Download SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies

SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
2011-2012
Strand
Overarching
Themes/EQs
K
Learning and Working Now and
Long Ago
Students in kindergarten are
introduced to basic spatial,
temporal, and causal
relationships, emphasizing the
geographic and historical
connections between the world
today and the world long ago.
The stories of ordinary and
extraordinary people help
describe the range and continuity
of human experience and
introduce the concepts of
courage, self-control, justice,
heroism, leadership, deliberation,
and individual responsibility.
Historical empathy for how
people lived and worked long ago
reinforces the concept of civic
behavior: how we interact
respectfully with each other,
following rules, and respecting
the rights of others.
1
A Child’s Place in Time and Space
Students in grade one continue a
more detailed treatment of the
broad concepts of rights and
responsibilities in the
contemporary world. The
classroom serves as a microcosm
of society in which decisions are
made with respect for individual
responsibility, for other people,
and for the rules by which we all
must live: fair play, good
sportsmanship, and respect for
the rights and opinions of others.
Students examine the geographic
and economic aspects of life in
their own neighborhoods and
compare them to those of people
long ago. Students explore the
varied backgrounds of American
citizens and learn about the
symbols, icons, and songs that
reflect our common heritage.
2
People Who Make a Difference
Students in grade two explore the
lives of actual people who make a
difference in their everyday lives
and learn the stories of
extraordinary people from history
whose achievements have
touched them, directly or
indirectly. The study of
contemporary people who supply
goods and services aids in
understanding the complex
interdependence in our freemarket system.
3
Continuity and Change
Students in grade three learn
more about our connections to
the past and the ways in which
particularly local, but also
regional and national,
government and traditions have
developed and left their marks on
current society, providing
common memories..
4
New Jersey: A Changing State
Students learn the story of their
home state. In addition to the
specific treatment of milestones
in New Jersey history, students
examine the state in the context
of the rest of the nation, with an
emphasis on the U.S. Constitution
and the relationship between
state and federal government.
US History:
America in
the World:
Civics,
Government,
and Human
Rights
K.SS.CG.1 Students identify rules
at home and at school and
explain why rules are important
to a calm and safe environment.
1.SS.CG.1 Describe the rights and
individual responsibilities of
citizenship.
2.SS.CG.1 Explain governmental
institutions and practices in the
United States and other
countries.
3.SS.CG.1 Understand the role of
rules and laws in our daily lives
and the basic structure of the U.S.
government.
a)
a)
4.SS.CG.1 Explain how rules and
laws created by community,
state, and national governments
protect the rights of people, help
resolve conflicts, and promote
the common good.
a)
K.SS.CG.2 Students recognize
national and state symbols and
icons such as the national and
state flags, the bald eagle, and
the Statue of Liberty.
b)
Understand the rule-making
process in a direct
democracy (everyone votes
on the rules) and in a
representative democracy
(an elected group of people
makes the rules), giving
examples of both systems in
their classroom, school, and
community.
Understand the elements of
fair play and good
sportsmanship, respect for
the rights and opinions of
others, and respect for rules
by which we live, including
the meaning of the "Golden
b)
Explain how the United
States and other countries
make laws, carry out laws,
determine whether laws
have been violated, and
punish wrongdoers.
Describe the ways in which
groups and nations interact
with one another to try to
resolve problems in such
areas as trade, cultural
contacts, treaties,
diplomacy, and military
force.
b)
c)
Determine the reasons for
rules, laws, and the U.S.
Constitution; the role of
citizenship in the promotion
of rules and laws; and the
consequences for people
who violate rules and laws.
Discuss the importance of
public virtue and the role of
citizens, including how to
participate in a classroom, in
the community, and in civic
life.
Know the histories of
important local and national
4.SS.CG.2 Explain how
fundamental rights guaranteed
by the United States Constitution
and the Bill of Rights (i.e.,
freedom of expression, freedom
of religion, the right to vote, and
the right to due process)
contribute to the continuation
and improvement of American
democracy.
