West Virginia K–6 social studies standards

Develop an understanding of citizenship and patriotism through a variety of experiences (e.g., appropriate behavior, sharing, taking turns, volunteering, being honest, and demonstrating responsibility for materials and personal belongings).

Participate in role play to resolve disputes, and demonstrate tolerance and acceptance of others and their ideas.

Investigate the need for rules in their environment, create a set of classroom rules, and explore the consequences for not following the rules.

Investigate the leadership roles within their families, classrooms, and schools, and demonstrate their understanding through activities such as role play and classroom jobs.

Investigate occupations within the school and local community.

Discover the basic needs of people (e.g., shelter, food, clothing, etc.) and give examples of each.

Investigate the exchange of goods and services (e.g., money, bartering, trading, etc.).

Distinguish between wants and needs.

Construct a simple map of a familiar area (e.g., classroom, school, home, etc.).

Identify the difference between bodies of water and land masses on maps and globes, and demonstrate directions (e.g., left/right, up/down, near/far, and above/under).

Compare and contrast the ways humans adapt based on seasons and weather.

Explore similarities and differences of life in the city (urban) and the country (rural).

Investigate the need for symbols in daily life (e.g., exit, stop sign, bathroom signs, school zone, stop light, etc.).

Illustrate personal history (e.g., first and last name, birthday, age, guardian’s name, etc.).

Explore the history of the school and give examples of significant school sites and people (e.g., principals, secretaries, teachers, custodians, etc.).

Investigate the past and explore the differences in other people, times, and cultures through stories of people, heroes, pictures, songs, holidays, customs, traditions, or legends.

Explore time, places, people, and events in relationship to the student’s own life (e.g., pictures, stories, etc.).

Explore state symbols, celebrations, holidays, and prominent West Virginians.

Identify the shape of West Virginia.

Track the weather to illustrate West Virginia’s climate.

Recognize local communities.

Explore past and present lifestyles of West Virginians.

Model patriotism, cooperation, tolerance, and respect for others within the school and community.

Create scenarios and role play reflecting the use of rules and laws, their consequences, and their value within the school and community.

Investigate the symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States that provide a sense of community (e.g., Labor Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic songs, landmarks, art, and literature that demonstrate community traditions, etc.).

Explore the process of how leaders are selected and how they influence decisions made in the school and community.

Collaborate to identify a community need, propose a variety of solutions, and investigate how individuals could participate to solve the problem.

Compare and contrast occupations within the community.

Distinguish between personal needs and wants and the consequences of personal choices.

Demonstrate the exchange of goods and services.

Explain how individuals and families earn, spend, and save money.

Reflect an understanding of cardinal directions, map symbols in a legend, geographic landforms (e.g., mountains, lakes, rivers), and location by interpreting simple maps.

Describe how climate and location affect the way people live, work, and play.

Explore natural resources and give examples of their uses.

Sequence the seasons of the year, months, and days of the week.

Utilize appropriate maps, globes, and geographic information systems.

Locate and identify the following on a map: West Virginia. United States. Geographic features (e.g., mountains, bodies of water, etc.).

Investigate ways communities change throughout history using primary source documents and oral accounts.

Examine cultural contributions of families through the use of literature, primary source documents, and oral accounts.

Explore the history of the community and give examples of locally significant sites and people.

Illustrate a personal history through a chronological sequence of events.

Recognize and recite the state motto.

Investigate the common occupations of people in West Virginia.

Locate student’s hometown and county on a West Virginia map.

Describe the cultural life of West Virginia as reflected in games, toys, and various art forms.

Analyze examples of the fairness of rules and laws and evaluate their consequences.

Illustrate the levels of government (local, state, and national) and actively discuss the responsibilities of each level and the characteristics of effective leadership.

Create a product (e.g., play, multimedia, or poster) to demonstrate an understanding of the diversity in American culture.

Give examples of symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and participate in national patriotic celebrations (e.g., July 4th, Constitution Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, and Flag Day) and community service projects.

Investigate various occupations and career opportunities and how they have changed within the state and nation.

Consider and categorize needs and wants in a graph, chart, or table to evaluate consequences of one choice over another.

Design a system that reflects the understanding of the exchange of goods and services (e.g., trading cards and classroom store).

Explain the role of banks in saving for future purchases and create a graph reflecting savings over time.

Utilize a legend, compass rose, and cardinal directions to identify locations and geographic features in the United States.

