Maryland State Standards for Social Studies: Grade 6

MD.1.0. Political Science: Students will understand the historical development and current status of the fundamental concepts and processes of authority, power, and influence, with particular emphasis on the democratic skills and attitudes necessary to become responsible citizens.

1.A. The foundations and function of government

1.A.1. Examine the necessity and purpose of government in early world history

1.A.1.a. Identify and compare forms of government and various distributions of power, such as those found in ancient civilizations, dynastic China, absolute and Constitutional monarchies 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.a.

1.A.1.b. Summarize the positions taken on government by political philosophers from early civilizations through the middle ages 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.1.b.

1.A.2. Analyze the historic events, documents, and practices in early world history that are the foundations of political systems

1.A.2.a. Examine and report on the roots of democratic principles in world history, such as Sumerian written law, Hammurabi's code, Greek city-states, Roman Republicanism, and the British Constitution (Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights) 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.a.

1.A.2.b. Examine the decline of feudalism and the emergence of monarchies 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.2.b.

1.A.3. Analyze the roles of institutions and governments in early world history regarding public policy and issues

1.A.3.a. Describe the conflict between the church and the state in the formation and implementation of policy 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.3.a.

1.A.3.b. Analyze perspectives regarding issues in a feudal society, such as the church leaders v. Lords of the manor, joining the Crusades, the growth of trade 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.A.3.b.

1.B. Individual and group participation in the political system

1.B.1. Analyze the methods used by individuals and groups to shape governmental policy and actions in early world history

1.B.1.a. Compare methods used in early world history to change governments, such as coups, elections and revolts 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.1.a.

1.B.1.b. Examine the role of citizens in Greek city-states and the Roman Republic/Empire 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.1.b.

1.B.1.c. Examine how religion shaped and influenced government policy 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.1.c.

1.B.2. Analyze the importance of civic participation as a citizen of early world history

1.B.2.a. Analyze the usefulness of various sources of information used to make political decisions 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.2.a.

1.B.2.b. Explain why common people did not have a voice in ancient civilizations 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.B.2.b.

1.C. Protecting rights and maintaining order

1.C.1. Analyze the individual rights and responsibilities in an ancient world civilization

1.C.1.a. Describe the importance of citizenship in ancient Rome and Greece 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.1.a.

1.C.1.b. Describe the significance of Hammurabi's Code and how it defined rights of citizens 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.1.b.

1.C.2. Evaluate how ancient governments around the world protected or failed to protect the rights of individuals and groups

1.C.2.a. Explain how the roman republic and the rule of the senate affected individuals and groups 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.2.a.

1.C.2.b. Compare power and authority of rulers in Ancient Egypt, India, Persia and China v. The protection of citizens in Greek city-states 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.2.b.

1.C.2.c. Examine the balance between providing for the common good of the manor v. The rights of the individual serfs 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 1.C.2.c.

MD.2.0. Peoples of the Nation and World: Students will understand the diversity and commonality, human interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland, the United States and the world through both a multicultural and historic perspective.

2.A. Elements of culture

2.A.1. Describe characteristics that historians use to organize people into cultures

2.A.1.a. Describe how location and environment influenced early world cultures 10
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.A.1.a.

2.A.1.b. Describe and compare elements of culture such as art, music, religion, government, social structure, education, values, beliefs and customs, from civilizations in early world history 20
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.A.1.b.

2.A.1.c. Describe the social, political, and religious character of societies in early world history 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.A.1.c.

2.B. Cultural diffusion

2.B.1. Explain how cultural diffusion influenced the development of cultures

2.B.1.a. Identify cultural groups within a region in early world history 13
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.1.a.

2.B.1.b. Describe factors that resulted in cultural diffusion, such as trade, conflict and migration 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.1.b.

2.B.1.c. Describe interactions that promoted or failed to promote relationships between groups, civilizations, empires, and nations 22
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.1.c.

2.B.2. Analyze how increased diversity in early world history resulted from immigration, settlement patterns and economic development

2.B.2.a. Examine the practices and beliefs of world religions and philosophies including monotheism and polytheism 11
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.2.a.

2.B.2.b. Describe the impact of various religions on a civilization, such as its effect on political, economic and social systems 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.B.2.b.

2.C. Conflict and compromise

2.C.1. Analyze factors that affected relationships in early world history

2.C.1.a. Examine the causes and effects of social, economic, and political conflict such as the Crusades 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.C.1.a.

2.C.1.b. Describe the impact of trade and migration on the exchange of ideas and beliefs 22
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 2.C.1.b.

