Source

The provisions of this § 4.83 reserved February 15, 2008, effective February 16, 2008, 38 Pa.B. 872. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (286560).

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

APPENDIX A

{Reserved}

Source

The provisions of this Appendix A adopted January 15, 1999, effective January 16, 1999, 29 Pa.B. 399; reserved by correction July 19, 2013, effective June 30, 2013, replaced by Appendix A-1, 43 Pa.B. 4079, unless otherwise noted. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (252345) to (252422) and (286561) to (286562).

APPENDIX A-1

{Reserved}

Source

The provisions of this Appendix A-1 renumbered from Appendix B adopted October 15, 2010, effective July 1, 2013, 40 Pa.B. 5903; correction published at 43 Pa.B. 4079; reserved February 28, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1131, unless otherwise noted. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (367438) and (353099) to (353316).

APPENDIX A-2Pennsylvania Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics

Pennsylvania Core Standards for English Language ArtsGrades Pre K—5

Authority

The provisions of this Appendix A-2 issued under sections 121, 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. § § 1-121, 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B), unless otherwise noted.

Source

The provisions of this Appendix A-2 adopted February 28, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1131, unless otherwise noted.

Cross References

This appendix cited in 22 Pa. Code § 4.12 (relating to academic standards); 22 Pa. Code § 4.24 (relating to high school graduation requirements); 22 Pa. Code § 4.51 (relating to state assessment system); 22 Pa. Code § 4.51a (relating to Pennsylvania System of School Assessment); and 22 Pa. Code § 4.51b (relating to Keystone Exams).

INTRODUCTION

These standards describe what students should know and be able to do with the English language, prekindergarten through Grade 12. The standards provide the targets for instruction and student learning essential for success in all academic areas, not just language arts classrooms. Although the standards are not a curriculum or a prescribed series of activities, school entities will use them to develop a local school curriculum that will meet local students’ needs.

Five standard categories are designed to provide a Pre K-12 continuum to reflect the demands of a college- and career-ready graduate:

With a focus on college and career readiness, the instructional shifts as reflected in Common Core are evident throughout the PA Core Standards:

• Balancing the reading of informational and literary texts so that students can access nonfiction and authentic texts, as well as literature

• Focusing on close and careful reading of text so that students are learning from the text

• Building a staircase of complexity (i.e., each grade level requires a ‘‘step’’ of growth on the ‘‘staircase’’) so that students graduate college or career ready

• Supporting writing from sources (i.e., using evidence from text to inform or make an argument) so that students use evidence and respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read

• Stressing an academically focused vocabulary so that students can access more complex texts

The English Language Arts Standards also provide parents and community members with information about what students should know and be able to do as they progress through the educational program and at graduation. With a clearly defined target provided by the standards, parents, students, educators, and community members become partners in learning. Each standard implies an end-of-year goal—with the understanding that exceeding the standard is an even more desirable end goal.

Note: The Aligned Eligible Content is displayed with the standard statement. On the Standard Aligned System portal, it is a live link.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foundational Skills (Pre K-5)… 1.1

Students gain a working knowledge of concepts of print, alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions. These foundational skills are not an end in and of themselves; rather, students apply them as effective readers.

• Book Handling

• Print Concepts

• Phonological Awareness

• Phonics and Word Recognition

• Fluency

Reading Informational Text… 1.2

Students read, understand, and respond to informational text—with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.

• Key Ideas and Details

• Craft and Structure

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Range of Reading

Reading Literature… 1.3

Students read and respond to works of literature—with emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

• Key Ideas and Details

• Craft and Structure

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Range of Reading

Writing… 1.4

Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.

• Informative/Explanatory

• Opinion/Argumentative

• Narrative

• Response to Literature

• Production and Distribution of Writing

• Technology and Publication

• Conducting Research

• Credibility, Reliability, and Validity of Sources

• Range of Writing

Speaking and Listening… 1.5

Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or in group discussions.

• Comprehension and Collaboration

• Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Conventions of Standard English

1.1Foundational Skills Students gain a working knowledge of concepts of print, alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions. Grade Pre K Grade K Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Book HandlingCC.1.1.PK.A Practice appropriate book handling skills. CC.1.1.K.A Utilize book handing skills. Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Print Concepts CC.1.1.PK.B Identify basic features of print. • Differentiate between numbers and letters and letters and words. • Recognize and name some uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. CC.1.1.K.B Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. • Follow words left to right, top to bottom, and page by page. • Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters. • Understand that words are separated by spaces in print. • Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. CC.1.1.1.B Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. • Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence. Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Phonological Awareness CC.1.1.PK.C Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). • Recognize rhyming words and when two or more words begin with the same sound (alliteration). • Count syllables in spoken words. • Segment single-syllable spoken words. • Isolate and pronounce initial sounds. CC.1.1.K.C Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). • Recognize and produce rhyming words. • Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words. • Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words. • Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sound (phonemes) in the three-phoneme (CVC) words. CC.1.1.1.C Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). • Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words. • Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken and written words. • Orally produce single-syllable words, including consonant blends and digraphs. Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank • Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words. • Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in one-syllable words to make new words. Phonics and Word Recognition CC.1.1.PK.D Develop beginning phonics and word skills. • Associate some letters with their names and sounds. • Identify familiar words and environmental print. CC.1.1.K.D Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. • Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondence. • Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings for the five major vowels. • Read grade-level high-frequency sight words with automaticity. • Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ. CC.1.1.1.D Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. • Identify common consonant diagraphs, final-e, and common vowel teams. • Decode one- and two-syllable words with common patterns. • Read grade-level words with inflectional endings. • Read grade- appropriate irregularly spelled words. CC.1.1.2.D Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. • Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words. • Decode two-syllable words with long vowels and words with common prefixes and suffixes. • Read grade-level high-frequency sight words and words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences. CC.1.1.3.D Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. • Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes. • Decode words with common Latin suffixes. • Decode multisyllable words. • Read grade- appropriate irregularly spelled words. CC.1.1.4.D Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. • Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words. CC.1.1.5.D Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. • Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words. • Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. Fluency Intentionally Blank CC.1.1.K.E Read emergent- reader text with purpose and understanding. CC.1.1.1.E Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. • Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. • Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. • Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. CC.1.1.2.E Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. • Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. • Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. • Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. CC.1.1.3.E Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. • Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. • Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. • Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. CC.1.1.4.E Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. • Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. • Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. • Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. CC.1.1.5.E Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. • Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. • Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. • Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. 1.2 Reading Informational Text Students read, understand, and respond to informational text—with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence. Grade Pre K Grade K Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Key Ideas and DetailsMain Idea CC.1.2.PK.A With prompting and support, retell key details of text that support a provided main idea. CC.1.2.K.A With prompting and support, identify the main idea and retell key details of text. CC.1.2.1.A Identify the main idea and retell key details of text. CC.1.2.2.A Identify the main idea of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. CC.1.2.3.A Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. E03.B-K.1.1.2 CC.1.2.4.A Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. E04.B-K.1.1.2 CC.1.2.5.A Determine two or more main ideas in a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text. E05.B-K.1.1.2 Key Ideas and DetailsText Analysis CC.1.2.PK.B Answer questions about a text. CC.1.2.K.B With prompting and support, answer questions about key details in a text. CC.1.2.1.B Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. CC.1.2.2.B Ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. CC.1.2.3.B Ask and answer questions about the text and make inferences from text; refer to text to support responses. E03.B-K.1.1.1 CC.1.2.4.B Refer to details and examples in text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences. E04.B-K.1.1.1 CC.1.2.5.B Cite textual evidence by quoting accurately from the text to explain what the text says explicitly and make inferences. E05.B-K.1.1.1 Key Ideas and DetailsText Analysis CC.1.2.PK.C With prompting and support, make connections between information in a text and personal experiences. CC.1.2.K.C With prompting and support, make a connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. CC.1.2.1.C Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. CC.1.2.2.C Describe the connection between a series of events, concepts, or steps in a procedure within a text. CC.1.2.3.C Explain how a series of events, concepts, or steps in a procedure is connected within a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. E03.B-K.1.1.3 CC.1.2.4.C Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. E04.B-K.1.1.3 CC.1.2.5.C Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a text based on specific information in the text. E05.B-K.1.1.3 Craft and StructurePoint of View Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank Intentionally Blank CC.1.2.3.D Explain the point of view of the author. E03.B-C.2.1.1 CC.1.2.4.D Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view. E04.B-C.2.1.1 CC.1.2.5.D Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent. E05.B-C.2.1.1 Craft and StructureText Structure CC.1.2.PK.E Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book. CC.1.2.K.E Identify parts of a book (title, author) and parts of a text (beginning, end, details). CC.1.2.1.E Use various text features and search tools to locate key facts or information in a text. CC.1.2.2.E Use various text features and search tools to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently. CC.1.2.3.E Use text features and search tools to locate and interpret information. E03.B-C.2.1.2 CC.1.2.4.E Use text structure to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution). E04.B-C.2.1.2 CC.1.2.5.E Use text structure, in and among texts, to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution). E05.B-C.2.1.2 Craft and StructureVocabulary CC.1.2.PK.F With prompting and support, answer questions about unfamiliar words read aloud from a text. CC.1.2.K.F With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CC.1.2.1.F Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text. CC.1.2.2.F Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text including multiple-meaning words. CC.1.2.3.F Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral meaning as well as shades of meaning among related words. E03.B-V.4.1.1 E03.B-V.4.1.2 CC.1.2.4.F Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including figurative language. E04.B-V.4.1.1 E04.B-V.4.1.2 CC.1.2.5.F Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text, including interpretation of figurative language. E05.B-V.4.1.1 E05.B-V.4.1.2 Integration of Knowledge and IdeasDiverse Media CC.1.2.PK.G With prompting and support, answer questions to connect illustrations to the written word. CC.1.2.K.G Answer questions to describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear. CC.1.2.1.G Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas. CC.1.2.2.G Explain how graphic representations contribute to and clarify a text. CC.1.2.3.G Use information gained from text features to demonstrate understanding of a text. E03.B-C.3.1.3 CC.1.2.4.G Interpret various presentations of information within a text or digital source and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of text in which it appears. E04.B-C.3.1.3 CC.1.2.5.G Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. E05.B-C.3.1.3 Integration of Knowledge and IdeasEvaluating Arguments Intentionally Blank CC.1.2.K.H With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text. CC.1.2.1.H Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text. CC.1.2.2.H Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text. CC.1.2.3.H Describe how an author connects sentences and paragraphs in a text to support particular points. E03.B-C.3.1.1 CC.1.2.4.H Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text. E04.B-C.3.1.1 CC.1.2.5.H Determine how an author supports particular points in a text through reasons and evidence. E05.B-C.3.1.1 Integration of Knowledge and IdeasAnalysis Across Texts CC.1.2.PK.I With prompting and support, identify basic similarities and differences between two texts read aloud on the same topic. CC.1.2.K.I With prompting and support, identify basic similarities and differences between two texts (read or read aloud) on the same topic. CC.1.2.1.I Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic. CC.1.2.2.I Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic. CC.1.2.3.I Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic. E03.B-C.3.1.2 CC.1.2.4.I Integrate information from two texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic. E04.B-C.3.1.2 CC.1.2.5.I Integrate information from several texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic. E05.B-C.3.1.2 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use CC.1.2.PK.J Use new vocabulary and phrases acquired in conversations and being read to. CC.1.2.K.J Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and being read to, and responding to texts. CC.1.2.1.J Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and being read to, and responding to texts, including words that signal connections and relationships between the words and phrases. CC.1.2.2.J Acquire and use grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases. CC.1.2.3.J Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships. E03.B-V.4.1.1 E03.B-V.4.1.2 CC.1.2.4.J Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic. E04.B-V.4.1.1 E04.B-V.4.1.2. CC.1.2.5.J Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships. E05.B-V.4.1.1 E05.B-V.4.1.2. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use CC.1.2.PK.K With prompting and support, clarify unknown words or phrases read aloud. CC.1.2.K.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words and phrases based upon grade-level reading and content. CC.1.2.1.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content. CC.1.2.2.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing from a range of strategies and tools. CC.1.2.3.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. E03.B-V.4.1.1 CC.1.2.4.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. E04.B-V.4.1.1 CC.1.2.5.K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. E05.B-V.4.1.1 Range of Reading CC.1.2.PK.L With prompting and support, actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. CC.1.2.K.L Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. CC.1.2.1.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently. CC.1.2.2.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently. CC.1.2.3.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently. CC.1.2.4.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently. CC.1.2.5.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

Pennsylvania Core Standards for English Language ArtsGrades 6-12

INTRODUCTION

These standards describe what students should know and be able to do with the English language, prekindergarten through Grade 12. The standards provide the targets for instruction and student learning essential for success in all academic areas, not just language arts classrooms. Although the standards are not a curriculum or a prescribed series of activities, school entities will use them to develop a local school curriculum that will meet local students’ needs.

