History/
Social Science

The standards for ninth-grade students cover history and geography from the late Middle Ages (1000 A.D.) to the present with emphasis on Western Europe. Geographic influences on history continue to be explored, but increasing attention is given to political boundaries that developed with the evolution of nation-states. Significant attention will be given to the ways in which scientific and technological revolutions created new economic conditions that in turn produced social and political changes. The people and events of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries will be emphasized for their strong connections to contemporary issues. The standards strike a balance between the broad themes of history and the probing of specific historic events, ideas, issues, persons, and documents. Using texts, maps, pictures, stories, diagrams, charts, and a variety of chronological, inquiry/research, and technological skills, students develop competence in chronological thinking, historical comprehension, and historical analysis.

9.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the state of the world about 1000 A.D. by summarizing

• the institution of feudalism in Europe and the rise of towns and commerce;
• the location and leadership of major Western European kingdoms;
• the location and culture of the Byzantine and Muslim empires;
• the location and culture of empires in India, China, Japan, sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America;
• the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe; and
• the conflict between Christian and Muslim cultures.

9.2 The student will analyze the patterns of social, economic, and political change and cultural achievement in the late Medieval period, including

• the emergence of nation-states (Spain, France, England, Russia) and distinctive political developments in each;
• conflicts among Eurasian powers including the Crusades, the Mongol conquests, and the expansion of the Ottoman Turks;
• patterns of crisis and recovery including the Black Death; and
• the preservation of Greek and Roman philosophy, medicine, and science.

9.3 The student will analyze the historical developments of the Renaissance, including

• economic foundations of the Renaissance, including European interaction with Muslims, increased trade, role of the Medicis, and new economic practices;
• the rise of Italian city-states;
• artistic, literary, and intellectual creativity, including Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare, as contrasted with the Medieval period;
• Machiavelli's theory of government as described in The Prince; and
• differences between the Italian and the Northern Renaissance.

9.4 The student will analyze the historical developments of the Reformation, including

• the effects of the theological, political, and economic differences that emerged during the Reformation, including the views and actions of Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry VIII and the divorce issue;
• the influence of religious conflicts on government actions, including the Edict of Nantes in France; and
• the evolution of laws that reflect religious beliefs, cultural values, traditions, and philosophies, including the beginnings of religious toleration and the spread of democracy.

9.5 The student will analyze the impact of European expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia (16th through 19th centuries), in terms of

• the roles of explorers/conquistadors;
• migration, settlement patterns, and cultural diffusion;
• the exchange of technology, ideas, and agricultural practices;
• the trade in slaves, tobacco, rum, furs, and gold;
• he introduction of new diseases;
• the influence of Christianity;
• economic and cultural transformations (e.g., plants like tobacco and corn became available in new places, arrival of the horse in the Americas, etc.);
• competition for resources and the rise of mercantilism;
• the commercial and maritime growth of European nations, including the emergence of money and banking, global economies, and market systems; and
• social classes in the colonized areas.

9.6 The student will compare Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, in terms of

• major leaders and events;
• sacred writings;
• traditions, customs, and beliefs;
• monotheistic versus polytheistic views;
• geographic distribution at different times;
• political, social, and economic influences of each; and
• long-standing religious conflicts and recent manifestations (e.g., Ireland, Middle East conflict, Bosnia, etc.).

9.7 The student will analyze the scientific, political, and economic changes of the 16th, 17th, and 18th

• centuries (Age of Absolutism, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Reason), in terms of
• the establishment of absolute monarchies by Louis XIV, Frederick the Great, and Peter the Great;
• the Glorious Revolution in England and the French Revolution;
• the ideas of significant people, including Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Jefferson;
• how the political ideas of the Enlightenment and the ideas of religion affected the founders of the United States;
• new scientific theories, including those of Newton, Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, and others (e.g., Harvey, Franklin);
• how technological changes brought about social, political, and cultural changes in Europe, Asia, and the Americas;
• the flowering of the arts, philosophy, and literature (e.g., Voltaire, Diderot, Delacroix, Bach, and Mozart); and
• the influence of religious beliefs on art, politics, science, and commerce.

