M/J World Geography, Advanced   (#2103025)

General Notes

M/J World Geography - The social studies curriculum for this course consists of the following content area strands: World History, Geography, and Economics. The primary content for this course pertains to the usage of geographic concepts, tools, and skills to draw conclusions about physical and human patterns. Content should include, but not be limited to understanding world political regions in terms of location, physical characteristics, population and culture, historical change, economic activity, and land use. Students will be exposed to the multiple dynamics of geography including economics and world history. Students will study methods of historical inquiry and primary and secondary historical documents.

Honors and Advanced Level Course Note: Advanced courses require a greater demand on students through increased academic rigor.  Academic rigor is obtained through the application, analysis, evaluation, and creation of complex ideas that are often abstract and multi-faceted.  Students are challenged to think and collaborate critically on the content they are learning. Honors level rigor will be achieved by increasing text complexity through text selection, focus on high-level qualitative measures, and complexity of task. Instruction will be structured to give students a deeper understanding of conceptual themes and organization within and across disciplines. Academic rigor is more than simply assigning to students a greater quantity of work.

Mathematics Benchmark Guidance - Social Studies instruction should include opportunities for students to interpret and create representations of historical events and concepts using mathematical tables, charts, and graphs.

Special Notes:

Additional content that may be contained in the NAEP Grade 8 Geography assessment includes:

• regional patterns of function
• geographic factors contributing to conflict and cooperation in a variety of settings

The NAEP frameworks for Geography may be accessed at http://www.nagb.org/content/nagb/assets/documents/publications/frameworks/gframework2010.pdf

Instructional Practices

Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students' content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any reason. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning:

1. Reading assignments from longer text passages as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.

2. Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.

3. Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.

4. Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.

5. Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).

Literacy Standards in Social Studies
Secondary social studies courses include reading standards for literacy in history/social studies 6-12, and writing standards for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects 6-12. This course also includes speaking and listening standards. For a complete list of standards required for this course click on the blue tile labeled course standards. You may also download the complete course including all required standards and notes sections using the export function located at the top of this page.

English Language Development ELD Standards Special Notes Section:
Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate information, ideas and concepts for academic success in the content area of Social Studies. For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success. The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL’s need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/ss.pdf