|
|
|
|
Fairfax County Public Schools
Social Studies Program of Studies:
|
|
Suggested time for instruction: one week
The student will demonstrate knowledge of economic, social, cultural, and political developments in the contemporary United States by
- Analyzing the effects of increased participation of women in the work force.
- Analyzing how changing patterns of immigration affect the diversity of the United States population, the reasons new immigrants choose to come to this country, and their contributions to contemporary America.
- Explaining the media influence on contemporary America culture and how scientific and technological advances affect the workplace, health care, and education.
- Analyzing the major economic, political, and social issues facing Americans in the twenty-first century.
^ back to top
- How did women’s activism impact the social, economic, and cultural changes that transformed life in the United States in the last decades of the twentieth century?
- What changes resulted from the expanding role of government in the society and economy in the 1960s and 1970s?
- In what ways have immigration to the United States, the movement of people within the country, and demographic changes created new social patterns?
- How have an increasingly global economy, rapid technological innovations and the end of the Cold War presented the United States with challenges at home and abroad?
^ back to top
NOTE: Red Bolded content in the indicators is considered essential and must be taught in all classrooms. Content which is not bolded goes beyond the scope and sequence of the state standards.
Benchmark 14.1: The student analyzes the changing world of women in the last decades of the twentieth century.
14.1 Performance Indicators
Students reach this benchmark when they are able to:
- Describe the ways in which the roles of women have changed since the 1960s.
- Examine the issues and concerns that developed because of these changes from women’s traditional roles.
Benchmark 14.2: The student examines the new social, political, and economic issues facing America as it entered the 21st century.
14.2 Performance Indicators
Students reach this benchmark when they are able to:
- Define the idea of the “American Dream” and how it has evolved from the 17th century to the 21st century.
- Compare the reasons for immigration to America at the end of twentieth century versus the reasons given by earlier immigrants. Identify the regions of the world that recently have contributed to America’s immigrant population (political freedom, economic opportunity).
- Describe the impact of immigration on education, housing, labor, language, and culture (Bilingual education/ESL courses, voting).
- Examine major social concerns (an aging population, drugs, AIDS, environmental issues, racism).
- Examine how the political landscape changed in the last decades of the twentieth century.
- Compare the positions of the political parties and interest groups on major issues.
- Trace the development and effects of new technologies and scientific discoveries on American life.
- Examine the role of the media and new technologies in making information and communication more accessible (Cable TV/24-hour news, personal computers, cellular phones, World Wide Web).
Benchmark 14.3: The student evaluates the changing role of the United States within the world community.
14.3 Performance Indicators
Students reach this benchmark when they are able to:
- Discuss the implications of the changing role of the United States in the global economy
- Evaluate the influences of economic and political issues on global alliances of the United States.
- Discuss the interrelationship between the acquisition of natural resources and foreign policy in such regions as the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
- Discuss the global impact of the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War on US foreign policy.
- Describe the new challenges, such as terrorism, that threaten the American way of life.
^ back to top
|
|
|
|