9.8 The student will describe political developments in Europe in the 19th century, including t

• he Congress of Vienna;
• expansion of democracy in Europe, including the effects of urbanization, revolutions of 1848, and British reform laws;
• unification of Germany and the role of Bismarck; and
• unification of Italy and the role of Garibaldi.

9.9 The student will analyze and explain the effects of the Industrial Revolution, in terms of

• the rise of industrial economies and their link to imperialism and colonialism;
• how scientific and technological changes, including the inventions of Watt, Bessemer, and Whitney, brought about massive social and cultural change;
• the emergence of capitalism and free enterprise as a dominant economic pattern;
• responses to capitalism including utopianism, socialism, and communism;
• how the status of women and children reflected changes in society;
• the evolution of work and labor, including the slave trade, mining and manufacturing, and the union movement;
• applying economic reasoning and cost-benefit analysis to societal issues; and
• the transformation of Asia and Africa by expanding European commercial power.

9.10 The student will analyze major historical events of the 20th century, in terms of

• causes and effects of World War I and World War II;
• the Russian Revolution;
• the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and Japan;
• the political, social, and economic impact of worldwide depression in the 1930's;
• the Nazi Holocaust and other examples of genocide;
• new technologies, including atomic power, and their influence on the patterns of conflict;
• economic and military power shifts since 1945, including the rise of Germany and Japan as economic powers;
• revolutionary movements in Asia and their leaders, including Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh;
• how African and Asian countries achieved independence from European colonial rule, including India under Gandhi and Kenya under Kenyatta and how they have fared under self-rule;
• regional and political conflicts including Korea and Vietnam; and
• the beginning and end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

9.11 The student will demonstrate skills in historical research and geographical analysis by

• identifying, analyzing, and interpreting primary and secondary sources and artifacts;
• validating sources as to their authenticity, authority, credibility, and possible bias;
• comparing trends in global population distribution since the 10th century;
• constructing various time lines of key events, periods, and personalities since the 10th century;
• identifying and analyzing major shifts in national political boundaries in Europe since 1815; and
• identifying the distribution of major religious cultures in the contemporary world.

The focus of this course is the study of the world's people, places, and environments with historical emphasis on Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. The knowledge, skills, and perspectives of the course are centered on the world's population and cultural characteristics, its countries and regions, land forms and climates, natural resources and natural hazards, economic and political systems, and migration and settlement patterns. Spatial concepts of geography will be linked to chronological concepts of history to set a framework for studying human interactions. The course will emphasize how people in various cultures influence and are influenced by their physical and ecological environments. Using texts, maps, globes, graphs, pictures, stories, diagrams, charts, and a variety of geographic, inquiry/research, and technology skills, students consider the relationships between people and places while asking and answering geographic questions.

10.1 The student will use maps, globes, photographs, and pictures to analyze the physical and human landscapes of the world in order to

• recognize the different map projections and explain the concept of distortion;
• show how maps reflect particular historical and political perspectives;
• apply the concepts of scale, orientation, latitude and longitude;
• create and compare political, physical, and thematic maps of countries and regions; and
• identify regional climatic patterns and weather phenomena and relate them to events in the contemporary world.

10.2 The student will analyze how selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth's surface, in terms of

• how humans influence and are influenced by the environment; and
• how people's ideas and relationship to the environment change over time, particularly in response to new technologies.

10.3 The student will explain how

• geographic regions change over time;
• characteristics of regions have led to regional labels;
• regional landscapes reflect the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants as well as historical events; and
• technological advances have led to increasing interaction among regions.

10.4 The student will analyze how certain cultural characteristics can link or divide regions, in terms of language, ethnic heritage, religion, political philosophy, social and economic systems, and shared history.

10.5 The student will compare and contrast the distribution, growth rates, and characteristics of human population, in terms of settlement patterns and the location of natural and capital resources.

10.6 The student will analyze past and present trends in human migration and cultural interaction as they are influenced by social, economic, political, and environmental factors.

10.7 The student will locate and identify by name the major countries in each region and the world's major rivers, mountain ranges, and surrounding bodies of water.

