The state standards for education in Texas are called TEKS--Texas essential knowledge and skills.
What's the key word there? "Essential." But I teach science in Texas, and the standards as of 2010 were anything but "essential." We routinely dropped out topics. We routinely didn't finish, sometimes by 2-3 months, what we thought we could teach. And if you looked at the list of equipment that each student was expected to use, you'd laugh. Some of it was 50-year-old tech, and some of it was new in 2010 (when the previous science standards were adopted) but to outfit my classroom would require $300-400k, with $15-20k for equipment for a single lab. Why? Because they wanted to include everything. It was *all* essential.
Take the history class required for juniors. They're in school 36 weeks. Three of those weeks are messed up for final exams and dead days. One's messed up for standardized testing. So we're down to 32 weeks. There's the occasional day off, benchmarks, etc. And there's also a week or two review for the standardized test, so really, it's more like maybe 26 weeks. And that includes "unit test" days, for want of a better word.
On top of these, there's a second set of standards called the College and Career Readiness Standards. Yes, they were also required.
They'd say, straight-faced, that it was a given that there were other things we'd like to teach and they encouraged them, once we covered what was required.
To make sense of this sea of stuff that needs to be taught, the standardized test folk highlighted certain TEKS and said something like 65% of the standardized test will come from just those highlighted topics, "readiness standards", since they're basic or important. That's like 20% of the TEKS. The rest of the test would involved the remaining TEKS, because those were secondary or less important. That immediately constituted a de facto streamlining, structuring of the value of each standards. But it's still a lot of stuff to cover
Here's just the essentials, the TEKS, for 11th-grade history. As you read through, think about that: You have 130 days. Notice many of the specific people that are mentioned. Then notice that those are (a) not required and (b) examples to be expanded on. (Copying from a web page produced the odd lack of spacing.)
§113.41. United StatesHistory Studies Since 1877 (One Credit), Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(a) General requirements. Students shall be awardedone unit of credit for successful completion of this course.
(b) Introduction.
(1) In United States History Studies Since 1877,which is the second part of a two-year study that begins in Grade 8, studentsstudy the history of the United States from 1877 to the present. The coursecontent is based on the founding documents of the U.S. government, which providea framework for its heritage. Historical content focuses on the political, economic,and social events and issues related to industrialization and urbanization,major wars, domestic and foreign policies, and reform movements, including civilrights. Students examine the impact of geographic factors on major events anderas and analyze their causes and effects. Students examine the impact of constitutionalissues on American society, evaluate the dynamic relationship of the three branchesof the federal government, and analyze efforts to expand the democratic process.Students describe the relationship between the arts and popular culture andthe times during which they were created. Students analyze the impact of technologicalinnovations on American life. Students use critical-thinking skills and a varietyof primary and secondary source material to explain and apply different methodsthat historians use to understand and interpret the past, including multiplepoints of view and historical context.
(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledgeand skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source materialsuch as biographies, autobiographies, landmark cases of the U.S. Supreme Court,novels, speeches, letters, diaries, poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged.Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites, presidentiallibraries, and local and state preservation societies.
(3) The eight strands of the essential knowledgeand skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructionalpurposes. Skills listed in the social studies skills strand in subsection (c)of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledgeand skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex contentmaterial can be attained when integrated social studies content from the variousdisciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together. Statements thatcontain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered,while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possibleillustrative examples.
(4) Students identify the role of the U.S. freeenterprise system within the parameters of this course and understand that thissystem may also be referenced as capitalism or the free market system.
(5) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government;citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills.The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables studentsto understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society,and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referencedin the Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.002(h).
(6) Students understand that a constitutional republicis a representative form of government whose representatives derive their authorityfrom the consent of the governed, serve for an established tenure, and are swornto uphold the constitution.
(7) State and federal laws mandate a variety ofcelebrations and observances, including Celebrate Freedom Week.
(A) Eachsocial studies class shall include, during Celebrate Freedom Week as providedunder the TEC, §29.907, or during another full school week as determined bythe board of trustees of a school district, appropriate instruction concerningthe intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and theU.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts.The study of the Declaration of Independence must include the study of the relationshipof the ideas expressed in that document to subsequent American history, includingthe relationship of its ideas to the rich diversity of our people as a nationof immigrants, the American Revolution, the formulation of the U.S. Constitution,and the abolitionist movement, which led to the Emancipation Proclamation andthe women's suffrage movement.
