Indiana 7th Grade Social Studies Standards

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History

• 1 Students examine the major movements, events and figures that contributed to the development of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific from ancient civilizations to modern times by examining religious institutions, trade and cultural interactions, political institutions, and technological developments.
  • Early Civilizations, States and Empires: 3500 BCE to 650 CE
    • 7.1.1 Identify and explain the conditions that led to the rise of early river valley civilizations and evaluate how the achievements in art, architecture, written language, and religion of those civilizations are related to their respective forms of government and social hierarchies.
  • The Spread of Cultural, Economic, Social and Political Ideas: 500 BCE to 1600 CE
    • 7.1.2 Describe, compare, and contrast the historical origins, central beliefs and spread of major religions.
    • 7.1.3 Assess the development of sub-Saharan civilizations in Africa and the importance of political and trading centers to the spread of resources, disease, and culture.
    • 7.1.4 Describe the importance of the Silk Road on the histories of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
    • 7.1.5 Explain the influence of Muslim civilization on the growth of cities, the development of trade routes, political organizations, scientific and cultural contributions, and the basis for the early banking system to other cultures of the time.
    • 7.1.6 Compare and contrast the institution of slavery in its various forms in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific and analyze the impact slavery had on different civilizations.
    • 7.1.7 Trace the rise, spread and influence of the Mongols.
  • Major Civilizations, States, and Empires through 1650 CE
    • 7.1.8 Describe the dynastic cycle and the cultural and technological contributions of major Chinese dynasties (Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming).
    • 7.1.9 Demonstrate how Japan became increasingly independent of earlier Chinese influences and developed its own political, religious, social and artistic traditions.
  • Exploration, Conquest and Post-Colonial States: 1500 to Present
    • 7.1.10 Analyze worldwide voyages of exploration and discovery by considering multiple perspectives of various people in the past by demonstrating their differing motives, beliefs, interests, hopes, and fears.
    • 7.1.11 Explain the reasons for European colonization of Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific and analyze the long and short term impact that colonization and imperialism had on the social, political, and economic development of these societies from both European and indigenous perspectives.
    • 7.1.12 Analyze the Japanese imperial period (1868-1945), including Japan’s involvement in World War II.
    • 7.1.13 Identify and explain the significance of historical events in the Middle East since the end of World War II.
    • 7.1.14 Identify and explain recent conflicts and political issues between nations or cultural groups and evaluate the solutions that different organizations have utilized to address these conflicts.
  • Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Analysis and Interpretation, and Research
    • 7.1.15 Create and compare timelines that identify major people and events and developments in the history of civilization and/or countries of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
    • 7.1.16 Analyze cause-and-effect relationships, bearing in mind multiple causation in the role of individuals, beliefs and chance in history.
    • 7.1.17 Distinguish between unsupported expressions of opinion and informed hypotheses grounded in historical evidence.
    • 7.1.18 Compare and contrast perspectives of history in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific using fictional and nonfictional accounts including visual, literary, art, and musical sources.
    • 7.1.19 Using primary and secondary sources, analyze issues confronting the eastern hemisphere.

Civics and Government

• 2 Students trace the development of different forms of government in different historical eras and compare various contemporary political structures in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific in terms of power, approach to human rights, and roles of citizens.
  • Foundations of Government
    • 7.2.1 Compare, contrast, and evaluate the different routes to independence from colonial rule taken by countries in Asia, Africa and the Southwest Pacific.
    • 7.2.2 Compare and contrast historical and contemporary governments in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific.
  • Functions of Government
    • 7.2.3 Describe how major forms of governments of Japan, North Korea, India, South Africa and China currently protect or violate the human rights of their citizens.
    • 7.2.4 Compare and contrast the functions of international organizations in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
  • Roles of Citizens
    • 7.2.5 Define, compare and contrast citizenship and the citizen’s role in the government of selected countries of Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific.

Geography

• 3 Students use technology and grid systems to identify and categorize places (physical, cultural, countries, large cities), major geographic characteristics (human and physical), and regions in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific. They use geographic skills, perspectives, and technologies to analyze relationships within and between these regions and the rest of the world.
  • The World in Spatial Terms
    • 7.3.1 Formulate a broad understanding of the location of countries of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
    • 7.3.2 Formulate a broad understanding of the location of capital cities in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific using latitude and longitude on maps and with locational technology such as Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Information Systems.
  • Places and Regions
    • 7.3.3 Describe and compare major cultural characteristics of regions in Africa, Asia, and Southwest Pacific.
    • 7.3.4 Use historical maps to identify changes in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific over time.
    • 7.3.5 Identify major physical characteristics of regions of Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific, such as deserts, basins, plains, mountains, and rivers, and describe their formation.
    • 7.3.6 Describe ecosystems of Africa’s deserts, Asia’s mountain regions, and the coral reefs of Australia and use multiple information resources to discover environmental concerns that these ecosystems are facing today.
    • 7.3.7 Compare and contrast the distribution of natural resources in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific; describe how natural resource distribution can impact the wealth of a country.
    • 7.3.8 Describe the limitations that climate and landforms place on land or people in regions of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
  • Human Systems
    • 7.3.9 Identify current trends and patterns of rural and urban population distribution in selected countries of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific and analyze the causes for these patterns.
    • 7.3.10 Provide examples of ethnocentrism and how this attitude affected the relationships between different peoples in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific.
  • Environment and Society
    • 7.3.11 Analyze current issues and developments related to the environment in selected countries in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.

Economics

• 4 Students examine the influence of physical and cultural factors upon the economic systems found in countries of Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.
  • 7.4.1 Explain how voluntary trade benefits countries and results in higher standards of living in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific.
  • 7.4.2 Illustrate how international trade requires a system for exchanging currency between and among countries.
  • 7.4.3 Trace the development and change over time of the economic systems (traditional, command, market and mixed) of various cultures, societies or nations in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific. and analyze why these changes occurred over time.
  • 7.4.4 Compare and contrast the standard of living of various countries in Africa, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita as an indicator; hypothesize how factors, including urbanization, industrialization, and globalization could affect the differences in the standard of living statistics.
  • 7.4.5 Analyze different methods that countries in Africa, Asia and the Southwest Pacific have used to increase their citizens’ individual human capital.
  • 7.4.6 Identify ways that societies deal with helpful and harmful externalities in Africa, Asia, or Southwest Pacific.