Colorado Academic Standards Online

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Apply knowledge to set goals, make informed decisions and transfer to new contexts (Critical Thinking and Analysis).
2. Engage in novel approaches, directions, ideas, and/or perspectives while using the inquiry process to analyze primary and secondary sources (Critical Thinking and Analysis).
3. Collaborate with others to plan and evaluate complex solutions to global challenges within the Western Hemisphere using multiple disciplinary lenses such as ethnic, historical, and scientific (Global and Cultural Awareness).
4. Demonstrate task management attributes associated with producing high quality products. For example: (a) Work positively and ethically; (b) Manage time and projects effectively; (c) Multi-task, and; (d) Clearly communicate with others (Collaboration and Teamwork, Self-Management).
5. Apply and communicate solutions by formulating an action plan for real-world problems (Collaboration and Teamwork).
6. Revisit, reflect on, and revise inquiry questions based on analysis of geographic data (Critical Thinking and Analysis).

Inquiry Questions:

1. How can geographic tools be used to solve problems in the future?
2. Why does where we live influence how we live?
3. How do populations, physical features, distribution of natural resources, and perceptions of places and regions change over time?
4. How have geographic factors influenced human settlement, economic activity, and land acquisition?

Nature and Skills of Geography:

1. Geographic thinkers use geographic tools to develop spatial thinking and awareness skills.
2. Geographic thinkers evaluate patterns that connect people in the Western Hemisphere to the rest of the world.
3. Geographic thinkers explore how technology is used to solve geographic problems.
4. Geographic thinkers explore how technology is used to solve geographic problems.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Integrate visual information such as charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps, with other information in print and digital texts.
2. Explain and justify decisions and shared content using online maps, graphs, charts, data, and diagrams.
3. Manage the flow of information from a wide variety of sources.
4. Present arguments or information in a logical sequence with a clear claim, supportive evidence, and effective presence that builds credibility.
5. Generate questions to guide research, gather information from print and digital sources, determine biases and credibility of sources, cite sources accurately, and use evidence and reasoning to answer research questions.
6. Examine the presentation of facts and opinions in a text to evaluate its reliability.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Look for and find value in studying different perspectives expressed by others (Adaptability and Flexibility).
2. Plan and evaluate complex solutions to global challenges within the Western Hemisphere that are appropriate to their contexts using multiple disciplinary lenses such as ethnic, historical, and scientific (Global and Cultural Awareness).
3. Apply knowledge to set goals, make informed decisions and transfer to new contexts (Creativity and Innovation).

Inquiry Questions:

1. What are different ways to define regions in the Western Hemisphere based on human and physical systems?
2. What have been the positive and negative consequences of human interactions with the environment?
3. How has globalization changed the ways societies in the Western Hemisphere interact with people, places, and their environment?
4. How did contact between Western and Eastern societies affect and change the environment?

Nature and Skills of Geography:

1. Geographic thinkers analyze data and construct geographic tools to examine places and regions and the connections among them.
2. Geographic thinkers analyze the relationship between human and physical systems. For example: Conflict and cooperation over resource distribution and trade.
3. Geographic thinkers analyze data regarding physical and human systems to make informed choices, solve problems, and make predictions.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Analyze how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
2. Differentiate between facts and opinions in a text.
3. Demonstrate positive social and ethical behaviors when using technology and discuss consequences of inappropriate use.
4. Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand.
5. Analyze different texts (including experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia texts) to compare competing theories, points of view, and arguments in the discipline.