Test Design and 
Test Framework

Field 245: Social Science: Geography

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The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions
Time*	3 hours, 15 minutes
Passing Score	240

*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial

Test Framework

Subarea 1—Social Science Foundational Skills

Objective 0001—Understand basic sources, tools, and methods of social science inquiry and interdisciplinary connections among the social sciences.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics and uses of various types of source materials and tools of social science inquiry.
• Apply knowledge of the methods social scientists use to investigate and answer questions about the human experience and the methods and technologies used to gather and analyze social science data from multiple sources.
• Recognize appropriate research questions and apply knowledge of procedures for interpreting research results and for organizing and presenting research findings in an appropriate format.
• Apply knowledge of ethical practices for conducting research and interpreting findings.
• Apply knowledge of the structures, purposes, and methodologies within the social science disciplines.
• Analyze connections among history, geography, political science, economics, and the behavioral sciences; relationships between the social sciences and other learning areas; and interdisciplinary approaches to social science instruction.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students how to use basic sources, tools, and methods of social science inquiry and make connections among the social sciences and with other learning areas, including using grade-level-appropriate literature and resources, instructional resources and technologies, and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0002—Understand the use of analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in social science inquiry and basic historical concepts.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the strengths and limitations of primary and secondary sources of evidence (e.g., documents, artifacts, Internet), the importance of using multiple credible sources before reaching a conclusion or making an interpretation, and how to assess the credibility and authority of sources and research findings.
• Distinguish between fact and conjecture, fact and interpretation, and evidence and assertion, and recognize the value of informed opinion based on systematic analysis of evidence.
• Recognize the complexity of causation, analyze cause-and-effect relationships, distinguish between causation and correlation, compare and contrast competing narratives and multiple perspectives, and critique conclusions.
• Identify the central concepts addressed in a narrative and draw inferences and summarize information from a variety of sources.
• Compare and contrast alternative interpretations and points of view in the social sciences.
• Apply knowledge of the tentative nature of interpretation in the social sciences, the role of culture in interpretation, and differences among perspectives in the social sciences.
• Interpret and evaluate information presented in various formats (e.g., maps, charts, tables, other graphic representations).
• Apply knowledge of basic historical concepts (e.g., chronological thinking, periodization, cause-and-effect relationships, historical succession and duration, patterns of continuity and change, historical context).
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students how to use analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in social science inquiry, basic historical concepts, and major historical interpretations, including using grade-level-appropriate literature and resources, instructional resources and technologies, and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0003—Understand the process of reading, and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' reading development in the social science classroom.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the reading process (e.g., the construction of meaning through interactions between a reader's prior knowledge, information in the text, and the purpose of the reading situation), and apply knowledge of strategies for integrating the language arts into social science instruction to support students' reading and concept development (e.g., providing purposeful opportunities for students to read, write about, and discuss content in order to improve their understanding).
• Apply knowledge of strategies that foster reading in the social science classroom (e.g., incorporating relevant literature for adolescents in the curriculum; building and maintaining a classroom library; encouraging students' independent reading, research, and inquiry related to social science).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of vocabulary knowledge in supporting students' reading comprehension and concept development, and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' discipline-specific vocabulary development (e.g., recognizing structural and/or meaning-based relationships between words, using context clues, distinguishing denotative and connotative meanings of words, interpreting idioms and figurative language, consulting specialized reference materials).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for preparing students to read text effectively and teaching and modeling the use of comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading, including strategies that promote close reading (e.g., breaking down complex sentences, monitoring for comprehension to correct confusions and misunderstandings that arise during reading).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for developing students' ability to comprehend and critically analyze discipline-specific texts, including recognizing organizational patterns unique to informational texts; using graphic organizers as an aid for analyzing and recalling information from texts; analyzing and summarizing an author's argument, claims, evidence, and point of view; evaluating the credibility of sources; and synthesizing multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats.
• Apply knowledge of strategies for evaluating, selecting, modifying, and designing reading materials appropriate to the academic task and students' reading abilities (e.g., analyzing instructional materials in terms of readability, content, length, format, illustrations, and other pertinent factors).
• Apply knowledge of strategies for providing continuous monitoring of students' reading progress through observations, work samples, and various informal assessments and for differentiating social science instruction to address all students' assessed reading needs.