Five standard categories are designed to provide a Pre K-12 continuum to reflect the demands of a college- and career-ready graduate:

With a focus on college and career readiness, the instructional shifts as reflected in Common Core are evident throughout the PA Core Standards:

• Balancing the reading of informational and literary texts so that students can access nonfiction and authentic texts, as well as literature

• Focusing on close and careful reading of text so that students are learning from the text

• Building a staircase of complexity (i.e., each grade level requires a ‘‘step’’ of growth on the ‘‘staircase’’) so that students graduate college or career ready

• Supporting writing from sources (i.e., using evidence from text to inform or make an argument) so that students use evidence and respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read

• Stressing an academically focused vocabulary so that students can access more complex texts

The English Language Arts Standards also provide parents and community members with information about what students should know and be able to do as they progress through the educational program and at graduation. With a clearly defined target provided by the standards, parents, students, educators, and community members become partners in learning. Each standard implies an end-of-year goal—with the understanding that exceeding the standard is an even more desirable end goal.

Note: The Aligned Eligible Content is displayed with the standard statement. On Standard Aligned System portal, it is a live link.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foundational Skills (Pre K-5)… 1.1

Students gain a working knowledge of concepts of print, alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions. These foundational skills are not an end in and of themselves; rather, students apply them as effective readers.

• Book Handling

• Print Concepts

• Phonological Awareness

• Phonics and Word Recognition

• Fluency

Reading Informational Text… 1.2

Students read, understand, and respond to informational text-with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.

• Key Ideas and Details

• Craft and Structure

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Range of Reading

Reading Literature… 1.3

Students read and respond to works of literature-with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.

• Key Ideas and Details

• Craft and Structure

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Range of Reading

Writing… 1.4

Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.

• Informative/Explanatory

• Opinion/Argumentative

• Narrative

• Response to Literature

• Production and Distribution of Writing

• Technology and Publication

• Conducting Research

• Credibility, Reliability, and Validity of Sources

• Range of Writing

Speaking and Listening… 1.5

Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or in group discussions.

• Comprehension and Collaboration

• Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Conventions of Standard English

Pennsylvania Core Standards for MathematicsGrades PreK—High School

INTRODUCTION

The Pennsylvania Core Standards in Mathematics in grades PreK-5 lay a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and decimals. Taken together, these elements support a student’s ability to learn and apply more demanding math concepts and procedures. The middle school and high school standards call on students to practice applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges; they prepare students to think and reason mathematically. Additionally, they set a rigorous definition of college and career readiness by demanding that students develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly do. Although the standards are not a curriculum or a prescribed series of activities, school entities will use them to develop a local school curriculum that will meet local students’ needs.

This document includes PA Core Standards for Mathematical Content and Mathematical Practice. The mathematics standards define what students should understand and be able to do. Mathematical Practice Standards describes the habits of mind required to reach a level of mathematical proficiency.

Standards cannot be viewed or addressed in isolation, as each standard depends upon or may lead into multiple standards across grades; thus, it is imperative that educators are familiar with both the standards that come before and those that follow a particular grade level. These revised standards reflect instructional shifts that cannot occur without the integrated emphasis on content and practice.

Standards are overarching statements of what a proficient math student should know and be able to do. The Pennsylvania Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content closely align with the revised standards and are an invaluable source for greater detail.

Key Points in Mathematics

• The standards stress both procedural skills and conceptual understanding to ensure students are learning and applying the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels.

• K-5 standards, which provide students with a solid foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and decimals, help young students build the foundation to successfully apply more demanding math concepts and procedures, and move into application. They also provide detailed guidance to teachers on how to navigate their way through topics such as fractions, negative numbers, and geometry, and do so by maintaining a continuous progression from grade to grade.

• Having built a strong foundation at K-5, students can do hands-on learning in geometry, algebra, and probability and statistics. Students who have mastered the content and skills through the seventh grade will be well-prepared for algebra in grade 8.

• High school standards emphasize practicing applying mathematical ways of thinking to real world issues and challenges.

The PA Core Standards for Mathematics detail four standard areas: Numbers and Operations, Algebraic Concepts, Geometry, and Measurement, Data, and Probability. These standard areas are reflective of the reporting categories in the PA Core Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content. The intent of this document is to provide a useful tool for designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The grade level curriculum and instructional shifts in mathematics cannot occur without the integrated emphasis on content and practice. The chart below illustrates the four standard areas and the development and progression of the strands, with an understanding that all is framed around the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Key Terms for this Document

Standards for Mathematical Contents—These standards define what students should know and be able to do in their study of mathematics.

Standards for Mathematical Practice—These standards describe the processes and proficiencies in which all students grades K-12 should engage. Educators must instill these standards of practice in their students so that they become habitual. The standards for mathematical practice should be used as the vehicle to deliver the standards of mathematical content.

Standard Algorithm—A locally agreed upon method of computation which is conventionally taught for solving mathematical problems.

Decimal Fraction—A fraction whose denominator is a power of ten (examples: 2/100, 8/10). These fractions are commonly expressed as decimals.

Unit Fraction—A rational number written as a fraction where the numerator is one and the denominator is a positive integer (example: 1/20).

Bivariate Data—The data involves two variables and is usually represented as a scatter plot.

Rule—A single operation (examples: add 5, multiply by 2).

APPENDIX B

{Reserved}

Authority

The provisions of this Appendix B amended under sections 121, 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. § § 1-121, 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B).

Source

The provisions of this Appendix B adopted January 4, 2002, effective January 5, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 17; amended February 28, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1131; corrected March 21, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1754, deleted July 1, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 1234, unless otherwise noted. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (422310) to (422312), (286565) to (286596), (371219) to (371224), (286599) to (286602), (371225) to (371232), (286605) to (286652) and (422313).

Cross References

This appendix cited in 22 Pa. Code § 4.12 (relating to academic standards); 22 Pa. Code § 4.24 (relating to high school graduation requirements); 22 Pa. Code § 4.51 (relating to State assessment system); 22 Pa. Code § 4.51a (relating to Pennsylvania System of School Assessment); and 22 Pa. Code § 4.51b (relating to Keystone Exams).

APPENDIX B-1

Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Environment, Ecology, Technology and Engineering (Grades K—5)1, 2, Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Environment and Ecology (Grades 6—12), and Pennsylvania Technology and Engineering Standards (Grades 6—12)

Authority

The provisions of this Appendix B-1 added under sections 2603-B and 2304-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. § § 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B); amended under sections 290.1, 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. § § 2-290.1, 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B), unless otherwise noted.

Source

The provisions of this Appendix B-1 added July 15, 2022, effective July 16, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 3946; amended February 7, 2025, effective February 8, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 1234, unless otherwise noted. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (410373) to (410396).

Cross References

This appendix cited in 22 Pa. Code § 4.12 (relating to academic standards); 22 Pa. Code § 4.24 (relating to high school graduation requirements); 22 Pa. Code § 4.51 (relating to State assessment system); 22 Pa. Code § 4.51a (relating to Pennsylvania System of School Assessment); and 22 Pa. Code § 4.51b (relating to Keystone Exams).

¹ Across grades K—5, all of the core ideas in Table 1 are covered, but not every discipline or core idea is reflected at every grade.

² The language of the standards is adapted, informed by or taken from the: National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K—12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. North American Association for Environmental Education (2019) K—12 environmental education: Guidelines for excellence; International Society for Technology in Education Standards. (2019). ISTE standards for students; International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) (2020); NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next generation science standards: For states, by states; Standards for technological and engineering literacy: The role of technology and engineering in STEM education. National Council for Agricultural Education. (2015); International Society for Technology in Education. (2019). ISTE Standards for students. Agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) career cluster content standards; Pennsylvania State Board of Education. (2002). Academic standards for science and technology; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2002). Safety guidelines for elementary and technology education teachers; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (n.d.). Pennsylvania career ready skills continuum; Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy. (2020); Pennsylvania Association for Environmental Educators. (September 2015). Pennsylvania environmental literacy plan Pennsylvania State Board of Education. (2002). Academic standards for environment and ecology. North American Association for Environmental Education. (2014). State environmental literacy plans: 2014 status report.

Kindergarten

Earth and Space Sciences

Earth and Human Activity

1. Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

2. Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to, severe weather.

3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

Earth’s Systems

1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

2. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

Life Science

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

1. Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

Physical Science

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

1. Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.

2. Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.

Energy

1. Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface.

2. Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area.

Grade 1

Earth and Space Sciences

Earth’s Place in the Universe

1. Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.

2. Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.

Life Science

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

2. Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

1. Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.

Physical Science

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

1. Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.

2. Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects can be seen only when illuminated.

3. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.

4. Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.

Grade 2

Earth and Space Sciences

Earth’s Place in the Universe

1. Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.

Earth’s Systems

1. Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.

2. Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

3. Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

Life Science

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

1. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

2. Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Matter and its Interactions

1. Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

2. Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

3. Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.

4. Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

Grade 3

Earth and Space Sciences

Earth’s Systems

1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Earth and Human Activity

1. Make a claim supported by evidence about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

Life Science

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

1. Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

1. Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.

2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

1. Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.

2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.

3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

4. Make a claim supported by evidence about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.

Physical Science

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

2. Make and communicate observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

3. Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.

4. Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.

Grade 4

Earth and Space Sciences

Earth’s Place in the Universe

1. Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.

Earth’s Systems

1. Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.

2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.

Earth and Human Activity

1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

Life Science

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

2. Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Physical Science

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

1. Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.

2. Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

3. Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.

Energy

1. Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

2. Make and communicate observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

3. Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

Grade 5

Earth and Space Sciences

Earth’s Place in the Universe

1. Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth.

2. Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.

Earth’s Systems

1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.

2. Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

Earth and Human Activity

1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

2. Generate and design possible solutions to a current environmental issue, threat, or concern.

Life Science

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

1. Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

Physical Science

Matter and Its Interactions

1. Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

2. Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.

