Description Of Bulleted Items In Each Rubric

• The first bullet references the use of content and vocabulary
• The second bullet references the manipulation/application of critical thinking skills.
• The third bullet references communication including organization and clarity.

These rubric bullets are used across the grade levels for all sub-domain open response models, thus providing a grading consistency K-12. The rubric was designed to reflect the proposed performance standards for the CATS open response questions in the social studies section of the state assessment. The proposed state social studies performance standards include:

• Content knowledge
• Decisions, concepts, problems (Critical Thinking Skills)
• Vocabulary
• Communication
• Connections (Critical Thinking Skills)

Government and Civics

Sample Government and Civics Open Response Question

Standard I: The study of government and civics allows students to understand the nature of government and the unique characteristics of American democracy including its fundamental principles, structure and role of citizens.

Academic Expectation 2.14: Students should understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility and freedom and apply them to real-life situations.

Academic Expectation 2.15: Students can accurately describe various forms of government and analyze issues that relate to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.

Core Content

Demonstrators

• Community service and community workers
• Conflict management (making developmentally appropriate choices
• Sources of authority (parents, family, teachers, principals, police officers, firemen)

• Recognizes oneself as a part of a group and demonstrates cooperation with others.
• Recognizes the existence of and the need to follow rules.
• Identify daily decisions. (5.4)
• Discover patterns in life situations (5.1)

Culture and Society

Sample Culture and Society Open Response Question

Standard II: Culture is the way of life by a group of people, including their ideas and traditions. In America’s multicultural society, students need to understand that culture influences viewpoints, social rules and social institutions.

Academic Expectation 2.16: Students observe, analyze and interpret human behaviors; social groupings and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals and among groups.

Academic Expectation 2.17: Students interact effectively and work cooperatively with the many diverse ethnic and cultural groups of our nation and world.

Core Content

Demonstrators

• Tolerance and respect for individual differences.
• Role of the family in the transmission of culture

• Recognize family similarities and differences.
• Demonstrate the ability to function as a part of a classroom and family
• Recognize the existence of different perspectives (5.1)
• Explore, recognize, and respect the uniqueness of the individual.
• Recognize the existence of different perspectives. (6.1)

Economics

Sample Economics Open Response Questions

Standard III: Economics includes the study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Students need to understand how their economic decisions affect them, others and the nation as a whole.

Academic Expectation 2.18: Students understand economic principles and are able to make economic decisions that have consequences in daily living.

Core Content

Demonstrators

• Wants and Needs

• Ability to identify wants and needs
• Gather, sort and re-sort information into categories (5.3)

Geography

Sample Geography Open Response Question

Standard IV: Geography is the study of people, places and environments. Students need geographic knowledge to understand the world and their relationship to it. A geographic perspective also enables students to better understand the past and present and to prepare for the future.

Academic Expectation 2.19: Students recognize and understand the relationship between people and geography and apply their knowledge in real-life situations.

Core Content

Demonstrators

• Introduction concerning how people relate to climate/weather, geographical features and natural resources
• Directions left and right

• Recognize that everything has a location
• Recognize their own spatial orientation

History

Sample History Open Response Question

Standard V: History is the interpretation of events, people, ideas and their interaction over time. In order for students to understand the present and make plans for their future, they must understand the past.

Academic Expectation 2.20: Students understand, analyze and interpret historical events, conditions, trends and issues to develop historical perspective.

Core Content

Demonstrators

• Introduction to personal family history

• Distinguish between past, present, and future.
• Recognize continuity and change.
• Connect knowledge with past experiences (6.2)