Alaska History Standards A-B

Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

History Standard A

A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and the future.

A student who meets this standard should:

Primary level (ages 5 to 7)

Activities

Level 1 (ages 8 to 10)

Activities

(1) understand chronological frameworks for organizing historical thought and be able to place significant ideas, institutions, people, and events within time sequences;

Interview relatives and write a personal timeline.

Describe and present the family history in a picture timeline, drawings, or oral presentations.

(2) know that the interpretation of history may change as new evidence is discovered;

View a visual presentation (photos, films, videotapes) that speculates about the tomb of Alexander the Great. Compare them with recent news articles.

(3) recognize different theories of history, be able to detect the weakness of broad generalization, and be able to evaluate the debates of historians;

Explore the effects of a market economy (e.g., the fur trade) on a pre-modern society by visiting a museum and identifying subsistence items and trade items.

(4) understand that history relies on the interpretation of evidence;

Share a personal history with a photo display.

Given packets of information on Mayan civilization, groups of students interpret the role that priests played in the society.

(5) understand that history is a narrative told in many voices and expresses various perspectives of historical experience;

Listen to personal stories and know that they are "histories."

Create an historical timeline of the local community, including the people, the changes they brought to the community, and significant events over time.

(6) know that cultural elements, including language, literature, the arts, customs, and belief systems, reflect the ideas and attitudes of a specific time and know how the cultural elements influence human interaction;

Map family historical background after bringing in family artifacts representative of the family's past and culture.

Use data from newspapers, catalogs and oral accounts to compare and contrast fashion, household articles, prices of items, and modes of transportation of an earlier period with today.

(7) understand that history is dynamic and composed of key turning points;

Identify and follow a current event through time using a story board.

Study and construct a printing press as part of a unit exploring the impact of movable type on history.

(8) know that history is a bridge to understanding groups of people and an individual's relationship to society; and

Relate the life of a turn-of-the-century Tlingit as described in a children's book (e.g., Kahtahah by F. L. Paul) to early 19th century Tlingit society and culture.

(9) understand that history is a fundamental connection which unifies all fields of human understanding and endeavor.

Draw portraits of classmates in the style of cave paintings, medieval paintings, Renaissance art, and cubism.

History Standard A

A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and the future.

A student who meets this standard should:

Level 2 (ages 12 to 14)
Activities

Level 3 (ages 16 to 18)
Activities

(1) understand chronological frameworks for organizing historical thought and be able to place significant ideas, institutions, people, and events within time sequences;

Interview grandparents about personal perspectives of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Watergate, or other major historical events.

Interview local citizens to create an historical timeline using occupations, housing and transportation mode to chart and graph changes.

(2) know that the interpretation of history may change as new evidence is discovered;

Read and compare two articles about the "Alpine Iceman" written at different stages in the investigation (i.e., when the discovery was first made; two years later).

Read news articles about the Tet Offensive and compare with the view of contemporary historians.

(3) recognize different theories of history, be able to detect the weakness of broad generalization, and be able to evaluate the debates of historians;

Debate the roles played by territorial expansion, international conflict (e.g., Punic Wars), and technology (e.g., lead poisoning) in the fall of the Roman Empire.

Assign to groups of students historical theories as they relate to the dropping of the A Bomb in Japan (e.g. technological theory, "Great Men" theory, Machiavellian, etc.).

(4) understand that history relies on the interpretation of evidence;

After consulting primary source documents from the time period, write a diary entry describing an important event from the perspective of a major figure in history.

Using different sources, discuss the inevitability of the 100 Years War.

(5) understand that history is a narrative told in many voices and expresses various perspectives of historical experience;

Participate by role playing in a debate between patriot and loyalist citizens on the eve of the American Revolution.

Analyze the roles people of different backgrounds played in World War II (e.g., women factory workers; Navaho soldiers; black aviators; Marines at Iwo Jima, etc.)

(6) know that cultural elements, including language, literature, the arts, customs, and belief systems, reflect the ideas and attitudes of a specific time and know how the cultural elements influence human interaction;

Compare and illustrate (on charts or posters) the European code of chivalry and the Japanese Bushido code and discuss reasons for differences.