4.SS.CG.3 Determine how
“fairness,” “equality,” and the
“common good” have influenced
change at the local and national
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
2011-2012
Rule."
landmarks, symbols, and
essential documents (the US
Constitution, Bill of Rights)
that create a sense of
community among citizens
and exemplify cherished
ideals (e.g., the U.S. flag, the
bald eagle, the Statue of
Liberty, the U.S.
Constitution, the Declaration
of Independence, the U.S.
Capitol).
d)
e)
Name and explain the basic
functions of the three
branches of government,
with an emphasis on local
government.
Evaluate what makes a good
rule or law.
levels of United States
government, particularly in New
Jersey history.
4.SS.CG.4 Explain how the United
States government is organized
and how the United States
Constitution defines and limits
the power of government.
4.SS.CG.5 Distinguish the roles
and responsibilities of the three
branches of the national
government.
4.SS.CG.6 Explain how national
and state governments share
power in the federal system of
government.
4.SS.CG.7 Describe the ways in
which New Jersey, the other
states, and sovereign American
Indian tribes contribute to the
making of our nation and
participate in the federal system
of government.
4.SS.CG.8 Explain how the United
States functions as a
representative democracy, and
describe the roles of elected
representatives (local
councilmen, mayor,
congressional representation,
senators, and the president) and
how they interact with citizens at
local, state, and national levels.
4.SS.CG.9 Compare and contrast
how government functions at the
community, county, state, and
national levels, the services
provided, and the impact of
policy decisions made at each
level.
4.SS.CG.10 Study the experiences
of immigrants to New Jersey and
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
US History:
America in
the World:
Geography,
People, and
the
Environment
K.SS.GPE.1 Students compare and
contrast the locations of people,
places, and environments and
describe their characteristics.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Determine the relative
locations of objects using
the terms near/far,
left/right, and behind/in
front.
Locate on maps and globes
Newark, New Jersey, the
United States, and the seven
continents.
Distinguish between land
and water on maps and
globes and locate general
areas referenced in historical
legends and stories.
Identify traffic symbols and
map symbols (e.g., those for
land, water, roads, cities).
Construct maps and models
of neighborhoods,
incorporating such
structures as police and fire
stations, airports, banks,
hospitals, supermarkets,
harbors, schools, homes,
places of worship, and
transportation lines.
Demonstrate familiarity with
the school's layout, environs,
and the jobs people do
there.
1.SS.GPE.1 Students compare and
contrast the absolute and relative
locations of places and people
and describe the physical and/ or
human characteristics of places.
2.SS.GPE.1 Students demonstrate
map skills by describing the
absolute and relative locations of
people, places, and
environments.
a)
a)
b)
Locate on maps and globes
their local community, New
Jersey, the United States,
the seven continents, and
the four oceans.
Compare the information
that can be derived from a
three-dimensional model to
the information that can be
derived from a picture of the
same location.
c)
Construct a simple map,
using cardinal directions and
map symbols.
d)
Describe how location,
weather, and physical
environment affect the way
people live, including the
effects on their food,
clothing, shelter,
transportation, and
recreation.
b)
c)
d)
Locate on a simple letternumber grid system the
specific locations and
geographic features in their
neighborhood or community
(e.g., map of the classroom,
the school).
Label from memory a simple
map of the North American
continent, including the
countries, oceans, Great
Lakes, major rivers, and
mountain ranges. Identify
the essential map elements:
title, legend, directional
indicator, scale, and date.
Locate on a map where their
ancestors live, telling when
the family moved to the
local community and how
and why they made the trip.
Compare and contrast basic
land use in urban, suburban,
and rural environments in
NJ.
2011-2012
3.SS.GPE.1 Students describe the
physical and human geography
and use maps, tables, graphs,
photographs, and charts to
organize information about
people, places, and environments
in a spatial context.
a)
b)
Identify geographical
features in their local region
(e.g., deserts, mountains,
valleys, hills, coastal areas,
oceans, lakes).
