• Prompt: "Today, we looked at a primary source and a secondary source about ___ (e.g., early Colorado settlers). Write down one new fact you learned from each source, and explain which source gave you more details."

• Objective: To assess students' understanding of primary and secondary sources and their ability to compare them.

2. Influence of People from the Past (History)

• Prompt: "Name one person we learned about today who changed Colorado’s history. Describe one way they influenced the community or the state."

• Objective: To evaluate students' understanding of how individuals have influenced community development.

3. Understanding Regions and Community (Geography)

• Prompt: "Draw a quick sketch of a place we learned about today and write one sentence explaining why this place is important to the people who live there."

• Objective: To assess students' knowledge of geographic features and their importance to local communities.

4. Civic Participation and Decision-Making (Civics)

• Prompt: "Today, we talked about ways people can help their communities (like voting or volunteering). Write down one way you think people can make a difference in their community."

• Objective: To assess students' understanding of civic engagement and the importance of participating in their community.

5. Comparing Past and Present Communities (History)

• Prompt: "Write about one way life in Colorado is different now than it was 100 years ago. What do you think caused this change?"

• Objective: To gauge students’ ability to compare historical and modern life, and to consider causes of change over time.

6. Resource Use and Economic Choices (Economics)

• Prompt: "Think about something people need or want in our community (like food, water, or a park). Write down one choice people make to get that resource."

• Objective: To evaluate students' understanding of resources and the economic choices people make to obtain or provide them.

7. Mapping and Spatial Awareness (Geography)

• Prompt: "Draw a quick map of the community we talked about today. Label one important feature and explain why it matters to the people who live there."

• Objective: To assess students' spatial awareness and understanding of key community features.

8. Identifying Goods and Services (Economics)

• Prompt: "List one good and one service you learned about today. Why do you think each one is important for the community?"

• Objective: To measure students’ understanding of goods and services and their role in the local economy.

Duration: 4-5 weeks (August to October)

Prepared Graduates:

• 1. Apply the process of inquiry to examine and analyze how historical knowledge is viewed, constructed, and interpreted.

Grade Level Expectation:

1. Compare primary and secondary sources when explaining the past.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Compare primary sources with works of fiction about the same topic.

2. Use a variety of primary sources such as artifacts, pictures, oral histories, and documents, to help determine factual information about historical events.

3. Compare information from multiple sources recounting the same event.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration the different opinions people have about how to answer the questions.

2. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.

3. Use distinctions between fact and opinion to determine the credibility of multiple sources.

4. Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author.

5. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

6. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

7. Use evidence to develop claims in response to compelling questions.

8. Communicate information through the use of technologies.

Guided Questions:

• What is a primary source?

  • Can you find examples of primary sources, like photographs, diaries, or letters?

  • Why might this source be important for learning about the past?

• What is a secondary source?

  • Can you think of examples, like textbooks, articles, or documentaries?

  • How is a secondary source different from a primary source?

• How can we use primary sources to learn about what happened in the past?

  • What do these sources tell us directly about the people or events from that time?

  • How might this source help us feel connected to history?

• How do secondary sources help us understand history?

  • Why might we need information from people who studied the past but weren't there?

  • How can they help make sense of the primary sources?

• What are the benefits and limitations of each type of source?

  • What can primary sources show that secondary sources might not?

  • How might a secondary source add context or explanation that a primary source doesn't provide?

• Why is it important to compare different sources about the same event?

  • How might two sources give different views of the same event?

  • How can comparing them help us get a fuller picture of what really happened?

• How can we decide if a source is trustworthy?

  • What clues in a source (like the date, author, or language) can help us judge its reliability?

  • Why might some sources be more accurate or reliable than others?

Prepared Graduates:

• 3. Apply geographic representations and perspectives to analyze human movement, spatial patterns, systems, and the connections and relationships among them.

Grade Level Expectation:

1. Use geographic tools to develop spatial thinking skills.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Read and interpret information from geographic tools and formulate geographic questions.

2. Locate oceans and continents, major countries, bodies of water, mountains, urban areas, the state of Colorado, and neighboring states on maps.

3. Describe the natural and man-made features of a specific area on a map.

4. Identify geography-based problems and examine the ways that people have tried to solve them.

Guided Questions:

1. What are some geographic tools, and how can we use them?

   • What tools, like maps, globes, and compasses, do geographers use?

   • How can these tools help us learn about places around the world?

2. How do maps show us information about different places?

   • What are some important parts of a map, like the key, compass rose, and scale?

   • How can you tell where places are located on a map?

3. What is a compass rose, and why is it important?

   • How does a compass rose show directions?

   • Why do directions like north, south, east, and west help us understand maps?

4. What do symbols and keys on a map mean?

   • What information can you learn from looking at a map key?

   • How do symbols make it easier to read and understand a map?

5. How can we use a map to find specific locations or features?

   • How would you find a city, river, or mountain on a map?

