Elementary - Civics |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal  | Investigative Question  |
|---|
| American Flag | Symbols describe our country. | What does the flag mean to you? |
| Citizens Build Communities | Individual citizens contribute to their communities in many ways. | How do citizens build communities? |
| Rules and Laws | Society uses rules and laws to create order. | Do people need rules and laws? |
| Traditions and Beliefs | Traditions and beliefs help us understand individuals and communities better. | What traditions and beliefs describe the United States? |
Elementary - Economics |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Systems of Exchange | Systems of exchange help people get what they need and want. | How do people use systems of exchange? |
| Choices and Decisions | Available resources require people to consider choices and make decisions. | What are the consequences of economic decisions? |
| Wants and Needs | Our decisions affect our lives. | How do we get what we want and need? |
| Natural, Capital and Human Resources | Economics is a system. | What makes an economic system work? |
Elementary - Geography |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Adapting to the Environment | Where we live affects how we live. | How do people adapt to their environment? |
| Maps | Maps help us organize and share information. | How do you read a map? |
| Symbols, Maps and Globes | People use symbols to understand place. | How accurate are symbols? |
| Maps and Globes | Maps and globes use symbols to tell a story. | What story does this map and globe tell? |
Elementary - U.S. History |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Past and Present | Some things change while other things stay the same. | How was life different in the past? |
| Communities Past and Present | Communities change over time. | How can we see change over time? |
| Native Americans | People adapt to their environment to survive. | What makes people adapt to their environment? |
| Explorers | The past has a presence today. | How does exploration lead to change? |
| Jamestown | Resources influence the development of communities. | How did economic resources affect the location and survival of the first permanent settlement in Virginia? |
| Abolition and Suffrage | Injustice and inequity require action. | How successful were the abolition and suffrage movements? |
Elementary - World History |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Ancient Egypt and China | The past has a presence today. | What aspects of past cultures still influence our lives today? |
| Ancient Greece and Rome | The past has a presence today. | How have Ancient Greece and Rome contributed to our lives today? |
| Ancient Mali | The past has a presence today. | What is the legacy of the West African Empire of Mali? |
State History - Virginia |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Virginia Regions | Environments affect how people live. | What are the characteristics of Virginia's regions? |
| First Settlers Interaction | Interaction leads to cooperation and conflict. | How did interaction between the English settlers and the Native Americans lead to cooperation and conflict? |
| Colonial Virginia | Resources influence the development of communities. | How did economic resources influence the development of Colonial Virginia? |
| Virginia and the American Revolution | Resources influence the development of communities. | What role did Virginians play in the fight for independence? |
| Creating a New Nation | People take action to improve the quality of their life. | Can the ideas of a few men provide for the rights and needs of everyone? |
| Westward Expansion | People take action to improve the quality of their life. | How can moving change the quality of life? |
| Virginia and the Civil War | Forcing change in a community is a complex and difficult process. | How did the Civil War change Virginia? |
| Reconstruction Virginia | Forcing change in a community is a complex and difficult process. | What effect did efforts to rebuild the South have on Virginia? |
| Industrialization Changes Virginia | National events and trends lead to change on the local level. | How did advances in technology change communities in Virginia throughout the 20th Century? |
| Virginia and Civil Rights | National events and trends lead to change on the local level. | How did Virginians respond to the Civil Rights Movement? |
U.S. History to 1877 |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Native North American Civilizations | Survival requires adaptation. | How did Native Americans adapt to the North American environments? |
| European Exploration | Exploration creates change. | How did European exploration affect Native populations? |
| Colonial America | Resources influence the development of communities. | Why did the colonies develop so differently from one another? |
| Early America to 1763 | Resources influence the development of communities. | How did the development of colonial society affect different social groups and economic classes? |
| American Revolution | Resistance to power requires action. | How did the American colonies succeed in achieving their independence? |
| The Revolutionary Era | Perspective defines how we interpret events. | How can we view the American Revolution from different perspectives? |
| Creating the New Nation | Unity requires compromise. | Which principles inspired the creation of the United States Government and what purpose was the Government intended to serve? |
| Expansion and Reform | Expansion and growth lead to new challenges. | What new challenges did the country experience as it expanded and matured? |
| Civil War | Regional differences can lead to national conflict. | How did regional differences justify dissolving the Union? |
| Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877 C.E. | Regional differences can lead to national conflict. | Was a civil war necessary to preserve the nation? |
U.S. History from 1877 |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Closing the Western Frontier | Expansion leads to conflict.
| How can we see the settlement of the western frontier from different perspectives? |
| Development of the Industrial United States | Technology transforms society. | How did industrialization transform American society? |
| An Industrial Nation Emerges | Technological change brings progress and problems. | How did industrialization create success and failure for Americans? |
| Imperialism | Nations compete in the global arena for political and economic power. | How did imperialism serve the best interests of the United States? |
| Reformers Change the United States | Change is brought about by social action. | What did reformers seek to change during industrialization? |
| The United States in World War I | Nations compete in the global arena for political and economic power. | How did the United States benefit from its involvement in World War I? |
| The 1920s | Social and economic change can lead to cultural conflicts.
