world geography. They also will
grasp how the concepts of social science can help interpret
human actions and prepare them for careers and lifelong learning.
APPLICATIONS OF LEARNING
Through Applications of Learning, students demonstrate and
deepen their understanding of basic knowledge and skills.
These applied learning skills cross academic disciplines
and reinforce the important learning of the disciplines.
The ability to use these skills will greatly influence students'
success in school, in the workplace and in the community.
SOLVING PROBLEMS
Recognize and investigate problems; formulate and propose
solutions supported by reason and evidence.
In social science, solving problems helps students to recognize
that individual decisions and actions have consequences-and
these consequences affect the way people, groups and nations
associate with each other. Students of social science are
asked to analyze information from a variety of sources and
to solve problems through a rational process based on goals
and criteria.
COMMUNICATING
Express and interpret information and ideas.
To gather a range of opinions and determine the best course
of action, students must interpret information. To study
and draw conclusions about social science issues, students
need to read and interpret textual and visual information,
be able to listen carefully to others, and be able to organize
and explain their own ideas using various media.
USING TECHNOLOGY
Use appropriate instruments, electronic equipment, computers
and networks to access information, process ideas and communicate
results.
Technology today provides a channel through which students
can gather knowledge of the past, search information about
today and make hypotheses regarding the future. This technology
includes databases, computer programs, on-line services and
interactive telecommunications. It allows students to gather
and process data from a variety of sources, from archives
in the Library of Congress to historical art works from around
the world. Students can share ideas and information not only
with their classmates, but with a "virtual classroom" of
students from across the world-social science in action.
WORKING ON TEAMS
Learn and contribute productively as individuals and as members
of groups.
Social science is about people's interactions. Study in this
field encourages students to listen carefully to the views
of all members of a group and to represent their own points
of view appropriately and effectively. The group benefits
from the individual knowledge and skills of its members.
Each individual-like each part of social science itself-holds
an important relationship to the whole.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Recognize and apply connec-tions of important information
and ideas within and among learning areas.
Social science is a highly integrated set of disciplines.
Understanding economics requires knowing mathematics; understanding
geography requires knowledge of earth science. Students must
grasp that the connections between the parts of social science-and
their relations to other academic areas-are the key to better
understanding how people interact. Students in social science
must know data collection and analysis, library and field
research, debate, discussion and decision making-all of which
are key elements to successful careers.
STATE GOAL 14: Understand political systems, with an emphasis
on the United States.
Why This Goal Is Important: The existence and advancement
of a free society depend on the knowledge, skills and understanding
of its citizenry. Through the study of various forms and
levels of govern-ment and the documents and institutions
of the United States, students will develop the skills and
knowledge that they need to be contributing citizens, now
and in the future.
STATE GOAL 15: Understand economic systems, with an emphasis
on the United States.
Why This Goal Is Important: People's lives are directly
affected by the economies of cities, states, nations and
the world. All people engage in economic activity: buying,
selling, trading, producing and consuming. By understanding
economic systems-and how economics blends with other social
sciences, students will be able to make more informed choices,
prudently use resources and function as effective participants
in the economies around them.
STATE GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and
movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States
and other nations.
Why This Goal Is Important: George Santayana said "those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." In
a broader sense, students who can examine and analyze the
events of the past have a powerful tool for understanding
the events of today and the future. They develop an understanding
of how people, nations, actions and interactions have led
to today's realities. In the process, they can better define
their own roles as participating citizens.
STATE GOAL 17: Understand world geography and the effects
of geography on society, with an emphasis on the United States.
Why This Goal Is Important: The need for geographic literacy
has never been greater or more obvious than in today's tightly
interrelated world. Students must understand the world's
physical features, how they blend with social systems and
how they affect economies, politics and human interaction.
Isolated geographic facts are not enough. To grasp geography
and its effect on individuals and societies, students must
know the broad concepts of spatial patterns, mapping, population
and physical systems (land, air, water). The combination
of geographic facts and broad concepts provides a deeper
understanding of geography and its effects on individuals
and societies.
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis
on the United States.
Why This Goal Is Important: A study of social systems has
two important aspects that help people understand their roles
as individuals and members of society. The first aspect is
culture consisting of the language, literature, arts and
traditions of various groups of people. Students should understand
common characteristics of different cultures and explain
how cultural contributions shape societies over time. The
second aspect is the interaction among individuals, groups
and institutions. Students should know how and why groups
and institutions are formed, what roles they play in society,
and how individuals and groups interact with and influence
institutions.w
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