Grade 12 Social Science

12.1.1 Students will demonstrate an understanding of the state of the world about 1000 A.D. by summarizing: the institution of feudalism in Europe and the rise of towns and commerce; the location and leadership of major Western European kingdoms; the location and culture of the Byzantine and Muslim empires; the location and culture of empires in India, China, Japan, sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America; the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe; and the conflict between Christian and Muslim cultures.

12.1.2 Students will analyze the patterns of social, economic, political change, and cultural achievement in the late Medieval period, such as: the emerging and distinctive political developments of nation-states, such as Spain, France, England, and Russia; conflicts among Eurasian powers, such as the Crusades, the Mongol conquests, and the expansion of the Ottoman Turks.

12.1.3 Students will analyze the historical developments of the Renaissance, such as: economic foundations of the Renaissance, such as European interaction with Muslims, increased trade, role of the Medicis, and new economic practices; the rise of Italian city-states; artistic, literary, and intellectual creativity, such as Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare, as contrasted with the Medieval period; Machiavelli‚s theory of government as described in The Prince; and differences between the Italian and the Northern Renaissance.

12.1.4 Students will analyze the historical developments of the Reformation, such as: the effects of the theological, political, and economic differences that emerged during the Reformation, such as the views and actions of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII and the divorce issue; the influence of religious conflicts on government actions, such as the Edict of Nantes in France; and the evolution of laws that reflect religious beliefs, cultural values, traditions, and philosophies, such as the beginnings of religious toleration and the spread of democracy.

12.1.5 Students will analyze the impact of European expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia, such as: the roles of explorers/conquistadors; migration, settlement patterns, and cultural diffusion; the exchange of technology, ideas, and agricultural practices; the trade in slaves, tobacco, rum, furs, and gold; the introduction of new diseases; the influence of Christianity; economic and cultural transformations created by the emergence of plant-like tobacco and corn in new places and the arrival of the horse in the Americas; competition for resources and the rise of mercantilism; the commercial and maritime growth of European nations, identifying the emergence of money and banking, global economics, and market systems; and social classes in the colonized areas.

12.1.6 Students will compare Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, identifying factors, such as: major leaders and events; sacred writings; traditions, customs, and beliefs; monotheistic versus polytheistic views; geographic distribution at different times; political, social, and economic influences of each; and long-standing religious conflicts and recent manifestations in places, such as Ireland, Middle East, and Bosnia.

12.1.7 Students will analyze the scientific, political, and economic changes of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, such as: the establishment of absolute monarchies by individuals, such as Louis IV, Frederick the Great, and Peter the Great; the Glorious Revolution in England and the French Revolution; the ideas of significant people, such as Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Rosseau, and Jefferson; how the political ideas of the Enlightenment and the ideas of religion affected founders of the United States; new scientific theories, such as those of Newton, Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, Harvey, and Franklin; how technological changes brought about social, political, and cultural changes in Europe, Asia, and the Americas; how the arts, philosophy, and literature were influenced by people, such as Voltaire, Diderot, Delacroix, Bach, and Mozart; and the influence of religious beliefs on art, politics, science, and commerce.

12.1.8 Students will describe 19th century political developments in Europe, such as: the Congress of Vienna; expansion of democracy in Europe, such as the effects of urbanization, revolutions of 1848, and British reform laws; unification of Germany and the role of Bismarck; and the unification of Italy and the role of Garibaldi.

12.1.9 Students will analyze and explain the effects of the Industrial Revolution, identifying factors, such as: the rise of industrial economics and their link to imperialism and colonialism; how scientific and technological changes, such as the inventions of Watt, Bessemer, and Whitney, brought about massive social and cultural change; the emergence of capitalism and free enterprise as a dominant economic pattern; responses to capitalism, such as utopianism, socialism, and communism; the status of women and children reflected societal changes; the evolution of work and labor, such as the slave trade, mining and manufacturing, and the union movement; how economic reasoning and cost-benefit analysis apply to societal issues; and how Asia and Africa were transformed by European commercial power.

12.1.10 Students will analyze major 20th century historical events, such as: causes and effects of World War I and World War II; the Russian Revolution; the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and Japan; the political, social, and economic impact of the 1930‚s worldwide depression; the Nazi Holocaust and other examples of genocide; how technologies, such as atomic power, influenced patterns of conflict; economic and military power shifts since 1945, such as the rise of Germany and Japan as economic powers; revolutionary movements in Asia and its leaders, such as Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh; how African and Asian countries achieved independence from European colonial rule, such as India under Gandhi and Kenya under Kenyatta, and how they have fared under self-rule; regional and political conflicts, such as Korea and Vietnam; and the beginning and end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

12.1.11 Students will demonstrate historical research and geographical skills by: identifying, analyzing, and interpreting primary and secondary sources and artifacts; validating sources as to their authenticity, authority, credibility, and possible bias; comparing trends in global population distribution since the 10th century; construction various time lines of key events, periods, and personalities since the 10th century; identifying and analyzing major shifts in national political boundaries in Europe since 1815; and identifying the distribution of major religious cultures in the contemporary world.

