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

• Governments in the ancient world took different forms, (e.g., monarchies, democratic, republic).

• Compare sources of authority and power. (2.15)
• Establish evaluative criteria for testing alternative solutions. (5.5)

Program of Studies

• Investigate the development of human rights prior to 1500 A.D. *

  * Found in the Program of Studies but not contained in Core Content. This item should be integrated in the overall focus on Government (2.15) and Civics (2.14)

Culture and Society

Sample Culture and Society Open Response Question

Standard II: Culture is the way of life shared 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

• Culture in the ancient world was influenced by language, literature, arts, beliefs, and behaviors and may result in unique perspectives.
• Conflict and competition (e.g., political, economic, religious, ethnic) may occur as cultures emerge and develop.

• Analyze the impact of social institutions (e.g., religious, educational, occupational, and political systems) in society. (2.16)
• Examine the consequences of prejudice and discrimination (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity) on social systems. (2.16)
• Analyze cultural differences. (2.17)
• Analyze and prioritize alternatives; select and defend a decision. (5.4)

Economics

Sample Economics Open Response Question

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

• Money (unit of account) can be used to express the market value of goods and services. Money makes it easier to trade, borrow, invest, and save.
• Competition among buyers and sellers impacts the price of goods and services.
• Productivity can be improved by specialization, new knowledge, and technology/tools.

• Discover relationships among existing knowledge and new ideas, objects, and actions (6.3)
• Examine ways cultural heritage influenced economic decisions in the ancient world. (2.18)

Program of Studies

• Understand the concept of scarcity (Imbalance between unlimited wants and limited resources) in civilizations prior to 1500A.D. *
• Examine strategies used by individuals, societies, and governments in early world civilization to address scarcity. *
• Explain how resources were used in early world civilization to produce goods and services and explore ways productivity was increased *

  * Found in the Program of Studies but not contained in Core Content. This item should be integrated in the overall focus on Economics (2.18)

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

• In ancient civilizations places and regions changed over time as new technologies, resources, and knowledge became available.
• In ancient civilizations, human populations may have changed and/or migrated because of factors such as: war, famine, disease, economic opportunity, and technology.

• Analyze geographic characteristics (e.g. landforms, waterways, climate, and natural resources) to explain human/regional relationships (2.19)
• Generate, expand, and analyze ideas. (5.2)
• Evaluate strategies used to relate new information to prior knowledge and experience. (6.2)

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

• Different perspectives (e.g., gender, race, region, ethnic group, nationality, age, economic status, religion, politics) resulted in different interpretations of historical events in the ancient world.
• History is a series of connected events shaped by multiple cause and effect relationships tying the past to the present.
• Primary sources, secondary sources, artifacts, and time lines are essential tools in the study and interpretation of history.
• As early hunters and gatherers developed new technologies, they settled into organized civilizations.
• The rise of classical civilizations and empires, and the development of major religions had lasting impacts on the world in government, philosophy, architecture, art, drama, and literature.
• The rise of non-Western cultures continues to influence the modern world in government, philosophy, art, drama, and literature.
• Developments during the Middle Ages (feudalism, nation states, monarchies, religious institutions, limited government, trade, trade associations, capitalism) influenced modern societies.

• Use historical perspectives and trends to develop understanding of current personal or social events. (2.20)
• Examine the interpretive nature of historical accounts. (2.20)
• Analyze the connections between new information and prior knowledge. (5.3)
• Access and use information from a variety of sources that reflect multiple perspectives. (6.1)

Program of Studies

• Examine the impact of significant individuals and groups on world history prior to 1500. (P.O.S. – not assessed)

  * Found in the Program of Studies but not contained in Core Content. This item should be integrated in the overall focus on History (2.20)