Identify the continents and oceans on a map and globe.

Analyze how climate, location, and/or physical surroundings have caused changes in the community and state over time.

Classify examples of natural resources and how people use them.

Identify the characteristics and purposes of maps, globes, geographic information systems, and other geographic tools.

Demonstrate an understanding of interactions among individuals, families, and communities by creating a timeline using documents and oral accounts to investigate ways communities and generations of families change.

Identify cultural contributions and differences made by people from the various regions in the United States using literature, documents, and oral accounts.

Explore the impact historic figures have had upon our society.

Investigate state symbols, celebrations, holidays, famous West Virginians, and identify the governor of West Virginia.

Locate and show examples of the natural resources and geographic features of West Virginia on a map.

Locate the student’s home county, surrounding counties, the state capital, and states that border West Virginia on a map.

Examine the cultural life of West Virginians through storytelling and various art forms (e.g., songs, instruments, artwork, photographs, etc.).

Compare and contrast past and present lifestyles of West Virginians.

Identify and explain the following commonly-held American democratic values, principles, and beliefs: Diversity. Rule of law. Family values. Community service. Justice. Liberty.

Determine the need for government and compare and contrast the following forms: tribal, monarchy, constitutional republic, and democracy.

Investigate significant cultural contributions of various groups creating the United States of America’s multicultural society.

Examine historical conflicts and their resolutions during the pre-colonial time period.

Examine how rights and responsibilities of citizens are reflected in patriotic symbols, songs, and holidays of the United States (e.g., the meaning of our flag’s colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and the meaning of the words, the National Anthem, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day).

Participate in a local service project to discover the importance of working together and how participation leads to improvement in the lives of individuals, as well as communities.

Study bank services including checking accounts, savings accounts, and borrowing, and create a mock budget.

Construct and interpret graphs that illustrate the basic concept of the exchange of goods and services as related to supply and demand and show the impact of scarcity of resources.

Sequence the path of a product from the raw material to the final product.

Use charts, maps, and other data sources to correlate occupations with the economy and the available resources of a region (e.g., West Virginia has coal mining; Pennsylvania has steel mills; etc.).

Explore SMART529, West Virginia’s Education Savings Solution program and other college saving plans.

Use geographic information systems to compare and contrast various types of maps (e.g., climate, resource, physical, political, road, etc.).

Distinguish between a continent, country, state, and capital.

Label maps to demonstrate knowledge of map skills (e.g., label cardinal directions, intermediate directions, borders, continents, oceans, Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, North Pole, South Pole, and Prime Meridian).

Explain the reason time zones were developed, identify the time zones of North America, and calculate the variance in time from one zone to another.

Use a map scale to determine the distance between two given points.

Recognize, define, and illustrate world geographic features (e.g., peninsulas, islands, mountains, canyons, plateaus, mesas, harbors, gulfs, rivers, deserts, forests, valleys, and plains).

Compare and contrast regions of the United States in regard to plant and animal life, landforms, climate, and human interactions with the environment.

Create a legend to identify the path of major explorers and chart those journeys on a world map (e.g., Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Hernando Cortes, and Sir Walter Raleigh).

Examine the settlement of North America by Native Americans. Illustrate the spread of the Native American population into the various regions of North America. Determine settlement patterns based on natural resources. Explain how Native American groups adapted to geographic factors of a given region. Compare and contrast the cultures of the different Native American groups (e.g., source of food, clothing, shelter, and products used). Make historical inferences by analyzing artifacts and illustrations. Analyze the Native American interactions with others (e.g., other Native American groups, explorers, and settlers).

Determine the causes and effects of European exploration. Chronologically organize major explorers and determine the reasons for their journeys (e.g., Marco Polo, Amerigo Vespucci, Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Hernando Cortes, Balboa, Ponce de Leon, Sir Walter Raleigh, etc.). Investigate the motives for exploration by the various European nations (e.g., England, Spain, France, Portugal, etc.). Determine the information the explorers gained from their journeys. Explain the impact of the explorers’ travels on Native Americans and the world.

Identify the four physical geographic regions of West Virginia, the major communities, and the natural resources found within each region.

Investigate the nine tourist regions of West Virginia and identify the counties in each region.

Identify, explain, and critique commonly held American democratic values, principles, and beliefs (e.g., diversity, family values, community service, justice, liberty, etc.) through established documents (e.g., Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.).

Compare and contrast the powers of each branch of government and identify the responsibilities and rights of United States citizens.

