Colorado Academic Standards Online

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Articulate the most effective kinds of historical sources to access information needed for understanding historic events (Media Literacy).
2. Ask questions to develop further understanding of reliability of various kinds of historical sources (Critical Thinking and Analysis).

Inquiry Questions:

1. How do historical fact, opinion and fiction uniquely influence an individual's understanding of history?
2. How do historical thinkers determine the accuracy of history?
3. What types of questions do historical thinkers ask about the past?
4. Why do historical thinkers use multiple sources in studying history?

Nature and Skills of History:

1. Historical thinkers use primary sources to distinguish fact from fiction.
2. Historical thinkers distinguish fact from fiction when used to make informed decisions. For example: Consumers must critically analyze advertisements for facts, and nonfiction writers must verify historical accuracy.
3. Historical thinkers compare information provided by different historical sources about the past.
4. Historical thinkers infer the intended audience and purpose of a historical source from information within the source itself.
5. Historical thinkers use information about a historical source, including the author, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose to judge the extent to which the source is useful.
6. Historical thinkers make inferences about the intended audience and purpose of a primary source from information within the source itself.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration the different opinions people have about how to answer the questions.
2. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.
3. Use distinctions between fact and opinion to determine the credibility of multiple sources.
4. Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author.
5. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
6. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
7. Use evidence to develop claims in response to compelling questions.
8. Communicate information through the use of technologies.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Recognize how members of a community rely on each other and interact to influence the development of their communities (Civic Engagement).

Inquiry Questions:

1. How have people from the past from diverse groups, identities, and cultures lived together and interacted with each other?
2. What types of questions do people ask to learn about the past?
3. How has a region changed and yet remained the same over time?

Nature and Skills of History:

1. Historical thinkers ask questions to guide their research into the past.
2. Historical thinkers analyze the interaction, patterns, and contributions of various cultures and groups in the past.
3. Historical thinkers use context and information from the past to make connections and inform decisions in the present. For example: The development and traditions of various groups in a region affect the economic development, tourist industry, and cultural makeup of a community.
4. Historical thinkers construct explanations using reasoning, correct sequence, examples, and details with relevant information and data.
5. Historical thinkers explain probable causes and effects of events.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
2. Introduce a topic or text, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.
3. Provide reasons that support an opinion.
4. Provide a concluding statement or section.
5. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aid comprehension.
6. Develop a topic with facts, definitions, and details.
7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
8. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration the different opinions people have about how to answer the questions.
9. Communicate information through the use of technologies.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Articulate the most effective geographic tools to access information needed for developing spatial thinking (Critical Thinking and Analysis).

Inquiry Questions:

1. What questions do geographers ask?
2. How does the geography of where we live influence how we live?
3. How do physical features provide opportunities and challenges to regions?

Nature and Skills of Geography:

1. Geographic thinkers use and interpret information from geographic tools to investigate geographic questions.
2. Geographic thinkers use geographic tools to answer questions about places and locations such as where to locate a business or park and how to landscape a yard.
3. Geographic thinkers develop the skills to organize and make connections such as reading a map and understanding where you are, where you want to go, and how to get to the destination.
4. Geographic thinkers use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their environmental characteristics.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Use information gained from illustrations such as maps and photographs, as well as the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text. For example: Where, when, why, and how key events occur.
2. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration the different opinions people have about how to answer the questions.
3. Find information using technology.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Investigate a variety of places and communities and draw conclusions about regions (Critical Thinking and Analysis).

Inquiry Questions:

1. Are regions in the world more similar or different?
2. Why do people describe regions using human or physical characteristics?
3. What are the geographic characteristics of a region?
4. How do cultures lead to similarities and differences between regions?

Nature and Skills of Geography:

1. Geographic thinkers analyze connections among places.
2. Geographic thinkers compare and contrast characteristics of regions when making decisions and choices such as where to send children to school, what part of town to live in, what type of climate suits personal needs, and what region of a country to visit.
3. Geographic thinkers can explain how natural and human-made catastrophic events in one place affect people living in other places.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Use information gained from illustrations such as maps and photographs, as well as the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text. For example: Where, when, why, and how key events occur.
2. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
3. Identify disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a compelling question that are open to different interpretations.
4. Find information using technology.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Recognize how members of a community rely on each other through exchanging goods and services, considering personal exchange behaviors (Civic Engagement).
2. Identify and explain the perspectives of all parties participating in an exchange (Global and Cultural Awareness).

Inquiry Questions:

1. What would happen if consumers did not want what a producer made?
2. What would the world look like if there was no transportation that could move goods more than 50 miles?