3. Make and communicate observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.

4. Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

5. Interpret and analyze data to make decisions about how to utilize materials based on their properties.

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

1. Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.

Energy

1. Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.

Standards by Grade Band

Grades K—2: Environmental Literacy and Sustainability

Agricultural and Environmental Systems and Resources

1. Examine how people from different cultures and communities, including one’s own, interact and express their beliefs about nature.

2. Categorize ways people harvest, re-distribute, and use natural resources.

Environmental Literacy Skills

1. Explain ways that places differ in their physical characteristics, their meaning, and their value and/or importance.

2. Plan and carry out an investigation to address an issue in their local environment and community.

Grades K—2: Technology and Engineering

Applying, Maintaining, and Assessing Technological Products and Systems

1. Analyze how things work.

2. Identify and use everyday symbols.

3. Describe qualities of everyday products.

Core Concepts of Technology and Engineering

1. Illustrate how systems have parts or components that work together to accomplish a goal.

2. Safely use tools to complete tasks.

3. Explain that materials are selected for use because they possess desirable properties and characteristics.

4. Develop a plan in order to complete a task.

5. Collaborate effectively as a member of a team.

Design in Technology and Engineering Education

1. Apply design concepts, principles, and processes through play and exploration.

2. Demonstrate that designs have requirements.

3. Explain that design is a response to wants and needs.

4. Discuss that all designs have different characteristics that can be described.

5. Illustrate that there are different solutions to a design and that none are perfect.

6. Demonstrate essential skills of the engineering design process.

7. Apply skills necessary for making a design.

History of Technology

1. Discuss how the way people live and work has changed throughout history because of technology.

Impacts of Technology

1. Explain ways that technology helps with everyday tasks.

2. Illustrate helpful and harmful effects of technology.

3. Compare simple technologies to evaluate their impacts.

4. Select ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle resources in daily life.

5. Design new technologies that could improve their daily lives.

Influence of Society on Technological Development

1. Explain the needs and wants of individuals and societies.

2. Explore how technologies are developed to meet individual and societal needs and wants.

3. Investigate the use of technologies in the home and community.

Integration of Knowledge, Technologies, and Practices

1. Apply concepts and skills from technology and engineering activities that reinforce concepts and skills across multiple content areas.

2. Draw connections between technology and human experiences.

Nature and Characteristics of Technology and Engineering

1. Compare the natural world and human-made world.

2. Explain the tools and techniques that people use to help them do things.

3. Demonstrate that creating can be done by anyone.

4. Discuss the roles of scientists, engineers, technologists and others who work with technology.

Grades 3—5: Environmental Literacy and Sustainability

Agricultural and Environmental Systems and Resources

1. Analyze how living organisms, including humans, affect the environment in which they live, and how their environment affects them.

2. Make a claim about the environmental and social impacts of design solutions and civic actions, including their own actions.

Environmental Literacy Skills

1. Investigate how perspectives over the use of resources and the development of technology have changed over time and resulted in conflict over the development of societies and nations.

2. Develop a model to demonstrate how local environmental issues are connected to larger local environment and human systems.

Sustainability and Stewardship

1. Critique ways that people depend on and change the environment.

2. Examine ways you influence your local environment and community by collecting and displaying data.

3. Construct an argument to support whether action is needed on a selected environmental issue and propose possible solutions.

Grades 3—5: Technology and Engineering

Applying, Maintaining, and Assessing Technological Products and Systems

1. Follow directions to complete a technological task.

2. Use appropriate symbols, numbers and words to communicate key ideas about technological products and systems.

3. Identify why a product or system is not working properly.

4. Examine information to assess the trade-offs of using a product or system.

Core Concepts of Technology and Engineering

1. Describe how a subsystem is a system that operates as a part of another larger system.

2. Illustrate how, when parts of a system are missing, it may not work as planned.

3. Identify the resources needed to get a technical job done, such as people, materials, capital, tools, machines, knowledge, energy, and time.

4. Describe the properties of different materials.

5. Demonstrate how tools and machines extend human capabilities, such as holding, lifting, carrying, fastening, separating, and computing.

6. Describe requirements of designing or making a product or system.

7. Create a new product that improves someone’s life.

Design in Technology and Engineering Education

1. Illustrate that there are multiple approaches to design.

2. Demonstrate essential skills of the engineering design process.

3. Evaluate designs based on criteria, constraints, and standards.

4. Interpret how good design improves the human condition.

5. Apply universal principles and elements of design.

6. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing design solutions, including their own solutions.

7. Practice successful design skills.

8. Apply tools, techniques, and materials in a safe manner as part of the design process.

History of Technology

1. Create representations of the tools people made, how they cultivated to provide food, made clothing, and built shelters to protect themselves.

Impacts of Technology

1. Describe the helpful and harmful effects of technology.

2. Judge technologies to determine the best one to use to complete a given task or meet a need.

3. Classify resources used to create technologies as either renewable or nonrenewable.

4. Explain why responsible use of technology requires sustainable management of resources.

5. Predict how certain aspects of their daily lives would be different without given technologies.

Influence of Society on Technological Development

1. Determine factors that influence changes in a society’s technological systems or infrastructure.

2. Explain how technologies are developed or adapted when individual or societal needs and wants change.

Integration of Knowledge, Technologies, and Practices

1. Demonstrate how simple technologies are often combined to form more complex systems.

2. Explain how various relationships can exist between technology and engineering and other content areas.

Nature and Characteristics of Technology and Engineering

1. Compare how things found in nature differ from things that are human-made, noting differences and similarities in how they are produced and used.

2. Describe the unique relationship between science and technology, and how the natural world can contribute to the human-made world to foster innovation.

3. Differentiate between the role of scientists, engineers, technologists, and others in creating and maintaining technological systems.

4. Design solutions by safely using tools, materials, and skills.

5. Explain how solutions to problems are shaped by economic, political, and cultural forces.

Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science,Environment and Ecology (Grades 6—12)

Standards for Grades 6—8^{3, 4}

Physical Science

Structure and Properties of Matter

1. Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.

2. Gather and make sense of information to describe how synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.

3. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in the particle motion, temperature and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

Chemical Reactions

1. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

2. Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

3. Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.*

Forces and Interactions

1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.*

2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

Energy

1. Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass and speed of an object.

³ The asterisk (*) indicates that the Performance Expectation is integrating Engineering Design.

⁴ The language of the standards is adapted, informed by or taken from the: National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K—12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. North American Association for Environmental Education (2019) K—12 environmental education: Guidelines for excellence; International Society for Technology in Education Standards. (2019). ISTE standards for students; International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) (2020); NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next generation science standards: For states, by states; Standards for technological and engineering literacy: The role of technology and engineering in STEM education. National Council for Agricultural Education. (2015); International Society for Technology in Education. (2019). ISTE Standards for students. Agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) career cluster content standards; Pennsylvania State Board of Education. (2002). Academic standards for science and technology; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2002). Safety guidelines for elementary and technology education teachers; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (n.d.). Pennsylvania career ready skills continuum; Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy. (2020); Pennsylvania Association for Environmental Educators. (September 2015). Pennsylvania environmental literacy plan Pennsylvania State Board of Education. (2002). Academic standards for environment and ecology. North American Association for Environmental Education. (2014). State environmental literacy plans: 2014 status report.

2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

3. Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.*

4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

5. Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation

1. Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

2. Develop and use a model to describe how waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

Life Science

Structure, Function, and Information Processing

1. Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells, either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.

2. Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and the ways that parts of cells contribute to the function.

3. Use arguments supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

4. Gather and synthesize information about how sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories.

Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

2. Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.

3. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

4. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

5. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

1. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

2. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.*

Growth, Development, and Reproduction of Organisms

1. Use arguments based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants, respectively.

2. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

3. Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.

4. Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

5. Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.

Natural Selection and Adaptations

1. Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.

2. Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

3. Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in anatomical structures across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.

4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

5. Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

Earth and Space Science

Space Systems

1. Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.

2. Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motion within galaxies and the solar system.

3. Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.

History of Earth

1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history.

2. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

3. Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of past plate motions.

Earth’s Systems

1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

2. Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.

3. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

Weather and Climate

1. Collect data to provide evidence for how the motion and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.

2. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

3. Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.

Human Impacts

1. Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

2. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.*

3. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

Engineering Design (Define Problems, Develop Solutions and Improve Designs)

1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Environmental Literacy and Sustainability

Agricultural and Environmental Systems and Resources

Agricultural Systems

1. Develop a model to describe how agricultural and food systems function, including the sustainable use of natural resources and the production, processing, and management of food, fiber, and energy.

Environment and Society

1. Analyze and interpret data about how different societies (economic and social systems) and cultures use and manage natural resources differently.

Watersheds and Wetlands

1. Develop a model to describe how watersheds and wetlands function as systems, including the roles and functions they serve.

Environmental Literacy Skills

Investigating Environmental Issues

1. Gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple sources to investigate how Pennsylvania environmental issues affect Pennsylvania’s human and natural systems.

Environmental Experiences

1. Collect, analyze, and interpret environmental data to describe a local environment.

Evaluating Solutions

1. Obtain and communicate information on how integrated pest management could improve indoor and outdoor environments.

Sustainability and Stewardship

Environmental Sustainability

1. Obtain and communicate information to describe how best management practices and environmental laws are designed to achieve environmental sustainability.

Environmental Stewardship

1. Design a solution to an environmental issue in which individuals and societies can engage as stewards of the environment.

Environmental Justice

1. Construct an explanation that describes regional environmental conditions and their implications on environmental justice and social equity.

Standards for Grades 9—125, 6

Physical Science

Structure and Properties of Matter

1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

2. Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.

3. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

4. Communicate scientific and technical information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials.*

Chemical Reactions

1. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

2. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

3. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.

4. Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.*

5. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.

Forces and Interactions

1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

⁵ The asterisk (*) indicates that the Performance Expectation is integrating Engineering Design.

⁶ The language of the standards is adapted, informed by or taken from the: National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K—12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. North American Association for Environmental Education (2019) K—12 environmental education: Guidelines for excellence; International Society for Technology in Education Standards. (2019). ISTE standards for students; International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) (2020); NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next generation science standards: For states, by states; Standards for technological and engineering literacy: The role of technology and engineering in STEM education. National Council for Agricultural Education. (2015); International Society for Technology in Education. (2019). ISTE Standards for students. Agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) career cluster content standards; Pennsylvania State Board of Education. (2002). Academic standards for science and technology; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2002). Safety guidelines for elementary and technology education teachers; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (n.d.). Pennsylvania career ready skills continuum; Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy. (2020); Pennsylvania Association for Environmental Educators. (September 2015). Pennsylvania environmental literacy plan Pennsylvania State Board of Education. (2002). Academic standards for environment and ecology. North American Association for Environmental Education. (2014). State environmental literacy plans: 2014 status report.

3. Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.*

4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.

5. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

Energy

1. Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.

2. Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative positions of particles (objects).

3. Design, build and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.*

4. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

5. Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation

1. Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.

2. Evaluate questions about the advantages of using digital transmission and storage of information.

3. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other.

4. Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.

5. Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.*

Life Science

Structure and Function

1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.

2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.

3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

1. Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.

2. Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.

3. Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

4. Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

5. Use mathematical representations to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem.

6. Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

1. Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.

2. Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.

3. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

4. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.*

5. Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.

6. Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate the adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.*

Inheritance and Variation of Traits

1. Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.

2. Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.

3. Make and defend a claim based on evidence that inheritable genetic variations may result from (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) viable errors occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors.

4. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.

Natural Selection and Evolution

1. Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.

2. Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.

3. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.

4. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.

5. Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.

Earth and Space Science

Space Systems

1. Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to release energy in the form of radiation.

2. Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, the motion of distant galaxies, and the composition of matter in the universe.

3. Communicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements.

4. Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.

History of Earth

1. Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks.

2. Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history.

3. Develop a model to illustrate how Earth’s internal and surface processes operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features.

Earth’s Systems

1. Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedback that causes changes to other Earth systems.

2. Develop a model based on evidence of Earth’s interior to describe the cycling of matter by thermal convection.

3. Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.

4. Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

5. Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth.

Weather and Climate

1. Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

2. Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.

Human Sustainability

1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.

2. Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.*

3. Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.

4. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces the impact of human activities on natural systems.*

5. Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

Engineering Design (Define Problems, Develop Solutions and Improve Designs)

1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

4. Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.

Environmental Literacy and Sustainability

Agricultural and Environmental Systems and Resources

Agricultural Systems

1. Analyze and interpret how issues, trends, technologies, and policies impact agricultural, food, and environmental systems and resources.

Environment and Society

1. Apply research and analytical skills to evaluate the conditions and motivations that lead to conflict, cooperation, and change among individuals, groups, and nations.

Watersheds and Wetlands

1. Analyze and interpret how issues, trends, technologies, and policies impact watersheds and water resources.

Environmental Literacy Skills

Investigating Environmental Issues

1. Apply research and analytical skills to systematically investigate environmental issues ranging from local issues to those that are regional or global in scope.

Environmental Experiences

1. Plan and conduct an investigation utilizing environmental data about a local environmental issue.

Evaluating Solutions

1. Evaluate and communicate the effect of integrated pest management practices on indoor and outdoor environments.

Sustainability and Stewardship

Environmental Sustainability

1. Analyze and evaluate how best management practices and environmental laws achieve sustainability of natural resources.

Environmental Stewardship

1. Design and evaluate solutions in which individuals and societies can promote stewardship in environmental quality and community well-being.

Environmental Justice

1. Analyze and interpret data on a regional environmental condition and its implications on environmental justice and social equity.

Technology and Engineering Academic Standards⁷

Grades 6—8

Nature and Characteristics of Technology and Engineering

1. Consider historical factors that have contributed to the development of technologies and human progress.

2. Engage in a research and development process to simulate how inventions and innovations have evolved through systematic tests and refinements.

3. Differentiate between inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback in technological systems.

4. Demonstrate how systems thinking involves considering relationships between every part, as well as how the systems interact with the environment in which it is used.

5. Create an open-loop system that has no feedback path and requires human intervention.

6. Create a closed-loop system that has a feedback path and requires no human intervention.

7. Predict outcomes of a future product or system at the beginning of the design process.

8. Apply informed problem-solving strategies to the improvement of existing devices or processes or the development of new approaches.

9. Explain how technology and engineering are closely linked to creativity, which can result in both intended and unintended innovations.

10. Compare how different technologies involve different sets of processes.

Integration of Knowledge, Technologies, and Practices

1. Compare, contrast, and identify overlap between the contributions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the development of technological systems.

2. Analyze how different technological systems often interact with economic, environmental, and social systems.

3. Adapt and apply an existing product, system, or process to solve a problem in a different setting.

4. Demonstrate how knowledge gained from other content areas affects the development of technological products and systems.

Applying, Maintaining, Assessing and Evaluating Technological Products and Systems

1. Examine the ways that technology can have both positive and negative effects at the same time.

⁷ The language of the standards is adapted, informed or from the: International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA). (2020). Standards for technological and engineering literacy: The role of technology and engineering in STEM education. Pennsylvania State Board of Education. (2002). Academic standards for science and technology; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2002). Safety guidelines for elementary and technology education teachers; Pennsylvania Department of Education. (n.d.). Pennsylvania career ready skills continuum.

2. Analyze how the creation and use of technologies consumes renewable, non-renewable, and inexhaustible resources; creates waste; and may contribute to environmental challenges.

3. Consider the impacts of a proposed or existing technology and devise strategies for reducing, reusing, and recycling waste caused by its creation.

4. Analyze examples of technologies that have changed the way people think, interact, live, and communicate.

5. Hypothesize what alternative outcomes (individual, cultural, and/or environmental) might have resulted had a different technological solution been selected.

6. Analyze how an invention or innovation was influenced by the context and circumstances in which it is developed.

7. Evaluate trade-offs based on various perspectives as part of a decision process that recognizes the need for careful compromises among competing factors.

8. Research information from various sources to use and maintain technological products or systems.

9. Use tools, materials, and machines to safely diagnose, adjust, and repair systems.

10. Use devices to control technological systems.

11. Design methods to gather data about technological systems.

12. Interpret the accuracy of information collected.

13. Use instruments to gather data on the performance of everyday products.

Design Thinking in Technology and Engineering Education

1. Apply a technology and engineering design thinking process.

2. Develop innovative products and systems that solve problems and extend capabilities based on individual or collective needs and wants.

3. Illustrate the benefits and opportunities associated with different approaches to design.

4. Create solutions to problems by identifying and applying human factors in design.

5. Evaluate and assess the strengths and weaknesses of various design solutions given established principles and elements of design.

6. Refine design solutions to address criteria and constraints.

7. Defend decisions related to a design problem.

Grades 9—12

Nature and Characteristics of Technology & Engineering

1. Evaluate how technology and engineering have been powerful forces in reshaping the social, cultural, political, and economic landscapes throughout history.

2. Relate how technological and engineering developments have been evolutionary, often the result of a series of refinements to basic inventions or technological knowledge.

3. Identify and explain how the evolution of civilization has been directly affected by, and has in turn affected, the development and use of tools, materials, and processes.

4. Analyze how the Industrial Revolution resulted in the development of mass production, sophisticated transportation and communication systems, advanced construction practices, and improved education and leisure time.

5. Investigate the widespread changes that have resulted from the Information Age, which has placed emphasis on the processing and exchange of information.

6. Analyze the rate of technological and engineering development and predict future diffusion and adoption of new innovations and technologies.

7. Demonstrate the use of conceptual, graphical, virtual, mathematical, and physical modeling to identify conflicting considerations before the entire system is developed and to aid in design decision making.

8. Analyze the stability of a technological system and how it is influenced by all of the components in the system, especially those in the feedback loop.

9. Troubleshoot and improve a flawed system embedded within a larger technological, social, or environmental system.

10. Use project management tools, strategies, and processes in planning, organizing, and controlling work.

11. Implement quality control as a planned process to ensure that a product, service, or system meets established criteria.

Integration of Knowledge, Technologies, and Practices

1. Assess how similarities and differences among scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical knowledge and skills contributed to the design of a product or system.

2. Develop a plan that incorporates knowledge from science, mathematics, and other disciplines to design or improve a technological product or system.

3. Analyze how technology transfer occurs when a user applies an existing innovation developed for one function for a different purpose.

4. Evaluate how technology enhances opportunities for new products and services through globalization.

5. Connect technological and engineering progress to the advancement of other areas of knowledge and vice versa.

Applying, Maintaining, Assessing, and Evaluating Technological Products and Systems

1. Develop a solution to a technological problem that has the least negative environmental and social impact.

2. Develop a device or system for the marketplace.

3. Evaluate ways that technology and engineering can impact individuals, society, and the environment.

4. Critique whether existing or proposed technologies use resources sustainably.

5. Critically assess and evaluate a technology that minimizes resource use and resulting waste to achieve a goal.

6. Evaluate a technological innovation that arose from a specific society’s unique need or want.

7. Evaluate how technology and engineering advancements alter human health and capabilities.

8. Evaluate a technological innovation that was met with societal resistance impacting its development.

9. Use various approaches to communicate processes and procedures for using, maintaining, and assessing technological products and systems.

10. Synthesize data and analyze trends to make decisions about technological products, systems, or processes.

11. Interpret laws, regulations, policies, and other factors that impact the development and use of technology.

Design Thinking in Technology and Engineering Education

1. Apply a broad range of design skills to a design thinking process.

2. Implement and critique principles, elements, and factors of design.

3. Evaluate and define the purpose of a design.

4. Conduct research to inform intentional inventions and innovations that address specific needs and wants.

5. Analyze and use relevant and appropriate design thinking processes to solve technological and engineering problems.

6. Implement the best possible solution to a design using an explicit process.

7. Apply principles of human-centered design.

8. Optimize a design by addressing desired qualities within criteria and constraints while considering trade-offs.

9. Use a design thinking process to design an appropriate technology for use in a different culture.

10. Apply appropriate design thinking processes to diagnose, adjust, and repair systems to ensure precise, safe, and proper functionality.

11. Recognize and explain how their community and the world around them informs technological development and engineering design.

12. Safely apply an appropriate range of making skills to a design thinking process.

(Editor’s Note: Under § 4.12(a)(3)(iv), the academic standards for Economics in Appendix C, which appear in 22 Pa. Code pages 4-227—4-248, serial pages (294939) to (294960), expire July 1, 2026, and the academic standards for Economics in Appendix C-1 apply on and after that date.)

APPENDIX C

Academic Standards for Civics and Government andEconomics and Geography and HistoryAcademic Standards for History

Academic Standards for Civics and Government

Authority

The provisions of this Appendix C amended under sections 121, 290.1, 1551, 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. § § 1-121, 2-290.1, 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B), unless otherwise noted.

Source

The provisions of this Appendix C adopted January 10, 2003, effective January 12, 2003, 33 Pa.B. 283; amended February 28, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1131; corrected March 21, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1754; amended February 7, 2025, effective February 8, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 1234, corrected March 21, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 2255, unless otherwise noted. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (410397) to (410398), (294915) to (295012), (371235) to (371244) and (295013) to (295014).

Cross References

This appendix cited in 22 Pa. Code § 4.12 (relating to academic standards).

Academic Standards for Civics and Government

XIII. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction… XIV.

THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Principles and Documents of Government …5.1.

A. Purpose of Government

B. Rule of Law

C. Principles and Ideals that Shape Government

D. Documents and Ideals Shaping Pennsylvania Government

E. Documents and Ideals Shaping United States Government

F. Rights Created by the Pennsylvania and United States Constitutions

G. Use, Display and Respect for the United States Flag

H. Contributions of Farmers of Government

I. Sources, Purposes and Functions of Law

J. Individual Rights and the Common Good

K. Roles of Symbols and Holidays

L. Role of Courts in Resolving Conflicts

M. Speeches and Writings that Impact Civic Life

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship…5.2.

A. Civic Rights, Responsibilities and Duties

B. Relationship Between Rights and Responsibilities

C. Sources and Resolution of Conflicts

D. Political Leadership and Public Service

E. Ways Citizens Influence Decisions and Actions of Government

F. Consequences of Violating Rules and Law

G. Competent and Responsible Citizen

How Government Works… 5.3.

A. Structure, Organization and Operation of Governments

B. Branches of Government

C. How a Bill Becomes a Law

D. Services Performed by Governments

E. Roles of Leaders in Government

F. Elements of the Election Process

G. Protection of Individual Rights

H. Impact of Interest Groups on Government

I. How and Why Governments Raise Money

J. Influence of the Media

K. Systems of Government

How International Relationships Function…5.4.