(B) Each school district shall require that,during Celebrate Freedom Week or other week of instruction prescribed undersubparagraph (A) of this paragraph, students in Grades 3-12 study and recitethe following text: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that allMen are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienableRights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--Thatto secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving theirjust Powers from the Consent of the Governed."
(8) Students identify and discuss how the actionsof U.S. citizens and the local, state, and federal governments have either metor failed to meet the ideals espoused in the founding documents.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) History. The student understands the principlesincluded in the Celebrate Freedom Week program. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze and evaluate the text, intent, meaning,and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution,including the Bill of Rights, and identify the full text of the first threeparagraphs of the Declaration of Independence;
(B) analyze and evaluate the application ofthese founding principles to historical events in U.S. history; and
(C) explain the contributions of the FoundingFathers such as Benjamin Rush, John Hancock, John Jay, John Witherspoon, JohnPeter Muhlenberg, Charles Carroll, and Jonathan Trumbull Sr.
(2) History. The student understands traditionalhistorical points of reference in U.S. history from 1877 to the present. Thestudent is expected to:
(A) identify the major characteristics thatdefine an historical era;
(B) identify the major eras in U.S. historyfrom 1877 to the present and describe their defining characteristics;
(C) apply absolute and relative chronology throughthe sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods; and
(D) explain the significance of the followingyears as turning points: 1898 (Spanish-American War), 1914-1918 (World War I),1929 (the Great Depression begins), 1939-1945 (World War II), 1957 (Sputniklaunch ignites U.S.-Soviet space race), 1968-1969 (Martin Luther King Jr. assassinationand U.S. lands on the moon), 1991 (Cold War ends), 2001 (terrorist attacks onWorld Trade Center and the Pentagon), and 2008 (election of first black president,Barack Obama).
(3) History. The student understands the political,economic, and social changes in the United States from 1877 to 1898. The studentis expected to:
(A) analyze political issues such as Indianpolicies, the growth of political machines, civil service reform, and the beginningsof Populism;
(B) analyze economic issues such as industrialization,the growth of railroads, the growth of labor unions, farm issues, the cattleindustry boom, the rise of entrepreneurship, free enterprise, and the pros andcons of big business;
(C) analyze social issues affecting women, minorities,children, immigrants, urbanization, the Social Gospel, and philanthropy of industrialists;and
(D) describe the optimism of the many immigrantswho sought a better life in America.
(4) History. The student understands the emergenceof the United States as a world power between 1898 and 1920. The student isexpected to:
(A) explain why significant events, policies,and individuals such as the Spanish-American War, U.S. expansionism, Henry CabotLodge, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Theodore Roosevelt, Sanford B. Dole, and missionariesmoved the United States into the position of a world power;
(B) evaluate American expansionism, includingacquisitions such as Guam, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico;
(C) identify the causes of World War I and reasonsfor U.S. entry;
(D) understand the contributions of the AmericanExpeditionary Forces (AEF) led by General John J. Pershing;
(E) analyze the impact of significant technologicalinnovations in World War I such as machine guns, airplanes, tanks, poison gas,and trench warfare that resulted in the stalemate on the Western Front;
(F) analyze major issues such as isolationismand neutrality raised by U.S. involvement in World War I, Woodrow Wilson's FourteenPoints, and the Treaty of Versailles; and
(G) analyze significant events such as the Battleof Argonne Forest.
(5) History. The student understands the effectsof reform and third-party movements in the early 20th century. The student isexpected to:
(A) evaluate the impact of Progressive Era reforms,including initiative, referendum, recall, and the passage of the 16th, 17th,18th, and 19th amendments;
(B) evaluate the impact of muckrakers and reformleaders such as Upton Sinclair, Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells, and W. E. B.DuBois on American society; and
(C) evaluate the impact of third parties, includingthe Populist and Progressive parties.