12.2.1 Students will analyze the physical and human landscapes of the world using maps, globes, photographs, and pictures to: recognize the different map projections and explain the concept of distortion; show how maps reflect particular historical and political perspectives; apply the concepts of scale, orientation, and latitude and longitude; create and compare political, physical, and thematic maps of countries and regions; and identify regional climatic patterns and weather phenomena, relating them to events in the contemporary world.

12.2.2 Students will analyze how selected physical and ecological processes shaped the earth‚s surface, such as: how humans influence and are influenced by the environment; and how people‚s ideas and relationship to the environment change over time, particularly in response to new technologies.

12.2.3 Students will explain how: geographic regions change over time; characteristics of regions have led to regional labels; regional landscapes reflect the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants as well as historical events; and technological advances have led to increasing interaction among regions.

12.2.4 Students will analyze how certain cultural characteristics can link or divide regions, such as language, ethnic heritage, religion, political philosophy, shared history, and social and economic systems.

12.2.5 Students will compare and contrast the distribution, growth rates, and characteristics of human population, such as settlement patterns and the location of natural and capital resources.

12.2.6 Students will analyze past and present trends in human migration and cultural interaction as they are influenced by social, economic, political, and environmental factors.

12.2.7 Students will locate and identify by name the major countries in each region, the world‚s major rivers, mountain ranges, and surrounding bodies of water.

12.2.8 Students will identify natural hazards; describe their characteristics, explain their impact on human and physical systems, and assess efforts to manage their consequences in developed and less developed regions.

12.2.9 Students will identify natural, human, and capital resources; describe their distribution; and explain their significance, such as location of contemporary and selected historical economic and land-use regions.

12.2.10 Students will analyze patterns of urban development, such as site ad situation; the function of towns and cities; and problems related to human mobility, social structure, and the environment.

12.2.11 Students will analyze the regional development of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, such as physical, economic, and cultural characteristics and historical evolution from 1000 A.D. to the present.

12.2.12 Students will analyze the patterns and networks of economic interdependence; such as formation of multinational economic unions; international trade; the theory of competitive advantage; job specialization; competition for resources; and access to labor, technology, transportation, and communication.

12.2.13 Students will distinguish between developed and developing countries, identifying and relating the level of economic development to the quality of life.

12.2.14 Students will analyze the forces of conflict and cooperation as they influence: the way in which the world is divided among independent and dependent countries; disputes over borders, resources, and settlement areas; the historic and future ability of nations to survive and prosper; and the role of multinational organizations.

12.2.15 Students will apply geography to interpret the past, understand the present, and plan for the future by: explaining the historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of empires, and the growth of economic systems by using a variety of maps, charts, and documents; relating current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.

12.3.1 Students will analyze and explain the contacts between Native Americans and European settlers during the Age of Discovery, identifying factors, such as: economic and cultural characteristics of the groups; motives and strategies of the explorers and settlers; impact of European settlement on the Native Americans; and the legacies of contact, cooperation, and conflict from that period.

12.3.2 Students will analyze and explain the colonization of the American colonies, identifying factors, such as: motivation of ethnic and religious groups, and how immigrants influenced the settlement of colonies; economic activity; political developments; and social customs, the arts, and religious beliefs.

12.3.3 Students will analyze and explain events and ideas of the Revolutionary Period, such as: changes in British policies that provoked the American colonists; the debate within America concerning separation from Britain; the Declaration of Independence and „Common Sense‰; leaders; and key battles, military turning points, and key strategic decisions.

12.3.4 Students will analyze the events and ideas of the Constitutional Era, such as: Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence; issues and policies affecting relations among existing and future states, such as the Northwest Ordinance; the Constitutional Convention, such as the leadership of James Madison and George Washington; the struggle for ratification of the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and Anti-Federalists arguments; and the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

12.3.5 Students will analyze and explain events of the Early National Period, such as: organizations of the national government under the new Constitution; major domestic and foreign affairs issues facing the first presidents and Congress; the development of political parties; how the impact of Supreme Court cases, such as Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland, affected the interpretation of the Constitution; foreign relations and conflicts, such as the War of 1812 and the Monroe Doctrine; the Louisiana Purchase and the acquisition of Florida; and economic development, trade, tariffs, taxation, and trends in the national debt.

12.3.6 Students will analyze the causes and effects of major events of the Civil War and Reconstruction, such as: slavery; States‚ Rights Doctrine; tariffs and trade; settlement of the West; secession; military advantages of the Union and the Confederacy; threat of foreign intervention; economic and political impact of the war; roles played by the individual leaders; and the impact of Reconstruction policies on the South.