| Why is the 1920s described as both a decade of optimism and a decade of despair? |
| The Great Depression | Economic changes have social and political consequences. | How did the federal government adjust to meet the changing needs of society? |
| The Great Depression and the New Deal | Economic changes have social and political consequences. | How did the federal government adjust to meet the changing needs of society? |
| American Involvement in World War II | War has consequences. | Were the sacrifices made by U.S. citizens during World War II needed? |
| The World at War | War has consequences. | Was World War II a "just" war? |
| Civil Rights Movements | Injustice can inspire change. | What methods did civil rights groups employ to initiate change? |
| Civil Rights 1950 - Present | Injustice can inspire change. | Was the Civil Rights Movement a success? |
World History to 1500 C.E. |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Prehistory | Adaptation leads to progress. | How did life change from the Paleolithic era to the first settlements? |
| Ancient River Valley Civilizations | As communities of people settle together, civilizations develop. | What are the characteristics of a civilization? |
| Ancient Greece | People and place influence culture. | How did the location of Ancient Greece affect the development of its culture? |
| Ancient Rome | The past has a presence today. | What characteristics of the Roman Empire can be found in modern society? |
| Ancient Byzantine Empire and Russia | Location is power. | How was location the key to the success of the Byzantine Empire? |
| Ancient Africa | Trade leads to competition and conflict. | How did trade routes lead to interaction, competition, and conflict? |
| Europe During the Middle Ages | Religious institutions breed community and conflict. | How was the Catholic Church a symbol of community and conflict during the Middle Ages? |
| Asian Civilizations | Stability is the key to flourishing civilizations. | What political, economic, and social characteristics contributed to the stability of Asian civilizations? |
| Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations | Communities overcome the limitations of geography through creativity. | How did the different American empires build communities to overcome geographic limitations? |
| Islamic Civilization | Religious institutions breed community and conflict. | What has contributed to the permanence of the Islamic faith even in the face of conflict? |
| The Renaissance | Individuals influence culture. | What influence did the Renaissance have on the Modern Era? |
World History from 1500 C.E. |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| The World in 1500 | Change has both positive and negative consequences. | What factors contributed to the changes that were happening across the world in 1500? |
| Global Age of Exploration | The interaction of cultures leads to change. | What impact did European exploration have on other civilizations? |
| The Emergence of Global Trade | The interaction of cultures leads to change. | What were the results of the emergence of global trade networks? |
| The Age of Absolutism | Institutions help shape public and private life. | How did the concentration of power in emerging institutions in emerging institutions in Europe affect everyday life? |
| The Reformation in Europe | Institutions help shape public and private life. | How did the concentration of power in emerging institutions in Europe affect everyday life? |
| The Enlightenment | Ideas inspire action. | What resulted from the ideas and actions of the Enlightenment? |
| The Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment | Ideas inspire action. | What resulted from the ideas and actions of the Enlightenment? |
| The Scientific Revolution | Ideas inspire action. | How did the Scientific Revolution change the way people viewed the world? |
| The French Revolution and Napoleon | Ideas inspire action. | Was the French Revolution inevitable? |
| Nationalism, Industrialization, and Imperialism | Advancements in technology lead to change. | How did the Industrial Revolution contribute to imperialism and nationalism? |
| World War II | War has consequences. | Was World War II inevitable? |
| The Cold War | Ideological differences can trigger global conflict. | What were the local and global effects of the ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union? |
| 20th Century Independence Movements | Local actions can trigger global change. | What were the local and global effects of independence movements around the world? |
| The Contemporary World | Globalization can have positive and negative consequences. | What are some of the challenges facing the global community in the 21st century? |
World Geography |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Introduction to Geography | Where we live affects how we live. | How does geography affect the development of human society? |
| Geography Skills | Maps help us organize geographic information. | Why is it important to be geographically literate? |
| Physical Geography | Humans interact with the natural world. | How can human interaction with the environment have both positive and negative results? |
| Economic Geography | Geography drives economic activity. | How can geography explain why there are so many farmers in the Midwest? |
| Cultural Geography | Culture is determined by time and place. | How is culture affected by geography? |
| Political Geography | Location is power. | How can geography explain why Los Angeles and New York are the most populated cities in the United States? |
| Africa | Africa is a continent in conflict. | How has the exploitation of human and natural resources throughout Africa's history contributed to current conflicts? |
| Southwest Asia and North Africa | Place can be the source of conflict. | How can geography explain the current conflicts in the Middle East? |
| Australia and Oceania | Physical isolation may not create cultural independence. | In what ways has Europe left a permanent imprint on Australia and Oceania? |
| Europe | Stability requires cooperation. | Is Europe a region of increasing unity or disunity? |
| Latin America | Cultural interaction results in change. | What does it mean to be "Latin"? |
| North America | Regional stability is possible when neighboring countries share similar economic and political beliefs. | Why is the longest undefended border in the world located between the United States and Canada? |
| South, Southeast, and East Asia | Regions are defined by their geography. | Is Asia a true region? |
U.S. Government |
| Unit Title | Understanding Goal | Investigative Question |
|---|
| Foundations of United States Government | Philosophy shapes government. | What ideas and philosophies influenced the creation of the United States Government? |
| Institutions of American Government | Democracy requires a balance of power. | How does the federal system attempt to balance power? |
| The United States Political Process | Persuasion makes change. | How does protest affect government action? |
| Public Programs and Policy Making in the U.S. | Policy is formulated on all levels of government and is influenced by multiple sources. | How is public policy made? |