10.8 The student will identify natural hazards, describe their characteristics, explain their impact on human and physical systems, and assess efforts to manage their consequences in developed and less developed regions.

10.9 The student will identify natural, human, and capital resources, describe their distribution, and explain their significance, in terms of location of contemporary and selected historical economic and land-use regions.

10.10 The student will analyze the patterns of urban development, in terms of site and situation, the function of towns and cities, and problems related to human mobility, social structure, and the environment.

10.11 The student will analyze the regional development of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, in terms of physical, economic, and cultural characteristics and historical evolution from 1000 A.D. to the present.

10.12 The student will analyze the patterns and networks of economic interdependence, with emphasis on formation of multi national economic unions, international trade, and the theory of competitive advantage, in terms of job specialization, competition for resources, and access to labor, technology, transportation, and communications.

10.13 The student will distinguish between developed and developing countries and relate the level of economic development to the quality of life.

10.14 The student will analyze the forces of conflict and cooperation as they influence

• the way in which the world is divided among independent countries and dependencies;
• disputes over borders, resources, and settlement areas;
• the historic and future ability of nations to survive and prosper; and
• the role of multinational organizations.

10.15 The student will apply geography to interpret the past, understand the present, and plan for the future by

• using a variety of maps, charts, and documents to explain historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of empires, and the growth of economic systems; and
• relating current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.

The standards for eleventh-grade students cover the historical development of American ideas and institutions from the Age of Exploration to the present. While focusing on political and economic history, the standards provide students with a basic knowledge of American culture through a chronological survey of major issues, movements, people, and events in United States and Virginia history.

11.1 The student will analyze and explain the contacts between American Indians and European settlers during the Age of Discovery, in terms of

• economic and cultural characteristics of the groups;
• motives and strategies of the explorers and settlers;
• impact of European settlement on the American Indians; and
• legacies of contact, cooperation, and conflict from that period.

11.2 The student will compare the colonization of Virginia with that of other American colonies, in terms of

• motivations of ethnic, religious, and other immigrants and their influences on the settlement of colonies;
• economic activity;
• political developments; and
• social customs, the arts, and religious beliefs.

11.3 The student will analyze and explain events and ideas of the Revolutionary Period, with emphasis on

• changes in British policies that provoked the American colonists;
• the debate within America concerning separation from Britain;
• the Declaration of Independence and "Common Sense;"
• individuals, including Virginians, who provided leadership in the Revolution; and
• key battles, military turning points, and key strategic decisions.

11.4 The student will analyze the events and ideas of the Constitutional Era, with emphasis on

• new constitutions in Virginia and other states, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and the Articles of Confederation;
• issues and policies affecting relations among existing and future states, including the Northwest Ordinance;
• the Constitutional Convention, including the leadership of James Madison and George Washington;
• the struggle for ratification of the Constitution, including the Federalist Papers and the arguments of the Anti-Federalists; and
• the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

11.5 The student will analyze and explain events of the Early National Period, with emphasis on

• organization of the national government under the new Constitution;
• major domestic and foreign affairs issues facing the first presidents and Congress;
• the development of political parties;
• the impact of Supreme Court decisions affecting interpretation of the Constitution, including Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland;
• foreign relations and conflicts, including the War of 1812 and the Monroe Doctrine;
• the Louisiana Purchase and the acquisition of Florida; and
• economic development, trade, tariffs, taxation, and trends in the national debt.

11.6 The student will analyze the causes and effects of major events of the Civil War and Reconstruction, including

• slavery;
• States' Rights Doctrine;
• tariffs and trade;
• settlement of the West;
• secession;
• military advantages of the Union and the Confederacy;
• threat of foreign intervention;
• economic and political impact of the war;
• roles played by individual leaders; and
• impact of Reconstruction policies on the South.

11.7 The student will analyze the impact of immigration on American life, in terms of

• contributions of immigrant groups and individuals; and
• ethnic conflict and discrimination.

