2.1. 1. The social studies standards directly address the 21st-century skills of civic literacy, financial and economic literacy and global awareness. Links to other 21st-century skills such as problem solving, communication, media literacy and leadership are more fully developed in the model curriculum.
2.2. 2. The historical focus continues in the eighth grade with the study of European exploration and the early years of the United States. This study incorporates all four social studies strands into a chronologic view of the development of the United States. Students examine how historic events are shaped by geographic, social, cultural, economic and political factors.
2.3. 3. History: Heritage... Ideas and events from the past have shaped the world as it is today. The actions of individuals and groups have made a difference in the lives of others.
2.4. 4. Historical Thinking: Historical thinking begins with a clear sense of time ± past, present and future ± and becomes more precise as students progress. Historical thinking includes skills such as locating, researching, analyzing and interpreting primary and secondary sources so that students can begin to understand the relationships among events and draw conclusions