   • What do you notice about how different features are shown on the map?

6. What are different types of maps, and what do they show us?

   • How does a physical map differ from a political map?

   • What types of information can you find on each type of map?

7. How can we use maps to describe where something is?

   • How do maps show distances between places?

   • How can maps help you describe where a place is in relation to another?

Prepared Graduates:

4. Examine the characteristics of places and regions, and the changing nature among geographic and human interactions.

Grade Level Expectation:

2. Define the concept of region through an examination of similarities and differences in places and communities.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

• Observe and describe the physical, cultural, and human-made characteristics of a local region. For example: The Eastern Plains, San Luis Valley, Pikes Peak, Northwest, Front Range, South Central, Southwest, and Western Slope.

• Identify the factors that make a region unique. For example: Cultural diversity, industry and agriculture, and landforms.

• Give examples of places that are similar and different from a local region.

• Characterize regions using different types of features such as physical, political, cultural, urban, and rural attributes.

Guided Questions:

• What is a region, and how can we describe it?

  • What does it mean for an area to be a “region”?

  • How can regions be defined by things like climate, landforms, or cultures?

• How are places within the same region similar?

  • What do places in a certain region have in common (e.g., weather, language, activities)?

  • Why do these similarities help us group places together?

• How can different regions have unique characteristics?

  • How is one region different from another?

  • What are some special features of different regions, like deserts, mountains, or forests?

• How do people adapt to living in different regions?

  • How might people’s homes, clothes, or activities be different in a cold region compared to a warm one?

  • Why do people in different regions sometimes have different ways of life?

• How do regions affect what people grow, eat, or make?

  • What types of crops, animals, or resources might you find in certain regions?

  • How might these resources impact what people in each region produce or consume?

• What role do culture and traditions play in defining a region?

  • What cultural traits, like holidays or festivals, are common in certain regions?

  • How do these cultural aspects help make each region unique?

• Why is it helpful to compare and contrast different regions?

  • How can comparing regions help us understand more about where we live?

  • Why might it be useful to understand the similarities and differences between our community and others?

Duration 3-4 weeks

Prepared Graduates:

• 6. Express an understanding of how civic participation affects policy by applying the rights and responsibilities of a citizen.

Grade Level Expectation:

1. Respect the views and rights of others.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Identify and apply the elements of civil discourse. For example: Listening with respect, speaking in a respectful manner, and restating an opposing viewpoint or opinion.

2. Identify important personal rights in a democratic society and how they relate to others’ rights.

3. Give examples of the relationship between rights and responsibilities.

4. Restate the view or opinion of others with their reasoning when it is different from one’s own.

1. How can we solve disagreements respectfully?

   • What are some ways to handle a disagreement without arguing or hurting someone’s feelings?

   • How can compromise help everyone feel respected?

2. What can we learn from listening to different viewpoints?

• How might listening to someone else’s experience or opinion help us understand them better?

• Why is it valuable to hear from people who have different ideas

9. How do respect and kindness help our community?

10. How does treating people with respect make our classroom or community a better place?

    • What can happen if people do not respect each other’s rights and views?

11. What does it mean to respect someone’s views?

    • How can we show respect when someone has a different opinion than ours?

    • Why is it important to listen to others, even if we disagree with them?

12. Why is it important to respect other people’s rights?

    • What are some examples of rights that everyone should have?

    • How would you feel if your rights were not respected?

Duration: 4-5 weeks (Mid-Sept. to October)

Prepared Graduates:

• 4. Examine the characteristics of places and regions, and the changing nature among geographic and human interactions.

Grade Level Expectation:

2. Define the concept of region through an examination of similarities and differences in places and communities.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Observe and describe the physical, cultural, and human-made characteristics of a local region. For example: The Eastern Plains, San Luis Valley, Pikes Peak, Northwest, Front Range, South Central, Southwest, and Western Slope.

2. Identify the factors that make a region unique. For example: Cultural diversity, industry and agriculture, and landforms.

3. Give examples of places that are similar and different from a local region.

4. Characterize regions using different types of features such as physical, political, cultural, urban, and rural attributes.

Disciplinary, Information, and Media Literacy:

1. Use information gained from illustrations such as maps and photographs, as well as the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text. For example: Where, when, why, and how key events occur.

2. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

3. Identify disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a compelling question that are open to different interpretations.

4. Find information using technology.

Guiding Questions:

• What is a region, and how can we describe it?

  • What does it mean for a group of places to form a region?

  • What are some ways we can group places into regions (e.g., by climate, landforms, culture)?

• What characteristics help define a region?

  • What features do places within the same region often share, like weather, landforms, or traditions?

  • How can we tell that places are part of different regions based on their unique characteristics?

  • How do people adapt to living in different regions?

    • How might people’s clothing, homes, or activities be different in a cold region compared to a warm one?

    • Why do people in different regions have different ways of life?