(6) History. The student understands significantevents, social issues, and individuals of the 1920s. The student is expectedto:
(A) analyze causes and effects of events andsocial issues such as immigration, Social Darwinism, eugenics, race relations,nativism, the Red Scare, Prohibition, and the changing role of women; and
(B) analyze the impact of significant individualssuch as Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Ford, Glenn Curtiss,Marcus Garvey, and Charles A. Lindbergh.
(7) History. The student understands the domesticand international impact of U.S. participation in World War II. The studentis expected to:
(A) identify reasons for U.S. involvement inWorld War II, including Italian, German, and Japanese dictatorships and theiraggression, especially the attack on Pearl Harbor;
(B) evaluate the domestic and internationalleadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman during World War II, includingthe U.S. relationship with its allies and domestic industry's rapid mobilizationfor the war effort;
(C) analyze the function of the U.S. Officeof War Information;
(D) analyze major issues of World War II, includingthe Holocaust; the internment of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans andExecutive Order 9066; and the development of conventional and atomic weapons;
(E) analyze major military events of World WarII, including the Battle of Midway, the U.S. military advancement through thePacific Islands, the Bataan Death March, the invasion of Normandy, fightingthe war on multiple fronts, and the liberation of concentration camps;
(F) evaluate the military contributions of leadersduring World War II, including Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur,Chester A. Nimitz, George Marshall, and George Patton; and
(G) explain the home front and how Americanpatriotism inspired exceptional actions by citizens and military personnel,including high levels of military enlistment; volunteerism; the purchase ofwar bonds; Victory Gardens; the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen,the Flying Tigers, and the Navajo Code Talkers; and opportunities and obstaclesfor women and ethnic minorities.
(8) History. The student understands the impactof significant national and international decisions and conflicts in the ColdWar on the United States. The student is expected to:
(A) describe U.S. responses to Soviet aggressionafter World War II, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization, the Berlin airlift, and John F. Kennedy's rolein the Cuban Missile Crisis;
(B) describe how Cold War tensions were intensifiedby the arms race, the space race, McCarthyism, and the House Un-American ActivitiesCommittee (HUAC), the findings of which were confirmed by the Venona Papers;
(C) explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvementin the Korean War and its relationship to the containment policy;
(D) explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvementin foreign countries and their relationship to the Domino Theory, includingthe Vietnam War;
(E) analyze the major issues and events of theVietnam War such as the Tet Offensive, the escalation of forces, Vietnamization,and the fall of Saigon; and
(F) describe the responses to the Vietnam Warsuch as the draft, the 26th Amendment, the role of the media, the credibilitygap, the silent majority, and the anti-war movement.
(9) History. The student understands the impactof the American civil rights movement. The student is expected to:
(A) trace the historical development of thecivil rights movement in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including the 13th,14th, 15th, and 19th amendments;
(B) describe the roles of political organizationsthat promoted civil rights, including ones from African American, Chicano, AmericanIndian, women's, and other civil rights movements;
(C) identify the roles of significant leaderswho supported various rights movements, including Martin Luther King Jr., CesarChavez, Rosa Parks, Hector P. Garcia, and Betty Friedan;
(D) compare and contrast the approach takenby some civil rights groups such as the Black Panthers with the nonviolent approachof Martin Luther King Jr.;
(E) discuss the impact of the writings of MartinLuther King Jr. such as his "I Have a Dream" speech and "Letterfrom Birmingham Jail" on the civil rights movement;
(F) describe presidential actions and congressionalvotes to address minority rights in the United States, including desegregationof the armed forces, the Civil Rights acts of 1957 and 1964, and the VotingRights Act of 1965;
(G) describe the role of individuals such asgovernors George Wallace, Orval Faubus, and Lester Maddox and groups, includingthe Congressional bloc of southern Democrats, that sought to maintain the statusquo;
(H) evaluate changes and events in the UnitedStates that have resulted from the civil rights movement, including increasedparticipation of minorities in the political process; and
(I) describe how litigation such as the landmarkcases of Brown v. Board of Education, Mendez v. Westminster, Hernandez v. Texas,Delgado v. Bastrop I.S.D., Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby, and Sweatt v. Painter playeda role in protecting the rights of the minority during the civil rights movement.