Compare Uncle Tom's Cabin with Branch Taylor's Parting the Waters.

(7) understand that history is dynamic and composed of key turning points;

Debate the effects of widespread literacy on Aleut culture and language.

Compare the importance of general literacy on key turning points in history; for example: Galileo's excommunication, Luther's 95 Theses, Brown vs. Board of Education.

(8) know that history is a bridge to understanding groups of people and an individual's relationship to society; and

Using historical documents and literature, debate the formation of Israel following World War II.

Read Mencius and discuss roles individual class members would play in traditional Chinese society, following the book's prescription for social harmony.

(9) understand that history is a fundamental connection which unifies all fields of human understanding and endeavor.

Explore and compare the factors leading up to the development of agriculture in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.

Research the impact of the Renaissance on the development of modern art, science/technology, politics, and ideas.

Note: These activities are not state requirements or performance objectives, but rather examples of ways to interpret the standard's key elements; each district will determine its own benchmarks and develop its own set of activities.

History Standard B

A student should understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, places, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.

A student who meets this standard should:

Primary level (ages 5 to 7)
Activities

Level 1 (ages 8 to 10)
Activities

(1) be able to comprehend the forces of change and continuity that shape human history through the following persistent organizing themes:

(a) the development of culture, the emergence of civilizations, and the accomplishments and mistakes of social organizations;

Examine how changes in Alaska Native hunting practices conflicted with traditional beliefs about animals.

(b) human communities and their relationships with climate, subsistence base, resources, geography and technology;

Examine current seasonal subsistence activities of local Alaska Natives.

Visit a museum and relate Eskimo or Athabaskan artifacts to the climate and resources available.

(c) the origin and impact of ideologies, religions, and institutions upon human societies;

Read about the Puritans' history before they came to the New World.

(d) the consequences of peace and violent conflict to societies and their cultures;

Identify a current classroom issue and discuss it with an older student who has dealt with a similar issue in the past.

Read juvenile literature on the Revolutionary War period and discuss the effects the war had on people and their society.

(e) major developments in societies as well as changing patterns related to class, ethnicity, race, and gender;

Compare non-industrialized life in Williamsburg with life in London in the 18th century.

(2) understand the people and the political, geographic, economic, cultural, social, and environmental events that have shaped the history of the state, the United States, and the world;

Be familiar with historical figures who had had schools or other buildings named for them in the community. Find out who these people were and what they contributed to the community

Learn about significant local people, past and present, and describe how they have shaped transportation, communication, or public utilities in the community.

(3) recognize that historical understanding is relevant and valuable in the student's life and for participating in local, state, national, and global communities;

Identify the yearly cycle of American cultural holidays. Explore their historical origins.

Research why local military installations (e.g., bases, Nike missile sites, Distant Early Warning, White Alice sites) were built and how they related to the Cold War.

(4) recognize the importance of time, ideas, institutions, people, places, cultures, and events in understanding larger historical patterns; and

Read a biography of a woman reformer (e.g., Jane Addams, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Dorothea Dix, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt).

(5) be able to evaluate the influence of context upon historical understanding.

Consider forests from the points of view of a 17th century English shipbuilder; American pioneer, farmer, 20th century environmentalist; railroad builder; gold rusher on the Yukon River, Athabaskan hunter.

History Standard B

A student should understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, place, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.

A student who meets this standard should:

Level 2 (ages 12 to 14)

Activities

Level 3 (ages 16 to 18)

Activities

(1) be able to comprehend the forces of change and continuity that shape human history through the following persistent organizing themes:

(a) the development of culture, the emergence of civilizations, and the accomplishments and mistakes of social organizations;

Research how technology in flood control and irrigation helped civilizations develop.

Compare Roman civic organization, Chinese Han civilization, and Germanic tribal organization from the 1st Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D.

(b) human communities and their relationships with climate, subsistence base, resources, geography and technology;

Investigate the relationship between the abundance of resources in the Northwest Coast and the elaboration of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian social systems and material culture.

