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MICHIGAN
TEST OBJECTIVES
FIELD 684: SOCIAL STUDIES
History
Geography
Economics
Political Science and Government
Social Science Skills
HISTORY
Understand basic terms and concepts related to the study of history.
Includes defining basic historical terms and concepts (e.g., culture, nation-state, revolution); and
using historical terms to analyze historical developments and interpretations.
Understand major developments in world history through the sixteenth century.
Includes recognizing the main characteristics of and analyzing relations among ancient
civilizations of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas; and examining the institutions and values
of various cultures and religions and their influence on human society.
Understand major developments in world history from the seventeenth century to the present.
Includes relating important developments in the arts, religion, and philosophy to the history of a
given period; assessing the effects of the industrial revolution on the modern world; analyzing the
effects of nationalism on world history; and examining the causes and effects of major
international conflicts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Understand major developments in U.S. history to 1877.
Includes examining the exploration and settlement of North America from the perspectives of
various peoples; understanding the movement to create an independent nation; identifying and
analyzing the contributions of diverse groups to the development of U.S. society prior to 1877;
and analyzing the origins and consequences of the Civil War.
Understand major developments in U.S. history from 1877 to the present.
Includes evaluating the effects of industrialization and immigration on U.S. society; examining the
political and social reforms of the Progressive movement and the New Deal; assessing the effects
of major international and national conflicts on U.S. politics and society; and analyzing the main
causes and effects of the civil rights movement and other rights movements (e.g., women’s
movements, rights for persons with disabilities, peace movements, environmental movements).
Understand major developments in Michigan history.
Includes recognizing important characteristics of Native American groups that have inhabited and
continue to inhabit the region; examining the events leading to Michigan statehood; understanding
the development of cultural diversity in Michigan history; and analyzing social, economic, and
political factors that influenced the development of Michigan since achieving statehood.
Analyze the effects of scientific and technological developments on human society.
Includes identifying major scientific and technological innovations that have influenced the
development of human civilizations; analyzing the factors that have encouraged or discouraged
scientific discovery and technological innovation; and evaluating the effects of the agricultural,
scientific, industrial, and information revolutions on human society.
GEOGRAPHY
Understand basic concepts and terms related to the study of geography.
Includes recognizing the five fundamental themes of geography (e.g., place, location,
human/environment interaction, movement, region); understanding basic geographic terms and
concepts (e.g., resource, habitat, acculturation, and environment); and using these terms and
concepts to examine general geographic developments and specific geographic problems.
Recognize world locations and characteristics of various landmasses, regions, and places.
Includes recognizing the shapes and locations of major landmasses; examining the relationships
between major landmasses and various bodies of water; and recognizing the cultural and natural
features of various regions and places.
Understand major physical and cultural regions of the world.
Includes recognizing characteristic features of the major groups associated with particular regions;
understanding spatial relationships within and between regions; examining the economic,
environmental, and cultural factors that contribute to demographic change; and analyzing the
relationships between resource distribution, economic organization, and political authority.
Understand major physical and cultural regions of Michigan and the United States.
Includes examining the geological and climatic factors that have influenced the social and
economic development of Michigan and the United States; recognizing geographic relationships
within and between regions; and understanding changing patterns of land use and development.
Analyze the relationship between humans and their environment.
Includes analyzing the effects of resources and physical features (e.g., landforms, climate,
vegetation) on human culture; and examining the ways in which people adapt to, modify, or
depend upon their environment.
Understand major world patterns and processes.
Includes recognizing global environmental, political, cultural, and population patterns and the
processes that precipitate them; and examining the relationships between world patterns and
human and natural processes.
ECONOMICS
Understand basic concepts and terms related to the study of economics.
Includes demonstrating an understanding of basic economic concepts (e.g., scarcity, supply and
demand, interdependence, opportunity cost/tradeoffs); and analyzing general economic
phenomena and specific economic problems (e.g., inflation, recession, depression).
Analyze types and functions of economic systems.
Includes recognizing the main characteristics of command, market, mixed, and traditional models
of economic organization; and analyzing the strengths and limitations of these models.
Apply principles of consumer economics.
Includes analyzing factors that influence consumer choices and behaviors (e.g., advertising,
income, needs and wants); applying the principles of budgeting; recognizing the main
characteristics of different types of consumer credit and insurance; and understanding different
kinds of personal savings and investments.
Understand the U.S. economic system.
Includes recognizing the structures and functions of the Federal Reserve and the Stock Exchange;
examining the roles of labor and business in the U.S. economic system; understanding the factors
of production; and understanding the relationship between the U.S. and global economies (e.g.,
theory of comparative advantage, barriers to trade, interdependence).
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT
Understand basic concepts and terms related to the study of political science.
Includes using basic concepts of political science (e.g., power, natural rights, citizenship,
representation, voting rights) to examine the purpose, organization, and operation of governments;
and understanding the influence of various historical developments on the evolution of
government.
Understand various types of political systems and international relations.
Includes examining the main characteristics of various types of political systems (e.g., democracy,
autocracy, oligarchy); comparing the functions of the branches of government in contemporary
political systems; examining the operation of various regional political, economic, and military
alliances; and analyzing major events that have influenced U.S. foreign policy since World War II.
Understand the U.S. system of government.
Includes recognizing the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution; analyzing the structure of the
U.S. system of government; comparing the organization and operation of federal, state, and local
governments in the United States; and examining the roles of political parties and special interest
groups in the U.S. political system.
Understand the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.
Includes analyzing the role and function of law in a democracy; recognizing the rights and
liberties included in the U.S. Constitution and the Michigan Constitution; understanding the
responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society; and examining the historical development of
citizenship rights (e.g., landmark court cases, amendments to constitutions).
Understand the basic concepts of law.
Includes understanding the purposes and characteristics of the U.S. legal system and the various
types of courts; examining the procedures used in civil and criminal cases; understanding the
rights and responsibilities related to contracts; and analyzing the factors involved in due process of
law.
SOCIAL SCIENCE SKILLS
Apply research skills.
Includes demonstrating a familiarity with a variety of source materials (e.g., oral histories, diaries,
paintings, newspapers); recognizing the uses of basic reference tools; distinguishing between
primary and secondary sources; formulating hypotheses for social science research; and applying
techniques used for organizing social science research.
Evaluate social science information.
Includes analyzing cause-and-effect relationships; drawing inferences from a variety of sources;
evaluating the reliability of social science sources; comparing various interpretations of historical
developments and social science phenomena; identifying the assumptions and potential biases on
which the views expressed in a selection are based; and determining whether social science
generalizations are supported by verifiable evidence.
Interpret visual representations of social science information.
Includes deriving social science information from visual sources such as graphs, charts, tables,
paintings, and political cartoons; and using that information to analyze social science phenomena
and problems.
Apply map and globe skills.
Includes comparing and contrasting the main characteristics of maps and globes; locating regions,
landforms, and bodies of water on a map; interpreting map symbols; using the compass rose,
scale, and time zones to determine distances and times on a map; using latitude and longitude to
locate specific places on a map; and recognizing various types of maps and map projections.
Apply study skills.
Includes summarizing information from a written selection; demonstrating a familiarity with the
uses of the different parts of a book; using context clues to determine the meaning of a word or
phrase; identifying the main idea in a written selection; and recognizing appropriate procedures for
studying different types of information (e.g., skimming, outlining, uses of the computer, graphic
organizers, mapping).
Effective after September 1, 1995.