(10) History. The student understands the impactof political, economic, and social factors in the U.S. role in the world fromthe 1970s through 1990. The student is expected to:
(A) describe Richard M. Nixon's leadership inthe normalization of relations with China and the policy of détente;
(B) describe Ronald Reagan's leadership in domesticand international policies, including Reaganomics and Peace Through Strength;
(C) compare the impact of energy on the Americanway of life over time;
(D) describe U.S. involvement in the MiddleEast such as support for Israel, the Camp David Accords, the Iran-Contra Affair,Marines in Lebanon, and the Iran Hostage Crisis;
(E) describe the causes and key organizationsand individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, includingPhyllis Schlafly, the Contract with America, the Heritage Foundation, the MoralMajority, and the National Rifle Association; and
(F) describe significant societal issues ofthis time period.
(11) History. The student understands the emergingpolitical, economic, and social issues of the United States from the 1990s intothe 21st century. The student is expected to:
(A) describe U.S. involvement in world affairs,including the end of the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, the Balkans Crisis,9/11, and the global War on Terror;
(B) identify significant social and politicaladvocacy organizations, leaders, and issues across the political spectrum;
(C) evaluate efforts by global organizationsto undermine U.S. sovereignty through the use of treaties;
(D) analyze the impact of third parties on presidentialelections;
(E) discuss the historical significance of the2008 presidential election; and
(F) discuss the solvency of long-term entitlementprograms such as Social Security and Medicare.
(12) Geography. The student understands the impactof geographic factors on major events. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze the impact of physical and humangeographic factors on the settlement of the Great Plains, the Klondike GoldRush, the Panama Canal, the Dust Bowl, and the levee failure in New Orleansafter Hurricane Katrina; and
(B) identify and explain reasons for changesin political boundaries such as those resulting from statehood and internationalconflicts.
(13) Geography. The student understands the causesand effects of migration and immigration on American society. The student isexpected to:
(A) analyze the causes and effects of changingdemographic patterns resulting from migration within the United States, includingwestern expansion, rural to urban, the Great Migration, and the Rust Belt tothe Sun Belt; and
(B) analyze the causes and effects of changingdemographic patterns resulting from legal and illegal immigration to the UnitedStates.
(14) Geography. The student understands the relationshipbetween population growth and modernization on the physical environment. Thestudent is expected to:
(A) identify the effects of population growthand distribution on the physical environment;
(B) identify the roles of governmental entitiesand private citizens in managing the environment such as the establishment ofthe National Park System, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and theEndangered Species Act; and
(C) understand the effects of governmental actionson individuals, industries, and communities, including the impact on Fifth Amendmentproperty rights.
(15) Economics. The student understands domesticand foreign issues related to U.S. economic growth from the 1870s to 1920. Thestudent is expected to:
(A) describe how the economic impact of theTranscontinental Railroad and the Homestead Act contributed to the close ofthe frontier in the late 19th century;
(B) describe the changing relationship betweenthe federal government and private business, including the costs and benefitsof laissez-faire, anti-trust acts, the Interstate Commerce Act, and the PureFood and Drug Act;
(C) explain how foreign policies affected economicissues such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Open Door Policy, DollarDiplomacy, and immigration quotas;
(D) describe the economic effects of internationalmilitary conflicts, including the Spanish-American War and World War I, on theUnited States; and
(E) describe the emergence of monetary policyin the United States, including the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and the shiftingtrend from a gold standard to fiat money.
(16) Economics. The student understands significanteconomic developments between World War I and World War II. The student is expectedto:
(A) analyze causes of economic growth and prosperityin the 1920s, including Warren Harding's Return to Normalcy, reduced taxes,and increased production efficiencies;
(B) identify the causes of the Great Depression,including the impact of tariffs on world trade, stock market speculation, bankfailures, and the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve System;
(C) analyze the effects of the Great Depressionon the U.S. economy and society such as widespread unemployment and deportationand repatriation of people of European and Mexican heritage and others;
(D) compare the New Deal policies and its opponents'approaches to resolving the economic effects of the Great Depression; and
(E) describe how various New Deal agencies andprograms, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securitiesand Exchange Commission, and the Social Security Administration, continue toaffect the lives of U.S. citizens.