Trace the development of human technology in Europe during and following the last ice age.

(c) the origin and impact of ideologies, religions, and institutions upon human societies;

Compare and account for the emergence of world religions. Develop a chart showing major events, writings, people, and central beliefs.

Compare Hammurabi's code with the Ten Commandments.

(d) the consequences of peace and violent conflict to societies and their cultures;

Role play different statues during the Civil War, including, for instance, Union soldier, northern businessman, southern plantation owner, slave, abolitionist, free black.

Examine the causes and consequences of World War I (including the Treaty of Versailles) through secondary sources, literature, and film.

(e) major developments in societies as well as changing patterns related to class, ethnicity, race, and gender;

Make an illustrated graph or chart depicting immigration into the U.S. from the Civil War to World War I

Study the break-up of the Communist Block at the end of the 20th century.

(2) understand the people and the political, geographic, economic, cultural, social, and environmental events that have shaped the history of the state, the United States, and the world;

Select five U.S. presidents who you think have been the most influential in American history and defend your choices.

Compare the American, French, Chinese, and Russian Revolutions and role play major characters and events from each.

(3) recognize that historical understanding is relevant and valuable in the student's life and for participating in local, state, national, and global communities;

Role play the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War in relation to the escalation of the arms race.

Analyze the First Amendment, and the impact of events such as the McCarthy hearings, Neo-Naziism, prayer in schools, and the Watergate scandal.

(4) recognize the importance of time, ideas, institutions, people, places, cultures, and events in understanding larger historical patterns; and

Sequence and explain major Alaskan historical events (e.g., Russian arrival, American purchase, Gold Rush, Organic Acts, statehood, etc.) and place them in identifiable periods and eras.

Trace the development of major medical advances and the role of disease in history.

(5) be able to evaluate the influence of context upon historical understanding.

Watch films about the American West produced from the early to the late 20th century (e.g., Broken Arrow, Little Big Man, Dances with Wolves). Analyze the images of Native Americans portrayed in the films.

Examine and analyze knowledge of, or belief in, war atrocities in various wars through history (e.g., Spanish Inquisition, World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, Bosnia).

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*A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and the future.*
*A student who meets this standard should:*	*Primary level (ages 5 to 7)* *Activities*	*Level 1 (ages 8 to 10)* *Activities*
(1) understand chronological frameworks for organizing historical thought and be able to place significant ideas, institutions, people, and events within time sequences;	Interview relatives and write a personal timeline.	Describe and present the family history in a picture timeline, drawings, or oral presentations.
(2) know that the interpretation of history may change as new evidence is discovered;		View a visual presentation (photos, films, videotapes) that speculates about the tomb of Alexander the Great. Compare them with recent news articles.
(3) recognize different theories of history, be able to detect the weakness of broad generalization, and be able to evaluate the debates of historians;		Explore the effects of a market economy (e.g., the fur trade) on a pre-modern society by visiting a museum and identifying subsistence items and trade items.
(4) understand that history relies on the interpretation of evidence;	Share a personal history with a photo display.	Given packets of information on Mayan civilization, groups of students interpret the role that priests played in the society.
(5) understand that history is a narrative told in many voices and expresses various perspectives of historical experience;	Listen to personal stories and know that they are "histories."	Create an historical timeline of the local community, including the people, the changes they brought to the community, and significant events over time.
(6) know that cultural elements, including language, literature, the arts, customs, and belief systems, reflect the ideas and attitudes of a specific time and know how the cultural elements influence human interaction;	Map family historical background after bringing in family artifacts representative of the family's past and culture.	Use data from newspapers, catalogs and oral accounts to compare and contrast fashion, household articles, prices of items, and modes of transportation of an earlier period with today.
(7) understand that history is dynamic and composed of key turning points;	Identify and follow a current event through time using a story board.	Study and construct a printing press as part of a unit exploring the impact of movable type on history.
(8) know that history is a bridge to understanding groups of people and an individual's relationship to society; and		Relate the life of a turn-of-the-century Tlingit as described in a children's book (e.g., Kahtahah by F. L. Paul) to early 19th century Tlingit society and culture.
(9) understand that history is a fundamental connection which unifies all fields of human understanding and endeavor.		Draw portraits of classmates in the style of cave paintings, medieval paintings, Renaissance art, and cubism.

