NAC389.2933. Social studies.

By the beginning of the fourth grade, pupils must know and be able to do everything in the previous grades for social studies offered in public schools. Instruction in the fourth grade in social studies must be designed so that pupils meet the following performance standards by the completion of the fourth grade:

     1. For the area of social study skills:

     (a) Acquire and apply skills of reading, writing and oral communication to construct knowledge, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Skim text for main ideas.

          (2) Identify the main idea, sequence of events, and cause and effect in the context of social studies.

          (3) Identify fact and opinion.

          (4) Use reading and writing to respond to historical literature.

          (5) Increase comprehension by taking notes and using graphic organizers.

     (b) Acquire, organize, use and evaluate information that prepares a pupil to be an active, informed and literate citizen, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Ask questions to identify a research topic.

          (2) Conduct research by locating, gathering and organizing information.

          (3) Present information orally and in writing.

          (4) Create maps, graphs, charts and diagrams to demonstrate knowledge.

          (5) Demonstrate acceptable social and ethical behaviors when using technology and discuss the consequences of the inappropriate use of technology.

          (6) Use technological tools for personal and collaborative writing, communication and publishing.

          (7) Use technology to efficiently and effectively access information.

     (c) Demonstrate historical comprehension by analyzing and interpreting historical documents and artifacts that present alternative voices, accounts and interpretations or perspectives on past events, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Demonstrate an understanding of chronology by recording events on a timeline.

          (2) Read folk tales and legends regarding the history of Nevada.

          (3) Discuss multiple perspectives of history.

     (d) Demonstrate skills which prepare a pupil to be an active, informed and literate citizen, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Demonstrate responsibility for the well-being of himself or herself and his or her family.

          (2) Listen and participate as a member of a group in the classroom.

          (3) Participate as a member of the school community.

     2. For the area of history:

     (a) Understand the development, characteristics and interaction of persons, cultures, societies, religions and ideas, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Describe the lifestyles of the Desert Archaic culture of Nevada.

          (2) Define the term “hunter-gatherer.”

          (3) Describe the lifestyles of the Native American cultures of Nevada.

          (4) Discuss the interactions of pioneers with the Native Americans in the Great Basin region.

          (5) Identify the contributions of immigrants in Nevada.

     (b) Understand the influences of persons, events, ideas and conflicts in the development of nations, empires, cultures and political and economic ideas, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Discuss examples of compromise and conflict within Nevada, including, without limitation, the Pyramid Lake Wars, water allocation and the Sagebrush Rebellion.

          (2) Describe the experiences of pioneers who moved west.

          (3) Identify explorers and settlers in preterritorial Nevada.

          (4) Identify the diversity within the population of early settlers in Nevada and discuss their experiences.

          (5) Explain the symbols, mottos and slogans related to Nevada, including, without limitation, the phrase “Battle Born,” the State Seal and the phrase “Silver State.”

          (6) Explain how the conflicts of the United States affected life and society in Nevada.

     (c) Understand the influences of social ideas and personal action on social, political, economic and technological change, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Compare or contrast, or both, the daily life of the pupil to children who lived in Nevada in the past.

          (2) Recognize that communities include persons who have diverse ethnic origins, customs and traditions.

          (3) Recognize persons in the community who make contributions to Nevada.

          (4) Define the term “social responsibility.”

          (5) Explain how advances in technologies have affected Nevada, including, without limitation, advances in railroads, mining and gaming.

          (6) Discuss major events at the local and state level that are reported by the media.

     (d) Understand the interactions and interdependence among nations around the world and the impact of economics, politics, religions and cultures on international relationships, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to describe the economic and cultural influences of other nations on Nevada.

     3. For the area of geography:

     (a) Use maps, globes and other geographic tools and technologies to locate and extrapolate information about persons, places and environments, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Identify and use intermediate directions on a compass rose to locate places on a map of Nevada.

          (2) Identify spatial patterns on a map of Nevada, including, without limitation, deserts, mountains and populations.

          (3) Construct a map of Nevada displaying human and physical features.

          (4) Use different types of maps of Nevada to understand spatial distribution, including, without limitation, population maps and physical maps.

     (b) Understand the physical and human features of places, and use that information to define and study regions and their patterns of changes, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Describe the distinguishing features of the historical regions of Nevada, including, without limitation, the tribal territories of Native Americans, pioneer trails and settlement areas.

          (2) Identify the regional changes in Nevada over a period of time.