 

Subarea 2—Social Science Foundational Knowledge

Objective 0004—Understand political concepts, systems, features, and processes in the United States and other world areas.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of the basic functions of government and important concepts used in the study of government and politics (e.g., political socialization, representation, authority).
• Demonstrate knowledge of different types of political systems (e.g., democracy, autocracy, oligarchy, monarchy, totalitarianism), their characteristics, and their significance for different people and regions of the world.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of constitutional government (e.g., separation of powers, checks and balances, individual rights, federalism), the historical development of constitutional government in the United States, the sources and functions of law, and the rule of law.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the organization and functions of government at the national, state, and local levels in the United States (e.g., roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; functions of and relationships between national, state, and local governments).
• Analyze how public policy is formulated and implemented in the United States at the local, state, and national levels; the public policy role of each branch of government; factors that influence public policy debates (e.g., interest groups, political parties, public opinion, mass media); public policy formation and implementation in other nations; and differing perspectives on public policy issues.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society (e.g., rights extended to U.S. citizens through the Bill of Rights and other amendments, role of the U.S. Supreme Court in defining and protecting rights, responsibilities of citizenship and their significance) and how to promote students' civic engagement and social responsibility.
• Analyze the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy and various influences on U.S. foreign policy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the functions of major international organizations (e.g., UN, NATO, NGOs, trade alliances) and the influence of international organizations on world affairs.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about political concepts, systems, features, and processes in the United States and other regions of the world, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0005—Understand economic concepts and systems, the operation of the U.S. and world economies, and personal finance.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic economic concepts, terms, and theories (e.g., scarcity, opportunity cost, incentives, voluntary exchange, supply and demand theory, characteristics and functions of money, marginal analysis).
• Recognize and compare different types of economic systems (e.g., command, traditional, market, mixed), including factors that influence consumer and producer decisions (e.g., government roles and policies, values and beliefs) and the role of financial institutions in saving, borrowing, and investing in a market economy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the key components and operation of the U.S. economy (e.g., principles of free enterprise; competition; entrepreneurship; investment; roles of the federal government and the Federal Reserve System and effects of their policies; causes and effects of inflation and unemployment; relationships between households, firms, and government agencies).
• Apply knowledge of personal finance and consumer decision making (e.g., credit, budgeting, insurance, purchasing, influence of advertising) and how to promote students' financial literacy and consumer skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge of international economic structures, processes, and relationships (e.g., specialization, globalization, comparative advantage, economic interdependence, free trade, trade incentives and disincentives, factors affecting economic growth and stability, global effects of resource supply and demand, international economic organizations).
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about economic concepts and systems, the operation of the U.S. and world economies, and personal finance, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0006—Understand major developments and patterns of continuity and change in world history.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the progression from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural and industrial societies and the evolution and distinctive characteristics of major Asian, African, and American societies and cultures prior to 1500 CE.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the development of ancient and classical civilizations of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe; their major achievements and legacies; and factors contributing to their historical changes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the origins, central ideas, and historical influences of major religious and philosophical traditions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation periods, including the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of each period.
• Demonstrate knowledge of political, religious, scientific, and industrial revolutions from 1450 to 1850 and how these revolutions contributed to social, political, economic, and cultural change.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the culture and ideals of the modern world since the Age of Enlightenment and the origin and impact of capitalism and other economic systems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of nineteenth- and twentieth-century ideologies (e.g., liberalism, republicanism, socialism, Marxism, nationalism, communism, fascism, Nazism) and their global influence; and the causes, major events, and consequences of twentieth-century world wars, the Holocaust, and other examples of genocide.
• Analyze the origins and consequences of cultural encounters (e.g., exploration, imperialism, independence and decolonization); factors and contexts that influenced people's perspectives during different historical eras; the process of cultural diffusion; the effects of religious and ethnic diversity; and changing relations among social classes, ethnic groups, religious denominations, and genders.
