State Curriculum - Social Studies

 
Grade 7
Standard 3.0 Geography: Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities and spatial connections throughout time.
A. Using Geographic Tools
1. Use geographic tools to locate places and describe the human and physical characteristics in the contemporary world
a. Use maps to compare geographic locations of places and regions
b. Use photographs and thematic maps to compare human and physical characteristics of places and regions
c. Analyze geographic issues and problems
B. Geographic Characteristics of Places and Regions
1. Analyze interrelationships among physical and human characteristics that shape the identity of places and regions around the world
a. Identify and describe physical characteristics that influenced human settlement
b. Explain how physical and human characteristics of a region such as vegetation, climate, minerals, population density and religion, affect its economic growth and the way people make a living
c. Analyze how regional characteristics and interests including economic development, climate, and the environmental impact government policies
d. Identify geographic factors that have influenced international relations and economic development in world regions, such as trade, infrastructure, and health issues
C. Movement of People, Goods and Ideas
1. Describe and analyze population growth, migration and settlement patterns in contemporary world regions
a. Identify reasons why people migrate, such as economic opportunity, climate, political reasons and government policies
b. Evaluate the consequences of migration and settlement in various regions of the world, such as employment, changes in population and cultural diversity/conflict
c. Explain how regional population patterns, trends, and projections affect the environment and influence government policies
D. Modifying and Adapting to the Environment
1. Analyze why and how people in contemporary world regions modify their natural environment and the impact of those modifications
a. Identify trade offs of using resources to pursue economic opportunities v. preserving the environment, such as water use, the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and strip mining
b. Evaluate the consequences of modifying the natural environment, such as desertification, air pollution, and climate change
c. Identify and explain land use issues that illustrate the conflict between economic growth, deforestation, mining, and burning fossil fuels
d. Explain how land use and environmental issues such as burning the rain forest and environmental preservation are addressed by government policy
 

 

MSDE has developed a toolkit for these standards which can be found online at: http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/social_studies/vsc_toolkit.html.

 

Date: 6/20/2006