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Course Standards
General Course Information and Notes
General Notes
Introduction to the Social Sciences - The grade 9-12 Introduction to the Social Sciences course consists of the following content area strands: American History, World History, Geography, Humanities, Economics, and Civics and Government. The primary content emphasis for this course pertains to the study of the scope, focus and methodology of the social sciences through an overview of its various disciplines. Content should include, but is not limited to essential concepts in the fields of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology and sociology, inquiry methodologies, measurement techniques, interdisciplinary strategies, leading contributors in the major fields of social science, and development of effective logic and reasoning skills.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.
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:
- Reading assignments from longer text passages as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
- Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
- Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
- Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
- Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).
General Information
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Travel around the state of Alabama to learn about three events during the Civil Rights era: the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the 16th Street Church bombing, and the March to Selma with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about President Franklin D. Roosevelt's use of the radio to communicate New Deal policies that are still relevant with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Did you know our military personnel faced segregation and discrimination while serving our country? Learn about presidential powers, the use of executive orders by our presidents, and how Executive Order 9981 ended segregation in the U.S. armed forces with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about public policy solutions and how public opinion, the media, and interest groups all influence decision-making about public issues with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the Republican and Democratic political parties in the United States, including their origins, modern versions, and impact on public policy in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
This is Part Two of a two-part series. Learn to identify faulty reasoning in this interactive tutorial series. You'll learn what some experts say about year-round schools, what research has been conducted about their effectiveness, and how arguments can be made for and against year-round education. Then, you'll read a speech in favor of year-round schools and identify faulty reasoning within the argument, specifically the use of hasty generalizations.
Make sure to complete Part One before Part Two! Click HERE to launch Part One.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify faulty reasoning in this two-part interactive English Language Arts tutorial. You'll learn what some experts say about year-round schools, what research has been conducted about their effectiveness, and how arguments can be made for and against year-round education. Then, you'll read a speech in favor of year-round schools and identify faulty reasoning within the argument, specifically the use of hasty generalizations.
Make sure to complete both parts of this series! Click HERE to open Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address in this interactive tutorial. You will examine Kennedy's argument, main claim, smaller claims, reasons, and evidence.
In Part Four, you'll use what you've learned throughout this series to evaluate Kennedy's overall argument.
Make sure to complete the previous parts of this series before beginning Part 4.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address in this interactive tutorial. You will examine Kennedy's argument, main claim, smaller claims, reasons, and evidence. By the end of this four-part series, you should be able to evaluate his overall argument.
In Part Three, you will read more of Kennedy's speech and identify a smaller claim in this section of his speech. You will also evaluate this smaller claim's relevancy to the main claim and evaluate Kennedy's reasons and evidence.
Make sure to complete all four parts of this series!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
This is Part Two of a two-part tutorial series. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying a speaker's purpose using a speech by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. You will examine her use of rhetorical appeals, including ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos. Finally, you'll evaluate the effectiveness of Earhart's use of rhetorical appeals.
Be sure to complete Part One first. Click here to launch PART ONE.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
This is Part One of a two-part tutorial series. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying a speaker's purpose using a speech by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. You will examine her use of rhetorical appeals, including ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos. Finally, you'll evaluate the effectiveness of Earhart's use of rhetorical appeals.
Click here to launch PART TWO.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois and their rivalry of ideas in this interactive tutorial. Both men were African-American leaders during the "nadir" of race relations, but they had very different visions.
This is part 2 in a two-part series. CLICK HERE to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, you'll analyze dozens of World War II propaganda posters in order to understand how Americans on the home front experienced the war years. The U.S. government commissioned propaganda to convince Americans to support the war in a variety of ways. You'll learn how these posters reveal U.S. domestic policy during the 1940s, as well as how the government tried to expand the involvement of different groups of Americans, including women and minorities, during WWII.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Practice writing different aspects of an expository essay about scientists using drones to research glaciers in Peru. This interactive tutorial is part four of a four-part series. In this final tutorial, you will learn about the elements of a body paragraph. You will also create a body paragraph with supporting evidence. Finally, you will learn about the elements of a conclusion and practice creating a “gift.”
This tutorial is part four of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.
- Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 1)
- Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 2)
- Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 3)
- Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 4)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the end of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference that followed, from the point of view of the United States and President Woodrow Wilson. You'll learn about the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war with Germany, about the League of Nations, and about Wilson's failure to make the U.S. a part of the newly created international organization.
CLICK HERE to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the end of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference that followed, from the point of view of the United States and President Woodrow Wilson. You'll learn about the Treaty of Versailles that ended the war with Germany, about the League of Nations, and about Wilson's failure to make the U.S. a part of the newly created international organization.
CLICK HERE to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial is the third part of a four-part series. In previous tutorials in this series, students analyzed an informational text and video about scientists using drones to explore glaciers in Peru. Students also determined the central idea and important details of the text and wrote an effective summary. In part three, you'll learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay about the scientists' research.
This tutorial is part three of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.
- Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 1)
- Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 2)
- Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 3)
- Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 4)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how Americans on the home front experienced World War 1 while helping the U.S.A win the war. You'll learn about war bonds and about the changes WWI brought to America's economy. You'll also learn how propaganda and new laws against wartime dissent curbed Americans' civil liberties. Finally, you'll learn how the war lead to increased opportunities for women and African Americans.
CLICK HERE to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how Americans on the home front experienced World War 1 while helping the U.S.A win the war. You'll learn about war bonds and about the changes WWI brought to America's economy. You'll also learn how propaganda and new laws against wartime dissent curbed Americans' civil liberties. Finally, you'll learn how the war lead to increased opportunities for women and African Americans.
CLICK HERE to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois and their rivalry of ideas. Both men were African American leaders during the "Nadir" of race relations, but their visions were very different.
CLICK HERE to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. "TR," as he was known, pursued a bold, progressive agenda that transformed America and the presidency.
CLICK HERE to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn in detail about the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. "TR," as he was known, pursued a bold, progressive agenda that transformed America and the presidency.
CLICK HERE to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how World War II began in Europe and Asia. You'll learn about the aggression of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan that threatened world peace, and you'll learn how the United States responded with isolationism...until the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 caused America to join the Allies.
CLICK HERE to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn how World War II began in Europe and Asia. You'll learn about the aggression of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan that threatened world peace, and you'll learn how the United States responded with isolationism...until the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 caused America to join the Allies.
CLICK HERE to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, you'll analyze the Pullman Strike of 1894, a dramatic event in the American labor movement. In Part 1, you'll focus on the history of the strike. In Part 2, you'll practice your literary skills while learning more about the same event.
Click HERE to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, you'll analyze the Pullman Strike of 1894, a dramatic event in the American labor movement. In Part 1, you'll focus on the history of the strike. In Part 2, you'll practice your literacy skills while learning more about the same event.
Click HERE to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the Second Red Scare that swept America in the early years of the Cold War with this interactive tutorial. You'll also learn about McCarthyism, the era of suspicion and persecution that gets its name from the actions of notorious Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Practice analyzing an informational text using President Abraham Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address. In this interactive tutorial, you'll determine Lincoln's purpose in this historical speech. You'll also analyze how his specific word choice and use of parallel structure help support his purpose.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn about the era of mass immigration from 1865 to 1914, when as many as 25 million immigrants entered the United States, many of them through Ellis Island. You'll learn where immigrants came from, why they emigrated, how they adjusted to life in the U.S., and you'll compare the experiences of European and Asian immigrants.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn some of the differences between the First and Second Industrial Revolutions, as well as key developments that drove the Second Industrial Revolution. You'll also learn about some of the leaders of industry during this era, including John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan, and examine how their development of major industries and business practices affected America’s economy during the Second Industrial Revolution.
Check out this related tutorial: The Power of Innovation: Inventors of the Industrial Revolution.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn about the years immediately following World War I: 1919 and 1920. These were dangerous years of economic depression, racial violence, and anti-immigrant nativism in the United States. You'll learn about the Red Scare, the Palmer Raids, Sacco and Vanzetti, and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, explore the central causes of America's bloodiest conflict: the Civil War.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn about landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, including Brown vs. Board of Education, Miranda vs. Arizona, and Roe vs. Wade. This tutorial covers the backgrounds, outcomes, and impacts of eight important cases in detail.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to better conduct research in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn to distinguish relevant from irrelevant sources when conducting research on a specific topic. In addition, you'll practice identifying authoritative sources and selecting the appropriate keywords to find quality sources for your topic.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how speakers use rhetoric to achieve their purpose. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how speakers can achieve their purpose through the use of pathos, ethos, and logos. Using excerpts from President Wilson's "War Message to Congress," you'll analyze how speakers use rhetoric to make their case effectively.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this tutorial, you'll practice identifying and analyzing how specific concepts are addressed in texts from two different time periods. The featured texts include the Bill of Rights and an excerpt from the "Four Freedoms" speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. You'll practice analyzing the similarities and differences in how the two texts address certain concepts.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the relationship between mutations, the cell cycle, and uncontrolled cell growth which may result in cancer with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Assessments
Test your knowledge of America in the 21st century with this nine-question multiple choice quiz provided by Khan Academy.
Type: Assessment
Test your knowledge of America in the 1990s with this 7-question multiple choice quiz provided by Khan Academy.
Type: Assessment
Test your knowledge of America in the 1980s in this ten-question multiple choice quiz provided by Khan Academy.
Type: Assessment
Text Resource
Learn more about the 1995 landmark Supreme Court decision U.S. v. Lopez. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could not ban the possession of firearms within "gun-free school zones." The decision touched on issues of gun control, federalism, and the powers of Congress under the Commerce Clause.
Type: Text Resource
Tutorials
In this tutorial video brought to you by Khan Academy, you'll learn about the economic system called communism. This video explores the origins and history of communism and explains its connections to authoritarian forms of government.
Type: Tutorial
View a brief, funny video about the 44th President, Barack Obama, who passed healthcare reform over the objections of a hostile Congress.