A. How Customs and Traditions Influences Governments

B. Role of United States in World Affairs

C. Impact of United States on the Political Ideals of Nations

D. How Foreign Policy is Developed and Implemented

E. Purposes and Functions of International Organizations

Glossary …XV.

XIV. INTRODUCTION

This document includes Academic Standards for Civics and Government that describe what students should know and be able to do in four areas:

• 5.1. Principles and Documents of Government

• 5.2. Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

• 5.3. How Government Works

• 5.4. How International Relationships Function

The Civics and Government Academic Standards describe what students should know and be able to do at four grade levels (third, sixth, ninth and twelfth). Throughout the standard statements, concepts found in lower grades must be developed more fully throughout higher grade levels.

The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1790 was the basis for the Free Public School Act of 1834 that is the underpinning of today’s system of schools operating throughout the Commonwealth. These schools were created to educate children to be useful citizens, loyal to the principles upon which our Republic was founded, and aware of their duties as citizens to maintain those ideals.

The Academic Standards for Civics and Government are based on the Public School Code of 1949 which directs ‘‘. . . teaching and presentation of the principles and ideals of the American republican representative form of government as portrayed and experienced by the acts and policies of the framers of the Declaration of Independence and framers of the Constitution of the United States andBill of Rights. . .’’. The intent of the Code is that such instruction ‘‘shall have for its purpose also instilling into every boy and girl who comes out of public, private and parochial schools their solemn duty and obligation to exercise intelligently their voting privilege and to understand the advantages of the American republican form of government as compared with various other forms of governments.’’

The Academic Standards for Civics and Government consist of four standard categories (designated as 5.1., 5.2., 5.3., and 5.4.). Each category has a number of standards statements designated by a capital letter. Some standard statements have bulleted items known as standard descriptors. The standard descriptors are items within the document to illustrate and enhance the standard statement. The categories, statements and descriptors are regulations. The descriptors may be followed by an “e.g.”. The “e.g.’s” are examples to clarify what type of information could be taught. These are suggestions and the choice of specific content is a local decision as is the method of instruction.

Civics and Government along with Economics, Geography and History are identified as Social Studies in Chapter 4. This identification is consistent with citizenship education in Chapter 49 and Chapter 354. Based on these regulations, Social Studies/Citizenship Programs should include the four sets of standards as an entity in developing a scope and sequence for curriculum and planned instruction.

A glossary is included to assist the reader in clarifying terminology contained in the standards.

XV. GLOSSARY Amendment (Constitutional): Changes in, or additions to, a constitution. Proposed by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress or by a convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. Ratified by approval of three-fourths of the state. Articles of Confederation: First framework of government of the United States, 1781. Created a weak national government, replaced in 1789 by the Constitution of the United States. Authority: Right to control or direct the actions of others, legitimized by law, morality, custom or consent. Autocracy: A government in which one person possesses unlimited power. Bill of Rights: First Ten Amendments to the Constitution. Ratified in 1791, these amendments limit government power and protect basic rights and liberties of individuals. Caucuses:A private meeting of members of a political party to plan action or to select delegates for a nominating convention. The term also refers to distinct groups, either official or unofficial, in Congress, as in the black caucus in the House of Representatives. Checks and balances: Constitutional mechanisms that authorize each branch of government to share powers with the other branches and thereby check their activities. For example, the president may veto legislation passed by Congress, the Senate must confirm major executive appointments and the courts may declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. Citizen: Member of a political society who therefore owes allegiance to and is entitled to protection by and from the government. Citizenship: Status of being a member of a state; one who owes allegiance to the government and is entitled to protection by and from the government. Civic life:A manner of existence of an individual concerned with the affairs of communities and the common good rather than solely in pursuit of private and personal interests. Civic responsibilities: Obligation of citizens to take part in the governance of the school, community, tribe, state or nation. Civil disobedience:Refusal to obey laws. This tactic is usually passive and nonviolent, aimed at bringing injustices to the attention of lawmakers and the public at large. An example of civil disobedience was the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Civil rights: Protections and privileges given to all United States citizens by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Civil society: The spheres of voluntary individual, social and economic relationships and organizations that although limited by law are not part of governmental institutions. Classical republicanism: Refers to government that seeks the public or common good rather than the good of a particular group or class of society. Common or public good: Benefit or interest of a politically organized society as a whole. Confederal: Relating to a league of independent states. Constitutional government:A form of authority in which a legal structure details the powers available to each branch of government and the rights of the individual in relation to the government. Any action by government that is not in accord with the Constitution is considered illegitimate. Democracy: Form of government in which political control is exercised by the people, either directly or through their elected representatives. Diplomacy: The art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations. Direct democracy:Form of government in which the people completely exercise political decisions. Diversity: State of being different; variety. Documents of government: Papers necessary for the organization and powers of government. Double jeopardy:A concept established by law that says a person cannot be tried twice for the same offense. It is part of the Fifth Amendment, which states that ‘‘no person shall . . . be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.’’ Due process of law: Right of every citizen to be protected against arbitrary action by government. Economic rights:Financial choices and privileges that individuals may select without government prohibition. Economic rights would include: right to own property, change employment, operate a business and join a labor union. Electoral College:The group of presidential electors that casts the official votes for president after the presidential election. Each state has a number of electors equal to the total of its members in the Senate and House of Representatives. Enumerated powers: Powers that are specifically granted to Congress by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. Equal protection:An idea that no individual or group may receive special privileges from nor be unjustly discriminated against by the political authority of the legal system. Equality: The condition of possessing substantially the same rights, privileges and immunities, and being substantially responsible for the same duties as other members of society. Federal Supremacy Clause: Article VI of the Constitution provides that the Constitution and all federal laws and treaties shall be the ‘‘Supreme Law of the Land.’’ Therefore, all federal laws take precedence over state and local laws. Federal system (or Federalism): Form of political organization in which governmental power is divided between a central government and territorial subdivisions (e.g., in the United States—the national, state and local governments). Federalism: The distribution of power in a government between a central authority and states and the distribution of power among states with most powers retained by central government. Foreign Policy: Actions of the federal government directed to matters beyond United States’ borders, especially relations with other countries. Government: Institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled. Habeas Corpus: Court order demanding that the individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention. Habeas corpus is guaranteed by the Constitution and can be suspended only in the case of rebellion or invasion. Individual responsibility: Fulfilling the moral and legal obligations of membership in society. Individual rights: Just claims due a person by law, morality or tradition as opposed to those due to groups. Interest group: Organized body of individuals who share same goals and try to influence public policy to meet those goals. International organizations: Groups formed by nation-states to achieve common political, social or economic goals. Judicial Review: Doctrine that permits the federal courts to declare unconstitutional, and thus null and void, acts of the Congress, the executive branch and the states. The precedent for judicial review was established in the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison. Justice: That which may be obtained through fair distribution of benefits and burdens, fair correction of wrongs and injuries, or use of fair procedures in gathering information and making decisions. Leadership: State or condition of one who guides or governs. Liberal Democracy: Government that recognizes that the individual has rights that exist independently of government and which ought to be protected by and against government. Liberty: Freedom from restraint under conditions essential to the equal enjoyment of the same right by others. Limited government:A legal structure where officials in authority do not have enormous power. The Constitution of the United States limits government through methods of checks and balances. Majority rule: Decision by more than half of those participating in the decision-making process. Minority rights: Opportunities that a member is entitled to have, or to receive from others within the limits of the law, even though he/she may not be part of the controlling group. Nation-state: Divisions of the world in which each state claims sovereignty over defined territory and jurisdiction over everyone within it. These states interact using diplomacy, formal agreements and sanctions that may be peaceful or may involve the use of force. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an international transatlantic partnership consisting of various European states, the United States and Canada, which was designed through cooperation, consultation and collective defense to maintain peace and promote stability throughout Europe. Non-governmental organization: A group in a free society that is not a part of any government institution and does not derive its power from government. OAS: Organization of American States, an international governmental organization formed by the states of North and South America for security and the protection of mutual interests. Oligarchy: A government in which a small group exercises control. These systems are usually based on wealth, military power or social position. Patriotism: A feeling of pride in and respect for one’s country. Personal rights:Private legal privileges and decisions that individuals are free to participate in without intervention from government. Personal rights would include the right to vote, petition, assemble, and seek public office. Political party: Any group, however loosely organized, that seeks to elect government officials under a given label. Political rights: Legal claims by citizens to participate in government and be treated fairly. Political rights would include the right to vote, petition, assemble, and seek public office. Popular sovereignty: The concept that ultimate political authority rests with the people to create, alter or abolish governments. Presumption of innocence: The legal concept that a criminal defendant is not guilty until the prosecution proves every element of the crime, beyond a reasonable doubt. Privacy: The right to be left alone; the right of an individual to withhold one’s self and one’s property from public scrutiny if one so chooses. Public service: Action of benefit to local, state or national communities through appointed or elected office. Representative Democracy: Form of government in which power is held by the voters and is exercised indirectly through elected representatives who make decisions. Republic: Form of government in which political control is exercised through elected representatives. Republican form of government: System of government in which power is held by the voters and is exercised by elected representatives responsible for promoting the common welfare. Right against self-incrimination: Individual right found in the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution that prevents an individual from being forced to testify against himself or herself. Right of appeal: The right to seek review by a superior court of an injustice done or error committed by an inferior court, whose judgment or decision the court above is called upon to correct or reverse. Right to counsel: Individual right found in the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution that requires criminal defendants to have access to legal representation. Rule of Law: Principle that every member of a society, even a ruler, must follow the law. Separation of powers: Distribution among the branches of government to ensure that the same person or group will not make the law, enforce the law and interpret the law. State: A commonwealth; a nation; a civil power. Treaty: Formal agreement between or among sovereign nations to create or restrict rights and responsibilities. In the United States all treaties must be approved by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Trial by jury: Individual right found in the Sixth and Seventh Amendment of the Constitution that guarantees a person an impartial jury. Truth: Agreement of thought and reality that can eventually be verified. Unitary government: An authoritative system in which all regulatory power is vested in a central government from which regional and local governments derive their powers (e.g., Great Britain and France as well as the American states within their spheres of authority). United Nations:International organization comprising most of the nation-states of the world. It was formed in 1945 to promote peace, security and economic development. Unlimited government:A legal structure where officials in authority have unrestricted power. Examples of unlimited governments would be authoritarian or totalitarian systems without restraints on their power. World Court:Court in the Hague, the Netherlands, set up by the United Nations treaty to which nations may voluntarily submit disputes.

Academic Standards for Economics

XVI. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction…XVII.

THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Economic Systems…6.1.
A. Similarities and Differences in Economic Systems
B. Traditional, Command and Market Economics
C. Measures of Economic Activity
D. Expansion, Recession and Depression in the Economy

Markets and the Functions of Governments…6.2.
A. Market Transactions
B. Costs and Benefits of Competition
C. Function of Money
D. Economic Institutions
E. Changes in Supply and Demand
F. Forces that Can Change Price
G. Sources of Tax Revenue
H. Economic Roles for Governments
I. Public Goods
J. Costs and Benefits of Taxation
K. Impact of Media on the Cost and Benefits of Decisions
L. Exchange Rates

Scarcity and Choice…6.3.
A. Scarcity and Limited Resources
B. Economic Reasoning of Choices
C. Allocation of Resources
D. Marginal Analysis and Decision-Making
E. Opportunity Cost
F. Incentives

Economic Interdependence…6.4.
A. Specialization
B. Trade
C. Implementation or Reduction of Trade Barriers
D. Pennsylvania Economic Patterns
E. Global Production and Consumption of Goods or Services
F. Comparative Advantage
G. Geographic Patterns of Economic Activities

Work and Earnings…6.5.
A. Factors Influencing Wages
B. Labor Productivity
C. Type of Businesses
D. Profits and Losses
E. Distribution of Wealth
F. Entrepreneurship
G. Costs and Benefits of Saving
H. Impact of Interest Rates

Glossary… XVIII.

XVII. INTRODUCTION

This document includes Academic Standards for Economics that describe what students should know and be able to do in five areas:

• 6.1. Economic Systems

• 6.2. Markets and the Functions of Governments

• 6.3. Scarcity and Choice

• 6.4. Economic Interdependence

• 6.5. Work and Earnings

The Economic Standards describe what students should know and be able to do at four grade levels (third, sixth, ninth and twelfth). They reflect the increasing complexity and sophistication that students are expected to achieve as they progress through school. This document attempts to avoid repetition and makes obvious progression across grade levels. Topics and concepts in Economics directly relate to Environment and Ecology Standard 4.2 and Geography Standard 7.3. As a social science, Economics Standards should be Cross-Walked and related to the Civics and Government, Geography and History Standards to create an interdisciplinary view of the world.

Economics is concerned with the behavior of individuals and institutions engaged in the production, exchange and consumption of goods and services. As technology helps to reshape the economy, knowledge of how the world works is critical. People entering the workforce cannot function effectively without a basic knowledge of the characteristics of economic systems, how markets establish prices, how scarcity and choice affect the allocation of resources, the global nature of economic interdependence and how work and earnings impact productivity.

A Pennsylvania governor remarked, ‘‘Among the freedoms we enjoy in America in our pursuit of happiness is the freedom to be independent, creative, visionary and entrepreneurial. We are free to pursue dreams. . .’’ To succeed, however, every student must know how to manage resources, prepare for the workforce, make wise investments and be informed about public policy. These standards are intended to provide direction in learning how economic activity impacts the forces of everyday life.

The academic standards for Economics consist of five standard categories (designated as 6.1., 6.2., 6.3., 6.4. and 6.5.). Each category has a number of standards statements designated by a capital letter. Some standard statements have bulleted items known as standard descriptors. The standard descriptors are items within the document to illustrate and enhance the standard statement. The categories, statements and descriptors are regulations. The descriptors may be followed by an ‘‘e.g.’’ The “e.g.’s” are examples to clarify what type of information could be taught. These are suggestions and thechoice of specific content is a local decision as is the method of instruction.

Economics along with Civics and Government, Geography, and History are identified as Social Studies in Chapter 4. This identification is consistent with citizenship education in Chapter 49 and Chapter 354. Based on these regulations, social studies/citizenship programs should include four sets of standards as an entity in developing a scope and sequence for curriculum and planned instruction.

A glossary is included to assist the reader in clarifying terminology contained in the standards.

XVIII. GLOSSARY Barter: The direct exchange of goods or services between people. Bond:A financial promise for an investment issued by a corporation or government with regular interest payments and repayment at a later date. Capital resources:The physical equipment used in the production of goods and services. Cartels:A group of sellers acting together in the market. Circular flow: The movement of resources, goods, and services through an economy. As a diagram, it can show how households and business firms interact with each other in the product and resource markets. Command economy: A system in which decisions are made largely by an authority such as a feudal lord or government planning agency. Comparative advantage:Economic theory that a country/individual should sell goods and services which it can produce at relatively lower costs and buy goods and services which it can produce at relatively higher costs. Competition:The rivalry among people and/or business firms for resources and/or consumers. Consumer:One who buys or rents goods or services and uses them. Consumer Price Index:The price index most commonly used to measure the impact of changes in prices on households; this index is based on a standard market basket of goods and services purchased by a typical urban family. Corporation:A business firm that is owned by stockholders and is a legal entity with rights to buy, sell and make contracts. Its chief advantage is that each owner’s liability is limited to the amount of money he or she has invested in the company. Cost:What is given up when a choice is made; monetary and/or non monetary. Cost/benefit analysis:The process of weighing all predicted costs against the predicted benefits of an economic choice. Deflation:A general decline in the price level. Demand:The different quantities of a resource, good or service that potential buyers are willing and able to purchase at various possible prices during a specific time period. Depression:A severe recession in terms of magnitude or length, or both. Division of labor:A method of organizing production whereby each worker specializes in part of the productive process. Economic growth:An increase in a society’s output. Economic systems:The ways societies organize to determine what goods and services should be produced, how goods and services should be produced and who will consume goods and services. Examples include traditional, command and market. Economics:The study of the behavior of individuals and institutions engaged in the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Entrepreneur:Individual who begins, manages and bears the risks of a business (e.g., Milton Hershey, F.W. Woolworth). Equilibrium price:The outlay at which quantity demanded equals quantity supplied; market clearing price. Exchange rate:The price of one country’s currency measured in terms of another country’s currency (e.g., American dollar in German mark, Japanese yen in Canadian dollar). Federal Reserve System:The ‘‘Central Bank’’ of the United States (consisting of the Board of Governors and 12 district banks) which controls monetary policy; sometimes referred to as ‘‘The Fed’’ or Federal Reserve. Fiscal policy:Government decisions on taxation and spending to achieve economic goals. Flow resources:Temporal energy forces that are neither renewable nor nonrenewable, but must be used as, when and where they occur or they are lost (e.g., wind, sunlight). Gross Domestic Product:The market value of the total output of final goods and services produced by an economy in a given time period, usually 1 year. Goods:Objects that can satisfy people’s wants. Household:The group of people living together under one roof; a group of individuals whose economic decision making is interrelated. Human resources:People’s intellectual and physical abilities. Incentives:Factors that motivate or influence human behavior. Income:Payments earned by people in exchange for providing resources used to produce goods and services. Inflation:A general rise in the price level. Interdependence:Ideas, goods and services in one area affect decisions and events in other areas reducing self-sufficiency. Interest:Payment made for the use of borrowed money. Interest rate:The price of borrowed money. Labor force:That part of the population which is employed or actively seeking employment. Labor union:An organization of workers who seek to improve their common interests. Labor productivity:The total output divided by the quantity of labor employed to produce it. Law of demand:The lower the price of a good or service, the greater the quantity that people will buy, all else held constant (e.g., incomes, tastes). Law of supply:The higher the price of a good or service, the greater the quantity that business will sell, all else held constant (e.g., resource costs, technology). Loss:The difference that arises when a firm’s total revenues are less than its total costs. Macroeconomics: Study of aggregate economic activity including how the economy works as a whole. Seeks to identify levels of National income, output, employment and prices. Marginal analysis:A decision making tool that weighs additional costs and benefits. Market:A place or process through which goods and services are exchanged. Market economy:An economic system in which decisions are made largely by the interactions of buyers and sellers. Microeconomics:Study of the behaviors of consumers, firms and determination of the market prices. Mixed economy:An economic system in which decisions are made by markets, government and tradition. Monetary policy:Government decisions on money supply and interest rates to achieve economic goals. Money:A medium of exchange. Money supply:The amount of liquid assets which exists in the economy at a given time (e.g., currency, checkable deposits, travelers’ checks). Mutual fund:An investment option that uses cash from a pool of savers to buy a wide range of securities. Natural resources:Anything found in nature that can be used to produce a product (e.g., land, water, coal). Nonrenewable resources:Finite elements that cannot be replaced once they are used (e.g., petroleum, minerals). Opportunity cost:The highest valued alternative given up when a decision is made. Output:The total amount of a commodity produced. Partnership:A business in which ownership is shared by two or more people who receive all the profits and rewards and bear all the losses and risks. Price:The amount people pay in exchange for unit of a particular good or service. Price control:Government restraint of prices to keep the cost of living down. It most usually happens in time of war, but there are also instances in peacetime. Price index:A measure of the average level of costs at one time compared to the average level of costs at another time. Producer:One who makes goods or services. Productivity:Amount of output per unit of input over a period of time. It is used to measure the efficiency with which inputs can be used. Profit:Total revenue minus total costs. Progressive tax:A levy for which the percentage of income used to pay the levy increases as the taxpayer’s income increases. Proportional tax:A levy for which the percentage of income used to pay the levy remains the same as the taxpayer’s income increases. Public goods:Goods and services provided by the government rather than by the private sector. Goods and services that more than one person can use without necessarily preventing others from using them. Public policy:A government’s course of action that guides present and future decisions. Quantity demanded:The amount of a good or service people are willing and able to purchase at a given price during a specific time period. Quantity supplied:The amount of a good or service people are willing and able to sell at a given price during a specific time period. Quota:A form of import protectionism where the total quantity of imports of a particular commodity is limited. Recession:A contraction in National production that lasts 6 months or longer. A recession might be marked by job layoffs and high unemployment, stagnant wages, reductions in retail sales and slowing of housing and car markets. Regressive tax:A levy for which the percentage of income used to pay the levy decreases as the taxpayer’s income increases. Renewable resources:Substances that can be regenerated if used carefully (e.g., fish, timber). Resources:Inputs used to produce goods and services; categories include natural, human and capital. Scarcity:An economic condition that exists when demand is greater than supply. Services:Actions that are valued by others. Sole proprietorship:A business owned by an individual who receives all the profits and rewards and bears all the losses and risks. Specialization:A form of division of labor in which each individual or firm concentrates its productive efforts on a single or limited number of activities. Standard of living:A measurement of an individual’s quality of life. A larger consumption of goods, services, and leisure is often assumed to indicate a higher standard of living. Stock:A certificate representing a share of ownership in a company. Supply:The different quantities of a resource, good or service that potential sellers are willing and able to sell at various possible prices during a specific time period. Tariff:A surcharge placed on imported goods and services. The purpose of a tariff is to protect domestic products from foreign competition. Tertiary:The third level of economic activity. It includes service and service-related industries. Trade:Voluntary exchange between two parties in which both parties benefit. Trade balance:The payments of a nation that deal with merchandise imports or exports. Traditional economy:An economic system in which decisions are made largely by repeating the actions from an earlier time or generation. Unemployment rate:The percentage of the labor force that is actively seeking employment. Wants:Desires that can be satisfied by consuming goods, services or leisure activities.

Academic Standards for Geography

XIX. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction… XX. THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS Basic Geographic Literacy…7.1. A. Geographic Tools B. Location of Places and Regions The Physical Characteristics of Places and Regions…7.2. A. Physical Systems and Properties B. Physical Processes The Human Characteristics of Places and Regions…7.3. A. Population B. Culture C. Settlement D. Economic Activity E. Political Activity The Interactions Between People and Places…7.4. A. Impact of Physical Systems on People B. Impact of People on Physical Systems Glossary… XXI.

