Social Studies - Seventh Grade

Culture

Content Standard: 1.0

Culture encompasses similarities and differences among people including their beliefs, knowledge, changes, values, and traditions. Students will explore these elements of society to develop an appreciation and respect for the variety of human cultures.

Learning Expectations:

• 1.01 Understand the nature and complexity of culture.
• 1.02 Discuss the development of major religions.
• 1.03 Identify the role those diverse cultures had on the development of the Americas.
• 1.04 Describe the influence of science and technology on the development of culture through time.

Accomplishments

7.1.01 Understand the complex nature of culture.

1. Define the basic components of culture.
2. Explain how people living in the same region maintain different ways of life.
3. Identify how communities locally, regionally, and globally reflect the cultural background of their inhabitants.
4. Analyze the role of cultural diffusion and interactions among Earth's human systems in the ongoing development of Earth's cultural landscapes.
5. Identify and describe the location of major cultural attributes such as language, religion, political systems, economic systems, and population centers locally, regionally, and globally.

7.1.02 Recognize the role of major religions.

1. Define religion.
2. Describe the beliefs of the world's major religions.
3. Evaluate the role of religious beliefs on local, regional, nation-state, and global levels.

7.1.03 Appreciate the relationship between physical environments and culture.

1. Identify characteristics of a physical environment that contribute to the growth and development of a culture.
2. Compare how cultures differ in their use of similar environments and resources.
3. Evaluate the effect of technology on various cultures.

7.1.04 Understand how cultural perspective impacts perceptions of places and regions.

1. Explain how information and experiences may be interpreted differently from people of diverse cultural perspectives and frames of reference.
2. Describe how language, art, music, belief systems, and other cultural elements facilitate global understanding or cause misunderstanding.

Performance Indicators State:

As documented through state assessment -

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.1.spi.1. recognize cultural definitions (i.e., language, religion, customs, political system, economic system).

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.1.spi.2. locate cultural information on a thematic map (i.e., languages, political systems, economic systems, religions).

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.1.spi.3. compare and contrast the tenets of the five major world religions (i.e., Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism).

Performance Indicators Teacher:

As documented through teacher observation –

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.1.tpi.1 research a country for a fictional visit.
• 7.1.tpi.2. host a cultural food fair bringing in recipes and/or food items from varying cultures.
• 7.1.tpi.3. decide what is needed to define the character of a place.
• 7.1.tpi.4. draw a thematic map.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.1.tpi.5. use the internet to explore cultural differences among groups of people by analyzing data updates, viewing pictures, and researching cultural facts.
• 7.1.tpi.6. design a cartouche (a signature in ancient Egyptian times)n using global images describing the student's interests. Include only the student's name as the only English word on the page. The student will describe to the class why he/she choose the symbols to include in his/her cartouche.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.1.tpi.7. use a chart, Venn diagram, graphic organizer to compare/contrast tenets of the five major world religions.

Economics

Content Standard: 2.0

Globalization of the economy, the explosion of population growth, technological changes and international competition compel students to understand, both personally and globally, production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Students will examine and analyze economic concepts such as basic needs versus wants, using versus saving money, and policy-making versus decision-making.

Learning Expectations:

• 2.01 Understand fundamental economic concepts and their application to a variety of economic systems.
• 2.02 Understand global economic connections, conflicts, and interdependence.
• 2.03 Understand the changes that occur in the nature, use, distribution, and importance of resources.

Accomplishments

7.2.01 Understand fundamental economic concepts and their application to a variety of economic systems.

1. Define various types of economies and their methods of production and consumption (e.g., market economy, free enterprise, capitalism, communism, and socialism).
2. List the major resources and industrial and agricultural products, locally, regionally, and globally.
3. Apply basic economic concepts in studying the various regions of the world such as export, import, tariffs, closed and emerging markets.
4. Explain the interactions between domestic and global economic systems.

7.2.02 Understand global economic connections, conflicts, and interdependence.

1. Recognize that resources, goods, and services are exchanged worldwide.
2. Explain the interactions between domestic and global economic systems.
3. Explain the economic impact of improved communication and transportation.
4. Appraise the relationship among scarcity of resources, economic development, and international conflict.
5. Evaluate the domestic and international impact of various economic agreements.
6. Apply economic concepts to evaluate contemporary developments.

7.2.03 Understand the changes that occur in the nature, use, distribution, and importance of resources.

1. Describe the characteristics, location, and use of renewable and nonrenewable resources.
2. Identify ways resources are recycled.
3. Describe patterns of resource distribution and utilization.
4. Discover the relationship between the use, availability, and accessibility of resources and a country's standard of living, including the role of technology in resource acquisition and use.
5. Analyze issues related to the location, availability, use, distribution, and trade of natural resources.