*A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and the future.*
*A student who meets this standard should:*	Level 2 (ages 12 to 14) Activities	Level 3 (ages 16 to 18) Activities
(1) understand chronological frameworks for organizing historical thought and be able to place significant ideas, institutions, people, and events within time sequences;	Interview grandparents about personal perspectives of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Watergate, or other major historical events.	Interview local citizens to create an historical timeline using occupations, housing and transportation mode to chart and graph changes.
(2) know that the interpretation of history may change as new evidence is discovered;	Read and compare two articles about the "Alpine Iceman" written at different stages in the investigation (i.e., when the discovery was first made; two years later).	Read news articles about the Tet Offensive and compare with the view of contemporary historians.
(3) recognize different theories of history, be able to detect the weakness of broad generalization, and be able to evaluate the debates of historians;	Debate the roles played by territorial expansion, international conflict (e.g., Punic Wars), and technology (e.g., lead poisoning) in the fall of the Roman Empire.	Assign to groups of students historical theories as they relate to the dropping of the A Bomb in Japan (e.g. technological theory, "Great Men" theory, Machiavellian, etc.).
(4) understand that history relies on the interpretation of evidence;	After consulting primary source documents from the time period, write a diary entry describing an important event from the perspective of a major figure in history.	Using different sources, discuss the inevitability of the 100 Years War.
(5) understand that history is a narrative told in many voices and expresses various perspectives of historical experience;	Participate by role playing in a debate between patriot and loyalist citizens on the eve of the American Revolution.	Analyze the roles people of different backgrounds played in World War II (e.g., women factory workers; Navaho soldiers; black aviators; Marines at Iwo Jima, etc.)
(6) know that cultural elements, including language, literature, the arts, customs, and belief systems, reflect the ideas and attitudes of a specific time and know how the cultural elements influence human interaction;	Compare and illustrate (on charts or posters) the European code of chivalry and the Japanese Bushido code and discuss reasons for differences.	Compare Uncle Tom's Cabin with Branch Taylor's Parting the Waters.
(7) understand that history is dynamic and composed of key turning points;	Debate the effects of widespread literacy on Aleut culture and language.	Compare the importance of general literacy on key turning points in history; for example: Galileo's excommunication, Luther's 95 Theses, Brown vs. Board of Education.
(8) know that history is a bridge to understanding groups of people and an individual's relationship to society; and	Using historical documents and literature, debate the formation of Israel following World War II.	Read Mencius and discuss roles individual class members would play in traditional Chinese society, following the book's prescription for social harmony.
(9) understand that history is a fundamental connection which unifies all fields of human understanding and endeavor.	Explore and compare the factors leading up to the development of agriculture in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.	Research the impact of the Renaissance on the development of modern art, science/technology, politics, and ideas.