(17) Economics. The student understands the economiceffects of World War II and the Cold War. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the economic effects of World WarII on the home front such as the end of the Great Depression, rationing, andincreased opportunity for women and minority employment;
(B) identify the causes of prosperity in the1950s, including the Baby Boom and the impact of the GI Bill (Servicemen's ReadjustmentAct of 1944), and the effects of prosperity in the 1950s such as increased consumptionand the growth of agriculture and business;
(C) describe the economic impact of defensespending on the business cycle and education priorities from 1945 to the 1990s;
(D) identify actions of government and the privatesector such as the Great Society, affirmative action, and Title IX to createeconomic opportunities for citizens and analyze the unintended consequencesof each; and
(E) describe the dynamic relationship betweenU.S. international trade policies and the U.S. free enterprise system such asthe Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil embargo, the GeneralAgreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA).
(18) Economics. The student understands the economiceffects of increased worldwide interdependence as the United States enters the21st century. The student is expected to:
(A) discuss the role of American entrepreneurssuch as Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Estée Lauder, Robert Johnson, Lionel Sosa, andmillions of small business entrepreneurs who achieved the American dream; and
(B) identify the impact of international events,multinational corporations, government policies, and individuals on the 21stcentury economy.
(19) Government. The student understands changesover time in the role of government. The student is expected to:
(A) evaluate the impact of New Deal legislationon the historical roles of state and federal government;
(B) explain constitutional issues raised byfederal government policy changes during times of significant events, includingWorld War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the 1960s, and 9/11;
(C) describe the effects of political scandals,including Teapot Dome, Watergate, and Bill Clinton's impeachment, on the viewsof U.S. citizens concerning trust in the federal government and its leaders;
(D) discuss the role of contemporary governmentlegislation in the private and public sectors such as the Community ReinvestmentAct of 1977, USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and the American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct of 2009; and
(E) evaluate the pros and cons of U.S. participationin international organizations and treaties.
(20) Government. The student understands the changingrelationships among the three branches of the federal government. The studentis expected to:
(A) describe the impact of events such as theGulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act on the relationship betweenthe legislative and executive branches of government; and
(B) evaluate the impact of relationships amongthe legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, including FranklinD. Roosevelt's attempt to increase the number of U.S. Supreme Court justicesand the presidential election of 2000.
(21) Government. The student understands the impactof constitutional issues on American society. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze the effects of landmark U.S. SupremeCourt decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education, and other U.S. SupremeCourt decisions such as Plessy v. Ferguson, Hernandez v. Texas, Tinker v. DesMoines, Wisconsin v. Yoder, and White v. Regester;
(B) discuss historical reasons why the constitutionhas been amended; and
(C) evaluate constitutional change in termsof strict construction versus judicial interpretation.
(22) Citizenship. The student understands the conceptof American exceptionalism. The student is expected to:
(A) discuss Alexis de Tocqueville's five valuescrucial to America's success as a constitutional republic: liberty, egalitarianism,individualism, populism, and laissez-faire;
(B) describe how the American values identifiedby Alexis de Tocqueville are different and unique from those of other nations;and
(C) describe U.S. citizens as people from numerousplaces throughout the world who hold a common bond in standing for certain self-evidenttruths.
(23) Citizenship. The student understands effortsto expand the democratic process. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and analyze methods of expandingthe right to participate in the democratic process, including lobbying, non-violentprotesting, litigation, and amendments to the U.S. Constitution;
(B) evaluate various means of achieving equalityof political rights, including the 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments and congressionalacts such as the American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924; and
(C) explain how participation in the democraticprocess reflects our national ethos, patriotism, and civic responsibility aswell as our progress to build a "more perfect union."
(24) Citizenship. The student understands the importanceof effective leadership in a constitutional republic. The student is expectedto:
(A) describe qualities of effective leadership;and
(B) evaluate the contributions of significantpolitical and social leaders in the United States such as Andrew Carnegie, ThurgoodMarshall, Billy Graham, Barry Goldwater, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Hillary Clinton.
