Science Topic Choices
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Solar SystemS4E2. Students will model the position and motion of the earth in the solar system and will explain the role of relative position and motion in determining sequence of the phases of the moon.
a. Explain the day/night cycle of the earth using a model. b. Explain the sequence of the phases of the moon. c. Demonstrate the revolution of the earth around the sun and the earth’s tilt to explain the seasonal changes. d. Demonstrate the relative size and order from the sun of the planets in the solar system. |
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WeatherS4E4. Students will analyze weather charts/maps and collect weather data to predict weather events and infer patterns and seasonal changes.
a. Identify weather instruments and explain how each is used in gathering weather data and making forecasts (thermometer, rain gauge, barometer, wind vane, anemometer). b. Using a weather map, identify the fronts, temperature, and precipitation and use the information to interpret the weather conditions. c. Use observations and records of weather conditions to predict weather patterns throughout the year. d. Differentiate between weather and climate. |
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Simple MachinesS4P3. Students will demonstrate the relationship between the application of a force and the resulting change in position and motion on an object.
a. Identify simple machines and explain their uses (lever, pulley, wedge, inclined plane, screw, wheel and axle). b. Using different size objects, observe how force affects speed and motion. c. Explain what happens to the speed or direction of an object when a greater force than the initial one is applied. d. Demonstrate the effect of gravitational force on the motion of an object. |
Organisms & EcosystemsS4L1. Students will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
a. Identify the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community. b. Demonstrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain beginning with sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers. c. Predict how changes in the environment would affect a community (ecosystem) of organisms. d. Predict effects on a population if some of the plants or animals in the community are scarce or if there are too many. |
Survival & ExtinctionS4L2. Students will identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of organisms such as adaptation, variation of behaviors (hibernation), and external features (camouflage and protection).
a. Identify external features of organisms that allow them to survive or reproduce better than organisms that do not have these features (for example: camouflage, use of hibernation, protection, etc.). b. Identify factors that may have led to the extinction of some organisms. |
Social Studies Topics
Native AmericansSS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in North America.
a. Locate where Native Americans settled with emphasis on the Arctic (Inuit), Northwest (Kwakiutl), Plateau (Nez Perce), Southwest (Hopi), Plains (Pawnee), and Southeast (Seminole). b. Describe how Native Americans used their environment to obtain food, clothing, and shelter. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. a. Explain why each of the Native American groups (SS4H1a) occupied the areas they did, with emphasis on why some developed permanent villages and others did not. |
ExplorersSS4H2 The student will describe European exploration in North America.
a. Describe the reasons for, obstacles to, and accomplishments of the Spanish, French, and English explorations of John Cabot, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Juan Ponce de León, Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson, and Jacques Cartier. b. Describe examples of cooperation and conflict between Europeans and Native Americans. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. b. Describe how the early explorers (SS4H2a) adapted, or failed to adapt, to the various physical environments in which they traveled. |
British Colonial AmericaSS4H3 The student will explain the factors that shaped British colonial America.
a. Compare and contrast life in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies. b. Describe colonial life in America as experienced by various people, including large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, indentured servants, slaves, and Native Americans. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. d. Explain how each force (American and British) attempted to use the physical geography of each battle site to its benefit (SS4H4c). |
American RevolutionSS4H4 The student will explain the causes, events, and results of the American Revolution.
a. Trace the events that shaped the revolutionary movement in America, including the French and Indian War, British Imperial Policy that led to the 1765 Stamp Act, the slogan “no taxation without representation,” the activities of the Sons of Liberty, and the Boston Tea Party. b. Explain the writing of the Declaration of Independence; include who wrote it, how it was written, why it was necessary, and how it was a response to tyranny and the abuse of power. c. Describe the major events of the American Revolution and explain the factors leading to American victory and British defeat; include the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown. d. Describe key individuals in the American Revolution with emphasis on King George III, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold, Patrick Henry, and John Adams. |
New Nation ChallengesSS4H5 The student will analyze the challenges faced by the new nation.
a. Identify the weaknesses of the government established by the Articles of Confederation. b. Identify the major leaders of the Constitutional Convention (James Madison and Benjamin Franklin) and describe the major issues they debated, including the rights of states, the Great Compromise, and slavery. c. Identify the three branches of the U. S. government as outlined by the Constitution, describe what they do, how they relate to each other (checks and balances and separation of power), and how they relate to the states. d. Identify and explain the rights in the Bill of Rights, describe how the Bill of Rights places limits on the power of government, and explain the reasons for its inclusion in the Constitution in 1791. e. Describe the causes and events of the War of 1812; include the burning of the Capitol and the White House. |
Westward ExpansionSS4H6 The student will explain westward expansion of America between 1801 and 1861.
a. Describe territorial expansion with emphasis on the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the acquisitions of Texas (the Alamo and independence), Oregon (Oregon Trail), and California (Gold Rush and the development of mining towns). b. Describe the impact of the steamboat, the steam locomotive, and the telegraph on life in America. c. Describe the impact of westward expansion on Native Americans. SS4G2 e. Describe physical barriers that hindered and physical gateways that benefited territorial expansion from 1801 to 1861 (SS4H6a). |
Geographic FeaturesSS4G1 The student will be able to locate important physical and man-made features in the United States.
a. Locate major physical features of the United States; include the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Great Plains, the Continental Divide, the Great Basin, Death Valley, the Gulf of Mexico, the St. Lawrence River, and the Great Lakes. b. Locate major man-made features; include New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; and the Erie Canal. |
Civic UnderstandingsSS4CG1 The student will describe the meaning of
a. Natural rights as found in the Declaration of Independence (the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness). b. “We the people” from the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution as a reflection of consent of the governed or popular sovereignty. c. The federal system of government in the U.S. SS4CG2 The student will explain the importance of freedom of expression as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. |
Functions of GovernmentSS4CG3 The student will describe the functions of government. a. Explain the process for making and enforcing laws.
b. Explain managing conflicts and protecting rights. c. Describe providing for the defense of the nation. d. Explain limiting the power of people in authority. e. Explain the fiscal responsibility of government. |
DemocracySS4CG4 The student will explain the importance of Americans sharing certain central democratic beliefs and principles, both personal and civic.
a. Explain the necessity of respecting the rights of others and promoting the common good. b. Explain the necessity of obeying reasonable laws/rules voluntarily, and explain why it is important for citizens in a democratic society to participate in public (civic) life (staying informed, voting, volunteering, communicating with public officials). |
Economic UnderstandingsSS4E1 The student will use the basic economic concepts of trade, opportunity cost, specialization, voluntary exchange, productivity, and price incentives to illustrate historical events.
a. Describe opportunity costs and their relationship to decision-making across time (such as decisions to send expeditions to North and South America). b. Explain how price incentives affect people’s behavior and choices (such as colonial decisions about what crops to grow and products to produce). c. Describe how specialization improves standards of living (such as the differences in the economies in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies). d. Explain how voluntary exchange helps both buyers and sellers (such as prehistoric and colonial trade in North America). e. Describe how trade promotes economic activity (such as how trade between the colonies and England affected their economies). f. Give examples of technological advancements and their impact on business productivity during the development of the United States (such as the steamboat, the steam locomotive, and the telegraph). SS4E2 The student will identify the elements of a personal budget and explain why personal spending and saving decisions are important. |