XX. INTRODUCTION

This document includes Academic Standards for Geography that describe what students should know and be able to do in four areas:

• 7.1. Basic Geographic Literacy

• 7.2. The Physical Characteristics of Places and Regions

• 7.3. The Human Characteristics of Places and Regions

• 7.4. The Interactions Between People and Places

The Geography Standards describe what students should know and be able to do at four grade levels (third, sixth, ninth and twelfth). They reflect the increasingly complex and sophisticated understanding of geography that students are expected to achieve as they progress through school. Throughout the standards, all grade levels must address the local-to-global progression (scales). Basic concepts found in lower grade levels must be developed more fully at higher grade levels.

Geography is the science of space and place on Earth’s surface. Its subject matter is the physical and human phenomena that make up the world’s environments and places. These standards build on using geographic tools as a means for asking and answering geographic questions; setting information into a range of spatial contexts; recognizing places and regions as human concepts; understanding the physical processes that have shaped Earth’s surface and the patterns resulting from those processes; identifying the relationships between people and environments; recognizing the characteristics and distribution of people and cultures on Earth’s surface; focusing on the spatial patterns of settlements and their resulting political structures; and exploring the networks of economic interdependence and the importance of resources.

At each grade level, instructional content should be selected to support the development of geographic understanding. In the primary grade levels (1-3), the emphasis should be on identifying the basic characteristics of the world (answering the what question); at the intermediate grade levels (4-6), the emphasis should be on describing spatial patterns of phenomena (answering the where and when questions); at the middle grade levels (7-9), the emphasis should be on explaining spatial patterns of phenomena (answering the how question); and at high school grade levels (10-12), the emphasis should be on analyzing spatial patterns of phenomena (answering the why question). Although the emphasis may focus on specific questions, these questions may be encountered at any grade level.

Geography is an integrative discipline that enables students to apply geography skills and knowledge to life situations at home, at work and in the community. Therefore, these standards should be cross-walked with those in Civics and Government, Economics and History to create an interdisciplinary view of the world. Topics and concepts in geography directly relate to standard statements in Environment and Ecology, Economics, Mathematics, Science and Technology and Civics and Government.

Teachers should employ the Five Fundamental Themes of Geography while proceeding through the Academic Standards for Geography. The relationship between the themes and the standards is clear. The standards describe what students should know and be able to do while the themes provide a clear conceptual basis for teachers and students to use in organizing their knowledge.

These are the Five Fundamental Themes of Geography:

The academic standards for Geography consist of four standard categories (designated as 7.1., 7.2., 7.3., and 7.4.). Each category has two to five standard statements (designated by a capital letter). Most standard statements have bulleted items known as standard descriptors. The standard descriptors are items within the document to illustrate and enhance the standard statement. The categories, statements and descriptors are regulations. The descriptors may be followed by an ‘‘e.g.’’ The ‘‘e.g.’s’’ are examples to clarify what type of information could be taught. These are suggestions and the choice of specific content is a local decision as is the method of instruction.

Geography along with Civics and Government, Economics, and History are identified as Social Studies in Chapter 4. This identification is consistent with citizenship education in Chapter 49 and Chapter 354. Based on these regulations, Social Studies/Citizenship programs should include the four sets of standards as an entity in developing a scope and sequence for curriculum and planned instruction.

A glossary is included to assist the reader in clarifying terminology contained in the standards.

XXI. GLOSSARY Absolute location:The position of a point on Earth’s surface that can usually be described by latitude and longitude. Another example of absolute location would be the use of a nine digit zip code and street address. Acculturation:The process of adopting the traits of a cultural group. Assimilation:The acceptance, by one culture group or community, of cultural traits associated with another. Atmosphere:The body of gases, aerosols and other materials that surrounds Earth and is held close by gravity. It extends about twelve miles from Earth’s surface. Barriers to migration:Factors that keep people from moving (e.g., lack of information about potential destination, lack of funds to cover the costs of moving, regulations that control migration). Basic map elements:Materials included on geographic representations. These include title, directions, date of map, mapmaker’s name, a legend and scale. Often a geographic grid, the source of information and sometimes an index of places on the map are also included. Biomes:A community of living organisms of a single major ecological region. Biosphere:The domain of Earth that includes all plant and animal life forms. Boundary:The limit or extent within which a system exists or functions, including a social group, a state or physical features. Capital:One of the factors of production of goods and services. Capital can be goods (e.g., factories and equipment, highways, information, communications systems) and/or funds (investment and working capital) used to increase production and wealth. Other factors are land, water and labor. Cardinal directions:The four main points of the compass; north, east, south and west. Carrying capacity:Maximum population that an area can support over time depending upon environmental conditions, human interventions and interdependence. Central Place Theory:The conceptual framework that explains the size, spacing and distribution of settlements and their economic relationships with their market areas. Climate:Long-term patterns and trends in weather elements and atmospheric conditions. Climate graph (climagraph):A diagram that combines average monthly temperature and precipitation data for a particular place. Comparative advantage:The specialization by a given area in the production of one or a few commodities for which it has a particular edge (e.g., labor quality, resources availability, production costs). Concentric Zone Model:A framework that proposes that urban functions and the associated land uses are arranged in rings that grow outward from a central area. One of three models developed to explain how cities and metropolitan areas are arranged internally. The other models are the Sector and the Multiple Nuclei. Country:Unit of political space often referred to as a state or nation-state. Culture:Learned behavior of people, which includes their belief systems and languages, their social relationships, their institutions and organizations and their material goods—food, clothing, buildings, tools and machines. Cultural diffusion:The spread of cultural elements from one culture to another. Cultural landscape:The human imprint on the physical environment; the humanized image as created or modified by people. Demographic change:Variation in population size, composition, rates of growth, density, fertility and mortality rates and patterns of migration. Density:The population or number of objects per unit area (e.g., per square kilometer or mile). Decertification:The spread of desert conditions in arid and semiarid regions resulting from a combination of climatic changes and increasing human pressures (e.g., overgrazing, removal of vegetation, cultivation of marginal land). Desiccation:See lake desiccation. Developed country:An area of the world that is technologically advanced, highly urbanized and wealthy and has generally evolved through both economic and demographic transitions. Diffusion:The spread of people, ideas, technology and products among places. Distance decay:The tendency for the acceptance of new ideas and technologies to decrease with distance from their source. Earthquake:Vibrations and shock waves caused by the sudden movement of tectonic plates along fracture zones, called faults, in Earth’s crust. Ecosystem (ecological system):A network formed by the interaction of all living organisms (plants, animals, humans) with each other and with the physical and chemical factors of the environment in which they live. Elevation:Height of a point or place above sea level (e.g., Mount Everest has an elevation of 29,028 feet above sea level). Enclaves:A country, territorial or culturally distinct unit enclosed within a larger country or community. Environment:Everything in and on Earth’s surface and its atmosphere within which organisms, communities or objects exist. Equilibrium:The point in the operation of a system when driving forces and resisting forces are in balance. Equinoxes:The two days during the calendar year (usually September 23 and March 21) when all latitudes have twelve hours of both daylight and darkness and the sun is directly overhead at the Equator. Erosional processes:The removal and transportation of weathered (loose) rock material by water, wind, waves and glaciers. Deposition is the end result of erosion and occurs when transported material is dropped. Fall line:A linear connection joining the waterfalls on numerous rivers and streams that marks the point where each river and stream descends from the upland and the limit of the navigability of each river (e.g., the narrow boundary zone between the coastal plain and the Piedmont in the Eastern United States where there are falls and rapids on streams and rivers as they drop from the more resistant rocks of the Piedmont onto the softer rocks of the coastal plain). Fertility rate:A measure of the number of children a woman will have during her child-bearing years (15 to 49 years of age) in comparison to the adult female population in a particular place. Formal region:An area defined by the uniformity or homogeneity of certain characteristics (e.g., precipitation, landforms, subculture). Functional region:An area united by a strong core (node) or center of human population and activity (e.g., banking linkages between large cities and smaller cities and towns). Geographic Information System: A geographic database that contains information about the distribution of physical and human characteristics of places. In order to test hypotheses, maps of one characteristic or a combination can be produced from the database to analyze the data relationships. Geographic scale:The size of Earth’s surface being studied. Study areas vary from local to regional to global. Scale also refers to the relationship between the size of space on a map and the size of that space on Earth’s surface. Maps are referred to as large scale if they are of smaller (local) areas and small scale if they represent much or all of the Earth’s surface. Map scale is expressed as a bar graph or representative fraction. Global warming:The theory that Earth’s atmosphere is gradually warming due to the buildup of certain gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, which are released by human activities. The increased levels of these gases cause added heat energy from Earth to be absorbed by the atmosphere instead of being lost in space. Globe:A scale model of Earth that correctly represents area, relative size and shape of physical features, distance between points and true compass direction. Grid:A pattern of lines on a chart or map, such as those representing latitude and longitude, which helps determine absolute location and assists in the analysis of distribution patterns. Human features:Tangible and intangible ideas associated with the culture, society and economy of places or areas. These include the spatial arrangement of land uses including transportation, the design of buildings and the nature and timing of activities that people conduct in these spaces. Hydroelectric power:Electrical energy generated by the force of falling water which rotates turbines housed in power plants in dams on rivers. Hydrosphere:The water realm of Earth which includes water contained in the oceans, lakes, rivers, ground, glaciers and water vapor in the atmosphere. Infant mortality rate:The annual number of deaths among infants under 1 year of age for every 1,000 live births. It usually provides an indication of health care levels. The United States, for example, has a 1994 rate of 8.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births while Angola has a rate of 137 infant deaths per 1,000 births. Interdependence:Ideas, goods and services in one area affect decisions and events in other areas reducing self-sufficiency. Intermediate directions:The points of the compass that fall between north and east, north and west, south and east, south and west (e.g., NE, NW, SE, SW). Intervening opportunity:An alternate area that is a source of a product or service or a destination in the case of migration. Lake desiccation:The reduction in water level (drying out) of an inland water body. Landform:The shape, form or nature of a specific physical feature of Earth’s surface (e.g., plain, hill, plateau, mountain). Land use:The range of uses of Earth’s surface made by humans. Uses are classified as urban, rural, agricultural, forested, etc. with more specific sub-classifications useful for specific purposes (e.g., low-density residential, light industrial, nursery crops). Life expectancy:The average number of remaining years a person can expect to live under current mortality levels in a society. Life expectancy at birth is the most common use of this measure. Lithosphere:The uppermost portion of the solid Earth including soil, land and geologic formations. Location:The position of a point on Earth’s surface expressed by means of a grid (absolute) or in relation (relative) to the position of other places. Map:A graphic representation of a portion of Earth that is usually drawn to scale on a flat surface. Materials:Raw or processed substances that are used in manufacturing (secondary economic activities). Most substances used in factories are already manufactured to some degree and come from other factories rather than from sources of raw materials. Megalopolis:The intermingling of two or more large metropolitan areas into a continuous or almost continuous built-up urban complex; sometimes referred to as a conurbation. Mental map:A geographic representation which conveys the cognitive image a person has of an area, including knowledge of features and spatial relationships as well as the individual’s perceptions and attitudes regarding the place; also known as a cognitive map. Metropolitan area:The Federal Office of Management and Budget’s designation for the functional area surrounding and including a central city; has a minimum population of 50,000; is contained in the same county as the central city; and includes adjacent counties having at least 15% of their residents working in the central city’s county. Migration:The act or process of people moving from one place to another with the intent of staying at the destination permanently or for a relatively long period of time. Multinational organizations:An association of nations aligned around a common economic or political cause (e.g., the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the Organization of American States). Multiple Nuclei Model:A representation of urban structure based on the idea that the functional areas (land use) of cities develop around various points rather than just one in the Central Business District. Municipality:A political unit incorporated for local self-government (e.g., Pennsylvania’s boroughs, townships). NAFTA:North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA is an accord to establish clear and mutually advantageous rules governing commerce among Canada, Mexico and the United States. NATO:North Atlantic Treaty Organization. An international transatlantic partnership consisting of various European states, the United States and Canada, which was designed through cooperation, consultation and collective defense to maintain peace and promote stability throughout Europe. Nation:A cultural concept for a group of people bound together by a strong sense of shared values and cultural characteristics including language, religion and common history. Natural hazard:An event in the physical environment, such as a hurricane or earthquake, that is destructive to human life and property. Natural resource:An element of the physical environment that people value and use to meet a need for fuel, food, industrial product or something else of value. Nonrenewable resource:A finite element that cannot be replaced once it is used (e.g., petroleum, minerals). Ocean currents:The regular and consistent horizontal flow of water in the oceans, usually in response to persistent patterns of circulation in the atmosphere. OAS:Organization of American States. An international governmental organization formed by the nation-states of North America and South America for security and the protection of mutual interests. OPEC:The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; international cartel of thirteen nations designed to promote collective pricing of petroleum, unified marketing policies and regulation of petroleum extraction. Perceptual region:Ideas that people have about the character of areas based on impressions from a variety of sources of information including other individuals and media. Mental maps can be used to access these ideas to find out what people think about particular areas. Physical feature:An aspect of a place or area that derives from the physical environment. Physical process:A course or method of operation that produces, maintains or alters Earth’s physical system (e.g., glacial eroding, depositing landforms). Place:An area with distinctive human and physical characteristics; these characteristics give it meaning and character and distinguish it from other areas. Plate tectonics:The theory that Earth’s surface is composed of rigid slabs or plates (see tectonic plates). The divergence, convergence and slipping side-by-side of the different plates is responsible for present-day configurations of continents, ocean basins and major mountain ranges and valley systems. Pollution:The direct or indirect process resulting from human action by which any part of the environment is made potentially or actually unhealthy, unsafe or hazardous to the welfare of the organisms which live in it. Population density:The number of individuals occupying an area derived from dividing the number of people by the area they occupy (e.g., 2,000 people divided by ten square miles = 200 people per square mile). Population pyramid:A bar graph showing the distribution by gender and age of a country’s population. Primary economic activity:The production of naturally existing or culturally improved resources (i.e., agriculture, ranching, forestry, fishing, extraction of minerals and ores). Pull factors:In migration theory, the social, political, economic and environmental attractions of new areas that draw people away from their previous location. Push factors:In migration theory, the social, political, economic and environmental forces that drive people from their previous location. Region:An area with one or more common characteristics or features that give it a measure of consistency and make it different from surrounding areas. Relative location:The site of a place or region in relation to other places or regions (e.g., northwest, downstream). Renewable resource:A substance that can be regenerated if used carefully (e.g., fish, timber). Resource:An aspect of the physical environment that people value and use to meet a need for fuel, food, industrial product or something else of value. Satellite image:A representation produced by a variety of sensors (e.g., radar, microwave detectors, scanners) that measure and record electromagnetic radiation. The collected data are turned into digital form for transmission to ground receiving stations. The data can be reconverted into imagery in a form resembling a photograph. Scale:On maps the relationship or ratio between a linear measurement on a map and the corresponding distance on Earth’s surface. For example, the scale 1:1,000,000 means one unit (inch or centimeter) on the map represents 1,000,000 of the same units on Earth’s surface. Also refers to the size of places or regions being studied. Sector Model:A theory of urban structure that recognizes the impact of transportation on land prices within the city and the resulting tendency for functional areas to be organized into sectors. Secondary economic activity:Processing of raw and manufactured materials into products with added value. Settlement pattern:The spatial distribution and arrangement of human habitations (e.g., rural, urban). Site:The specific location where something may be found including its physical setting (e.g., on a floodplain). Situation:The general location of something in relation to other places or features of a larger region (e.g., in the center of a group of cities). Soil:Unconsolidated material found at the surface of Earth, which is divided into layers (or horizons) characterized by the accumulation or loss of organic and inorganic compounds. Loam types and depths vary greatly over Earth’s surface and are very much influenced by climate, organisms, rock type, local relief, time and human activity. Spatial:Pertains to space on Earth’s surface. Spatial distribution:The distribution of physical and human elements on Earth’s surface. Spatial organization:The arrangement on Earth’s surface of physical and human elements. Suburbanization:The shift in population from living in higher density urban areas to lower density developments on the edge of cities. System:A collection of entities that are linked and interrelated (e.g., the hydrologic cycle, cities, transportation modes). Technology:Application of knowledge to meet the goals, goods and services needed and desired by people. Tectonic plates:Sections of Earth’s rigid crust that move as distinct units on a plastic-like ledge (mantle) on which they rest. As many as twenty different plates have been identified, but only seven are considered to be major (e.g., Eurasian Plate, South American Plate). Thematic map:A geographic representation of a specific spatial distribution, theme or topic (e.g., population density, cattle production, climates of the world). Time zone:A division of Earth, usually 15 degrees longitude, within which the time at the central meridian of the division represents the whole division. Topography:The shape of Earth’s surface. Water cycle:The continuous circulation of water from the oceans, through the air, to the land and back to the sea. Water evaporates from oceans, lakes, rivers and the land surfaces and transpires from vegetation. It condenses into clouds in the atmosphere that may result in precipitation returning water to the land. Water then seeps into the soil or flows out to sea completing the circulation. Also known as Hydrologic Cycle.