(25) Culture. The student understands the relationshipbetween the arts and the times during which they were created. The student isexpected to:
(A) describe how the characteristics and issuesin U.S. history have been reflected in various genres of art, music, film, andliterature;
(B) describe both the positive and negativeimpacts of significant examples of cultural movements in art, music, and literaturesuch as Tin Pan Alley, the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat Generation, rock androll, the Chicano Mural Movement, and country and western music on Americansociety;
(C) identify the impact of popular Americanculture on the rest of the world over time; and
(D) analyze the global diffusion of Americanculture through the entertainment industry via various media.
(26) Culture. The student understands how peoplefrom various groups contribute to our national identity. The student is expectedto:
(A) explain actions taken by people to expandeconomic opportunities and political rights, including those for racial, ethnic,and religious minorities as well as women, in American society;
(B) discuss the Americanization movement toassimilate immigrants and American Indians into American culture;
(C) explain how the contributions of peopleof various racial, ethnic, gender, and religious groups shape American culture;
(D) identify the political, social, and economiccontributions of women such as Frances Willard, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt,Dolores Huerta, Sonia Sotomayor, and Oprah Winfrey to American society;
(E) discuss the meaning and historical significanceof the mottos "E Pluribus Unum" and "In God We Trust"; and
(F) discuss the importance of congressionalMedal of Honor recipients, including individuals of all races and genders suchas Vernon J. Baker, Alvin York, and Roy Benavidez.
(27) Science, technology, and society. The studentunderstands the impact of science, technology, and the free enterprise systemon the economic development of the United States. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the effects of scientific discoveriesand technological innovations such as electric power, telephone and satellitecommunications, petroleum-based products, steel production, and computers onthe economic development of the United States;
(B) explain how specific needs result in scientificdiscoveries and technological innovations in agriculture, the military, andmedicine, including vaccines; and
(C) understand the impact of technological andmanagement innovations and their applications in the workplace and the resultingproductivity enhancements for business and labor such as assembly line manufacturing,time-study analysis, robotics, computer management, and just-in-time inventorymanagement.
(28) Science, technology, and society. The studentunderstands the influence of scientific discoveries, technological innovations,and the free enterprise system on the standard of living in the United States.The student is expected to:
(A) analyze how scientific discoveries, technologicalinnovations, and the application of these by the free enterprise system, includingthose in transportation and communication, improve the standard of living inthe United States;
(B) explain how space technology and explorationimprove the quality of life; and
(C) understand how the free enterprise systemdrives technological innovation and its application in the marketplace suchas cell phones, inexpensive personal computers, and global positioning products.
(29) Social studies skills. The student appliescritical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a varietyof valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A) use a variety of both primary and secondaryvalid sources to acquire information and to analyze and answer historical questions;
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing,identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing and contrasting, findingthe main idea, summarizing, making generalizations, making predictions, drawinginferences, and drawing conclusions;
(C) understand how historians interpret thepast (historiography) and how their interpretations of history may change overtime;
(D) use the process of historical inquiry toresearch, interpret, and use multiple types of sources of evidence;
(E) evaluate the validity of a source basedon language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author,including points of view, frames of reference, and historical context;
(F) identify bias in written, oral, and visualmaterial;
(G) identify and support with historical evidencea point of view on a social studies issue or event; and
(H) use appropriate skills to analyze and interpretsocial studies information such as maps, graphs, presentations, speeches, lectures,and political cartoons.
(30) Social studies skills. The student communicatesin written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) create written, oral, and visual presentationsof social studies information;
(B) use correct social studies terminology toexplain historical concepts; and
(C) use different forms of media to convey information,including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using availablecomputer software as appropriate.
(31) Social studies skills. The student uses geographictools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The student is expected to:
(A) create thematic maps, graphs, and chartsrepresenting various aspects of the United States; and
(B) pose and answer questions about geographicdistributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs, charts, and available databases.
(32) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solvingand decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a varietyof settings. The student is expected to:
(A) use a problem-solving process to identifya problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantagesand disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectivenessof the solution; and
(B) use a decision-making process to identifya situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options,predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.
Source: The provisions of this §113.41 adopted to be effectiveAugust 23, 2010, 35 TexReg 7232.
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