Performance Indicators State:

As documented through state assessment -

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.2.spi.1. recognize basic economic concepts (i.e. imports, exports, barter system, tariffs, closed and emerging markets, supply and demand, inflation, recession, depression).
• 7.2.spi.2. define renewable and nonrenewable resources.
• 7.2.spi.3. define demographic concepts. (i.e. population, population distribution, population density, growth rate).

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.2.spi.4. interpret economic issues as expressed with maps, tables, diagrams, and charts.
• 7.2.spi5. select the major resources, industrial, and agricultural products for the three grand divisions from a map of Tennessee.

Performance Indicators Teacher:

As documented through teacher observation –

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.2.tpi.1 cite examples of renewable and nonrenewable resources from the community.
• 7.2.tpi.2. identify through a graphic organizer various economic systems used throughout the world.
• 7.2.tpi.3. select a photograph from a global community and cite examples of how this photograph illustrates the local economy.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.2.tpi.4. simulate the basic concepts of economics by classroom activities.
• 7.2.tpi.5. use symbolic space through simulations to show real world facts and figures.
• 7.2.tpi.6. compare imports and exports on a bar graph.
• 7.2.tpi.7. know the major resources, industrial and agricultural products from Tennessee.
• 7.2.tpi.8. use a table of facts to analyze differences among countries and communities in economic terms (e.g. exports, imports.)

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.2.tpi.9. use a population pyramid to show population and gender of students in the class, school, community, state, and various countries or continents.
• 7.2.tpi.10. illustrate global trading patterns.
• 7.2.tpi.11.evaluate the domestic and international impact of various economic agreements (e.g., NAFTA, European Union).

Geography

Content Standard: 3.0

Geography enables the students to see, understand and appreciate the web of relationships between people, places, and environments. Students will use the knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts within the six essential elements of geography: world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and society, and the uses of geography.

Learning Expectations:

• 3.01 Understand the characteristics and uses of maps, globes, and other geographic tools and technologies.
• 3.02 Know the location of places and geographic features, both physical and human, locally, regionally and globally.
• 3.03 Understand the characteristics and uses of spatial organization of Earth’s surface.
• 3.04 Understand the physical and human characteristics of place.
• 3.05 Understand that common physical and cultural characteristics create regions.
• 3.06 Understand how physical processes shape the Earth’s natural landscapes and affect environments.
• 3.07 Understand how physical systems and the physical environment affect human systems.
• 3.08 Understand how human activities impact and modify the physical environment.
• 3.09 Understand the nature, distribution and migration of human populations on Earth’s surfaces.

Accomplishments

7.3.01 Understand the characteristics and uses of maps, globes, and other geographic tools and technologies.

1. Identify, describe, and be able to use the basic elements of maps and mapping.
2. Identify the location of physical and human attributes on maps and globes at local, regional, and global scales.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of various types of maps including thematic and topographic maps.
4. Discuss applications of current geographic techniques in mapping such as GIS and GPS.

7.3.02 Know the location of places and geographic features, both physical and human, locally, regionally and globally.

1. Identify the location of Earth's major physical characteristics such as continents, landforms, bodies of water, climate regions, vegetation, and natural resources.
2. Identify the location and size of major human features such as cities, political units, and countries.
3. Explain why physical, biological and human processes leave discernable patterns on the Earth's surface locally, regionally, and globally.
4. Identify the spatial distribution of major ecosystems such as tropical rainforest, desert and grassland.

7.3.03 Understand the characteristics and uses of spatial organization of Earth's surface.

1. Identify concepts and geographic tools used to define and describe spatial organization such as absolute and relative location, distance, direction, scale, movement and region.
2. Explain patterns of spatial organization including why some areas are more densely settled than others are and the differences between rural, urban, and suburban patterns.
3. Describe factors that affect spatial organization of the Earth's surface such as transportation, migration, and communication technology.

7.3.04 Understand the physical and human characteristics of place.

1. Identify which features on Earth's surface are physical and which are human.
2. Describe how physical, biological, and human characteristics and processes define and shape a place.
3. Describe how human movement and migration influence the character of a place.
4. Appraise the symbiotic relationship between the physical and human environments as they are reflected on Earth's surface.