Academic Standards for History

XXII. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction…XXIII.

THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Historical Analysis and Skills Development…8.1.

A. Chronological Thinking

B. Historical Comprehension

C. Historical Interpretation

D. Historical Research

Pennsylvania History…8.2.

A. Contributions of Individuals and Groups

B. Documents, Artifacts and Historical Places

C. Influences of Continuity and Change

D. Conflict and Cooperation Among Groups

United States History…8.3.

A. Contributions of Individuals and Groups

B. Documents, Artifacts and Historical Places

C. Influences of Continuity and Change

D. Conflict and Cooperation Among Groups

World History…8.4.

A. Contributions of Individuals and Groups

B. Documents, Artifacts and Historical Places

C. Influences of Continuity and Change

D. Conflict and Cooperation Among Groups

Reading…8.5.

Students read, understand, and respond to informational text in the content area—with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence.

• Key Ideas and Details

• Craft and Structure

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Range and Level of Complex Texts

Writing…8.6.

Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.

• Text Types and Purposes

• Production and Distribution of Writing

• Research to Build and Present Knowledge

• Range of Writing

Glossary…XXIV.

XXIII. INTRODUCTION

This document includes Academic Standards for History that describe what students should know and be able to do in four areas:

• 8.1. Historical Analysis and Skills Development

• 8.2. Pennsylvania History

• 8.3. United States History

• 8.4. World History

The History Standards describe what students should know and be able to do at four grade levels (third, sixth, ninth and twelfth). They reflect an understanding of chronological events and the application of historical thinking skills in viewing the human record. These academic standards provide an organizing content for schools.

The Academic Standards for History are grounded in the Public School Code of 1949 which directs ‘‘... study in the history and government of that portion of America which has become the United States of America, and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . . .’’. Chapter 4—Academic Standards and Assessment in § 4.21 (relating to elementary education; primary and intermediate levels) reinforces the School Code by indicating that the history of the United States and the history of the Commonwealth must be taught once by the end of elementary school. In addition, § 4.22 (relating to middle level education) indicates that planned instruction in the history and cultures of the United States, the Commonwealth and world shall be provided. Chapter 4 also states that planned instruction shall be provided in the history and cultures of the United States, the Commonwealth and world in § 4.23 (relating to high school education).

To support the intent of the Public School Code and Chapter 4, this document creates four standard categories. The four standard categories were designed to meld historical thinking (8.1. Historical Analysis and Skills Development) with historical understanding (8.2. Pennsylvania History, 8.3. United States History, and 8.4. World History) to describe what students should know and be able to do.

Standard category 8.1. Historical Analysis and Skill Development provides the basis for learning the content within the other three standard categories. The intent of the history standards is to instill in each student an ability to comprehend chronology, develop historical comprehension, evaluate historical interpretation and to understand historical research. One should not view these standards as a list of facts to recall, rather as stated in the opening phrase to the Pennsylvania, United States and World standard categories, ‘‘Pennsylvania’s public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to analyze the interaction of cultural, economic, geographic, political and social relations.’’

These standards provide a history framework to permit every school and teacher to create planned instruction. The content within this document is general and does not represent a course or even a portion thereof. Every school is encouraged to move beyond these standards. These standards are merely a starting point for the study of history. Planned instruction to meet these standards is required; however, the methodology, resources and time are not recommended nor implied.

History is a discipline that interprets and analyzes the past. It is a narrative—a story. In order to tell the story it is not sufficient to simply recall facts; it is also necessary to understand the context of the time and place and to apply historical thinking skills. It is with this concept established, that the content delineated in Pennsylvania, United States and World histories should be approached. Having established the need to move beyond recall, it is the intent of these standards to give students throughout Pennsylvania a common cultural literacy.

Pennsylvania, United States, and World History standard categories use the same four standard statements to guide teachers in developing planned instruction. The four standard statements are: (A) Political and Cultural Contributions of Individuals and Groups; (B) Primary Documents, Material Artifacts and Historical Places; (C) How Continuity and Change Has Influenced History; (D) Conflict and Cooperation Among Social Groups and Organizations. The chart, Four Standard Statements within the Academic Standards for History: An Overview outlines standard statements and descriptors.

Although the standard statements are similar across grade levels and standard categories, the degree of comprehension, changes in content and shifts in chronology differ. Although different grade levels outline different chronological periods within the standards, it is intended that the specified chronological eras be linked to past learnings and that all eras be linked to the present. Linking to past learnings and the present is important, but so is addressing the standard statements in more depth. Therefore the following chronological time periods for the standard categories are established for the standard categories.

Districts are encouraged to delineate each chronological period into less expansive historical eras within their planned instruction. The content listed in grade levels 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12 should be age appropriate for the students in those grade levels and the reader should interpret each standard descriptor in that manner.

The Academic Standards for History consist of four standard categories (designated as 8.1., 8.2., 8.3., and 8.4.). Each category has four standard statements (designated A, B, C, and D). Most standard statements have bulleted items known as standard descriptors. The standard descriptors are items within the document to illustrate and enhance the standard statement. The categories, statements and descriptors are the regulations. The descriptors many times are followed by an ‘‘e.g..’’ The ‘‘e.g.’s’’ are examples to clarify what type of information could be taught. These are suggestions and the choice of specific content is a local decision as is the method of instruction.

History along with civics and government, economics and geography are identified as social studies in Chapter 4. This identification is consistent with citizenship education in Chapters 49 and 354 (relating to certification of professional personnel; and preparation of professional educators). Based on these regulations, social studies/citizenship programs should include the four sets of standards as an entity in developing a scope and sequence for curriculum and planned instruction.

A glossary is included to assist the reader in understanding terminology contained in the standards.