Trace the ways in which
people have used the
resources of the local region
and modified the physical
environment (e.g., a dam
constructed upstream
changed a river or coastline).
c)
Explain and use latitude and
longitude to find locations in
New Jersey and on Earth.
d)
Distinguish between the
North and South Poles, the
Equator and the Prime
Meridian, the tropics, and
the hemispheres, using
coordinates to plot
locations.
3.SS.GPE.2 Compare and contrast
information that can be found on
different types of maps, and
determine when the information
may be useful.
3.SS.GPE.3 Explain how and when
it is important to use digital
geographic tools, political maps,
and globes to measure distances
and to determine time zones and
locations using latitude and
describe the process by which
immigrants become United States
citizens.
4.SS.GPE.1 Use physical and
political maps to explain how the
location and spatial relationship
of places in New Jersey, the
United States, and other areas,
worldwide, have contributed to
cultural diffusion and economic
interdependence.
a)
Identify the state capital and
describe the various regions
of NJ, including how their
characteristics and physical
environment (e.g. water,
landforms, vegetation,
climate) affect human
activity.
b)
Identify the location of the
Atlantic Ocean, rivers,
valleys, and mountain
passes, and explain their
effects on the growth of
towns.
c)
Use maps, charts, and
pictures to describe how
communities in NJ vary in
land use, vegetation,
wildlife, climate, population
density, architecture,
services, and transportation.
4.SS.GPE.2 Describe how
landforms, climate and weather,
and availability of resources have
impacted where and how people
live and work in different regions
of New Jersey.
4.SS.GPE.3 Describe how human
interaction impacts the
environment in New Jersey and
the United States.
4.SS.GPE.4 Compare and contrast
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
2011-2012
longitude.
characteristics of regions in New
Jersey based on culture,
economics, politics, and physical
environment to understand the
concept of regionalism.
4.SS.GPE.5 Explain why some
locations in New Jersey and the
United States are more suited for
settlement than others.
4.SS.GPE.6 Identify New Jersey’s
natural resources and compare
ways people choose to use and
divide natural resources.
US History:
America in
the World:
Economics,
Innovation,
and
Technology
K.SS.EIT.1 Students match simple
descriptions of work that people
do and the names of related jobs
at the school, in the local
community, and from historical
accounts.
1.SS.EIT.1 Students understand
basic economic concepts and the
role of individual choice in a freemarket economy.
a)
K.SS.EIT.2 Students distinguish
between needs and wants and
goods and services.
b)
Understand the concept of
exchange and the use of
money to purchase goods
and services.
Identify the specialized work
that people do to
manufacture, transport, and
market goods and services
and the contributions of
those who work in the
home.
2.SS.EIT.1 Students understand
basic economic concepts and
their individual roles in the
economy and demonstrate basic
economic reasoning skills.
3.SS.EIT.1 Students demonstrate
basic economic reasoning skills
and an understanding of the
economy of the local region.
a)
a)
b)
Describe food production
and consumption long ago
and today, including the
roles of farmers, processors,
distributors, weather, and
land and water resources.
Understand the role and
interdependence of buyers
(consumers) and sellers
(producers) of goods and
services.

c)
Understand how limits on
resources affect production
and consumption (what to
produce and what to
Describe the ways in which
local producers have used
and are using natural
resources, human resources,
and capital resources to
produce goods and services
in the past and the present.
b)
Understand that some goods
are made locally, some
elsewhere in the United
States, and some abroad.
c)
Understand that individual
economic choices involve
trade-offs and the
evaluation of benefits and
costs, and apply opportunity
4.SS.GPE.7 Identify the major
cities in New Jersey, the United
States, and major world regions,
and explain how maps, globes,
and demographic tools can be
used to understand tangible and
intangible cultural differences.
4.SS.EIT.1 Explain why incentives
vary between and among
producers and consumers.
4.SS.EIT.2 Describe how supply
and demand influence price and
output of products.
4.SS.EIT.3 Explain the role of
specialization in the production
and exchange of goods and
services.
4.SS.EIT.4 Describe the role and
relationship among households,
businesses, laborers, and
governments within the
economic system.
