A Witty Saying Proves Nothing - Voltaire

Content Literacy

Content literacy is the acquisition and application of reading, writing and oral communication skills to construct knowledge.

• Read texts by using reading strategies (i.e., prior knowledge, identify key vocabulary words, context clues, main ideas, supporting details, and text features: pictures, maps, text boxes).
• Read for a specific purpose (i.e., detect cause & effect relationships, compare & contrast information, identify fact v. opinion, and author bias).
• Respond to historical texts and various types of social studies literature by inferring, drawing conclusions, making predictions, and formulating historic, geographic, economic, and civic questions.
• Process or synthesize information through writing using note taking, graphic organizers, summaries, proper sequencing of events, and/or formulating thesis statements that examine why as well as how.

Information, Media & Technology

Information, media, & technology literacy is the acquisition, organization, use, and evaluation of information that prepares students to be active, informed, and literate citizens.

• Formulate appropriate research questions.
• Conduct research by gathering, organizing, and evaluating the credibility and bias of information from a variety of online, print, and non-print sources.
• Process and effectively communicate and present information orally, in writing, and through development of web sites, multimedia presentations, and other forms of technology.
• Critically analyze messages in the media to detect propaganda, censorship, and bias.
• Create, interpret, analyze and detect bias in maps, graphs, charts, diagrams.
• Demonstrate and advocate for legal and ethical behaviors among peers, family, and community regarding the use of technology.
• Collaborate with peers, experts, and others to contribute to a content related knowledge base, e.g., use of blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate information.

Historical Analysis & Interpretation

To engage in historical analysis and interpretation students must draw upon their skills of historical comprehension by studying a rich variety of historical documents and artifacts that present alternative voices, accounts, and interpretations or perspectives on the past.

• Analyze patterns of historical continuity and change to demonstrate chronological thinking.
• Analyze and evaluate primary and secondary sources for historical perspectives.
• Differentiate between historical memory and historical fact.
• Apply social studies (content & skills) to real life situations.
• Extract significant ideas from social studies sources and frame historical questions.
• Use primary and secondary sources to analyze and interpret history.
• Compare multiple perspectives of historical events, using a variety of sources.
• Analyze and interpret primary sources to answer a historical question.

Civic Participation

Civic Participation includes the skills necessary to prepare students to be active, informed, and literate citizens.

• Demonstrate responsibility for the well-being of oneself, family, and the community.
• Discuss issues and events that have an impact on people at local, state, national, and global levels.
• Actively participate in civic and community life at local, state, national, and global levels.
• Seek information from varied sources and perspectives to develop informed opinions and creative solutions.
• Ask meaningful questions and analyze and evaluate information and ideas.
• Identify sources and perspectives that influence the formation of opinions and creative solutions.
• Use effective decision-making and problem-solving skills in public and private life.
• Collaborate effectively as a member of a group.