12.3.7 Students will analyze the impact of immigration on American life, identifying factors, such as: contributions of Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, European Americans, Asian Americans, immigrant groups and individuals; ethnic conflict and discrimination; and the United States domestic policies.

12.3.8 Students will summarize causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution, identifying factors, such as: new inventions and industrial production methods; new technologies in transportation and communication; incentives for capitalism and free enterprise; the impact of immigration on labor supply and the movement to organize workers; improvements in standards of living, life expectancy, and living conditions; child labor, working conditions, and the rise of organized labor; government policies affecting trade, monopolies, taxation, and money supply; muckraking literature and the rise of the Progressive Movement; women‚s suffrage and temperance movements, describing their impact on society; and political changes at the local, state. And national levels.

12.3.9 Students will analyze and explain the importance of World War I, identifying factors, such as: the end of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of new states in the Middle East; the declining role of Great Britain and the expanding role of the United States in world affairs; political, social, and economic change in Europe and the United States; and the causes of World War I.

12.3.10 Students will analyze and explain the Great Depression, explaining factors, such as: causes and effects of changes in business cycles; weaknesses in key sectors of the economy in the late 1920‚s; United States government economic policies in the late 1920‚s; causes and effects of the Stock Market Crash; the impact of the Depression on the American people; the impact of the New Deal policies; and the impact of the expanded role of the government in the economy since the 1930‚s.

12.3.11 Students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins and effects of World War II, identifying events and factors, such as: the rise of and aggression of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan; the rise of Fascism, Nazism, and Communism in the 1930‚s and 1940‚s and the response of Europe and the United States; the role of the Soviet Union; appeasement, isolationism, and the war debates in Europe and the United States prior to the outbreak of war; the impact of mobilization for war, at home and abroad; major battles, military turning points, and key strategic decisions; the Holocaust and its impact; the reshaping of the United States‚ role in world affairs after the war; and the major changes in Eastern Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and Africa following the war.

12.3.12 Students will analyze and explain United States foreign policy since World War II, identifying factors, such as: the origins of the Cold War and the foreign and domestic consequences; Communist containment policies in Europe, Latin America, and Asia; McCarthyism and the fear of communist influence within the United States; strategic and economic factors in Middle East policy; relations with South Africa and other African nations; the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War; new challenges to America‚s leadership role in the world; confrontations with the Soviet Union in Berlin and Cuba; NATO and other alliances, and the United States‚ role in the United Nations; nuclear weapons and the arms race; and military conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, & the Middle East.

12.3.13 Students will evaluate developments in federal civil rights and voting rights since the 1950‚s, such as: the Brown v. Board of Education decision and its impact on education; civil rights demonstrations and related activity leading to desegregation of public accommodations, transportation, housing, and employment; the impact of reapportionment cases and voting rights legislation on political participation and representation; and affirmative action.

12.3.14 Students will demonstrate an understanding of domestic policy issues in contemporary American society by: comparing conservative and liberal economic strategies; explaining current patterns of Supreme Court decisions and evaluating their impact; and comparing the positions of political parties and interest groups on major issues.

12.3.15 Students will explain relationships between geography and the historical development of the United States by using maps, pictures, and computer databases to: locate and explain the location and expansion of the original thirteen colonies; trace the advance of the frontier and the territorial expansion of the United States, explaining how it was influenced by the physical environment; locate new states as they were added to the Union; understand the settlement patterns, migration routes, and cultural influence of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups; compare patterns of agricultural and industrial development in different regions as they relate to natural resources, markets, and trade; and analyze the political, social, and economic implications of demographic changes in the nation over time.

12.3.16 Students will interpret the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and documents in United States history, such as „The United States Constitution,‰ „The Bill of Rights,‰ „The Letter from Birmingham Jail,‰ „Speak softly and carry a big stickΣ,‰ and „The Gettysburg Address.‰

12.3.17 Students will develop skills for historical analysis, such as the ability to: analyze documents, records, and data, such as artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, journals, newspapers, and historical documents; evaluate the authenticity, authority, and credibility of sources; formulate historical questions and defend findings based on inquiry and interpretation; develop perspectives of time and place, such as the construction of various time lines of events, periods, and personalities in American history; and communicate findings orally, in brief analytical essays, and in a comprehensive paper.

12.3.18 Students will develop discussion, debate, and persuasive writing skills, focusing on enduring issues and demonstrating how divergent viewpoints have been addressed and reconciled, such as: civil disobedience v. the rule of law; the relationship of government to the individual in economic planning and social programs; freedom of the press v. the right to a fair trial; the tension between majority rule and minority rights; problems of intolerance toward racial, ethnic, and religious groups in American society; and the evolution of rights, freedoms, and protections through political and social movements.