4.SS.EIT.5 Explain how the
availability of private and public
goods and services is influenced
by the global market and
government; illustrate how
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
2011-2012
consume).
d)
Distinguish between needs
and wants and explain how
scarcity and choice influence
decisions made by
individuals, communities,
and nations.

cost to evaluate individuals’
decisions, including ones
made in their communities.
services are interrelated and are
affected by the global market and
events in the world community.
d)
Discuss the relationship of
students' "work" in school
and their personal human
capital.
4.SS.EIT.6 Compare and contrast
how access to and use of
resources affects people across
the world differently.
e)
Determine the qualities of
entrepreneurs in a
capitalistic society.
3.SS.EIT.2 Determine the role of
science and technology in the
transition from an agricultural
society to an industrial society,
and then to the information age.
3.SS.EIT.3 Explain how the
development of communications
systems has led to increased
collaboration and the spread of
ideas throughout the United
States and the world.

4.SS.EIT.7 Explain the role of
money, savings, debt, and
investment in individuals’ lives.
4.SS.EIT.8 Recognize the
importance of setting long-term
goals when making financial
decisions within the community.
4.SS.EIT.9 Evaluate the impact of
ideas, inventions, and other
contributions of prominent
figures who lived New Jersey.
4.SS.EIT.10 Compare different
regions of New Jersey to
determine the role that
geography, natural resources,
climate, transportation,
technology, and/or the labor
force have played in economic
opportunities.
4.SS.EIT.11 Describe how the
development of different
transportation systems impacted
the economies of New Jersey and
the United States.
4.SS.EIT.12 Explain how creativity
and innovation resulted in
scientific achievement and
inventions in many cultures
during different historical
periods.
US History:
America in
the World:
History,
K.SS.HCP.1 Students understand
that history relates to events,
people, and places of other
times.
1.SS.HCP.1 Students know and
understand the symbols, icons,
and traditions of the United
States that provide continuity and
2.SS.HCP.1 Explain the role of
historical symbols, monuments,
and holidays and how they affect
the American identity.
3.SS.HCP.1 Students describe the
American Indian nations in their
local region long ago and in the
4.SS.HCP.1 Determine the impact
of European colonization on
Native American populations,
including the Lenni Lenape of
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
Culture, and
Perspectives
a)
b)
c)
Identify the purposes of, and
the people and events
honored in, commemorative
holidays, including the
human struggles that were
the basis for the events (e.g.,
Thanksgiving, Independence
Day, Washington's and
Lincoln's Birthdays, Martin
Luther King Jr. Day,
Memorial Day, Labor Day,
Columbus Day, Veterans
Day).
Know the triumphs in
American legends and
historical accounts through
the stories of such people as
Pocahontas, George
Washington, Booker T.
Washington, Daniel Boone,
and Benjamin Franklin.
Understand how people
lived in earlier times and
how their lives would be
different today (e.g., getting
water from a well, growing
food, making clothing,
having fun, forming
organizations, living by rules
and laws).
a sense of community across
time.
a) Recite the Pledge of
Allegiance and sing songs
that express American ideals
(e.g., "America").
b) Understand the significance
of our national holidays and
the heroism and
achievements of the people
associated with them.
c) Identify American symbols,
landmarks, and essential 
documents, such as the flag,
bald eagle, Statue of Liberty,
U.S. Constitution, and
Declaration of
Independence, and know
the people and events
associated with them.
1.SS.HCP.2 Students compare and
contrast everyday life in different
times and places around the
world and recognize that some
aspects of people, places, and
things change over time while
others stay the same.
a)
b)
c)
Examine the structure of
schools and communities in
the past.
Study transportation
methods of earlier days.
Recognize similarities and
differences of earlier
generations in such areas as
work (inside and outside the
home), dress, manners,
stories, games, and festivals,
drawing from biographies,
oral histories, and folklore.