7.3.05 Understand that common physical and cultural characteristics create regions.

1. Identify the criteria used to define a region, including physical traits and formal, functional, and vernacular cultural regions.
2. Describe types of regions at the local, regional, and global level.
3. Describe how cultures influence the characteristics of regions and how human characteristics make specific regions of the world distinctive.
4. Explain factors that contribute to changing regional characteristics and boundaries.

7.3.06 Understand how physical processes shape the Earth's natural landscapes and affect environments.

1. Identify types of Earth's physical processes such as tectonic activity, changing landforms.
2. Consider the effect of weathering and erosion, the hydrologic cycle and climate change.
3. Analyze physical patterns and ecosystems found locally, regionally, and globally.
4. Examine the consequences of a specific physical process operating on Earth's surface.

7.3.07 Understand how physical systems and the physical environment affect human systems.

1. Describe how the characteristics of different physical environments affect human activities including ways in which people adapt to living in different physical environments.
2. Describe the impact and interaction of natural hazards and disasters on human settlements and systems.
3. Evaluate the limits and opportunities of physical environments for human activities.

7.3.08 Understand how human activities impact and modify the physical environment.

1. Describe effects of human modification on the physical environment including global warming, deforestation, desertification, and urbanization.
2. Explain the ways in which human induced changes in the physical environment in one place can cause changes in other places.
3. Analyze the environmental consequences of humans changing the physical environment.

7.3.09 Understand the nature, distribution and migration of human populations on Earth's surfaces.

1. Identify the characteristics of populations at a variety of scales including ethnicity, age distribution, number of males and females, and life expectancy.
2. Define demographic concepts including population, population distribution, population density, growth rate, family size, and infant mortality.
3. Describe the causes and effects of human migration such as "push and pull" factors.
4. Analyze contemporary population issues.
5. Predict the consequences of population changes on the Earth's physical and cultural environments.

Performance Indicators State:

As documented through state assessment -

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.3.spi.1. identify and use the basic elements of maps and mapping.
• 7.3.spi.2. locate the Earth's major physical characteristics (i.e., 7 continents, 4 oceans).
• 7.3.spi.3.identify the major river systems of Tennessee.
• 7.3.spi.4. distinguish the differences among rural, suburban, and urban communities.
• 7.3.spi.5. select the natural resources found in the 3 grand divisions of Tennessee (coal, copper, timber, plants, animals.)
• 7.3.spi.6. Locate on a map specific lines of longitude and latitude. (i.e., Prime Meridian, International Date Line, Equator, North and South Poles, Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic Antarctic circles).
• 7.3.spi.7. compare the five largest cities of Tennessee using a bar graph.
• 7.3.spi.8. define demographic concepts (i.e., population, population distribution, population density, growth rate, family size, and infant mortality).

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.3.spi.9. identify the location of Earth's major landforms and bodies of water (i.e., Rockies, Andes, Himalayas, Alps, Urals, Sahara desert, Nile River Valley, Great Plains, Mississippi River, Amazon River, Thames River, Seine River, Rhine River, Danube River, Tigris River, Eurphrates River, Ganges River, Volga River, Yellow River).
• 7.3.spi.10 identify the characteristics that define a region geographically.
• 7.3.spi.11. recognize specific physical processes that operate on the Earth's surface (i.e., erosion, volcanoes, earthquakes, wind and water currents, plate tectonics, and weathering).
• 7.3.spi.12. identify the six physical regions of Tennessee (i.e. Unaka Mountains, Valley and Ridge, Cumberland Plateau, Highland Rim, Central Basin, Gulf Coastal Plain).
• 7.3.spi.13. recognize the definitions of modifications on the physical environment (i.e. global warming, deforestation, desert, urbanization).
• 7.3.spi.14. distinguish between types of maps. (i.e. political, physical, climatic, land-use resource, contour, elevation, topographic.)
• 7.3.spi.15 interpret a map indicating scale, distance and direction.
• 7.3.spi.16. demonstrate understanding of characteristics and implications of a diverse global culture.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.3.spi.17. read and interpret a time zone map.
• 7.3.spi.18. analyze the environmental consequences of humans changing their physical environment (i.e., air and water pollution, mining, deforestation, global warming).
• 7.3.spi.19. examine reasons and patterns of human migration through the use of maps, charts, diagrams (i.e., famine, natural disasters, political and religious oppression, wars).
• 7.3.spi.20. predict the consequences of population changes on the Earth's physical and cultural environments.
• 7.3.spi.21. interpret a population pyramid.

