BELLE VERNON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

GENERAL SYLLABUS OUTLINE

**This syllabus is subject to change**

Course Name:

Social Studies

Grade:

4

1.)

Course Description:

Fourth grade social studies is a course designed to familiarize students with the study of different

regions of the United States.   The curriculum includes examining history, geography, economic,

humanities, and citizenship.  The class is constructivist and inquiry-based and international lessons

are integrated into the units for easy comparison.  Exploring your state is a special feature where

students can learn about their state through activity based class projects.  Students will be expected

to hypothesize, analyze, draw valid conclusions, and evaluate data.  They will also be expected to

read and write about social studies concepts.

2.)

Learning Standards:

5.1

Principles and Documents of Government

5.2

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

5.3

How Government Works

5.4

How International Relationships Function

6.1

Economic Systems

6.2

Markets and the Functions of Government

6.3

Scarcity and Choice

6.4

Economic Interdependence

6.5

Work and Earnings

7.1

Basic Geographic Literacy

7.2

The Physical Characteristics of Places and Regions

7.3

The Human Characteristics of Places and Regions

7.4

The Interactions Between People and Places

8.1

Historical Analysis and Skills Development

8.2

Pennsylvania History

8.3

United States History

8.4

Word History

3.)

Student Objectives:

5.1.3     Principles and Documents of Government

v

Describe what government is.

v

Explain the purposes of rules and laws and why they are important in the classroom,

school, community, state, and nation.

v

Define the principles and ideals shaping government.

v

Identify the document which created Pennsylvania.

v

Identify documents of United States government.

v

Explain the meaning of a preamble.

v

Describe the purpose of the United States Flag, The Pledge of Allegiance, and The

National Anthem.

v

Identify framers of documents of governments.

v

Explain why government is necessary in the classroom, school, community, state, and

nation and the basic purposes of government in Pennsylvania and the United States.

v

Explain the importance of respect for the property and the opinions of others.

v

Identify symbols and political holidays.

v

Identify ways courts resolve conflicts involving principles and ideals of government.

v

Identify portions of famous speeches and writings that reflect the basic principles and

ideals of government (e.g., "I have a dream," Reverend Martin Luther King; "One small

step for man" Neil Armstrong).

5.2.3     Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

v

Identify examples of rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

v

Identify personal rights and responsibilities.

v

Identify sources of conflict and disagreement and different ways conflicts can be resolved.

v

Identify the importance of political leadership and public service in the school, community,

state, and nation.

v

Describe ways citizens can influence the decisions and actions of government.

v

Explain the benefits of following rules and laws and the consequences of violating them.

v

Identify ways to participate in government and civic life.

5.3.3     How Government Works

v

Identify the elected representative bodies responsible for making local, Pennsylvania, and

United States laws.

v

Identify the role of the three branches of government.

v

Identify reasons for rules and laws in the school and community.

v

Identify services performed by the local, state, and national government.

v

Identify positions of authority at school and local, state, and national governments.

v

Explain what an election is.

v

Explain why being treated fairly is important.

v

Identify individual interests and explain ways to influence others.

v

Explain why taxes are necessary and identify who pays them.

v

Identify the role of the media in society.

v

Identify different ways people govern themselves.

5.4.3     How International Relationships Function

v

Identify how customs and traditions influence governments.

v

Recognize that the world is divided into various political units.

v

Identify ways in which countries interact with the United States.

v

Identify treaties and other agreements between or among nations.

v

Identify how nations work together to solve problems.

6.1.3     Economic Systems

v

Describe how individuals, families and communities with limited resources make choices.

v

Describe alternate methods of allocating goods and services and advantages and

disadvantages of each.

v

Identify local economic activities.

v

Identify examples of local businesses opening, closing, expanding, or contracting.

6.2.3     Markets and the Functions of Government

v

Define and identify goods, services, consumers, and producers.

v

Identify ways local businesses compete to get consumers.

v

Identify and compare means of payment.

v

Identify groups of competing producers in the local area.

v

Identify who supplies a product and who demands a product.

v

Define price and identify the prices of different items.

v

Define what a tax is and identify a tax paid by most families.

v

Identify government involvement in local economic activities.

v

Identify goods and services produced by the government (e.g., postal service, food

inspection).

v

Explain the relationship between taxation and government services.

v

Identify forms of advertising designed to influence personal choice.

v

Explain why most countries create their own form of money.

6.3.3     Scarcity and Choice

v

Define scarcity and identify limited resources.

v

Identify and define wants of different people.

v

Identify and define natural, human and capital resources.

v

Identify costs and benefits associated with an economic decision.

v

Explain what is given up when making a choice.

v

Explain how self-interest influences choice.

6.4.3     Economic Interdependence

v

Define specialization and the concept of division and labor.

v

Explain why people trade.

v

Explain why goods, services, and resources come from all over the nation and the world.