Type: Tutorial
Learn the historical context for a landmark Supreme Court decision, New York v. United States,in this short interactive tutorial. This case dealt with federal laws regarding radioactive waste removal in the late 20th century. You'll have a chance to evaluate the case on your terms before seeing how the justices actually ruled. Enjoy!
Type: Tutorial
View a brief, funny video about the 42nd President, Bill Clinton, who oversaw a strong economy in the 1990s but became only the second president ever to face impeachment.
Type: Tutorial
View a brief, funny video about the 41st President, George H.W. Bush, a one-term president who oversaw the end of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War.
Type: Tutorial
View a brief video about the 43rd President, George W. Bush, who was in office on September 11, 2001 and responded by declaring a global "War on Terror."
Type: Tutorial
View a brief, funny video about the 40th President, Ronald Reagan, the Hollywood actor who shaped the politics of the 1980s and became a Republican Party icon!
Type: Tutorial
Learn about America's history in this interactive tutorial. This webisode from PBS's History: A Freedom of Us provides detailed informational texts, primary source documents that include photographs, and online quizzes to help you explore aspects of this complex time in American history. You'll learn about the 1862 Homestead Act, the rise of immigration, different aspects of the immigrant experience, the expansion of the American West, and the violent conflicts that resulted in the deaths of Native Americans and the removal and relocation of different tribes onto reservations.
Type: Tutorial
Explore key events from the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s in this webisode from PBS. During these decades, America closed out the Vietnam War era, saw the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, and experienced a rise in terrorist attacks against Americans abroad and on American soil. In this resource you can examine primary source documents and photographs, listen to segments of key speeches, examine a timeline and glossary, take a quiz, and explore additional resources connected to this era. Enjoy this journey into American history!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial, you'll interact with a chronological map of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Trace the timeline of events as you listen to, read, and explore the devastating sneak attack that brought the U.S. into World War II on December 7, 1941.
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial, you will view an outstanding video on the meaning and history of habeas corpus: the law that prevents a person being held in jail or prison without being able to hear and contest the charges being brought against them. You'll then learn about 4 recent Supreme Court cases where habeas corpus has been called into question in the context of the global war on terror.
Type: Tutorial
In this resource, you will experience a blast from the past! Go on a journey through U.S. political history as you view various campaign ads from past presidential elections. From the earliest television ads aired in 1952 to ads from 2012, this is a one stop shop with over 300 political commercials available to watch. Each election year contains information to set the context for the collection of commercials, as well as information about the major candidates who ran, and a map that displays the final election results. Enjoy this journey into America's political past!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial, you will explore an interactive map featuring video and audio clips that help you explore the sights and sounds of New York City in the 1920s. During this time in American history, life for Americans was in a constant state of change - culturally, politically, socially, and economically. Things were booming, especially in New York City. Enjoy this interactive exploration through an exciting time in American history!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through George H.W. Bush's one-term presidency, which saw the end of the Cold War and the successful Gulf War in Iraq. During this time America continued to boom economically, but while one conflict ended, others would soon pop up in Africa and the Middle East. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. history!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the 1980s and President Ronald Reagan's two terms in office. President Reagan is often credited for a strong economy and for ending the Cold War. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through recent history and learn about America in the 1990s. During this time President Bill Clinton oversaw globalization and a strong economy linked to the rise of the Internet, but his successes didn't prevent his own impeachment... Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video, you'll learn about the George W. Bush administration and America during the early 2000s. From the controversial Election of 2000, to the terrorist attacks that took place on 9/11, the 2000s were marked by domestic and foreign crises. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. history!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind tour through America in the 1970s. Presidents Ford and Carter were the nation's chief executives during this time, and both are usually considered "failed" presidents for their inability to improve America's economic decline over the course of the decade. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!
Type: Tutorial
In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the Progressive Era in American history. During this time, people were attempting to solve governmental and societal issues, all while trying to better implement equality for all. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. history!
Type: Tutorial
Video/Audio/Animations
In this video from Khan Academy, you'll learn about the reception and cultural significance surrounding Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The publication of this novel is considered one of the causes of the Civil War.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
In this video from Khan Academy, you'll learn about the political and cultural issues that inspired the writing of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. These include the compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act. The publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin is considered one of the causes of the Civil War.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Learn how to "think like a historian" in this brief video from Khan Academy. Your hosts analyze in detail President Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address, in which he told the American people, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Learn how to "think like a historian" in this brief video from Khan Academy. Your hosts explain the difference between primary and secondary sources and analyze the beginning of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Learn how to "think like a historian" in this brief video from Khan Academy. The speaker describes how thinking like a historian entails using the skills of a storyteller, a scientist, and a lawyer!
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
View a 10-part video on the Battle of Yorktown, the culminating battle of the Revolutionary War. With French aid, George Washington led American troops to a victory that ensured American independence.
In addition to the video, you will find primary source documents and a graphic organizer to help you analyze the Battle of Yorktown in greater detail.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Congratulations
