Colorado Academic Standards

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clear Content Area:Social Studies - 2022 // Grade Level:High School // Standard Category:1. History

Social Studies - 2022

High School, Standard1. History

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 1. Apply the process of inquiry to examine and analyze how historical knowledge is viewed, constructed, and interpreted.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Apply the historical method of inquiry to formulate compelling questions, evaluate primary and secondary sources, analyze and interpret data, and argue for an interpretation defended by textual evidence.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Formulate compelling and supporting questions after evaluating primary sources for point of view and historical context.
  2. Gather and analyze historical information to address questions from a range of primary and secondary sources containing a variety of perspectives. For example: Perspectives of historically underrepresented groups.
  3. Gather and analyze historical information from a range of qualitative and quantitative sources. For example: Demographic, economic, social, and political data.
  4. Construct and defend a historical argument that evaluates interpretations by analyzing, critiquing, and synthesizing evidence from a wide range of relevant historical sources.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information iconColorado Essential Skills:

  1. Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts, including multilingual (Interpersonal Communication).
  2. Interpret, analyze, and draw conclusions using historical sources (Critical Thinking and Analysis).
  3. Synthesize ideas in original and innovative ways (Creativity and Innovation).

More information iconInquiry Questions:

  1. How does the point of view of a historian affect how history is interpreted?
  2. Do historians come to agreement on the historical significance of events? If so, how?
  3. How does studying a variety of perspectives allow us to construct a more complete record of the past?
  4. Why are historical questions important?
  5. How do historical thinkers use primary and secondary sources to formulate historical arguments?
  6. How might historical inquiry be used to better understand and make decisions about contemporary issues?

More information iconNature and Skills of History:

  1. Historical thinkers use questions generated about multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources.
  2. Historical thinkers evaluate historical sources for audience, purpose, point of view, context, and authenticity.
  3. Historical thinkers use primary and secondary sources to evaluate and develop hypotheses and diverse interpretations of historical events and figures and patterns and trends.
  4. Historical thinkers evaluate the credibility of a source by examining how experts value the source.
  5. Historical thinkers use information and context to interpret, evaluate, and inform decisions or policies regarding such issues which societies find contentious or worthy of debate and discussion.
  6. Historical thinkers consider what perspectives or information is left out of an argument and why that might be important to know.
  7. Historical thinkers understand that societal values change over time; therefore, a period of time under study should not be judged using present day values.