MD.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.

3.A. Using geographic tools

3.A.1. Use geographic tools to locate places and describe the human and physical characteristics in early world history

3.A.1.a. Use maps to compare geographic locations of civilizations from world history to: Mesopotamia; Africa including Egypt, Nubia/Kush and sub-Saharan Africa; Indus River Valley; Northern China; Greeks and Romans; Mesoamerican, such as the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.A.1.a.

3.A.1.b. Use photographs and thematic maps, to identify and describe physical and human characteristics of early civilizations 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.A.1.b.

3.B. Geographic characteristics of places and regions

3.B.1. Examine how physical and human characteristics shape the identity of places and regions and influence the development of civilizations in world history

3.B.1.a. Identify and describe physical characteristics that influenced human settlement 33
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.B.1.a.

3.B.1.b. Explain how physical characteristics of a place influenced human activities, such as agriculture, transportation, art and architecture and economic activity in the ancient world 19
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.B.1.b.

3.B.1.c. Explain how human perceptions of and interactions with the environment changed over time in due to technologies, such as road building, dam construction, and agricultural improvements 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.B.1.c.

3.C. Movement of people, goods and ideas

3.C.1. Describe and analyze population growth, migration and settlement patterns in early world history

3.C.1.a. Identify reasons why people migrate, such as economic opportunity, climate, and political reasons 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.C.1.a.

3.C.1.b. Explain how the development of transportation and communication networks influenced the movement of people, goods and ideas from place to place, such as trade routes in Africa, Asia and Europe, and the spread of Islam 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.C.1.b.

3.C.1.c. Describe how economic systems and cultural diffusion help to shape patterns of human settlement and interaction 20
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.C.1.c.

3.D. Modifying and adapting to the environment

3.D.1. Analyze why and how people modify their natural environment and the impact of those modifications

3.D.1.a. Describe ways people modified their environment to meet their needs, such as cultivating lands, building roads, dams, and aqueducts 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.D.1.a.

3.D.1.b. Analyze how people in early world history perceived and reacted to environmental concerns, such as flooding, drought, and depletion of natural resources and evaluate the consequences of those actions 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 3.D.1.b.

MD.4.0. Economics: Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

4.A. Scarcity and economic decision-making

4.A.1. Explain that people made choices because resources relative to economic wants to goods and services in the context of early world history

4.A.1.a. Identify opportunity cost of economic decisions made by individuals and groups such as the decision to engage in trade 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.1.a.

4.A.2. Analyze how scarce economic resources were used to satisfy economic wants in early world history

4.A.2.a. Identify ways people have used resources to meet economic wants such as domesticating agriculture 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.2.a.

4.A.2.b. Describe how available resources affected specialization and trade 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.2.b.

4.A.3. Analyze how technological changes affected consumption and production in early world history

4.A.3.a. Give examples of how technology changed consumption and provided greater access to goods and services 10
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.3.a.

4.A.3.b. Examine why technology has changed production such as the development of the printing press 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.3.b.

4.A.4. Examine how specialization, interdependence and trade affected the production of goods and services in early world history

4.A.4.a. Analyze examples of regional specialization that resulted from economic resources, such as silk production, bronze casting and terraced farming 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.4.a.

4.A.4.b. Describe the effects of agricultural surplus and job specialization on the emergence of early towns and cities in various parts of the world 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.4.b.

4.A.4.c. Identify African and Eurasian trade routes to explain how surplus goods and regional specialization resulted in economic interdependence 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.A.4.c.

4.B. Economic systems and the role of government in the economy

4.B.1. Describe the types of economic systems in early world societies

4.B.1.a. Describe how various early world societies answer the basic question of what, how, and for whom to produce 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.1.a.

4.B.1.b. Describe examples of tradition in economies such as the economic roles of men and women in tribal societies 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.1.b.

4.B.1.c. Describe examples of command in economies, such as the feudal system 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.1.c.

4.B.2. Describe the transition from feudalism and the manor system to the development of early towns

4.B.2.a. Explain how the growth and management of towns, guilds, and the banking system were affected by technology and agriculture 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.2.a.

4.B.2.b. Analyze how the guild system addressed changes in the economy, such as dictating price and production 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.2.b.

4.B.3. Describe the importance of medium of exchange in early world history

4.B.3.a. Explain how societies used mediums of exchange to facilitate trade and help their economies grow 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 4.B.3.a.

MD.5.0. History: Students will examine significant ideas, beliefs, and themes; organize patterns and events; and analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time in Maryland, the United States and around the world.