Explore the concepts of rule of law to create a visual or oral presentation of how these concepts protect individual rights and the common good.

Demonstrate patriotism by creating and implementing school/community service projects (e.g., litter cleanup, fundraisers for community groups, participation in community holiday parades, celebrations, services, etc.).

Investigate and recognize people as consumers and producers of goods, as well as the effects of competition and supply-demand on prices through projects (e.g., developing budgets or products in simulated situations, etc.).

Determine jobs that are needed according to supply and demand on a national level.

Research and examine how slavery and indentured servitude influenced the early economy of the United States by constructing graphics (e.g., charts, graphs, tables, and grids, etc.) displaying the effect of having slaves and indentured servants.

Describe and locate examples of the major physical features of the United States (e.g., bodies of water, mountains, rivers, grasslands, oases, etc.) using references and technology (e.g., atlas, globe, geographic information system, etc.).

Document the effects of and explain how people adapted to factors (e.g., climate, mountains, bodies of water, etc.) on the following: Transportation routes. Settlement patterns and population density. Culture (e.g., jobs, food, clothing, shelter, religion, government, etc.). Interactions with others (local and national).

Compare and contrast the physical, economic, and political changes to America caused by geographic conditions and human intervention (e.g., bridges, canals, state boundaries, transportation, etc.).

Plan and construct maps to demonstrate the effect of geographic conditions on historical processes, practices, and events (e.g., colonization, industry, agriculture, major engagements in the Revolutionary War, Westward Expansion, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding of the various factors that influenced the founding of the original colonies (e.g., economic, political, cultural, etc.). Analyze the southern, middle, and northern colonies (e.g., origins, early government, resources, religious freedom, and cultural diversity, etc.). Compare and contrast community life, family roles, and social classes in colonial America (e.g., indentured servants, slaves, colonists, etc.). Compare and contrast backgrounds, motivations, and occupational skills among English, French, and Spanish settlers (e.g., economics, culture, trade, new agricultural products, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding of the conflict between the American colonies and England that led to the Revolutionary War. Explain the political and economic factors leading to the American Revolution (e.g., the French and Indian War, British colonial policies, and American colonists’ early resistance, etc.). Explain the major ideas reflected in the Declaration of Independence. Summarize the roles of the principal American, British, and European leaders involved in the conflict (e.g., King George III, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, and Marquis de Lafayette, etc.). Explain the contributions of Native Americans, the French, and Dutch during the Revolutionary War, and list the contributions of women and African Americans during and after the American Revolution.

Trace the beginnings of America as a nation and the establishment of the new government. Compare and contrast the various forms of government in effect from 1774-1854 (e.g., Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation (1777), U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.). Analyze the accomplishments and challenges faced by the founders during the Constitutional Convention. Research the contributions of early American historic figures (e.g., George Washington, John Adams, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Dolly Madison, etc.). Explain the political, social, and economic challenges faced by the new nation (e.g., development of political parties, expansion of slavery, taxation, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding of the causes and effects of Westward Expansion. Investigate the economic, political, and cultural factors involved in Westward Expansion (e.g., Land Ordinance of 1785, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Indian Removal Act, Trail of Tears, Manifest Destiny, resources, trade, etc.). Analyze the people and events that facilitated Westward Expansion (e.g., Daniel Boone, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, Northwest Territory, Alamo, Gold Rush, etc.). Trace transportation innovations and explain their impact on Westward Expansion (e.g., bridges, canals, steamboats, railroads, steam engines, clipper ships, flat boats, roads, dams, locks, ports, harbors, etc.).

Locate all county seats on a West Virginia map.

Analyze the impact of West Virginia’s geography on transportation, settlement, jobs, clothing, food, shelter, services, and interaction with others outside the state.

Compare and contrast West Virginia’s population, products, resources, and transportation from the 18th century through modern day.

Pose, research, and answer student-generated questions relating to West Virginia using print and digital.

Illustrate the rights, responsibilities, duties, and privileges of a patriotic citizen using authentic situations (e.g., election, food drive, jury duty, etc.) and defend these actions as examples or non-examples of good citizenship.

Assume a role (e.g., judge, juror, prosecutor, etc.) in a mock proceeding to acquire understanding of the trial-by-jury process and justify its effectiveness in solving conflicts in society both past and present.

Simulate the process of making a law at the state and national level.

