Grade 4 Social Studies Delaware standards Standards

Students will examine the structure and purposes of governments with specific emphasis on constitutional democracy.

Students will understand that governments have a variety of structures and exist for many purposes and that in America these are explained in the United States and State constitutions.

Students will understand that the United States government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, each with specific responsibilities and powers.

Students will understand the principles and ideals underlying the American political system.

Students will understand that the principle of due process protects American citizens by requiring the government to pass and follow fair laws and use fair procedures to execute and enforce those laws.

Students will understand that a society based on the ideal of individual liberty requires a commitment on the part of its citizens to the principles of civic responsibility and personal civility.

Students will understand the responsibilities, rights, and privileges of United States citizens.

Students will apply the fundamental rights and protections of American citizens guaranteed in the Bill of Rights to everyday situations.

Students will develop and employ the civic skills necessary for effective, participatory citizenship.

Students will understand that in order to select effective leaders, citizens have to become informed about candidates' qualifications and the issues of the day.

Students will identify and employ the formal and informal methods by which democratic groups function.

Students will analyze the potential costs and benefits of personal economic choices in a market economy.

Students will understand that prices in a market economy are determined by the interaction of supply and demand.

Students will understand that consumers and producers in a market economy make economic choices based on supply and demand.

Students will examine the interaction of individuals, families, communities, businesses, and governments in a market economy.

Students will understand the role of banks and other financial institutions in the economy.

Students will understand different types of economic systems and how they change.

Students will identify different means of production, distribution, and exchange used within economic systems in different times and places.

Students will examine the patterns and results of international trade.

Students will demonstrate how international trade links countries around the world and can improve the economic welfare of nations.

Students will develop a personal geographic framework, or "mental map," and understand the uses of maps and other geo-graphics.

Students will demonstrate development of mental maps of Delaware and of the United States which include the relative location and characteristics of major physical features, political divisions, and human settlements.

Students will develop a knowledge of the ways humans modify and respond to the natural environment.

Students will apply a knowledge of topography, climate, soils, and vegetation of Delaware and the United States to understand how human society alters, and is affected by, the physical environment.

Students will develop an understanding of the diversity of human culture and the unique nature of places.

Students will understand the reasons for the locations of human activities and settlements and the routes connecting them in Delaware and in the United States.

Students will develop an understanding of the character and use of regions and the connections between and among them.

Students will apply geographic skills to develop a profile of the local community by placing it in the context of physical, cultural, and other types of regions.

Students will employ chronological concepts in analyzing historical phenomena.

Students will study historical events and persons within a given time-frame in order to create a chronology and identify related cause-and-effect factors.

Students will gather, examine, and analyze historical data.

Students will draw historical conclusions and construct historical accounts from primary and secondary source materials.

Students will examine historical materials relating to a particular region, society, or theme; chronologically arrange them, and analyze change over time.

Students will interpret historical data.

Students will explain why historical accounts of the same event sometimes differ and will relate this explanation to the evidence presented or the point-of-view of the author.

Students will develop historical knowledge of major events and phenomena in world, United States, and Delaware history.

Students will develop an understanding of Delaware history and its connections with United States history, including:<ul><li>Native American inhabitants before European contact</li><li>Exploration and settlement (1609-1775)</li><li>From the First State to the Civil War (1776-1865)</li><li>Growth of commerce, industry, transportation, and agriculture (1865-1945)</li><li>Modern Delaware (1945-present)</li></ul>

Students will develop an understanding of selected themes in United States history, including:<ul><li>Who are the American people? (demographics, immigration)</li><li>How did the United States develop its form of government?</li><li>How have advances in technology changed our lives?</li><li>Important people in American history</li></ul>