Kentucky State Standards for Social Studies: Grade 7

KY.PS. Program of Studies 2006

SS-7-GC. Big Idea: Government and Civics - The study of government and civics equips students to understand the nature of government and the unique characteristics of American democracy, including its fundamental principles, structure, and the role of citizens. Understanding the historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary U.S. society and other parts of the world is essential for developing civic competence. An understanding of civic ideals and practices of citizenship is critical to full participation in society and is a central purpose of the social studies. (Academic Expectations 2.14, 2.15)

SS-7-GC-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that forms of government in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. had similarities and differences in their purposes and sources of power. 9
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-GC-U-1.

SS-7-GC-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the key ideals (e.g., citizenship, justice, equality, and rule of law) of a democratic form of government were practiced in some world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. 15
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-GC-U-2.

SS-7-GC-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that individual rights in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. varied under different forms of government. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-GC-U-3.

SS-7-CS. Big Idea: Cultures and Societies - Culture is the way of life shared by a group of people, including their ideas and traditions. Cultures reflect the values and beliefs of groups in different ways (e.g., art, music, literature, religion); however, there are universals (e.g., food, clothing, shelter, communication) connecting all cultures. Culture influences viewpoints, rules and institutions in a global society. Students should understand that people form cultural groups throughout the United States and the World, and that issues and challenges unite and divide them. (Academic Expectations 2.16, 2.17)

SS-7-CS-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that culture is a system of beliefs, knowledge, institutions, customs/traditions, languages and skills shared by a group of people. Through a society's culture, individuals learn the relationships, structures, patterns and processes to be members of the society. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-CS-U-1.

SS-7-CS-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that cultures develop social institutions (e.g., government, economy, education, religion, family) to structure society, influence behavior and respond to human needs. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-CS-U-2.

SS-7-CS-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that interactions among individuals and groups assume various forms (e.g., compromise, cooperation, conflict, competition) and are influenced by culture. 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-CS-U-3.

SS-7-CS-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that culture affects how people in a society behave in relation to groups and their environment. 3
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-CS-U-4.

SS-7-E. Big Idea: Economics - Economics includes the study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Students need to understand how their economic decisions affect them, others, the nation and the world. The purpose of economic education is to enable individuals to function effectively both in their own personal lives and as citizens and participants in an increasingly connected world economy. Students need to understand the benefits and costs of economic interaction and interdependence among people, societies, and governments. (Academic Expectations 2.18)

SS-7-E-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the basic economic problem confronting individuals, societies and governments in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. was scarcity: as a result of scarcity, economic choices and decisions had to be made. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-E-U-1.

SS-7-E-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the study of economics includes a variety of fundamental economic concepts (e.g., supply and demand, opportunity cost) that apply to individuals, societies and governments in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-E-U-2.

SS-7-E-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that individuals, groups and governments in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. made economic decisions about the use of resources in the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. 7
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-E-U-3.

SS-7-G. Big Idea: Geography - Geography includes the study of the five fundamental themes of location, place, regions, movement and human/environmental interaction. Students need geographic knowledge to analyze issues and problems to better understand how humans have interacted with their environment over time, how geography has impacted settlement and population, and how geographic factors influence climate, culture, the economy and world events. A geographic perspective also enables students to better understand the past and present and to prepare for the future. (Academic Expectations 2.19)

SS-7-G-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that the use of geographic tools (e.g., maps, globes, photographs, models, charts, graphs) and mental maps helps interpret information, analyze patterns and spatial data, and better understand geographic issues in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. 5
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-G-U-1.

SS-7-G-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that patterns emerge as humans move, settle, and interact on Earth's surface, and can be identified by examining the location of physical and human characteristics, how they are arranged, and why they are in particular locations. Economic, political, cultural and social processes interacted to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-G-U-2.

SS-7-G-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that regions help us to see Earth as an integrated system of places and features organized by such principles as landform types, political units, economic patterns and cultural groups.

SS-7-G-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that people depended on, adapted to, or modified the environment to meet basic needs. Human actions modified the physical environment and in turn, the physical environment limited or promoted human activities in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-G-U-4.

SS-7-HP. Big Idea: Historical Perspective - History is an account of events, people, ideas and their interaction over time that can be interpreted through multiple perspectives. In order for students to understand the present and plan for the future, they must understand the past. Studying history engages students in the lives, aspirations, struggles, accomplishments and failures of real people. Students need to think in an historical context in order to understand significant ideas, beliefs, themes, patterns and events, and how individuals and societies have changed over time in Kentucky, the United States and the World. (Academic Expectations 2.20)

SS-7-HP-U-1. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that history is an account of human activities that is interpretive in nature, and a variety of tools (e.g., primary and secondary sources, timelines, Internet, maps) are needed to analyze historical events in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. 22
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-HP-U-1.

SS-7-HP-U-2. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. can be examined in order to develop chronological understanding, recognize cause-effect relationships, and interpret historical events 4
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-HP-U-2.

SS-7-HP-U-3. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that geography and natural resources had a significant impact on world historical perspectives and events prior to 1500 A.D. 13
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-HP-U-3.

SS-7-HP-U-4. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that advances in science and technology had a significant impact on historical events in world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D. 2
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-HP-U-4.

SS-7-HP-U-5. Program of Studies: Understandings - Students will understand that each era (e.g., Beginnings to Human Society, Early Civilizations, Classical Civilizations, Major Civilizations, States and Empires, Medieval Europe and the Rise of Western Civilizations, and Exploration as it relates to world civilizations prior to 1500 A.D.) in the history of world civilizations had social, political, economic and/or cultural characteristics. 6
Suggested Titles for Kentucky Social Studies State Standard SS-7-HP-U-5.