• Demonstrate knowledge of environmental factors in human and technological development; the economic and environmental significance of technological changes; the influence of changes in transportation and communication on societies; and the effects of the globalization of the world economy.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about major developments and patterns of continuity and change in different historical eras and regions of the world, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0007—Understand major developments and patterns of continuity and change in U.S. history.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the migration and settlement patterns of people moving to and within the United States from prehistory to the present and the interaction and contributions of various peoples in North America.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the origins and development of democracy in the United States, including political ideas that influenced the development of U.S. constitutional government, the evolution of the two-party system, and the development of government and political institutions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution of U.S. foreign policy, relationships between foreign policy and domestic affairs, the emergence of the United States as a world power, and the role of the United States in world affairs (e.g., wars, trade, human rights, alliances, peacekeeping) in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
• Analyze the social, economic, and political tensions that led to various conflicts and examine the effects of these conflicts on the United States.
• Analyze causes and effects of major social, political, and economic policies and movements (e.g., abolition, woman's suffrage, immigration, labor, civil rights, Native American rights) in U.S. history.
• Analyze examples of continuity and change in U.S. society, culture, arts, literature, education, religion, and values.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the development of the U.S. economy, including the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors; the relationship between geography and economic developments in the United States; and the changing role of corporations and labor.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of economic and technological change in the transformation of U.S. society, the impact of capitalism and urbanization, and the changing role of the U.S. economy within the global economy.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about major developments and patterns of continuity and change in U.S. history, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0008—Understand tools, concepts, and processes of human and physical geography.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of geographic representations, tools, and technologies (e.g., mental and other maps, aerial photography, satellite images, geographic information system [GIS]) and their use in obtaining information about people, places, and environments; making decisions about location; forming public policy; posing and answering questions about spatial distributions and patterns; and solving problems.
• Analyze how culture, cultural change, experience, and technology influence human perceptions and use of places and regions and how places and regions serve as cultural symbols.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the human and physical characteristics of places and regions, the role of human and physical processes in creating different types of places and regions, the effects of changes in places and regions over time, and connections among places and regions.
• Analyze how physical processes and human activities influence spatial distributions, including world population trends, issues, and patterns; the effects of human migration on physical and human systems; and the influence of cooperation and conflict on spatial patterns.
• Analyze the role of science and technology in expanding the human capacity to modify physical and human environments; the functions and spatial arrangements of cities and other human environments; factors influencing spatial patterns and interactions within and among urban, suburban, and rural regions; changes affecting physical and human environments; and the global impact of human action on the physical environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the causes and effects of increased global interdependence, including how the spatial distribution of resources affects the location of economic activities and contributes to conflict and cooperation and how international economic issues, opportunities, and problems result from increased global interdependence.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about tools, concepts, and processes of human and physical geography, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0009—Understand concepts, terms, and theories related to human behavior and development, the study of cultures, the structure and organization of human societies, and the processes of social interaction.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of basic psychological concepts (e.g., cognition, development, personality, behavior); psychological perspectives and methods of inquiry; fundamental theories of learning, motivation, and development; cognitive, physiological, emotional, and motivational influences on behavior; and applications of psychological knowledge.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major theories of personality (e.g., psychoanalytic, trait, behaviorist, humanist, social-cognitive); types of psychological disorders; and the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral changes associated with different stages of life.
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic sociological and anthropological concepts (e.g., acculturation, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, institutions), sociological and anthropological perspectives, and methods of inquiry, and how to apply a behavioral science point of view to general social phenomena and specific social situations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of social organization in various time periods (e.g., ancient, preindustrial, industrial, postindustrial) and how social institutions (e.g., educational, religious), social relationships, social class, social customs, cultural values, and norms influence behavior and life decisions.
• Analyze how common values and beliefs develop within societies; the nature and significance of human unity and cultural diversity; and the roles of tradition, the arts, and social institutions in the development and transmission of culture.
• Demonstrate knowledge of sociological approaches to and perspectives on conformity and deviancy.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about concepts, terms, and theories related to human behavior and development, the study of cultures, the structure and organization of human societies, and the processes of social interaction, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; social science processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 3—Geographic Concepts and Physical Systems