Outline the process in which amendments are made, interpret their meanings and how they apply to the student’s daily life, lives of others, and lives of people throughout history.

Compare the functions of each level of the government (local, state, and national).

Summarize the provisions of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, including how the amendments protected the rights of African Americans and sought to enhance their political, social, and economic opportunities.

Explain the concept of supply and demand in specific historic and current economic situations in the United States (e.g., slavery, oil, gas, Industrial Revolution, etc.).

Critique the economic reasons for immigration and migration throughout the United States during specific times in history and relate the information to the present (e.g., Great Migration, Ellis Island, etc.).

Investigate the resources (e.g., oil, land, gas, etc.) of the geographic regions of the United States and the world (e.g., Midwest, Middle East, etc.) and explain their impact on global economic activities.

Compare the industrial North and the agricultural South prior to the Civil War, the geographic characteristics and boundaries of each region, and the basic way of life in each region.

Explain the economic problems that forced former slaves to continue to live in servitude even after slavery was officially abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment.

Compare the economic and social effects of Reconstruction on different populations, including the move from farms to factories and the change from the plantation system to sharecropping.

Explain the social and economic effects of Westward Expansion on Native Americans, including changes in federal policies, armed conflicts, opposing views concerning land ownership, and Native American displacement.

Explain how aspects of the terrain (e.g., the principal mountain ranges, rivers, vegetation, and climate of the region, etc.) affected westward travel and settlement.

Summarize the significance of large-scale immigration and the contributions of immigrants to America in the early 1900s (e.g., the countries from which they came, the opportunities and resistance they faced when they arrived, and the cultural and economic contributions they made to this nation, etc.).

Illustrate the effects of settlement on the environment of the West (e.g., changes in the physical and human systems, etc.).

Compare and contrast the various regions of the United States; locate each of the fifty United States and correlate them with their regions.

Utilize appropriate geographic information systems including maps, globes, and geographic technology to examine, gather, and analyze data in a variety of real-world situations.

Display information on maps, globes, geographic models, and in graphs, diagrams, and charts (e.g., designing map keys and legends, etc.).

Using a grid system, locate specific points on a map and explain the use of lines of latitude and longitude.

Demonstrate an understanding of the industrial North and the agricultural South before, during and after the Civil War. Research the roles and accomplishments of the leaders of the reform movements before and during the Civil War (e.g., abolition movement, Underground Railroad, and other social reforms, etc.). Explain how specific events and issues led to the Civil War (e.g., sectionalism fueled by issues of slavery in the territories, states’ rights, election of 1860, and secession). Summarize key battles, strategies, and turning points of the Civil War (e.g., Fort Sumter, Antietam, Gettysburg, other regional battles, and the surrender at Appomattox). Compare the roles and accomplishments of historic figures of the Civil War (e.g., Abraham Lincoln (Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address), Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Clara Barton, and Frederick Douglass, etc.). Explain the impact of the Civil War’s physical destruction on the nation and the people (e.g., soldiers, women, African Americans, the civilian population, etc.).

Examine the economic, political, and social developments during Reconstruction. Explain the effects of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the goals of Reconstruction. Characterize the effects of Reconstruction on African Americans (e.g., rights and restrictions, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, rise of discriminatory laws and groups (Ku Klux Klan), motivations to relocate, and the actions of the Freedmen’s Bureau, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding of the advances in transportation and its effect on Western Expansion. Illustrate how railroads affected development of the West (e.g., ease of travel, influence on trade, impact on environment, etc.). Compare and contrast conflicts between various groups in the West (e.g., miners, ranchers, cowboys, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and European and Asian immigrants, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding of major domestic and foreign developments that contributed to the United States becoming a world power. Summarize key events and political leaders surrounding the Spanish-American War and the annexation of new territory. Explain the United States involvement in Latin America and the role they played in the building of the Panama Canal. Describe how the need for new markets led to the buildup of the Navy and the need for naval bases in the Pacific.

Analyze the people and the factors that led to Industrialization in the late 19th century United States. Examine how the Industrial Revolution was furthered by new inventions and technologies (e.g., light bulb, telegraph, automobile, assembly line, etc.). Identify prominent inventors and scientists of the period and summarize their inventions or discoveries (e.g., Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, etc.). Explain the causes and effects of immigration and urbanization on the American economy during the Industrial Revolution (e.g., role of immigrants, the growth of cities, the shift to industrialization, the rise of big business and reform movements, etc.).