11.8 The student will summarize causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution, with emphasis on

• new inventions and industrial production methods;
• new technologies in transportation and communication;
• incentives for capitalism and free enterprise;
• the impact of immigration on the labor supply and the movement to organize workers;
• government policies affecting trade, monopolies, taxation, and money supply;
• expansion of international markets; and
• the impact of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration on American society.

11.9 The student will analyze and explain the importance of World War I, in terms of

• the end of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of new states in the Middle East;
• the declining role of Great Britain and the expanding role of the United States in world affairs;
• political, social, and economic change in Europe and the United States; and
• causes of World War II.

11.10 The student will analyze and explain the Great Depression, with emphasis on

• causes and effects of changes in business cycles;
• weaknesses in key sectors of the economy in the late 1920's;
• United States government economic policies in the late 1920's;
• causes and effects of the Stock Market Crash;
• the impact of the Depression on the American people;
• the impact of New Deal economic policies; and
• the impact of the expanded role of government in the economy since the 1930's.

11.11 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the origins and effects of World War II, with emphasis on

• the rise and aggression of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan;
• the role of the Soviet Union;
• appeasement, isolationism, and the war debates in Europe and the United States prior to the outbreak of war;
• the impact of mobilization for war, at home and abroad;
• major battles, military turning points, and key strategic decisions;
• the Holocaust and its impact; and
• the reshaping of the United States' role in world affairs after the war.

11.12 The student will analyze and explain United States foreign policy since World War II, with emphasis on

• the origins and both foreign and domestic consequences of the Cold War;
• communist containment policies in Europe, Latin America, and Asia;
• the strategic and economic factors in Middle East policy;
• relations with South Africa and other African nations;
• the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War; and
• new challenges to America's leadership role in the world.

11.13 The student will evaluate federal civil rights and voting rights developments since the 1950's, in terms of

• the Brown v. Board of Education decision and its impact on education;
• civil rights demonstrations and related activity leading to desegregation of public accommodations, transportation, housing, and employment;
• reapportionment cases and voting rights legislation and their impact on political participation and representation; and
• affirmative action.

11.14 The student will demonstrate an understanding of domestic policy issues in contemporary American society by

• comparing conservative and liberal economic strategies;
• explaining current patterns of Supreme Court decisions and evaluating their impact; and
• comparing the positions of the political parties and interest groups on major issues.

11.15 The student will explain relationships between geography and the historical development of the United States by using maps, pictures, and computer databases to

• locate and explain the location and expansion of the original colonies;
• trace the advance of the frontier and the territorial expansion of the United States and explain how it was influenced by the physical environment;
• locate new states as they were added to the Union;
• understand the settlement patterns, migration routes, and cultural influence of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups;
• compare patterns of agricultural and industrial development in different regions as they relate to natural resources, markets, and trade; and
• analyze the political, social, and economic implications of demographic changes in the nation over time.

11.16 The student will interpret the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and documents in United States history, including "The Letter from Birmingham Jail," "Speak softly and carry a big stick...," "The Gettysburg Address," and "The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom."

11.17 The student will develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to

• analyze documents, records, and data (such as artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, journals, newspapers, historical accounts, etc.);
• evaluate the authenticity, authority, and credibility of sources;
• formulate historical questions and defend findings based on inquiry and interpretation;
• develop perspectives of time and place, including the construction of various time lines of events, periods, and personalities in American history; and
• communicate findings orally, in brief analytical essays, and in a comprehensive paper.

11.18 The student will develop skills in discussion, debate, and persuasive writing with respect to enduring issues and determine how divergent viewpoints have been addressed and reconciled. Such issues include

• civil disobedience vs. the rule of law;
• slavery and its impact;
• the relationship of government to the individual in economic planning and social programs;
• freedom of the press vs. the right to a fair trial;
• the tension between majority rule and minority rights;
• problems of intolerance toward racial, ethnic, and religious groups in American society; and
• the evolution of rights, freedoms, and protections through political and social movements.