5.A. Individuals and societies change over time

5.A.1. Analyze how the rise of the earliest communities led to the emergence of agricultural societies

5.A.1.a. Describe characteristics and innovations of hunting and gathering societies, such as nomadic lifestyles, inventors of tools, adaptation to animal migration and vegetation cycles and the shift from food gathering to food-producing activities 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.A.1.a.

5.A.1.b. Explain how and why towns and cities grew from early human settlements, including the need for security and government 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.A.1.b.

5.A.2. Examine the emergence, growth and decline of empires in the Americas

5.A.2.a. Describe and trace the development of political and social structures of the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.A.2.a.

5.B. Emergence, expansion and changes in nations and empires

5.B.1. Analyze how civilizations emerged in the river valley areas

5.B.1.a. Describe the characteristics of a civilization, such as social hierarchy, government, writing system, specialization in an area of trade and the establishment of cities 8
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.1.a.

5.B.1.b. Compare major cultural, political and economic achievements of river valley civilizations, such as the Tigris and Euphrates river valley, the Huang river valley, the Indus river valley and the Nile river valley including Egypt, Nubia and Kush 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.1.b.

5.B.2. Analyze the emergence and enduring influence of Aegean civilizations

5.B.2.a. Describe the major cultural achievements of the Greek civilization, such as art, science, political systems, and philosophy across time 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.2.a.

5.B.2.b. Explain the emergence, rise and decline of the Greek city-states 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.2.b.

5.B.3. Analyze the emergence, expansion and decline of the Roman Empire

5.B.3.a. Describe the major achievements of the Roman Era, such as legal, artistic, architectural, technological, and literary 3
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.3.a.

5.B.3.b. Explain the transition from roman republic to Roman Empire including the social structure, significance of citizenship and the development of political institutions 7
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.3.b.

5.B.3.c. Summarize the factors that led to the decline of the Roman Empire 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.3.c.

5.B.4. Compare the dynasties and empires in ancient China

5.B.4.a. Describe the causes and consequences of the unification of China under early imperial dynasties, such as the Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang 1
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.4.a.

5.B.4.b. Explain the major traditions, customs and beliefs of Confucianism and Taoism in the context of early Chinese imperial dynasties

5.B.4.c. Analyze China's cultural, political and economic influence on Japan, Korea, and countries in Southeast Asia 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.4.c.

5.B.5. Analyze the emergence, growth and decline of African empires

5.B.5.a. Describe the contributions of major African monarchies, cities, and trade networks, such as Ghana, Mali and Songhai 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.5.a.

5.B.5.b. Analyze the cultural and economic impact of African regional and worldwide trade routes 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.5.b.

5.B.5.c. Summarize the factors that led to the decline of the African empires 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.B.5.c.

5.C. Conflict between ideas and institutions

5.C.1. Analyze the effect of interactions between civilizations in early world history

5.C.1.a. Describe how interactions promoted or failed to promote development, such as the Fertile Crescent Empire, Greek city-states, and Latin Empires 10
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.1.a.

5.C.1.b. Analyze the causes of the rise and fall, expansion and contraction of political entities and nation-states 10
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.1.b.

5.C.2. Analyze the major traditions, customs, and beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism and their expansion throughout Asia

5.C.2.a. Describe the major traditions, customs and beliefs of Buddhism 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.2.a.

5.C.2.b. Explain the major traditions, customs and beliefs of Hinduism and its political and social impact on India 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.2.b.

5.C.3. Analyze the emergence and expansion of Islamic civilization

5.C.3.a. Analyze the major traditions, customs, and beliefs of Islam 9
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.3.a.

5.C.3.b. Describe causes and consequences of the expansion of Islam into other regions, such as southwest Asia, Southeast Asia, North Africa, Europe and India 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.3.b.

5.C.4. Analyze the changes in the European society during the middle ages

5.C.4.a. Analyze the major traditions, customs, and beliefs of Christianity 5
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.4.a.

5.C.4.b. Explain the origins and consequences of the Black Death during the 14th century, such as a population decrease, a decline in trade, the elimination of the social order and the decline of religious power 6
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.4.b.

5.C.4.c. Analyze the characteristics of the development and decline of feudalism and the emergence of monarchies 4
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.4.c.

5.C.4.d. Describe the causes, consequences and cultural diffusion that resulted from the Crusades, such as the increase in Mediterranean trade and the exchange of knowledge and ideas 2
Suggested Titles for Maryland Social Studies State Standard 5.C.4.d.