*A student should understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, places, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.*
*A student who meets this standard should:*	Primary level (ages 5 to 7) Activities	Level 1 (ages 8 to 10) Activities
(1) be able to comprehend the forces of change and continuity that shape human history through the following persistent organizing themes: (a) the development of culture, the emergence of civilizations, and the accomplishments and mistakes of social organizations;		Examine how changes in Alaska Native hunting practices conflicted with traditional beliefs about animals.
(b) human communities and their relationships with climate, subsistence base, resources, geography and technology;	Examine current seasonal subsistence activities of local Alaska Natives.	Visit a museum and relate Eskimo or Athabaskan artifacts to the climate and resources available.
(c) the origin and impact of ideologies, religions, and institutions upon human societies;		Read about the Puritans' history before they came to the New World.
(d) the consequences of peace and violent conflict to societies and their cultures;	Identify a current classroom issue and discuss it with an older student who has dealt with a similar issue in the past.	Read juvenile literature on the Revolutionary War period and discuss the effects the war had on people and their society.
(e) major developments in societies as well as changing patterns related to class, ethnicity, race, and gender;		Compare non-industrialized life in Williamsburg with life in London in the 18th century.
(2) understand the people and the political, geographic, economic, cultural, social, and environmental events that have shaped the history of the state, the United States, and the world;	Be familiar with historical figures who had had schools or other buildings named for them in the community. Find out who these people were and what they contributed to the community	Learn about significant local people, past and present, and describe how they have shaped transportation, communication, or public utilities in the community.
(3) recognize that historical understanding is relevant and valuable in the student's life and for participating in local, state, national, and global communities;	Identify the yearly cycle of American cultural holidays. Explore their historical origins.	Research why local military installations (e.g., bases, Nike missile sites, Distant Early Warning, White Alice sites) were built and how they related to the Cold War.
(4) recognize the importance of time, ideas, institutions, people, places, cultures, and events in understanding larger historical patterns; and		Read a biography of a woman reformer (e.g., Jane Addams, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Dorothea Dix, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt).
(5) be able to evaluate the influence of context upon historical understanding.		Consider forests from the points of view of a 17th century English shipbuilder; American pioneer, farmer, 20th century environmentalist; railroad builder; gold rusher on the Yukon River, Athabaskan hunter.

*A student should understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, place, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.*
*A student who meets this standard should:*	*Level 2 (ages 12 to 14)* *Activities*	*Level 3 (ages 16 to 18)* *Activities*
(1) be able to comprehend the forces of change and continuity that shape human history through the following persistent organizing themes: (a) the development of culture, the emergence of civilizations, and the accomplishments and mistakes of social organizations;	Research how technology in flood control and irrigation helped civilizations develop.	Compare Roman civic organization, Chinese Han civilization, and Germanic tribal organization from the 1st Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D.
(b) human communities and their relationships with climate, subsistence base, resources, geography and technology;	Investigate the relationship between the abundance of resources in the Northwest Coast and the elaboration of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian social systems and material culture.	Trace the development of human technology in Europe during and following the last ice age.
(c) the origin and impact of ideologies, religions, and institutions upon human societies;	Compare and account for the emergence of world religions. Develop a chart showing major events, writings, people, and central beliefs.	Compare Hammurabi's code with the Ten Commandments.
(d) the consequences of peace and violent conflict to societies and their cultures;	Role play different statues during the Civil War, including, for instance, Union soldier, northern businessman, southern plantation owner, slave, abolitionist, free black.	Examine the causes and consequences of World War I (including the Treaty of Versailles) through secondary sources, literature, and film.
(e) major developments in societies as well as changing patterns related to class, ethnicity, race, and gender;	Make an illustrated graph or chart depicting immigration into the U.S. from the Civil War to World War I	Study the break-up of the Communist Block at the end of the 20th century.
(2) understand the people and the political, geographic, economic, cultural, social, and environmental events that have shaped the history of the state, the United States, and the world;	Select five U.S. presidents who you think have been the most influential in American history and defend your choices.	Compare the American, French, Chinese, and Russian Revolutions and role play major characters and events from each.
(3) recognize that historical understanding is relevant and valuable in the student's life and for participating in local, state, national, and global communities;	Role play the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War in relation to the escalation of the arms race.	Analyze the First Amendment, and the impact of events such as the McCarthy hearings, Neo-Naziism, prayer in schools, and the Watergate scandal.
(4) recognize the importance of time, ideas, institutions, people, places, cultures, and events in understanding larger historical patterns; and	Sequence and explain major Alaskan historical events (e.g., Russian arrival, American purchase, Gold Rush, Organic Acts, statehood, etc.) and place them in identifiable periods and eras.	Trace the development of major medical advances and the role of disease in history.
(5) be able to evaluate the influence of context upon historical understanding.	Watch films about the American West produced from the early to the late 20th century (e.g., Broken Arrow, Little Big Man, Dances with Wolves). Analyze the images of Native Americans portrayed in the films.	Examine and analyze knowledge of, or belief in, war atrocities in various wars through history (e.g., Spanish Inquisition, World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, Bosnia).