Performance Indicators Teacher:

As documented through teacher observation –

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.3.tpi.1 construct a papier of a world globe showing the seven continents and four oceans.
• 7.3.tpi.2. color country and regional outline maps.
• 7.3.tpi.3. apply geographic symbols to outline maps.
• 7.3.tpi.4. create student maps illustrating geographic terminology (e.g. archipelago, atoll, bay, canyon, cape, continental divide, delta, estuary, fjord, headwaters, glacier, gulf, island, isthmus, lagoon, mesa, ocean currents, peninsula, plateau, reef, strait.)
• 7.3.tpi.5. list physical characteristics that comprise a place (e.g., landforms, water systems, climate patterns, and plant and animal life).
• 7.3.tpi.6. participate in a class-wide analysis of ecosystems through the use of posters, and illustrations.
• 7.3.tpi.7. explain how geographers use technology to study the earth.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.3.tpi.8. construct a salt map illustrating the six regions of Tennessee.
• 7.3.tpi.9. create a bar graph showing the various physical processes.
• 7.3.tpi.10. create a cause and effect chart which shows relationships between geographic issues. (water pollution, immigration, settlement.)
• 7.3.tpi.11. construct a cartogram showing a community population variations.
• 7.3.tpi.12. research the industrial development of a country giving the causes and consequences of urbanization.
• 7.3.tpi.13. compare the four major families of map projections; conformal, equal-area, azimuthal, and equidistant. Explain the biases of the Mercator's versus the Peter's projections.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.3.tpi.14. debate the consequences of deforestation.
• 7.3.tpi.15. create a power-point presentations to illustrate and facilitate information on any given topic.
• 7.3.tpi.16. construct a volcano demonstrating physical processes.
• 7.3.tpi.17. use population data sheets to further understand a community's demographics.
• 7.3.tpi.18. conduct a classroom geo-bee.

Governance and Civics

Content Standard: 4.0

Governance establishes structures of power and authority in order to provide order and stability. Civic efficacy requires understanding rights and responsibilities, ethical behavior, and the role of citizens within their community, nation, and world.

Learning Expectations:

• 4.01 Understand different systems of governance.
• 4.02 Understand how cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of resources, rights, and privileges.

Accomplishments

7.4.01 Understand different systems of governance.

1. Recognize world political regions locally, regionally, and globally.
2. Explain the purposes and structure of various systems of governance.
3. Compare different political systems with that of the United States and identify political leaders from selected contemporary settings.
4. Explain the relationship between a place's physical, political, and cultural characteristics and the type of government that arises in that place.

7.4.02 Understand how cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of resources, rights, and privileges.

1. Identify international and multinational organizations of cooperation.
2. Describe the current struggles over energy resources and how different governments resolve these problems.
3. Describe conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies, and nations.
4. Explore governmental responses to environmental issues such as air pollution, watershed management, water pollution and solid waste, including hazardous and toxic waste.
5. Describe ideas and mechanisms governments develop to meet needs and wants of citizens, regulate territory, manage conflict, and establish order and security.

Performance Indicators State:

As documented through state assessment -

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.4.spi.1. define the different types of governments (i.e., democracy, autocracy, oligarchy, monarchy, dictatorship).
• 7.4.spi.2. using a map key, locate various governance systems.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.4.spi.3. recognize how the boundaries of Congressional districts change in the state of Tennessee. (i.e. statutory requirements, population shifts, political power shifts).
• 7.4.spi.4. identify political leaders from selected contemporary settings (i.e. United States, India, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Russia, China).

Performance Indicators Teacher:

As documented through teacher observation –

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.4.tpi.1 compare different political systems with those of the United States.
• 7.4.tpi.2 use a graphic organizer to outline information according to importance on how communities govern themselves.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.4.tpi.3 describe components of various governments.
• 7.4.tpi.4. write an essay comparing different political systems with that of the United States.
• 7.4.tpi.5. debate various governments' laws and compare them to the United States (e.g., China's one child rule, women's rights, children's rights).

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.4.tpi.6. research contemporary issues from Internet sites pertaining to different perspectives.

History

Content Standard: 5.0

History involves people, events, and issues. Students will evaluate evidence to develop comparative and casual analyses, and to interpret primary sources. They will construct sound historical arguments and perspectives on which informed decisions in contemporary life can be based.

Learning Expectations:

• 5.1 Understand the patterns of human settlement.
• 5.2 Recognize that places change over time.

Accomplishments

7.5.01 Understand the patterns of human settlement.

1. Identify reasons why people choose to settle in different places.
2. Explain how and why the location of settlements changes over space and time locally, regionally, and globally.
3. Explain factors leading to areas of dense human settlement.
4. Describe factors involved in the growth and development of cities.
5. Evaluate the causes and consequences of urbanization.