More information iconDisciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

  1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of a text as a whole.
  2. Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
  3. Analyze in detail how a complex primary and/or secondary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
  4. Evaluate historians' differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
  5. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
  6. Individually and with others, students construct compelling questions, and explain points of agreement and disagreement about interpretations and applications of disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a compelling question.
  7. Explain how compelling questions contribute to an inquiry and how, through engaging source work, new compelling and supporting questions emerge.
  8. Interpret, analyze, and detect bias in historical sources.
  9. Write content-specific arguments in which they state a claim, provide evidence from texts and sources to support the claim, and organize the evidence in well-reasoned, meaningful ways.
  10. Integrate multimedia as effective tools for presenting and clarifying information.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 2. Analyze historical time periods and patterns of continuity and change, through multiple perspectives, within and among cultures and societies.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Analyze and evaluate key concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, complexity, unity and diversity, and significant ideas in the United States from Reconstruction to the present.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Analyze continuity and change over the course of United States history. Including but not limited to: The expansion and limitations of rights, the balance between liberty and security, shifts in internationalist and isolationist policies, debates over the role of government, and the impacts of expansionist policies.
  2. Investigate causes and effects of significant events throughout United States history. For example: World and national conflicts (e.g., Spanish American War, the continued conflict over Indigenous lands, and the Tulsa Massacre), urbanization and suburbanization (e.g., Great Migration and Levittown), economic cycles (e.g., The Great Depression and the 2008 Great Recession), and both popular and counterculture movements.
  3. Analyze the complexity of events throughout United States history. For example: The Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Double V Campaign, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Stonewall Riots); migration, immigration, and displacement (e.g., immigration and citizenship legislation, Japanese American incarceration, and debates over tribal sovereignty); landmark court cases (e.g., Keyes v. School District #1 Denver, Brown v. Board of Education, and Obergefell v. Hodges), and the war on terror (e.g., 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Middle Eastern discrimination, and the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism efforts).
  4. Examine and evaluate issues of unity and diversity from Reconstruction to present. For example: The systemic impact of racism and nativism (e.g., Jim Crow, affirmative action, and mass incarceration), the definition and role of patriotism, expansion and limitations of rights, and the role of religion.
  5. Investigate the historical development and impact of major scientific and technological innovations in the Industrial Age, the Space Age, and the Digital Age. For example: Scientific innovations by diverse individuals, creation of mass production/assembly line process, creation of the atomic bomb, NASA, and the introduction of mass media and the Internet.
  6. Evaluate the historical development and impact of political thought, theory, and actions. For example: Shifts in the platforms of political parties, expansion and limitations of suffrage, and the impact of various reform and socio-cultural movements.
  7. Analyze how opposing perspectives, compromise, and cooperation have shaped national unity and diversity. For example: The rights and contributions of diverse groups and individuals, including African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ individuals, women, immigrants, individuals with disabilities, and ethnic and religious minorities, and the role of organizations and government in advancing these rights (e.g., NAACP, American Indian Movement, and United Farm Workers).
  8. Analyze and evaluate ideas critical to the understanding of American history. Including but not limited to: populism, progressivism, isolationism, imperialism, capitalism, racism, extremism, nationalism, patriotism, anti-communism, environmentalism, liberalism, fundamentalism, and conservatism.
  9. Describe and analyze the historical development and impact of the arts and literature on the culture of the United States. Including but not limited to: the writings of the Muckrakers, political cartoons, Americana, the Harlem Renaissance, the Lost Generation, Jazz, Rock and Roll, protest songs and American literature.
  10. Examine and evaluate how the United States was involved in and responded to international events over the course of history. Including but not limited to: the World Wars, the Holocaust, the Nuremburg trials, Cold War policies, Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the genocides in Bosnia and Darfur.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information iconColorado Essential Skills:

  1. Make predictions and design data/information collection and analysis strategies to test historical hypotheses (Critical Thinking and Analysis, Data Literacy).
  2. Apply knowledge and skills to implement sophisticated, appropriate, and workable solutions to address complex national problems using interdisciplinary perspectives independently or with others (Global and Cultural Awareness, Creativity and Innovation).

More information iconInquiry Questions:

  1. How does society decide what is important in United States history?
  2. What ideas have united and divided the American people over time?
  3. How does the consideration of multiple perspectives enable us to better understand change over time?
  4. How have efforts to expand rights overcome barriers over the course of United States history?
  5. Why is it important to understand the positive contributions made by the United States of America in advancing human freedom and prosperity?
  6. How has the United States’ response to human rights abuses at home and abroad differed over time?
  7. Why is it important to understand the contribution of the United States to the defeat of fascism and totalitarianism in World War II and the contribution made to the rebuilding of Europe through the Marshall Plan?
  8. Why is it important to understand the contribution of the United States of America to the defense of democratic governments during the Cold War?

More information iconNature and Skills of History:

  1. Historical thinkers understand that the ability to negotiate the complex relationships among change, diversity, and unity throughout United States history, is an essential attribute for success in a more interconnected world.
  2. Historical thinkers understand that the ability to negotiate the complex interrelationship among political, social, and cultural institutions throughout United States history, is essential to participation in the economic life of a free society and our civic institutions.
  3. Historical thinkers analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.
  4. Historical thinkers analyze how historical events and spatial diffusion of ideas, technology, and cultural practices have influenced historical events.
  5. Historical thinkers analyze The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968, the natural rights and principles that the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King used to inform his leadership of The Civil Rights Movement, and the tactics and strategies of non-violence resistance he championed in response to the Jim Crow laws of that era.
  6. Historical thinkers understand the founding principles upon which Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech were founded, specifically, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