Reconstruct the economic, social, and political history of West Virginia through the use of primary source documents.

Sequence the events that led to the formation of the state of West Virginia (e.g., timeline).

Analyze the moral, ethical, and legal tensions that led to the creation of the new state of West Virginia and how those tensions were resolved.

Apply the process of how a bill becomes a law to follow a current legislative bill.

Compare and contrast different forms of government worldwide and their influence on historic world events. The Great Depression World War I World War II 2001 Attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon (9/11)

Identify the structure of the United States Congress and the constitutional requirements for congressional membership.

Identify current key figures in United States government. President Vice President Speaker of the House Secretary of State Current Members of Congress from West Virginia

Examine and analyze the effectiveness of various acts of patriotism and civil discourse (e.g., support of American military during wartime, Vietnam War protests, Civil Rights, respect for the flag, and response of Americans to 9/11).

Identify global relief and development organizations and examine how they provide global aid and support (e.g., Red Cross, United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], Doctors without Borders, Engineers without Borders, and World Health Organization).

Research and organize information about an issue of global concern from multiple points of view (e.g., ecology, natural resources, and human rights).

Compare and contrast the basic economic characteristics of communism, socialism, and capitalism.

Identify examples of renewable and non-renewable resources and analyze the factors that affect these resources on the individual, local, and national economies.

Define United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and summarize its effects on the United States economy.

Trace and analyze the development of government economic policy and regulation from early 1900’s-present day (e.g., Reagan era, Post- Great Depression, Progressive Era).

Classify and evaluate the different types of world trade organizations (e.g., trade, military and health).

Assess the economic impact of technology on world regions throughout history.

Identify geographic features that have influenced the safety of the United States and isolated it from conflicts abroad.

Compare and contrast historical maps and identify the changes in political boundaries as a result of conflicts.

Examine population data from the United States Census Bureau and infer the reasons for changes and differences in various areas (e.g., difference between rural and urban areas).

Determine the time of specific world locations using a world time zone map.

Locate the major natural and man-made waterways and examine their impact on transportation and trade (e.g., Erie Canal, Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Rhine River, Amazon River, Mississippi River, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding of the causes, key events and outcomes of World War I. Explain the key events that led to the outbreak of World War I, including the rise of nationalism, imperialism, and militarism. Chart the sequence of events that led to the United States’ entry into World War I. Analyze the role of propaganda in influencing the United States to enter World War I. Explain the outcomes and effects of World War I including the conditions and failures of the League of Nations and the Treaty of Versailles.

Explain the global causes and effects of the Great Depression. Identify the economic conditions around the world that existed following World War I. Examine and categorize causes of the Great Depression worldwide. Analyze the political response to the economic and social conditions of the Great Depression in the United States and Germany.

Demonstrate an understanding of the causes, key events and outcomes of World War II. Summarize the rise of totalitarian governments in Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Examine the political and economic transformation of Western and Eastern Europe after World War II, identifying the significance of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations, the Warsaw Pact, and the European Economic Community. Analyze the role of appeasement and isolationism as an attempt to avoid war. Analyze the role of strong leadership during the war and critique their responses to the conflict. Investigate the role of the United States in World War II. Examine the human rights violations during times of war. Analyze the United States civilian response on the home-front to the war (e.g., “Rosie the Riveters,” victory gardens, rationing, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding of global developments following World War II including the impact of the Cold War on the world. Evaluate the influence of the United States and Soviet Union as leading world powers following World War II. Outline the United States policy of containment and the social effects of this policy. Summarize the events of the Cold War (e.g., Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Space Race). Describe the Soviet Union’s domination of Eastern Europe, the rise of the Communist party in China and the building of the Berlin Wall. Analyze the role of strong leadership in ending the Cold War. Debate the pros and cons of the impact of nuclear power and analyze how it might relate to the issue of atomic weapons.

Identify the key figures, events, and philosophies of the United States Civil Rights Movement. Trace the development of Civil Rights for minority groups in the United States. (e.g., women, African Americans, immigrants [Asian, European], Native Americans, etc.) Identify key figures and key events in movements for civil rights.

Demonstrate an understanding of the causes and effects of the world conflicts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Analyze the role of natural resources in Middle Eastern conflicts. Describe the role of geo-politics in historic events. Identify the key figures in Middle Eastern conflicts and investigate the United States reaction to these events (e.g., Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, terrorism, 9/11, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan).