| (a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 6, students study people, places, and
societies of the contemporary world. Societies for study are from
the following regions of the world: Europe, Russia and the Eurasian
republics, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South
America, Southwest Asia-North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia,
East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific realm. Students
describe the influence of individuals and groups on historical and
contemporary events in those societies and identify the locations
and geographic characteristics of various societies. Students identify
different ways of organizing economic and governmental systems. The
concepts of limited and unlimited government are introduced, and students
describe the nature of citizenship in various societies. Students
compare institutions common to all societies such as government, education,
and religious institutions. Students explain how the level of technology
affects the development of the various societies and identify different
points of view about events. The concept of frame of reference is
introduced as an influence on an individual's point of view.
(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge
and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source
material such as biographies, autobiographies, novels, speeches, letters,
poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Motivating resources are
available from museums, art galleries, and historical sites.
(3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and
skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional
purposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand in subsection
(b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all
essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth
of understanding of complex content material can be attained when
integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and
critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements that contain
the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while
those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative
examples.
(4) Students identify the role of the U.S. free enterprise
system within the parameters of this course and understand that this
system may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.
(5) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade
12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics;
government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society;
and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade
level or course, enables students to understand the importance of
patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate
the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced
in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(h).
(6) Students understand that a constitutional republic
is a representative form of government whose representatives derive
their authority from the consent of the governed, serve for an established
tenure, and are sworn to uphold the constitution.
(7) State and federal laws mandate a variety of celebrations
and observances, including Celebrate Freedom Week.
(A) Each social studies class shall include, during
Celebrate Freedom Week as provided under the TEC, §29.907, or
during another full school week as determined by the board of trustees
of a school district, appropriate instruction concerning the intent,
meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the
U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical
contexts. The study of the Declaration of Independence must include
the study of the relationship of the ideas expressed in that document
to subsequent American history, including the relationship of its
ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nation of immigrants,
the American Revolution, the formulation of the U.S. Constitution,
and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation
and the women's suffrage movement.
(B) Each school district shall require that, during
Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of instruction prescribed under
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12 study
and recite the following text from the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That
to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."
(8) Students discuss how and whether the actions of
U.S. citizens and the local, state, and federal governments have achieved
the ideals espoused in the founding documents.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) History. The student understands that historical
events influence contemporary events. The student is expected to:
(A) trace characteristics of various contemporary societies
in regions that resulted from historical events or factors such as
colonization, immigration, and trade; and
(B) analyze the historical background of various contemporary
societies to evaluate relationships between past conflicts and current
conditions.
(2) History. The student understands the influences
of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical
and contemporary societies. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the historical influence
of individuals or groups on various contemporary societies; and
(B) describe the social, political, economic, and cultural
contributions of individuals and groups from various societies, past
and present.
(3) Geography. The student understands the factors
that influence the locations and characteristics of locations of various
contemporary societies on maps and/or globes. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify and explain the geographic factors responsible
for patterns of population in places and regions;
(B) explain ways in which human migration influences
the character of places and regions;
(C) identify and locate major physical and human geographic
features such as landforms, water bodies, and urban centers of various
places and regions; and
(D) identify the location of major world countries
for each of the world regions.
(4) Geography. The student understands how geographic
factors influence the economic development and political relationships
of societies. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the geographic factors responsible for
the location of economic activities in places and regions; and
(B) identify geographic factors such as location, physical
features, transportation corridors and barriers, and distribution
of natural resources that influence a society's political relationships.
(5) Geography. The student understands the impact of
interactions between people and the physical environment on the development
and conditions of places and regions. The student is expected to:
(A) describe ways people have been impacted by physical
processes such as earthquakes and climate;
(B) identify and analyze ways people have adapted to
the physical environment in various places and regions; and
(C) identify and analyze ways people have modified
the physical environment such as mining, irrigation, and transportation
infrastructure.
(6) Economics. The student understands the factors
of production in a society's economy. The student is expected to:
(A) describe ways in which the factors of production
(natural resources, labor, capital, and entrepreneurs) influence the
economies of various contemporary societies;
(B) identify problems that may arise when one or more
of the factors of production is in relatively short supply; and
(C) explain the impact of the distribution of resources
on international trade and economic interdependence among and within
societies.
(7) Economics. The student understands the various
ways in which people organize economic systems. The student is expected
to:
(A) compare ways in which various societies organize
the production and distribution of goods and services;
(B) compare and contrast free enterprise, socialist,
and communist economies in various contemporary societies, including
the benefits of the U.S. free enterprise system; and
(C) understand the importance of ethics in maintaining
a functional free enterprise system.
(8) Economics. The student understands categories of
economic activities and the data used to measure a society's economic
level. The student is expected to:
(A) define and give examples of agricultural, retail,
manufacturing (goods), and service industries; and
(B) describe levels of economic development of various
societies using indicators such as life expectancy, gross domestic
product (GDP), GDP per capita, and literacy.
(9) Government. The student understands the concepts
of limited and unlimited governments. The student is expected to:
(A) describe and compare examples of limited and unlimited
governments such as constitutional (limited) and totalitarian (unlimited);
(B) identify reasons for limiting the power of government;
and
(C) identify and describe examples of human rights
abuses by limited or unlimited governments such as the oppression
of religious, ethnic, and political groups.
(10) Government. The student understands various ways
in which people organize governments. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and give examples of governments with
rule by one, few, or many;
(B) compare ways in which various societies such as
China, Germany, India, and Russia organize government and how they
function; and
(C) identify historical origins of democratic forms
of government such as Ancient Greece.
(11) Citizenship. The student understands that the
nature of citizenship varies among societies. The student is expected
to:
(A) describe and compare roles and responsibilities
of citizens in various contemporary societies, including the United
States; and
(B) explain how opportunities for citizens to participate
in and influence the political process vary among various contemporary
societies.
(12) Citizenship. The student understands the relationship
among individual rights, responsibilities, duties, and freedoms in
societies with representative governments. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify and explain the duty of civic participation
in societies with representative governments; and
(B) explain relationships among rights, responsibilities,
and duties in societies with representative governments.
(13) Culture. The student understands the similarities
and differences within and among cultures in various world societies.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe common traits that define
cultures and culture regions;
(B) define a multicultural society;
(C) analyze the experiences and contributions of diverse
groups to multicultural societies; and
(D) identify and explain examples of conflict and cooperation
between and among cultures.
(14) Culture. The student understands that all societies
have basic institutions in common even though the characteristics
of these institutions may differ. The student is expected to:
(A) identify institutions basic to all societies, including
government, economic, educational, and religious institutions;
(B) compare characteristics of institutions in various
contemporary societies; and
(C) analyze the efforts and activities institutions
use to sustain themselves over time.
(15) Culture. The student understands relationships
that exist among world cultures. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe means of cultural diffusion
such as trade, travel, and war;
(B) identify and describe factors that influence cultural
change such as improvements in communication, transportation, and
economic development;
(C) analyze the impact of improved communication technology
among cultures; and
(D) identify the impact of cultural diffusion on individuals
and world societies.
(16) Culture. The student understands the relationship
that exists between the arts and the societies in which they are produced.
The student is expected to:
(A) explain the relationships that exist between societies
and their architecture, art, music, and literature;
(B) describe ways in which contemporary issues influence
creative expressions; and
(C) identify examples of art, music, and literature
that convey universal themes such as religion, justice, and the passage
of time.
(17) Culture. The student understands the relationships
among religion, philosophy, and culture. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the relationship among religious ideas,
philosophical ideas, and cultures; and
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