Objective 0010—Understand basic geographic terms, concepts, tools, and processes.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of basic geographic terms and concepts and how to use the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, region) to study Earth and its people.
• Apply knowledge of geographic representations, tools, and technologies (e.g., maps, graphs, charts, aerial photographs, satellite images, geographic information systems [GIS], Global Positioning System [GPS]) and their use in interpreting Earth's systems by posing questions and analyzing and explaining data, and proposing solutions to geographic problems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of mental maps and how they reflect human perceptions of and attitudes about places, influence spatial and environmental decision making and public policy, and can be used to analyze physical and human systems and answer complex geographic questions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of concepts of spatial interaction (e.g., complementarity, intervening opportunities, distance decay, connections), models of spatial organization, and how to use these concepts and models to examine the spatial behavior of people; analyze patterns of land use in urban, suburban, and rural areas; analyze relationships within and between places; and make decisions.
• Apply knowledge of the concept of region, the multiple criteria that can be used to define a region, the use of regions to interpret Earth's complexity, factors that influence changes in regions over time, connections and interactions within and among regional systems, the structure and impact of regional systems, ways in which physical and human regional systems are interconnected, and how regions and regionalization processes are used to analyze geographic issues.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about basic geographic terms, concepts, tools, and processes, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0011—Understand Earth's physical systems, features, patterns, and processes.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of Earth's physical systems (atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere) and how interactions among these systems vary across space and time.
• Demonstrate knowledge of Earth's physical features (e.g., distribution of landforms and bodies of water), the changing physical characteristics of places, and the physical processes (e.g., tectonic, climatic, erosional) that shape places.
• Analyze ways in which physical processes result in spatial patterns and variations in the physical environment and how regions of Illinois, the United States, and the world have been shaped by different physical processes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how the Earth-Sun relationship affects Earth's physical processes and creates physical patterns.
• Analyze ways in which Earth's physical systems and processes are dynamic and interactive and demonstrate knowledge of the interactions among Earth's physical environments, human communities, and regional ecologies.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about Earth's physical systems, features, patterns, and processes, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 4—Human Systems, Ecosystems, and Resources

Objective 0012—Understand global and regional patterns of population distribution and migration, patterns and processes of human settlement, and contemporary issues related to demographic change.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of trends in world population numbers and patterns and reasons for spatial variations in population distribution.
• Analyze types and historical patterns of human migration; the effects of human migration and population change on physical and human systems; and the economic, political, social, technological, and environmental factors (e.g., religious persecution, poverty, drought, war, political unrest) that influence population growth and movement.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the causes and consequences of urbanization and the characteristics of urban settlements in developing and developed countries.
• Analyze the functions and internal structures of cities in Illinois, the United States, and the world and processes that change the functions and internal structures of cities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the nature, causes, and spatial impact of change in urban areas; the evolving forms of present-day urban areas (e.g., edge cities, megalopolises/megacities, metropolitan corridors); and the physical and human effects of emerging urban forms in Illinois, the United States, and the world.
• Analyze issues, problems, and solutions and integrate multiple points of view related to migration, population, and demographic change.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about global and regional patterns of population distribution and migration, patterns and processes of human settlement, and contemporary issues related to demographic change, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0013—Understand the human characteristics of places, global and regional patterns of culture, and the complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.

For example:

• Analyze the spatial distribution of culture at different scales (i.e., local to global), the ways in which culture shapes the character of a region, and how communities reflect the cultural background of their inhabitants.
• Demonstrate understanding of the spatial aspects of cultural convergence and divergence and the significance of patterns of cultural diffusion in the creation of Earth's varied cultural mosaics.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the changing human characteristics of places and regions and the influence of technology and social, cultural, economic, and political processes in shaping the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of places and regions in shaping individual identity and serving as symbols for unifying or fragmenting society, and the ways in which human experiences (e.g., wedding customs, funerals, social functions) in various places and regions may be interpreted differently by different cultural groups.
• Analyze the characteristics of places and regions from various points of view; why different groups within a society may view places and regions differently; and how culture, technology, and experience influence people's perceptions and use of places and regions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the meaning and significance of places and how relationships between humans and the physical environment lead to the formation of places and to a sense of personal and community identity.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about the human characteristics of places, global and regional patterns of culture, and the complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0014—Understand the characteristics and spatial distribution of Earth's ecosystems, the effects of human interactions with the environment, and contemporary issues related to human-environment interactions.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics (e.g., biodiversity, productivity) of Earth's ecosystems; the spatial distribution of ecosystems from local to global scales; and the relationships between soil, climate, and plant, animal, and human life in various ecosystems.
• Analyze ways in which knowledge of ecosystems promotes understanding of environmental issues and the ability to ask questions, solve problems, and make decisions regarding environmental issues.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how different physical environments affect and are affected by human activity in Illinois, the United States, and the world and how technology has expanded the human capacity to modify the environment.
• Analyze how different physical environments provide opportunities for or place constraints on human activities and how changes in the physical environment have reduced the environment's capacity to support human activity.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the global effects of human changes to the physical environment; possible solutions to problems resulting from human modification of the environment; and ways in which local, national, and international policies affect the environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of natural hazards on human systems and activities in Illinois, the United States, and the world.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major issues related to the global environment and appropriate models and information to use to understand environmental problems.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about the characteristics and spatial distribution of Earth's ecosystems, the effects of human interactions with the environment, and contemporary issues related to human-environment interactions, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0015—Understand global and regional patterns of resource distribution and land use and contemporary issues in energy and resource use.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of major patterns of distribution and concentrations of important natural resources (e.g., fossil fuels, rain forests, mineral resources, freshwater); geological, climatic, and biological factors that have influenced the location of resources; and changes in the development and use of resources over time.
• Demonstrate knowledge of relationships between the spatial distribution of resources and patterns of human settlement and relationships between resources and the exploration, colonization, and settlement of different regions of the world.
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic forms of land use and development (e.g., agriculture, ranching, forestry, mining, manufacturing); political, social, economic, cultural, and technological factors that influence patterns of land use and development; and the environmental, cultural, political, and economic consequences of patterns of land use and development.
• Analyze factors that influence demand for energy and other resources in Illinois, in regions of the United States, and the world, and the effects of resource use on society and the physical environment.
• Analyze the implications and results of programs and policy decisions related to the management and use of resources in Illinois, regions of the United States, and the world.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about global and regional patterns of resource distribution and land use and contemporary issues in energy and resource use, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

Subarea 5—Interdependence and Geopolitics

Objective 0016—Understand patterns and networks of economic interdependence and contemporary issues in economic development and interdependence.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the classification, characteristics, and spatial distribution of economic systems and their relative merit in terms of productivity and the social welfare of workers.
• Analyze ways in which geography influences patterns and networks of world trade.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the spatial aspects of economic systems and how places of various size function as centers of economic activity.
• Analyze international economic issues, problems, and solutions from a spatial perspective.
• Demonstrate knowledge of factors that encourage and discourage economic self-sufficiency and interdependence and the nature and significance of increased interdependence of the world's countries.
• Analyze the potential effects of current economic trends on population distribution, human-environment interactions, and resource and land use at local, state, national, and international levels.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about global and regional patterns of economic self-sufficiency and interdependence and contemporary issues in economic development and interdependence, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

Objective 0017—Understand the political ordering of space and contemporary cultural, ethnic, and geopolitical issues.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of geographic aspects of contemporary world events and how to use multiple points of view to analyze, evaluate, and address contemporary geographic issues.
• Analyze divisions on Earth's surface at different scales to identify uses of political space at local, state, national, and international levels.
• Apply knowledge of regional systems, alliances, and partnerships to examine interconnections and spatial effects.
• Demonstrate understanding of the causes of cooperation and conflict over control of Earth's surface, including how the uneven distribution of resources contributes to cooperation and conflict among nations, and analyze how cooperation and conflict influence the division and control of social, political, and economic spaces and entities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of social, cultural, ideological, and military factors influencing recent geopolitical developments and the implications of current geopolitical trends.
• Apply knowledge of approaches for teaching students about the political ordering of space and contemporary cultural, ethnic, and geopolitical issues, including using various modes of inquiry; grade-level-appropriate literature and resources; geography processes, skills, and concepts; instructional resources and technologies; and assessment instruments and approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners.

 

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