          (3) Identify and describe the diversity and cultural traditions of the residents of Nevada, including, without limitation, Native Americans and the Basque community.

          (4) Demonstrate how regional change in Nevada from one decade to the next decade has affected the characteristics of a place, including, without limitation, how plows allow farmers to prepare the land for planting and how pick axes assist in mining operations.

          (5) Locate the counties of Nevada and their county seats.

          (6) Identify the equator, prime meridian and international date line.

     (c) Understand how economic, political and cultural processes interact to shape patterns of human migration and settlement, influence and interdependence, and conflict and cooperation, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Describe differences in the distribution of population within regions of Nevada.

          (2) List examples of the movement of persons, goods and ideas into and across Nevada.

          (3) Describe the differences among rural, suburban and urban settlements in Nevada.

          (4) Describe historical and current economic issues in Nevada using geographic resources, including, without limitation, illustrating demographic changes due to mining and gaming.

          (5) Describe why types of organizations may differ by geographic region in Nevada.

     (d) Understand the effects of interactions between human and physical systems, and changes in the use, distribution and importance of resources, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Describe ways physical environments affect human activity in Nevada using historical and contemporary examples.

          (2) Describe how technologies altered the physical environment in Nevada and the effects those changes have on the residents of Nevada.

          (3) Explore the impact of human modifications to the physical environment of Nevada on the residents of Nevada.

          (4) Identify natural hazards in Nevada and the impact of those hazards on the population of Nevada.

          (5) Describe the distribution patterns of natural resources in Nevada.

     4. For the area of economics:

     (a) Understand how scarcity and incentives affect choices, how markets work, why markets form, how supply and demand interact to determine the market price and how changes in prices act as economic signals to coordinate trade, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Give examples of incentives and determine whether those incentives are positive or negative.

          (2) Give reasons why consumers choose to purchase a good or service, including, without limitation, why consumers purchase more of a good or service when the price for the good or service is low and why consumers purchase less of a good or service when the price for the good or service is high.

          (3) Identify factors within the control of a person that affect the likelihood of employment.

          (4) Explain why persons who trade must benefit from the trade, including, without limitation, trading lunch items.

     (b) Identify indicators used to measure economic performance, understand important aspects of how the economy acts as a system, and understand the roles of money, interest rates, saving and borrowing, financial institutions and the central banking system in the economy, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Discuss how the discovery of silver in Nevada affected the forms of money in circulation.

          (2) Identify instances in which persons might pay interest or receive interest.

          (3) Discuss the reasons persons use banks.

          (4) Define the term “productive resources.”

          (5) Define the term “per capita.”

     (c) Identify the causes of economic change, and explain how the economic system of the United States responds to those changes and how other economic systems respond to changes, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Identify a for-profit and a not-for-profit organization within the community and a service each such organization provides.

          (2) Define the term “entrepreneur” and identify entrepreneurs in Nevada.

          (3) Describe resources that are limited in Nevada and ways in which resources are shared.

     (d) Explore trends in international trade, the impact of trade on the economy of the United States and the role of exchange rates, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Define the terms “imports” and “exports.”

          (2) Identify goods that would not be readily available in Nevada without international trade.

     5. For the area of civics:

     (a) Know why society needs rules, law and governments, and understand the roles, rights and responsibilities of citizens, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Identify rules, laws and authorities that keep persons safe and property secure in Nevada and discuss examples of each.

          (2) Explain that democracy involves voting, majority rule and setting rules.

          (3) Describe the criteria for Nevada residency.

          (4) Discuss the symbolic importance of the Pledge of Allegiance.

          (5) Explain why we celebrate Nevada Day.

     (b) Understand the United States Constitution and the government created by the United States Constitution, including, without limitation, the relationship between national and sub-national governments, and the structure and function of state and local governments, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Describe the relationship between classroom rules and school rules.

          (2) Name the current President of the United States.

          (3) Name the current Governor of Nevada.

          (4) Explain why local governments are created.

          (5) Name the three branches of State Government.

          (6) Understand the role of courts.

     (c) Describe the roles of political parties, elections, interest groups, the media and public opinion in the democratic process, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to:

          (1) Describe the qualities of a leader.

          (2) Define and give examples of state and local interest groups.

          (3) Identify sources of information persons use to form opinions.

     (d) Explain the different political systems in the world and how those systems relate to the United States and the citizens of the United States, as demonstrated by the ability of the pupil to identify the county, city, state and country in which the pupil resides.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Education by R011-09, eff. 10-27-2009)