More information iconDisciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

  1. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
  2. Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
  3. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
  4. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
  5. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
  6. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
  7. Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using contemporary media to contribute to a content related knowledge base to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate information.
  8. Engage in civil discourse on historical topics using evidence as a basis for argument formation.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 2. Analyze historical time periods and patterns of continuity and change, through multiple perspectives, within and among cultures and societies.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Analyze and evaluate key concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, complexity, unity and diversity, and significant ideas throughout the world from the Renaissance to the present.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Evaluate continuity and change over the course of world history. For example: Social and political movements related to nationality, ethnicity, and gender; revolutions; the World Wars; the Cold War; independence movements/decolonization and 19th, 20th and 21st century genocides such as the Armenian Genocide; the Holocaust perpetrated by the fascist German Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party) and its collaborators; the Sand Creek Massacre, Cambodian Genocide; the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics murder of Ukrainian nationals; genocides conducted by the Communist Party of China (CPC) against its political opponents during the Totalization Period, Collectivization, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and Mao’s Famine; and the current genocide of the Uyghurs; as well as genocides that have taken place in Rwanda, Darfur and Bosnia.
  2. Investigate causes and effects of significant events from the Renaissance to the present. Including but not limited to: the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, the French, Russian, Chinese, and Latin American Revolutions, the World Wars, and the Arab Spring movement.
  3. Analyze the complexity of events from the Renaissance to the present. For example: Religious rifts (e.g., the Protestant Reformation, the Shiite/Sunni split in Islam), industrialization, imperialism (e.g., spheres of influence and colonialism), independence movements in Africa, the Americas, and Asia; globalization, the rise of nationalism, and domestic and international terrorism.
  4. Examine and evaluate issues of unity and diversity in world history from the Renaissance to the present. For example: Migration and immigration (e.g., rapid global population growth), colonialism and the resulting changes in political geography, anti-colonial and nationalist movements, imperialism, world conferences and international agreements (e.g., Berlin Conference, United Nations, and Bandung Conference), and human rights issues.
  5. Evaluate the historical development and impact of philosophical and political movements and belief systems. Including but not limited to: the Enlightenment, humanism, communism, socialism, and the development and expansion of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Taoism.
  6. Investigate the historical development and impact of major scientific and technological innovations. For example: The Industrial Age (e.g., the British factory system), the Space Age (e.g., Sputnik), and scientific advancements such as the printing press, vaccinations, nuclear power, and the Internet.
  7. Describe and analyze the historical development and impact of the arts and literature on the cultures of the world. For example: The Renaissance, Modernism, and the use of art and literature as a form of both social progress and resistance.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information iconColorado Essential Skills:

  1. Make predictions and design data/information collection and analysis strategies to test historical hypotheses (Critical Thinking and Analysis, Data Literacy).
  2. Apply knowledge and skills to implement sophisticated, appropriate, and workable solutions to address complex global problems using interdisciplinary perspectives independently or with others (Global and Cultural Awareness, Creativity and Innovation).

More information iconInquiry Questions:

  1. How have different cultures influenced world history?
  2. How do historians work from/with cultural assumptions to decide what is important in world history?
  3. What ideas transcend cultural, political, economic, and social differences in world history?
  4. How does cultural, political, economic, and social diversity affect perceptions of change over time?
  5. How are human rights violated and prosecuted in a world of different nations and cultures?
  6. What role has censorship, propaganda, and media control played in modern genocides and other acts of mass violence?
  7. How did Indigenous Peoples respond to and experience colonization?

More information iconNature and Skills of History:

  1. Historical thinkers understand that the ability to negotiate the complex relationships among change, diversity, and unity throughout world history is an essential attribute for success in a more interconnected world.
  2. Historical thinkers understand that the ability to analyze the significance of interactions among eras, ideas, individuals, and groups is an essential skill in an increasingly globalizing world.
  3. Historical thinkers analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.
  4. Historical thinkers analyze how historical events and spatial diffusion of ideas, technology, and cultural practices have influenced migration patterns and the distribution of human population.

More information iconDisciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

  1. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
  2. Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
  3. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
  4. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
  5. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
  6. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
  7. Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using contemporary media to contribute to a content related knowledge base to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate information.
  8. Engage in civil discourse on historical topics using evidence as a basis for argument formation.

Need Help? Submit questions or requests for assistance to bruno_j@cde.state.co.us