  • How do the resources available in a region affect the lives of people there?

    • What types of foods, plants, or animals might be more common in certain regions?

    • How might these resources influence the jobs people have or the products they make?

Prepared Graduates:

• 7. Analyze the origins, structures, and functions of governments to evaluate the impact on citizens and the global society.

Grade Level Expectation:

2. Describe the origins, structures, and functions of local government.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Explain the origins and structures of local government.

2. Explain the services local governments provide and how those services are funded.

3. Identify and explain a variety of roles leaders, citizens, and others play in local government.

   
   

Guiding Questions:

• What is local government, and why do we have it?

  • Why do communities need a local government?

  • What kinds of things does our local government help with in our community?

• Who are the people involved in local government, and what do they do?

  • Who are some leaders in our local government, like the mayor, city council members, or county commissioners?

  • What are the responsibilities of these leaders in helping our community?

• What is the difference between rules and laws, and why does local government create them?

  • How does the local government make rules or laws for our community?

  • How do these rules and laws help keep our community safe and fair for everyone?

• 5. Evaluate how scarce resources are allocated in societies through the analysis of individual choice, market interaction, and public policy.

Grade Level Expectation:

1. Explain how producers and consumers exchange goods and services in different ways.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Describe the difference between producers and consumers and explain how they need each other.

2. Describe and give examples of forms of exchange. For example: Monetary exchange and barter.

3. Describe how the exchange of goods and services between businesses and consumers affects all parties.

4. Recognize that different currencies exist and explain the functions of money. For example: Medium of exchange, store of value, and measure of value.

5. Cite evidence to show how trade benefits individuals, businesses, and communities, and increases interdependency.

Guiding Questions:

• Who are producers and consumers, and what do they do?

  • What is the difference between a producer and a consumer?

  • Can someone be both a producer and a consumer? How?

• What are goods and services, and how are they different?

  • What are examples of goods (like food, toys, clothes) and services (like haircuts, teaching, or plumbing)?

  • Why might someone choose to buy goods, and why might they pay for services?

• How do people exchange goods and services?

  • What are different ways people can get the goods or services they need, like buying, trading, or bartering?

  • Why do people usually use money to buy goods and services instead of trading?

• How do producers decide what to make or sell?

  • What might a producer think about before making a product or offering a service?

  • How does a producer know if people will want to buy what they’re selling?

• What choices do consumers have when they want to buy goods or services?

  • How might a consumer decide what to buy, based on things like price, quality, or need?

  • How does having choices help consumers find the best goods or services?

• Why is it important for communities to have both producers and consumers?

  • What happens if there aren’t enough producers to make goods and provide services?

  • Why is it important for people to buy things so that producers can keep offering their goods and services?

Prepared Graduates:

• 7. Analyze the origins, structures, and functions of governments to evaluate the impact on citizens and the global society.

Grade Level Expectation:

2. Describe the origins, structures, and functions of local government

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Describe how local government provides opportunities for people to exercise their rights and initiate change.

2. Discuss the role of elections in choosing specific candidates to represent the public interest in local government

Guided Questions:

• How can people participate in local government?

  • How can community members, including kids, share their ideas or concerns with the local government?

  • Why is it important for people in the community to be involved in local decisions?

• How does the local government help meet the needs of the community?

  • What services does the local government provide, like schools, parks, police, and fire departments?

  • How do these services help keep our community safe, healthy, and organized?

Graduate Expectations:

• 8. Apply economic reasoning skills to make informed personal financial decisions.

Grade Level Expectation:

1. Create a plan to meet a financial goal.

Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

1. Give examples of short-term spending and savings goals.

2. Identify activities that individuals can do to earn money to reach personal financial goals.

3. Differentiate the role of income and expenses when creating a budget.

4. Create a plan with specific steps to reach a short-term financial goal.

5. Model strategies to achieve a personal financial goal using arithmetic operations.

Guiding Questions:

• What is a financial goal, and why might we set one?

  • What kinds of things could you save money for, like a toy, a gift, or an activity?

  • Why is it helpful to set a goal when you want to buy something?

• How can we make a plan to reach a financial goal?

  • What steps can you take to reach your goal (e.g., saving money, earning money, spending less)?

  • How will you know if you’re making progress toward your goal?

• How long will it take to reach this financial goal?

  • How can you figure out how much money you need to save each week or month?

  • How does thinking about time help you plan your savings?

• What are some ways to save or earn money to reach a financial goal?

  • What are some ways you could earn extra money, like doing chores or selling crafts?

  • How can you make choices to spend less money on other things so you can save more?

• Why might it be hard to stick to a financial plan?

  • What might make it challenging to save money instead of spending it?

  • How can planning ahead or asking for help make it easier to stick to your plan?

• How will reaching a financial goal make you feel?

  • Why do you think it’s rewarding to save up for something special?

  • How does planning and working toward a goal help you be responsible with money?