1.SS.HCP.3 Students describe the
human characteristics of familiar
places and the varied
backgrounds of American citizens
and residents in those places.
a) Recognize the ways in which
2.SS.HCP.2 Explain how an
individual’s beliefs, values, and
traditions may reflect more than
one culture.
2.SS.HCP.3 Explain how
experiences and events may be
interpreted differently by people
with different cultural or
individual perspectives.
2.SS.HCP.4 Describe how
stereotyping and prejudice can
lead to conflict, using examples
from the past and present.
2011-2012
recent past.
New Jersey.
a)
Describe national identities,
religious beliefs, customs,
and various folklore
traditions.
b)
Discuss the ways in which
physical geography,
including climate, influenced
how the local Indian nations
adapted to their natural
environment (e.g., how they
obtained food, clothing,
tools).
4.SS.HCP.2 Summarize reasons
why various groups, voluntarily
and involuntarily, immigrated to
New Jersey and America, and
describe the challenges they
encountered.
c)
d)
Describe the economy and
systems of government,
particularly those with tribal
constitutions, and their
relationship to federal and
state governments.
Discuss the interaction of
new settlers with the
already established Indians
of the region.
3.SS.HCP.2 Students draw from
historical and community
resources to organize the
sequence of local historical
events and describe how each
period of settlement left its mark
on the land.
a)
b)
Research the explorers who
visited here, the newcomers
who settled here, and the
people who continue to
come to the region,
including their cultural and
religious traditions and
contributions.
Describe the economies
established by settlers and
their influence on the
present-day economy, with
4.SS.HCP.3 Evaluate the impact of
voluntary and involuntary
immigration on America’s growth
as a nation, historically and
today.
4.SS.HCP.4 Explain how key
events led to the creation of the
United States and the state of
New Jersey.
4.SS.HCP.5 Relate key historical
documents (i.e., the Mayflower
Compact, the Declaration of
Independence, the United States
Constitution, and the Bill of
Rights) to present day
government and citizenship.
4.SS.HCP.6 Describe the civic
leadership qualities and historical
contributions of George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
and Benjamin Franklin toward the
development of the United States
government.
4.SS.HCP.7 Explain the role
Governor William Livingston
played in the development of
New Jersey government.
4.SS.HCP.8 Determine the
significance of New Jersey’s role
in the American Revolution.
Explain the impact of transAtlantic slavery on New Jersey,
the nation, and individuals.
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
b)
c)
they are all part of the same
community, sharing
principles, goals, and
traditions despite their
varied ancestry; the forms of
diversity in their school and
community; and the benefits
and challenges of a diverse
population.
Understand the ways in
which American Indians and
immigrants have helped
define Californian and
American culture.
Compare the beliefs,
customs, ceremonies,
traditions, and social
practices of the varied
cultures, drawing from
folklore.
2011-2012
emphasis on the importance
of private property and
entrepreneurship.
c)
Trace why their community
was established, how
individuals and families
contributed to its founding
and development, and how
the community has changed
over time, drawing on maps,
photographs, oral histories,
letters, newspapers, and
other primary sources.
4.SS.HCP.9 Describe how the
influence of Native American
groups, including the Lenni
Lenape culture, is manifested in
different regions of New Jersey.
4.SS.HCP.10 Determine how local
and state communities have
changed over time, and explain
the reasons for changes.
4.SS.HCP.11 Explain how folklore
and the actions of famous
historical and fictional characters
from New Jersey and other
regions of the United States
contributed to the American
national heritage.
4.SS.HCP.12 Describe how culture
is expressed through and
influenced by the behavior of
people.
4.SS.HCP.13 Trace how the
American identity evolved over
time.
4.SS.HCP.14 Explain how various
cultural groups have dealt with
the conflict between maintaining
traditional beliefs and practices
and adopting new beliefs and
practices.
4.SS.HCP.15 Describe why it is
important to understand the
perspectives of other cultures in
an interconnected world.