Nature and Skills of Economics:

1. Economic thinkers analyze trade and the use of money.
2. Economic thinkers describe and study the importance of exchange in a community.
3. Economic thinkers understand that goods and services are exchanged in multiple ways and are a part of everyday life such as purchasing or trading items.
4. Economic thinkers realize that production, consumption, and the exchange of goods and services are interconnected in the world. For example: Vegetables from California are sold at Colorado markets, and an ice storm in Florida affects orange juice supplies for the world.
5. Economic thinkers can explain why people voluntarily exchange goods and services when both parties expect to gain as a result of the trade.
6. Economic thinkers understand why people specialize and trade, and how that leads to increased economic interdependence in the world economy.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
2. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
3. Begin to identify differing perspectives.
4. Explain the role of money in making exchange easier.
5. Identify examples of the variety of resources that are used to produce goods and services. For example: Human capital, physical capital, and natural resources.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Appropriately express one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and identify how they influence behavior (Self-Awareness).
2. Regulate reactions to differing perspectives (Adaptability and Flexibility).
3. Identify and explain a different perspective when exploring events or ideas (Global and Cultural Awareness).
4. State a position and reflect on possible objections to assumptions and implications of the position (Self-Advocacy and Initiative).

Inquiry Questions:

1. What are the essential elements of compromise that enable conflict to be transformed into agreement?
2. Why is personal advocacy important in a community with diverse views?
3. What would a community be like if individuals from various groups did not respect each other’s rights and views?
4. How can community members ensure that all voices and opinions, including those from African American, Latino, Asian American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ, and religious minorities groups, are heard?

Nature and Skills of Civics:

1. Civic-minded individuals take the opportunity to make positive changes in their community.
2. Civic-minded individuals recognize the value of respecting the rights and views of others.
3. Civic-minded individuals understand that a respect for the views of others helps to learn and understand various perspectives, thoughts, and cultures. For example: Environmentalists, industry, and government work together to solve issues around energy and other resources.
4. Civic-minded individuals understand that virtues, such as honesty, mutual respect, cooperation, and attentiveness to multiple perspectives, should be used when they interact with each other on public matters.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
2. Demonstrate positive social and ethical behaviors when using technology and discuss consequences of inappropriate use.
3. Use technology resources for problem solving, communication, and illustration of thoughts and ideas.
4. Provide opportunities to use technology to research multiple views on issues to better understand the evolution of rights. For example: Lawyers research court findings and individuals engage in civic discourse regarding issues of the day through the internet.
5. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.
6. Present a summary of arguments and explanations to others outside the classroom using print and oral technologies.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Connect knowledge from personal experiences in schools and communities to civic engagement (Civic Engagement).

Inquiry Questions:

1. How are local governments and citizens interdependent?
2. How do individuals get involved in their local government?
3. How do local governments and citizens help each other?
4. Why do people create governments?
5. How do people, places, and events help us understand the ideals of democratic government?
6. Why is it important to vote?

Nature and Skills of Civics:

1. Civic-minded individuals are involved in their local government.
2. Civic-minded individuals know how personal advocacy and involvement can lead to change in communities.
3. Civic-minded individuals have a knowledge of the origins, structures, and functions of local government which enables participation in the democratic process. For example: Groups and governments work together to create a safe environment in the community.
4. Civic-minded individuals understand the important institutions of their society and the principles that these institutions are intended to reflect.
5. Civic-minded individuals use a range of deliberative and democratic procedures to make decisions about and act on civic problems in their classrooms and schools.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
2. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.
3. Identify the main idea and sequence of events in a social studies context.
4. Present information orally and in writing.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Use a variety of strategies to achieve a financial goal, such as buying a new toy (Critical Thinking and Analysis).
2. Demonstrate flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness in taking on tasks and activities that will help reach a financial goal (Creativity and Innovation).
3. Set goals and develop strategies to remain focused on learning and reaching financial goals (Perseverance and Resilience).
4. Recognize how members of a community rely on each other, considering personal contributions as applicable, when creating and completing a plan to reach a financial goal (Collaboration and Teamwork).
5. Demonstrate an understanding of cause and effect related to personal decisions they make regarding reaching a financial goal (Critical Thinking and Analysis).
6. Articulate task requirements and identify deadlines when developing a plan to meet a financial goal (Self-Management).

Inquiry Questions:

1. What would happen if an individual spent all earnings on entertainment?
2. Why do individuals give away money?
3. Why is personal financial goal setting important?
4. How does an individual know when a good short-term goal is well-written?

Nature and Skills of Personal Financial Literacy:

1. Financially capable individuals create goals and work toward meeting them.
2. Financially capable individuals understand the cost and the accountability associated with borrowing.
3. Financially capable individuals understand that personal financial goal setting is a lifelong activity and short-term goal setting is essential to that process. For example: Saving for a fish aquarium or skateboard.
4. Financially capable individuals understand that an analysis of various options for borrowing and creating short- and long-term goals is a lifelong skill.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Compare the benefits and costs of individual choices.
2. Identify positive and negative incentives that influence the decisions people make.
3. Analyze different texts (including experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia texts) to compare competing theories, points of view, and arguments in the discipline.