7.5.02 Recognize that places change over time.

1. Identify the physical and human factors that influences a place.
2. Analyze the causes and effects of changes in a place over time.

Performance Indicators State:

As documented through state assessment -

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.5.spi.1. identify the causes and consequences of urbanization (i.e. industrial development, education, health care, cultural opportunities, poverty, overcrowding, disease, pollution, crime).

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.5.spi.2. identify reasons why people choose to settle in different places (i.e., occupation, family, climate, natural resources).
• 7.5.spi.3. map large civilizations to discover the impact of water as a main reason behind a society's founding.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.5.spi.4. analyze the causes and effects of change in a place over time from a written passage.

Performance Indicators Teacher:

As documented through teacher observation –

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.5.tpi.1 diagram or reconstruct the movement of continents and tectonic plates.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.5.tpi.2. research past geographic phenomena and their impact on societies (e.g., volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, typhoons).

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.5.tpi.3. analyze how geography affected historic events in order to predict future problems and decisions.
• 7.5.tpi.4. explore how geographic places change throughout time through pictures, and illustrations.

Individuals, Groups, and Interactions

Content Standard: 6.0

Personal development and identity are shaped by factors including culture, groups, and institutions. Central to this development are exploration, identification, and analysis of how individuals, and groups work independently and cooperatively.

Learning Expectations:

• 6.01 Understand the impact of individual and group decisions on citizens and communities.
• 6.02 Understand how groups can impact change at local, regional, and global levels.
• 6.03 Understand how a geographic view is a significant tool in interpreting the present and planning for the future.

Accomplishments

7.6.01 Understand the impact of individual and group decisions on citizens and communities.

1. Recognize that individuals can belong to groups but still retain their own identity.
2. Know how to share and give opinions in a group.
3. Describe personal connections to a place.
4. Identify and describe ways regional, ethnic, and national cultures influence individuals' daily lives.
5. Examine issues involving the rights, roles, and status of the individual in relation to the general welfare in various regions of the world.

7.6.02 Understand how groups can effect change at local, regional, and global levels.

1. Identify ways family, groups, and community influence daily life and personal choices.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of concepts such as role, status, and social class when describing the interactions of individuals and social groups in various regions of the world.
3. Explore the causes, consequences, and possible solutions applied by governing bodies to persistent global issues such as health, security, resource allocation, economic development, and environmental quality.

7.6.03 Understand how a geographic view is a significant tool in interpreting the present and planning for the future.

1. Identify the effects of physical and human geographic factors on current policies and issues such as land use, urban planning, and conservation issues.
2. Describe the impact of contemporary patterns of consumption, production, and population growth on the future spatial organization of Earth.
3. Integrate multiple points of view to analyze and evaluate contemporary geographic issues.

Performance Indicators State:

As documented through state assessment -

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.6.spi.1. identify ways family, groups, and community influence daily life and personal choices.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.6.spi.2. differentiate between the rights, roles and state of the individual in relation to the general welfare in various regions of the world.

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.6.spi.3. recognize the causes, consequences and possible solutions applied by governing bodies to persistent global issue (i.e., health, security, resource allocation, economic development, environmental quality. )

Performance Indicators Teacher:

As documented through teacher observation –

At Level 1, the student is able to

• 7.6.tpi.1. diagram the home, school, or path to school in order to achieve a personal sense of geographic perspective.
• 7.6.tpi.2. conduct a discussion about the culture of the school, and community to show how regional, ethnic and national culture affects the student's daily life.
• 7.6.tpi.3. exhibit model behavior during a guest speaker.

At Level 2, the student is able to

• 7.6.tpi.4. create a web diagram analyzing multiple points of view about geographic issues. (e.g., land use, urban planning, conservation, consumption, production, population.)
• 7.6.tpi.5. discuss how individuals exhibit how he/she belongs to a larger culture and, yet, retain their individual identities.
• 7.6.tpi.6. compare an average student's calorie consumption both in terms of calorie intake and a total daily energy consumption to that of an average third world student's average consumption.
• 7.6.tpi.7. analyze how individuals within the global culture can influence a country's conduct. (e.g., Ghandi, Castro, Mandella, Hussein).

At Level 3, the student is able to

• 7.6.tpi.8. participate in a simulation in which students assume roles of an international organization in which they attempt to resolve global issues.
• 7.6.tpi.9. compare women's rights in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
• 7.6.tpi.10. debate how role, status, and social class affect interactions of individuals and social groups.
• 7.6.tpi.11 create a montage showing cooperation and conflict throughout the world.