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
Active
Citizenship in
the 21st
Century

K.SS.AC.1 Students understand
that being a good citizen involves
acting in certain ways.
a)
Follow rules, such as sharing
and taking turns, and know
the consequences of
breaking them.
b)
Learn examples of honesty,
courage, determination,
individual responsibility, and
patriotism in American and
world history from stories
and folklore.
c)

Know beliefs and related
behaviors of characters in
stories from times past and
understand the
consequences of the
characters' actions.
K.SS.AC.2 Students understand
the importance of individual
action and character and explain
how heroes from long ago and
the recent past have made a
difference in others' lives (e.g.,
from biographies of Abraham
Lincoln, Louis Pasteur, Sitting
Bull, George Washington Carver,
Marie Curie, Albert Einstein,
Golda Meir, Jackie Robinson, Sally
Ride).
2011-2012
1.SS.AC.1 Students understand 
the importance of individual
action and character and explain
how heroes from long ago and
the recent past have made a
difference in others' lives (e.g.,
from biographies of Abraham
Lincoln, Louis Pasteur, Sitting
Bull, George Washington Carver,
Marie Curie, Albert Einstein,
Golda Meir, Jackie Robinson, Sally
Ride).
2.SS.AC.1 Students understand
the importance of individual
action and character and explain
how heroes from long ago and
the recent past have made a
difference in others' lives (e.g.,
from biographies of Abraham
Lincoln, Louis Pasteur, Sitting
Bull, George Washington Carver,
Marie Curie, Albert Einstein,
Golda Meir, Jackie Robinson, Sally
Ride).
o
2.SS.AC.2 Identify actions that are
unfair or discriminatory, such as
bullying, and propose solutions to
address such actions.
o
o
2.SS.AC.3 Contact local officials
and community members to
acquire information and/or
discuss local issues.
3.SS.AC.1 Describe the lives of
American heroes who took risks
to secure our freedoms (e.g.,
Anne Hutchinson, Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
Abraham Lincoln, Frederick
Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Martin
Luther King, Jr.).
3.SS.AC.2 Explain how the
fundamental rights of the
individual and the common good
of the country depend upon all
citizens exercising their civic
responsibilities at the community,
state, national, and global levels.
3.SS.AC.3 Plan and participate in
an advocacy project to inform
others about environmental
issues at the local or state level
and propose possible solutions.
3.SS.AC.4 Relate advances in
science and technology to
environmental concerns, and to
actions taken to address them.

o
o
4.SS.AC.1 Compare and contrast
responses of individuals and
groups, past and present, to
violations of fundamental rights.
4.SS.AC.2 Describe how the
actions of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., and other civil rights leaders
served as catalysts for social
change and inspired social
activism in subsequent
generations.
4.SS.AC.3 Explain the process of
creating change at the local,
state, or national level.
4.SS.AC.4 Communicate with
students from various countries
about common issues of public
concern and possible solutions.
4.SS.AC.5 Select a local economic
issue that impacts children and
develop a group action plan to
inform school and/or community
members about the issue.
4.SS.AC.6 Describe how the world
is divided into many nations that
have their own governments,
languages, customs, and laws.
4.SS.AC.7 Explain how and why it
is important that people from
diverse cultures collaborate to
find solutions to community,
state, national, and global
challenges.
4.SS.AC.8 Explore how national
and international leaders,
businesses, and global
organizations promote human
rights and provide aid to
individuals and nations in need.
Chronological

and Spatial
K.SS.CST.1 Students put events in
temporal order using a calendar,
o
1.SS.CST.1 Students differentiate
2.SS.CST.1 Trace the history of a
4.SS.CST.1 Sequence critical
events representative of various
SPARK Academy Elementary School Standards: Social Studies/Service Learning (SSSL)
Thinking
placing days, weeks, and months
in proper order.

between things that happened
long ago and things that
happened yesterday.
a)
Compare and contrast their
daily lives with those of their
parents, grandparents,
and/or guardians.
b)
Place important events in
their lives in the order in
which they occurred (e.g.,
on a time line or
storyboard).
family through the use of primary
and secondary sources, including
artifacts, photographs,
interviews, and documents
2011-2012
eras in New Jersey’s history.