Sample of Proposed Standards
Kindergarten:
Introduction to Social Studies
Strand: Famous Americans
Standard: The student will recognize people who contributed to U.S. history.
Benchmark: Students will know people associated with national holidays and figures from various cultural back-grounds, including, but not limited to, Christopher Columbus, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Pilgrims, Squanto, and George Washington.
Strand: Character Traits of Good Citizens
Standard: The student will understand the character traits
of being a good citizen.
Benchmark: Students will recognize, from literature
and real life examples, good citizen traits of honesty, courage, patriotism, and individual responsibility.
Grade 3: World History
(Early Civilizations, prehistory to 1000 B.C.)
Standard: The student will demonstrate knowledge
of ancient civilizations.
Benchmark: Students will compare and contrast characteristics of ancient cultures such as Persia, Egypt,
China, India with Greece.
Grade 5: Geography
Benchmark: Students will locate the areas that were
the major source regions for immigrants to the United States from 1800 to 1877. (Example: West Africa)
Grade 7: Government and Citizenship
Standard: The student will study the Declaration of Independence and understand its principles and civic importance.
Benchmark 1 of 8: Students will be able to explain the Founders’ declaration that the principles of the Declaration
are universal in character, for all people.
Benchmark 8 of 8: Students will recognize the significance
of the Founders’ four references to God in the Declaration
of Independence.
Grade 9 – 12: U.S. History
(Contemporary America, 1980-present)
Standard: The student will understand major developments
in foreign policy between the Nixon and Bush II presidencies.
Benchmark 1 of 2: Students will know the political and economic policies which led to the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, including the role of Ronald Reagan.
Benchmark 2 of 2: Students will know the key events
and policies in the war on terrorism during the early 2000’s.
