Morris Community High School Social Studies Department Course Skills and Descriptions
Map Skills
Students will be able to:
- Identify locations and geographical landforms using a map.
- Interpret map items to draw inferences about a given area.
- Evaluate historical events using primary source documents and descriptions of geographical content.
Critical Analysis of Historical Writing
Students will be able to:
- Evaluate bias and/or point of view of primary and secondary sources
- Interpret historical documents for support of a theory or idea
Note Taking Skills
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a variety of note taking techniques, including but not limited to Cornell/Power Notes, outlining, charting, & concept mapping.
Graph / Table Interpretation
Students will be able to:
- Interpret graphs or tables to discern relevant information provided by the graph, table, or chart to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments
- Infer trends based on data presented
Critical Thinking Skills
Students will be able to:
- Recognize problems and explore legitimate avenues to solve those problems
- Identify and understand the importance of prioritization and order of precedence in problem solving
- Identify unstated assumptions and values
- Comprehend and use language language with accuracy, clarity, and discernment
- recognize the existence (or non-existence) of logical relationships between items or events
- Test generalizations or conclusions
Following Instructions
Students will be able to:
- Follow a given set of instructions to reach a successful conclusion to a problem or completion of an assignment
Writing for Historical Content
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate writing skills which reveal an understanding of the general principles of the “big picture” of a historical event.
- Critically analyze a historical event through the collection and sorting of information, development of a thesis based on evidence procured.
- Organize evidence to support a given thesis.
- Structure an essay with a proper introduction, body, and conclusion
Website evaluation
Students will be able to:
- Identify creators of websites
- Identify validity of websites to use as sources of information
- Evaluate point of view of websites and other sources of electronic information
- Employ accurate search parameters to discern information for a given event
- Apply sources correctly to support the validity of a thesis