12.4.1 Students will compare the United States constitutional system in 1789 with forms of democracy that developed in ancient Greece and Rome, in England, and in the American colonies and states in the 18th century.

12.4.2 Students will identify and explain the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitutions of the United States and Nebraska describing their treatment of: fundamental political principles, such as constitutionalism and limited government, rule of law, democracy and republicanism, sovereignty, consent of the governed, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism; fundamental liberties, rights, and values, such as religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, due process, equality under the law, individual worth and dignity, and majority rule and minority rights.

12.4.3 Students will identify examples of fundamental American political principles contained in the Nebraska Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, comparing them to principles of government and law developed by the leading European political thinkers, such as Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Blackstone.

12.4.4 Students will analyze the amendments to the United States Constitution, identifying factors, such as the conflicts they addressed and the reasons for their adoptions.

12.4.5 Students will summarize landmark Supreme Court interpretations of the United States Constitution and its amendments, such as basic freedoms, due process, equal protection of the law, and government powers, analyzing the historical trends and contemporary patterns of United States Supreme Court decisions.

12.4.6 Students will identify and explain the fundamental concepts of democracy, focusing on the equality of all citizens under the law, the fundamental worth and dignity of the individual, majority rule and minority rights, the necessity of compromise, individual freedom, and the rule of law.

12.4.7 Students will analyze in writing, discussion, and debate current issues confronting local, state, and national governments in terms of perennial challenges to democracies, such as conflicts between: majority rule and minority rights; individual rights and the public interest; levels of taxation and the expectation of public services; and state and national authority in a federal system.

12.4.8 Students will analyze and compare national and state governments, identifying factors, such as: the structures, functions, and authority of each; the principles of federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances; the extent to which power is shared rather than divided or separated; and procedures for constitutional amendment.

12.4.9 Students will explain how United States and Nebraska legislative, executive, and judicial institutions make public policy, through vehicles, such as: legislation, regulations, executive orders, and judicial review; constitutional requirements and institutional procedures; and specific policies related to foreign affairs, civil rights, and economics and the budget.

12.4.10 Students will identify and distinguish among the units of local governments in Nebraska, such as counties, cities, towns, and regional authorities by analyzing a local public issue.

12.4.11 Students will compare a unicameral with a bicameral form of government.

12.4.12 Students will explain and give current examples of how political parties, interest groups, the media, and individuals influence the policy agenda and decision making of government institutions.

12.4.13 Students will describe campaigns for national, state, and local elective office, identifying factors, such as: the nominating process; campaign funding and spending; the influence of media coverage, campaign advertising, and public opinion polls; demographic causes and political effects of reapportionment and redistricting; voter turnout and the constituencies of the major political parties; and the Electoral College.

12.4.14 Students will explain the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of citizenship in the United States and Nebraska.

12.4.15 Students will develop the skills needed for informed participation in public affairs by: analyzing public issues; evaluating candidates for public office; evaluating the performance of public officials; and communicating with public officials.

12.4.16 Students will compare the United States political and economic systems with those of major democratic and authoritarian nations, focusing on factors, such as: the structures and powers of political institutions; the rights and powers of the governed, such as grass roots citizens‚ movements; economic goals, institutions, and the role of government on the economy; the relationships between economic freedom and political freedom; and the allocation of resources and its impact on productivity.

12.4.17 Students will analyze the United States market economy, identifying factors, such as: labor, capital, and natural resources; the role of private ownership, private enterprise, and profits; the relationships of households, firms, and government; labor/management relationships; and relationships to the global economy.

12.4.18 Students will analyze the role of government in the United States economy, explaining factors, such as: interstate commerce and international trade policies; providing favorable conditions for markets; providing public goods and services; protecting the environment; and promoting economic growth.

12.4.19 Students will diagram the concepts of scarcity, opportunity costs, and the types of economic systems that deal with unlimited wants and limited resources.

12.4.20 Students will discuss the economic goals of growth, stability, full employment, efficiency, equity, and justice, explaining the needs for trade-offs as these goals are pursued.

12.4.21 Students will explain how forces of supply and demand in a market system answer basic economic questions, such as what to produce, photo produce, and for whom to produce.

12.4.22 Students will define the basic economic indicators, such as Gross Domestic Product, employment statistics, and other measures of economic conditions.

12.4.23 Students will discuss the fundamentals of international trade, such as comparative advantage, absolute advantage, and exchange rates.

12.4.24 Students will explain the interrelationship of producers, consumers, and government in the American economic system.

12.4.25 Students will explain the impact of monetary and fiscal policy in achieving local, state, and national economic goals.

12.4.26 Students will evaluate the role of entrepreneurship in a market economy.

12.4.27 Students will discuss, develop, and implement a plan for making informed personal economic decisions.

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