The standards for the study of United States and Virginia government will ensure that graduates of Virginia's public schools understand the origins and workings of the American and Virginia political systems. The standards require that students have knowledge of the United States and Virginia Constitutions; the structure and operation of United States and Virginia governments; the process of policy-making, with emphasis on economics, foreign affairs, and civil rights issues; and the impact of the general public, political parties, interest groups, and the media on policy decisions. United States political and economic systems are compared to those of other nations, with emphasis on the relationships between economic and political freedoms. Economic content covers the United States market system, supply and demand, and the role of the government in the economy.

12.1 The student will compare the United States constitutional system in 1789 with forms of democracy that developed in ancient Greece and Rome, in England, and in the American colonies and states in the 18th century.

12.2 The student will identify examples of fundamental American political principles contained in the Virginia Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, and will compare them to principles of government and law developed by leading European political thinkers such as Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Blackstone.

12.3 The student will analyze the amendments to the United States Constitution in terms of the conflicts they addressed and the reasons for their adoption.

12.4 The student will summarize landmark Supreme Court interpretations of the United States Constitution and its amendments, with emphasis on basic freedoms, due process, equal protection of the law, and government powers, and will analyze the historical trends and contemporary patterns of United States Supreme Court decisions.

12.5 The student will identify and explain fundamental concepts of democracy, with emphasis placed on equality of all citizens under the law, the fundamental worth and dignity of the individual, majority rule and minority rights, the necessity of compromise, individual freedom, and the rule of law.

12.6 The student will analyze in writing, discussion, and debate current issues confronting local, state, and national governments in terms of perennial challenges to democracies, including conflicts between

• majority rule and minority rights;
• individual rights and the public interest;
• levels of taxation and the expectation of public services; and
• state and national authority in a federal system.

12.7 The student will analyze and compare national and state governments, with emphasis on

• the structures, functions, and authority of each;
• the principles of federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances;
• the extent to which power is shared rather than divided or separated; and
• procedures for constitutional amendment.

12.8 The student will explain how United States and Virginia legislative, executive, and judicial institutions make public policy, in terms of

• legislation, regulations, executive orders, and judicial review;
• constitutional requirements and institutional procedures; and
• specific policies related to foreign affairs, civil rights, and economics and the budget.

12.9 The student will identify and distinguish among the units of local governments in Virginia, including counties, cities, towns, and regional authorities and will analyze a local public issue.

12.10 The student will explain and give current examples of how political parties, interest groups, the media, and individuals influence the policy agenda and decision making of government institutions.

12.11 The student will describe campaigns for national, state, and local elective office, including

• the nominating process;
• campaign funding and spending;
• the influence of media coverage, campaign advertising, and public opinion polls;
• demographic causes and political effects of reapportionment and redistricting;
• voter turnout and the constituencies of the major political parties; and
• the Electoral College.

12.12 The student will explain the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of citizenship in the United States and Virginia.

12.13 The student will develop the skills needed for informed participation in public affairs by

• analyzing public issues;
• evaluating candidates for public office;
• evaluating the performance of public officials; and
• communicating with public officials.

12.14 The student will compare the United States political and economic systems with those of major democratic and authoritarian nations, in terms of

• the structures and powers of political institutions;
• the rights and powers of the governed including grass roots citizen movements;
• economic goals and institutions and the role of government in the economy;
• the relationships between economic freedom and political freedom; and
• the allocation of resources and its impact on productivity.

12.15 The student will analyze the United States market economy, in terms of

• labor, capital, and natural resources;
• the interaction of supply and demand in markets;
• the role of private ownership, private enterprise, and profits;
• the relationships of households, firms, and government;
• labor/management relationships; and
• relationships to the global economy.

12.16 The student will analyze government's role in the United States economy, with emphasis on

• monetary and fiscal policies;
• interstate commerce and international trade policies;
• providing favorable conditions for markets;
• providing public goods and services;
• protecting the environment; and
• promoting economic grow.

12.17 The student will evaluate the effect of monetary and fiscal policies on personal economic well-being including employment opportunities, purchasing power, credit and interest rates, and opportunities for investment and savings.

12.18 The student will define common economic terms, including productivity, recession, depression, the business cycle, and inflation, and explain and interpret indicators of economic performance, including gross domestic product, consumer price index, unemployment rate, balance of trade, and stock market averages.