Identify local resources.

v

Define specialization and identify examples of interdependence.

v

Explain why some products are produced locally while others are not.

v

Identify local geographic patterns of economic activities.

6.5.3     Work and Earnings

v

Explain why people work to get goods and services

v

Identify different occupations.

v

Describe businesses that provide goods and businesses that provide services.

v

Define profit and loss.

v

Identify examples of assets.

v

Define entrepreneurship and identify entrepreneurs in the local community.

v

Define saving and explain why people save.

v

Explain how banks bring savers and borrowers together.

7.1.3     Basic Geographic Literacy

v

Identify geographic tools and their uses.

v

Identify and locate places and regions.

7.2.3     The Physical Characteristics of Places and Regions

v

Identify the physical characteristics of places and regions.

v

Identify the basic physical processes that affect the physical characteristics.

7.3.3     The Human Characteristics of Places and Regions

v

Identify the human characteristics of places and regions by their population characteristics.

v

Identify the human characteristics of places and regions by their cultural characteristics.

v

Identify the human characteristics of places and regions by their settlement

characteristics.

v

Identify the human characteristics of places and regions by their economic activities.

v

Identify the human characteristics of places and regions by their political activities.

7.4.3     The Interactions Between People and Places

v

Identify the impacts of physical systems on people.

v

Identify the impacts of people on physical systems.

8.1.3     Historical Analysis and Skills Development

v

Understand chronological thinking and distinguish between past, present and future time.

v

Develop an understanding of historical sources.

v

Understand fundamentals of historical interpretation.

v

Understand historical research.

8.2.3  Pennsylvania History

v

Understand the political and cultural contributions of individuals and groups to

Pennsylvania history.

v

Identify and describe primary documents, material artifacts, and historic sites important

in Pennsylvania history.

v

Identify and describe how continuity and change have influenced and Pennsylvania history.

v

Identify and describe conflict and cooperation among social groups and organizations in

Pennsylvania history.

8.3.3     United States History

v

Identify contributions of individuals and groups to United States history.

v

Identify and describe primary documents, material artifacts, and historic sites important

in United States history.

v

Identify important changes in United States history (e.g., Belief Systems and Religions,

v

Commerce and Industry, Innovations, Politics, Settlement Patterns and Expansion, Social

Organization, Transportation, Women's Movement).

v

Identify conflict and cooperation among social groups and organizations in United States

history.

8.4.3     World History

v

Identify individuals and groups who have made significant political and cultural contributions

to world history.

v

Identify historic sites and material artifacts important to world history.

v

Compare similarities and differences between earliest civilizations and life today (e.g.,

Africa, Egypt; Asia, Babylonia; Americas, Olmec; Europe, Neolithic settlements).

v

Identify how conflict and cooperation among social groups and organizations affected

world history.

4.)

Course Text:

v  Regions Near and Far, McMillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing Company, copyright 1993

5.)

Major Units or Themes:  (Include the following)

v     Studying Regions Basic Understanding

Learning about regions and understanding culture and climate

Latitude and Longitude basic fundamentals

Understanding about different resources

Develop citizenship and understanding of our national government

v     Studying the Northeast

Study the resources of the northeast

Understand the land and the climate

Study the history of the northeast--New England colonies & Valley Forge

Analyze the northeast today and life in the Middle Atlantic states

v     Studying the Southeast

Understand the land and the climate of the southeast

Develop an understanding of circle and line graphs

Analyze community helpers and building citizenship

Understanding the history of the southeast, plantation life, and the Civil War

Describing life in the southeast today--including jobs, life & regional occupations

v     Studying the Middle West

Understanding the geography of the Middle West, land, and climate

Develop an understanding of how to read different maps and scales

Describing life in the Middle West long ago; Abe Lincoln and the Plains Indians

Study the impact of pioneers on the plains

Identifying fact and opinion

Describing life in the Middle West today; including life in the Great Lakes states

Identifying and using a flow chart

v     Studying the Southwest

Understanding the geography of the Southwest; land and climate

Develop an understanding of how to read road maps

Describe history of the southwest, the Pueblo, the Spanish and describe a cattle drive

Study point of view citizenship point, counterpoint

Describing life in the southwest today, working in the southwest

Study an outline and how to use it in writing a report

Describe different desserts of the world

6.)

Teaching Methods:

v     Cooperative Learning

v     Lecture/Discussion

v     Demonstrations

v     Simulation

v     Role Play

v     Guided Practice

v     Facilitated Inquiry

7.)

Assessment:

The following areas represent ways in which the students will interface with the curriculum in this

subject area.  This is a listening of activities and types of assessment students may experience

throughout the year.

v     Tests & Quizzes

v     Daily Homework

v     Study guides

v     Notebook

v     Essay & Reports

v     Oral Presentations

v     Creative Writings

v     Student Projects

v     Map diagrams